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A TALE OF TWO EXTREMES

Rick Hudson experiences exhilarating joy and excruciating pain.

by Jim Morgan

For RL Hudson CEO Rick Hudson, April and May of 2004 resembled the first line of a Dickens novel.

"Those two months really were both the best of times and the worst of times," Rick agrees with a grin. "Best because I was named the Oklahoma Small Business Person of the Year. Worst because I broke my right leg in a silly accident."

With equal measures of humility and perseverance, Rick handled both events in turn. Along the way, he garnered far more than just a marble award and a plaster cast. He also gained an even greater appreciation for those who have helped him achieve success and for those who cope with physical disabilities on a daily basis.

HEAD OF STATE To fully understand Rick's recent highs and lows, it helps to revisit March of 2003. That was when the employees of RL Hudson secretly nominated Rick to be Tulsa's Small Business Person of the Year. Sponsored by the Metropolitan Tulsa Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Administration (SBA), the honor is given annually to a Tulsan who owns a company with fewer than 100 employees.

Rick and the other nominees were evaluated on the basis of industry and community leadership, company growth, and their skill at weathering the difficulties inherent in running a business. Rick was told of his nomination a few days before the award presentation in May of last year. Much to his surprise, he won!

"I honestly didn't think I had a chance," Rick recalls. "There were many worthy nominees, and I was in shock over being one of them. When my name was announced as the winner, I was speechless."

As the Small Business Person of the Year for Tulsa, Rick was then entered (again, by the Hudson employees) into a statewide competition last November. As surprised as Rick was to be the Tulsa winner, he was even more stunned to learn on April 1 that the SBA had chosen him as the Small Business Person of the Year for all of Oklahoma.

"The timing of the news gave me pause," he admits. "It was April Fools' Day, right? The thought ran through my mind that maybe they were just having a little fun with me. But I was indeed their pick. That was a terrific feeling."

A BREAK IN THE ACTION Three weeks later, Rick wasn't feeling half as good. He and RL Hudson President Roger Stair were riding their bicycles in south Tulsa on April 21. It was early evening, and a heavy thunderstorm rumbled into the area. Forced to stop suddenly on freshly wet pavement to avoid being hit by a car, Rick lost control of his bike and crashed to the concrete.

"I can see the whole thing replay in slow motion in my mind," he says. "The bike skidding, me tumbling, and then the burst of intense pain in my lower leg. I knew immediately that it was broken."

And sure enough, it was. Rick's wife, Diane, was called to help transport him to the hospital, where X-rays confirmed that he had broken his right fibula just above the ankle. Wounds on both sides of his foot were treated, and he was given medication for the pain. The physical discomfort, however, wasn't what bothered Rick most.

"It sounds childish," he concedes, "but in the ER, I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I wouldn't be able to do. Drive, or run, or work out, or play golf, or visit our Chinese factories. I already had a trip scheduled for May, and I knew I'd have to cancel. I felt like my life was over."

THE VIEW FROM THE SIDELINES Like it or not, Rick had to adapt. Once the initial swelling subsided, surgeons rebuilt the broken fibula using a metal rod and ten screws. Post-op, Rick was under strict orders to limit his movement so as not to reinjure the leg or prolong the healing process.

"I was accustomed to being the first to the office, and one of the last to leave," Rick muses. "All of a sudden I had to scale back to half-days. It was like enforced relaxation, which was weird for me. Having to stay home more did remind me how great my colleagues are, though. They're all pros, and they certainly soldiered on in my absence. If I didn't know better," he adds with a wink, "I'd almost think they got along better without me!"

In addition to making him slow down, Rick's injury also meant that he had to rely on crutches, even when delivering the keynote address at a Tulsa Chamber luncheon in early May. As Oklahoma's small business award recipient, Rick was also invited to a late May luncheon honoring all state winners during SBA Expo '04 in Orlando. Rick made that trip with family members, including his mother, Ruth, and sister, Cathie, both of whom journeyed from Georgia to witness the ceremony.

A NEW PERSPECTIVE "I was proud to represent Oklahoma," says Rick, "but the trip to Florida was no cakewalk. Getting through the airports and onto the planes with crutches was a constant struggle. It forced me to think about the obstacles that individuals with disabilities face every day. It was a real eye-opener."

Back in Tulsa, Rick is now sans crutches and well on his way to a full recovery. And though his life is largely back to normal (he's in the office full days again, and his trip to China is set for September), Rick is determined not to forget his recent lessons.

"I've benefited from both the award and the injury," he stresses. "Breaking my leg showed me how easy I have it most of the time, and it's given me greater empathy for those who are less fortunate. Winning the award reminded me how far I've come since starting RL Hudson."

He pauses momentarily, glances down at his right leg, then looks up again with a bright smile.

"The award also reenergized me for what I want to accomplish in the future. Dickens would be proud - I still have great expectations!"