Send the Elevator Back Down!

I don’t tend to watch much late night TV. I’m usually in bed after the weather forecast is finished on our local news. But on a recent business trip, I found myself channel surfing after the local news and stopped when I saw Kevin Spacey being interviewed. I don’t remember which talk show it was, as I was paying close attention to what Spacey was saying. His message was inspiring – "Send the Elevator Back Down!"

Spacey explained how Jack Lemmon was the most important mentor in his life. Spacey first met Lemmon when he was just 13 years old while attending an acting workshop run by Lemmon. Lemon told the young Spacey he had talent and should pursue a career in acting.

Spacey says that Lemmon had a philosophy that he has since adopted in his own life, and is the philosophy of The Kevin Spacey Foundation. The philosophy is that if you’ve been successful in your chosen path, if you’ve been able to realize your ambition, then you are obligated to spend a good portion of your time sending the elevator back down.

We launched D.O.M. magazine more than seven years ago with that purpose in mind. We wanted to produce an “elevator” that didn’t exist at the time to help aircraft maintenance professionals ascend in their careers.

The spirit of giving back and helping others isn’t just about what we can do as a magazine. It is also about what YOU can do. If you are a maintenance manager, is your obligation to send the elevator back down to help the next generation of aviation maintenance leaders!

Don’t just sit at the top floor enjoying the view – send the elevator back down so that others have the opportunity to enjoy that view in the future!  

Thanks for reading!

Joe