Interview: Lance Harry – Unfiltered

1. What is your role at your company?

I’m the President and CEO of Fireaway Inc.

2. Tell us about your family.

My wife, Amy, and I have been together since we were 17… met in HS in Bucks Co., PA (Council Rock HS, Newtown, PA). Our first date was at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey!

We have one son, Baden. He just graduated, magna cum laude, from Minnetonka HS, in Minnetonka, MN. He’ll be attending the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH, in the fall, studying marine science.

I have a brother, Gregg, who is a professor and department chair for the Physics department at American University in Washington, D.C. and part of the “LIGO” (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave) project; the founders of the project were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2017.

My mother has passed. My father lives just south of Lancaster, PA.

3. What was your dream job growing up?

Probably something sports related! I am an avid hockey player and coach, and golfer… and dabbled in baseball and football growing up.

My brother’s academic and career path in physics encouraged me to pursue a STEM field and landed on mechanical engineering at Union College (BS) and Boston University (MS)… I always knew I wanted to do something related to science and engineering!

4. What was your first job?

My first job out of grad school was as an engineer at Kidde Fenwal in Ashland, MA. Literately a random job posting in the Boston Globe. The very first project I worked on was the testing and eventual UL300 listing of the KF, wet chemical kitchen protection system “Aqua Blue.” In my first summer of work, I remember telling people, “I light huge grease fires in all sorts of equipment, then try to put them out!” It was a great conversation starter!

5. How did you get into the fire protection industry? Please describe your first job within the industry.

See above!

6. Over the course of your career, what has been the biggest change you have seen in the industry?

I honestly believe we are experiencing the biggest change our industry has seen in decades. The use of various clean agents has ebbed and flowed for many years, since the transition from Halon 1301, to {largely} FM-200, and other agents. But now, with the impending decline of HFCs and the challenges to fluorinated ketone chemicals, we are dealing with a massive, and rapidly evolving, transition I believe is even more dramatic than the shift from Halon to other agents.

7. What do you love most about your job? Least?

I love the challenge, the technical elements, and the variety of things we deal with every day. I enjoy working with our great team at Fireaway and finding ways to solve our customers’ problems!

8. What is your favorite movie?

So many great movies… it depends on what were in the mood for! Some of my favorites include Shawshank Redemption; Field of Dreams; Glory; Caddyshack; Slapshot.

I must add a shoutout to one of my favorite TV series of all time… MythBusters! I love the combination of science, problem solving, humor and just goofiness. I feel like I would have made a great MythBuster in another life!

9. What is the best piece of advice that you were ever given?

On the professional side, my first boss at Kidde Fenwal, Robert Mulcahy, told me early in my career… “If you succeed, I succeed.” I love that philosophy… it has so many applications on how you interact with everyone in your organization. Be a team player; work to make everyone around you successful and the entire organization/team/group will be successful.

In my “hockey coaching career”… I had a few great mentors as I started coaching my son. I like the idea that there are multiple outcomes from any given practice, game, tournament, etc… its good to stress that, in any outcome, there is always the opportunity to learn and get better. It’s a great microcosm of life!

10. Who inspires you?

My family inspires me to do the best I can every day… and support them and enable them to have the best opportunities and experiences possible.

11. Who gave you your first break?

I’ve been very fortunate in my career… it feels as though I’ve been in the right place at the right time for many opportunities. Interestingly, my first real break came from outside the fire protection industry… a good friend from college had just completed his MBA and was starting to work at an “enterprise startup” company in the Boston area. I was afforded the opportunity to work as a product manager, in a high tech, optical networking company… an area I had no experience in. But this company, GiantLoop Network, gave me the opportunity to experience a different side of business and different industry experience. It was funded by early employees at EMC2, who broke off and were forming this business. The company was not as successful as we had hoped, but the experience was invaluable. I consider it my “MBA on the job.” It gave me new interests, opened new avenues, and gave me new skills I still use today.

12. Would you rather take an ocean, mountain, or lake vacation?

I enjoy all those locations… I really like having “4 seasons” wherever we are! (Some might say in Minnesota, we only have 2 seasons… winter and construction!)

I think we enjoy the ocean more than the others. Not necessarily for the pure “beach” experience, but for all the different experiences the ocean can provide. Our family is passionate about marine life and ocean conservation

13. If you had one “Do Over,” how would you use it?

A good friend from college and I had a falling out many years ago… I would go back and change how that transpired!

14. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

There are plenty of things that make me happy! My family, my friends, a great bottle of wine… all of which constitute perfect happiness in their own way! But… I know we’re looking for something more fun… so how about this:

A cold beer with friends overlooking the 18th at Pebble Beach, just after completing a round of 72. (In this picture it was not 72… but still an amazing day!)

15. What is your greatest fear?

I think in some ways, we all fear not leaving some sort of helpful and lasting impression or memory. I try every day to leave a positive impression and experience for my family, my colleagues, our company, and the world around us.

16. What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?

I can be easily frustrated… especially when things don’t go the way I expect or have planned. I admit I’m a bit of a perfectionist… although I’d like to believe I’ve mellowed a bit in my later years!

17. What is the trait you most dislike in others?

I have trouble when people are not aware of their surroundings or oblivious to others’ needs/situations. The world would be a better place if we all simply took a few moments to recognize what’s going on around us and react in a helpful and common-sense way!

18. Which living person do you most admire?

I admire all our countres’ active military and veterans, for their selfless service to our country. Although I do not come from a heavy military family. I always respect and admire the type of character and courage it takes to serve as a member of our armed forces.

19. What is your greatest extravagance?

Golf shirts! I’ve got a lot… usually one from every resort or special course that I’ve played. I’ve been very fortunate to have played a lot of them!

20. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“At the end of the day”; “Typically”

21. What or who is the greatest love of your life? When and where were you happiest?

That’s a softball! My wife and I have been in love for 36 years! We are happiest sharing a great bottle of wine… making homemade pizza… vacationing in Hawaii… watching our son become a successful young man!

22. Which talent would you most like to have?

I would love to play guitar! Those who know me well, know I do a mean air guitar… that’s as close as its gotten!

23. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

I certainly hope its helping to raise our son into a fine young man.

24. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Iditarod sled dog. I love the challenge they take on and perseverance they require.

25. Where would you most like to live?

Hawaii has become our go-to vacation spot… living there would be an amazing experience!

26. What is your most treasured possession?

This is a tough one… Perhaps one of my favorites is a picture of our son, beneath the “Harry” street sign in Conshohocken, PA. The Harry family had a house and watch shop on this street in the 1700s – 1800s, and the street was named for our ancestors. It’s very cool to see that connection with our own family… hopefully something he’ll pass forward to the next generations!

27. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Loss of purpose or hope

28. What do you most value in your friends?

Ability to be genuine, have fun, create lasting memories

29. Who are your favorite writers?

I like a good thriller/spy/action type book. I haven’t read as much lately as I’d like… but, when traveling, I like to read Nelson DeMille, Lee Child, Clive Cussler.

30. Which historical figure do you most identify with?

This a tough one… so what do we do when we face a challenge… ask the internet! According to BuzzFeed… I identify with Edgar Allan Poe:

“You’ve got a strong creative streak that you can’t suppress, but you’ve also got a dark side that wants to come out at the same time. You’re also a bit of a perfectionist {I got this output AFTER I wrote the answer to #16!} and hate to put out something you’re not 100% satisfied with, much like famous writer Edgar Allan Poe.”

Seems reasonably accurate!

31. Who are your heroes in real life?

Hero is a strong word… and honestly, I don’t believe people, especially kids, should try to emulate others too closely. Admiration and respect are good, but be yourself, do the work, understand any given situation, make good decisions, and carve your own path!

I do respect and admire business owners and entrepreneurs who made something out of just an idea or service… it’s a daunting thought… to those who made it into a business that can sustain a family or hundreds of families… kudos to them!

32. What are your favorite names?

Other than our son’s name, Baden; the two other names we considered, based on gender, were Megan and Owen.

33. What is your motto?

“Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’” — Andy Dufresne, Shawshank Redemption