I wanted to wait a few days after the passing of Steve Jobs before posting anything more than what I wrote for Billboard (most of which by the way was written prior to his death, the way pretty much all obits of famous people are. It’s a crass reality of journalism).

Because when someone of the stature of Steve Jobs passes away, there’s going to be an inevitable period of reminiscing on his life and legacy. But I also feel it’s a time to reflect on our own lives, career and accomplishments; not to see where we measure up, as the vast majority of us certainly will fall woefully short of his standard. But rather to be inspired by the example someone like a Steve Jobs sets for us all.

While I’ve covered his company and products closely over the years, I never actually met the man. Yet a few stories stand out for me that illustrate this point. My first real insight into him came when I first began covering the digital music space. Prior to this I never really gave Jobs or Apple much though. I’d owned an Apple IIe when I was a kid, but mostly owned and used Windows-based devices most my life. I had an iPod and used iTunes to buy music, but I was nowhere near a fanboy. Jobs was to me just another company CEO at the time.

He first landed on my radar when he criticized the security of Napster to the press, disparaging the subscription service rival as a way to prop up iTunes further.

I remember reacting very negatively to that. “How petty,” I thought, particularly knowing how shaky Apple’s Fairplay protection technology was. But Jobs knew how a few mere words could reverberate throughout the press, and this case was no different. It had a lasting impression on me and my subsequent coverage of Apple. I decided then I was not going to be sucked into the Apple “reality distortion field” and be yet another press lemming to carry water for Apple and Jobs’ message.

In the years that followed, I kept that chip on my shoulder, and had a few run-ins with Apple PR as a result. I even tried to keep a neutral position when the iPhone was introduced. But there was no denying the impact it had on the market. I developed a grudging respect for Jobs’ pitching skills as well as the products he introduced.

The next one came much later, just a few months ago, when a friend of mine who used to work for Toyota told me an interesting story. Steve apparently was a big Prius man. He not only owned one for himself, but bought several for his family, household staff, etc. And Steve being Steve, he had an answer for how to make the Prius an even better product. Apparently he wanted to adjust the cruise control to a speed that would optimally allow the hybrid vehicle to maximize the battery over consuming fuel. (Why he didn’t just buy a fully electric car rather than an electric/fuel hybrid is another question).

My buddy told me how he would call up the product manager for the Prius line, totally out of the blue, and give him notes on his suggested improvements to fix this perceived fault. Now he’s not calling the head of Toyota North America here or some other high-level exec accustomed to dealing with the likes of Steve Jobs. This was a relatively lower-level footsoldier who never talks to any customers, let alone Steve Freaking Jobs.

My interpretation of this was that Steve was passionate about products he believed in, not just his own, and also was a dedicated problem solver. But more importantly, he was someone who totally lacked in pretension. Think about most of the CESs you’ve encountered in your day. They surround themselves with the trappings of power, exclusivity and rank. Few would lower themselves to call a lower-ranking employee at another firm to problem-solve an issue. They’d insist on speaking to a “peer” and would direct their “people” to arrange otherwise. Not Jobs. He didn’t care about rank, or image or any of that. He cared about solving the problem. And that’s something to be respected.

Finally, there’s the highly-embedded YouTube video of Steve’s Stanford commencement address. I’d never actually watched it until the day before he died. I had just left Billboard to start my own consulting business—like literally three days in—and was a little freaked out. For some reason, I decided to finally watch that speech of which I’d seen links to for some time. It really is a remarkable message.

Much of it I already subscribed to. I’ve always shared his view of life, and knowing that someday you’re going to die, so live the best life you can.

It’s why I insist on living in Denver, despite the challenges  doing so places on my career (particularly that of a digital media consultant/reporter). It’s why I left Billboard to try doing something on my own, because I believe I have more to offer than what Billboard was allowing me to do. I followed my gut and went for it. I’ve also been fired, and been through the dark period that follows. I watched Job’s speech not as a grad about to go into the world, but rather as someone in mid-career evaluating the choices I’ve made so far and the plans I have for the future. It was refreshingly reaffirming.

And the next day, he died.

I basically have the career I do today because of the industry Steve Jobs created. And as much as I wanted to keep that cynical reporter chip on my shoulder when assessing Steve’s impact on this industry, I have to admit feeling a sense of loss and regret.

I was never a fanboy. But I have to admit that I was a fan. For as much as I may have disliked certain trees in the Steve Jobs forest, the overall view is a thing of beauty… on that should be respected, remembered and preserved.

Sometimes even writers must rely on the words of others to best express themselves. And who better to turn to than the great Bob Dylan?

This is my last day at Billboard magazine, and the title of this post best encapsulates my state of mind as I look back on the last seven years. Actually, to be accurate, it’s my last full-time day. I’m going to remain on as an advisor/consultant for the FutureSound conference that we’re putting together (www.futuresoundconference.com) Nov. 17-18 in San Francisco. And I’ll be writing a few freelance feature stores for Billboard now and then.

But for the most part I’m now striking out on my own. Within the music industry, I’m looking to do some consulting and advising with both startup and established companies. My goal is to see how the unique skill set I’ve developed as a journalist at Billboard can be best translated into other roles. You can find a full list of the projects I’m most interested in on the “about” page of this blog.

I’m also interested in writing about other things as a freelancer. The digital music space is certainly interesting, but I have other interests I’d like to explore. I’m a total food geek, growing my own vegetables and cooking almost everything at home from scratch. I’ve started a food blog that can be found at www.cooked-uncooked.com that covers my growing, cooking and foraging activities. I’m hoping to start writing more about that in other publications. I’m also an avid skier, and am looking for cool angles to cover in that sport. And there’s just all manner of other things that I find interesting and compelling enough to write about. Billboard’s a demanding job… between that and parenting responsibilities, I’ve had no time to engage in these other areas. I soon will.

I have mixed feelings leaving Billboard. It’s been my identity for the better part of a decade, through some pretty major milestones in my life. I walked into this industry with nearly zero knowledge of the music business. This was a time when ringtones were making big money, and Billboard needed someone who know the mobile industry. After eight years covering mobile as a reporter and working in industry development at CTIA–The Wireless Association, I was that guy. The years that followed have been exciting, educational, and entertaining. I’ve met some truly awesome people. It’s really been a blessing.

But basically what I want to do now is experiment with other roles. I’m not one of these golden-parachute executives who can just leave a job and spend 6 months on a beach figuring out what they want to do next. Not only is that financially impossible, it’s just not my style. I’m a doer–I learn by doing. Truth is I don’t know what I want to do next, so the only way to figure that out is to do a lot of different things and see what sticks.

Perhaps that’s business development and partnership building. Perhaps it’s communication strategy. Market research and analysis. Community development. Content. I know I can do all those things, but I’m not sure yet which one I want to do full time. So I’m going to try to do a little bit of all of them.

There’s been a lot of turnover at Billboard, and my departure is sure to stir up more rumors. So let me clear all that up right now. I’m not running away from Billboard. I’m running (well, walking) towards something new. My relationship with the Billboard staff and leadership remains as solid as ever, and there’s not a person there I don’t consider a friend.

Billboard will forever be a part of who I am. It’s a stage in my life I’ll never forget. Now,  I’m looking very much forward to the next one.