As the day started, I was greeted with the news that Apple Becomes World's 1st Private-Sector Company Worth $1 Trillion. How many zeros is that? Hey, Apple has changed the world for the better or the worse and getting us all hooked on their products and tech. I'll break down and buy the watch eventually, even though I'm allergic to apples.
I am an Apple fan. When it comes to juggernaut companies like that, we either want to be part of the process, or yell at the sidelines "Shame!" or my company's product is better than yours!
Apple became the first private-sector company in history to be worth $1 trillion, after its share price reached an all-time high above $207 on Thursday.
The share price jumped by more than 8 percent this week after Apple reported impressive quarterly earnings on Tuesday, driven largely by strong sales for high-priced iPhones. In a call with investors, CEO Tim Cook also touted growth in other areas such as smart home products, wearable and services like the App Store and Apple Pay. – npr.org
I was busy traveling last week when the stock made it's jump and I'm still recovering from traveling for 9 days. The time away from home culminated in attending a life-affirming concert in Salt Lake City, Utah. Last Saturday found me hanging out at the University of Utah Rice-Eccles Stadium from 10:30 AM to 12:30 AM and I left before it was all done.
Our coverage: The 2nd Annual LOVELOUD Festival Put A Spotlight On LGBT Health – AT&T, Tim Cook, Imagine Dragons & LGBT performers make a big statement in Utah.
Press covering the concert, were allowed to surround the stage during the first three songs of each performer. We were all down front waiting for Dan Reynolds and Imagine Dragons to close the show. There were rumors that TIm Cook had been in town the day before at the venue, but we were not 100% sure he was going to make an appearance on Saturday night.
The video below was what I shot with my elbows resting on the stage as former professional American football player Steve Young and his wife introduce Tim Cook who was there not only to introduce Imagine Dragons, but to pull at our heart strings, raise our emotions, be a role model for many, and to make us proud to be us. Have a listen.
He was clearly reading from a teleprompter, but everyone was. I was reading while he was speaking and he added some colorful words, went off script just a little, but was so worth it. He opened up his speech by telling the audience he is attending the concert:
"as an uncle, as a sports nut, a CEO, a lover of the beautiful Utah Outdoors, and a proud gay American."
When he said that, I teared up then and teared up a little more as I typed the above quote out.
"you are a gift to the world. a unique and special gift. just the way you are. your life matters."
"live your truth"
His words about seeing the struggles people go through and normal being the worst word ever created was showing how much this man is a real person, someone who understands what we all went through. The head of the biggest, richest company in the world is like us. Is one of us.
"Life will get better and you will thrive."
And of course, I foolishly teared up some more at the end when Tim Cook was introducing Imagine Dragons.
Now maybe I put him on a pedestal because of his position with Apple, the power he controls, but I think because of that place we put him in society, to see him come out and support some concert in some city Utah and have it be an LGBTQ+ positive concert and have him once again say he is one of us, well you don;t have to thank him, but I will.
Thanks Tim for saying what you say, doing what you do, and being who you are, one of us and not ashamed to say it, but instead, proud to say it in front of the world.
h/t: npr.org