While our pets provide us with affection and happiness and loyalty and companionship on the personal level, they are rarely, if ever, recognized for their positive effects on our professional lives.

As an entrepreneur, my workweek often spans seven days and never abides by set hours. Throw into the fray that I travel for a living and have averaged well over 100 flights per year for the past 15 years, I have a family, and I run marathons in my non-existent spare time, and you have the makings of a really chaotic life.

Eight years ago, my wife and boys convinced me to get a dog. I’ve been a dog person my entire life but had resisted the temptation to get one knowing full well the commitment required to properly care for a dog, especially with my lack of time and busy life. I also knew that the dog would become mine as I get hopelessly attached. But the boys were persistent and after a short search, we managed to find a puppy from a local shelter. His name was Jack, and he came home with us that day and has been an active part of our crazy family ever since. I could go on for hours about the impacts that Jack has had on us personally, but I feel obliged to box in my context, and so I will.

The reality is that Jack’s impact on my professional life has been profound. He’s my sidekick in virtually everything. My silent business advisor when I have a great (or utterly stupid) idea to discuss, my shrink when I need to vent, my escape buddy when the walls are closing in and I need to get out of the office and stretch my legs. And when I started training for endurance runs, especially ultramarathons, Jack became my training partner, and we easily spend 10 hours a week running on local trails in all weather conditions.

Whenever he puts his head in my lap and gives me the “hey, it’s time to play” look, my level of stress dissipates, and my workday gets a little easier instantaneously. I am more productive and more focused at work because of the distractions provided by my dog, and I have better perspective of the simple things in life that we often take for granted. And when I travel on business and I’m away from the family, Jack helps to fill the void of my presence, which is greatly reassuring.

As my wonderful and irreplaceable sidekick in life, you’ll be seeing more of Jack on this website and I felt he needed a proper introduction. So world…here’s Jack.