Blog

08.02.18

Insider Influence: Episode 2 with Karl LaPan

Brandon Noll, Business Development Manager, Reusser Design LLC

Karl LaPan begins his morning routine the night before (which is no surprise because he is always three steps ahead of everyone else). During the last hour of each night, Karl spends time researching and reading research, reading entrepreneurial stories and reflecting on where certain industries are going, and analyzing trends and scanning current events. Each morning, he wakes up and focuses on rhythm, speed, and accountability in order to guide the rest of his day.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

My 7:30 a.m. meeting with Karl LaPan, President and CEO of The Northeast Indiana Innovation Center (The NIIC), started by me quietly approaching him in the back corner of one of his favorite breakfast places—Bob Evans. Working diligently, he was surrounded by scattered papers and his Mac. He had been camped out in his booth since Bob Evans opened at 6 AM. As I approached Karl, I didn’t want to interrupt his concentration.

From the moment I met Karl, I realized I had to know everything about everything.

I sat down across from him and the waitress came to take our orders—well, my order. She already knew what Karl wanted for breakfast—he’s a regular. As I enjoyed my Bob Evans western-style omelet with and a biscuit, I began to explain the premise of our breakfast meeting.

If you read last week’s Insider Influence blog, you know that I was tasked to write a blog post on leadership. This transformed into a series of interviews with influential thought leaders in Northeast Indiana. As I thought through leaders to connect with for the blog, Karl was the first person I jotted down.

Click here to read the full blog.