Twelve-year Lotus vet Jeff Anderholm spent 22 years in the software business as, successively, a tech writer, marketing communications manager, product manager, product marketing director, and a marketing executive. Then he decided to become a corporate drop-out.

More accurately, he decided to reinvent his career and drop-in to a new profession: innkeeping.

"I was speaking at a conference in London in 2001 when I looked out at the audience and I had an epiphany. I felt like I had been treading over the same ground and felt stuck", said Anderholm. "I knew then that I had to look for a way to spend my time that was more rewarding, but when would I have the courage to make the move?"

That time came in early 2002 when Anderholm, then Executive Vice President in charge of marketing and R&D at contact center provider Concerto Software in Westford, Massachusetts, found himself on the ‘redundant’ end of an acquisition that he himself helped spearhead. "The company found itself with too many execs, so I had an opportunity to take a golden-handshake and ponder my next move."

Anderholm and his wife Teri, a former Fidelity Investments exec and professional chef, spent the balance of 2002 laying plans for their new career in hospitality. "We traveled a bit, but mostly focused on selling our house in Newbury, MA and locating an inn to purchase", said Anderholm. "We took two innkeeping seminars and developed a model for the ideal property. By November 2002 we settled on an inn located in Bar Harbor".

However, the Bass Cottage Inn needed extensive renovation which it is, indeed, undergoing this summer and fall. "The location of the inn and the demographics of Bar Harbor/Acadia tourism make this an ideal situation for an upscale bed and breakfast. There’s a ton of work ahead of us before we open in Spring 2004, but we are tremendously excited".

Innkeeping may seem an improbable occupation for Anderholm, but at Lotus he was frequently in the midst of speculative projects. Anderholm joined Lotus in March 1984 and figures to be approximately the 250th employee. His start date was delayed due to a serious car accident. "Even though I had yet to actually start, Lotus offered to help with my medical expenses. That speaks volumes for the kind of Lotus corporate culture in the early days".

At Lotus, Anderholm started in Marketing Communications and was involved in the Lotus Jazz rollout. Later, he moved to product management to work on Lotus Express under Eileen Rudden. "At the time, Lotus management decided that e-mail software wasn’t happening, so they disbanded the team. I landed on this skunk-works project called "Modeler". I feared my career at Lotus had stalled".

However, the Modeler team, led by Pito Salas, was working on an exciting multidimensional spreadsheet that became Lotus Improv, a product that caused incredible excitement among industry analysts and the PC press. "Pito and I often reminisce that working on Improv was the most fun we ever had working at Lotus".

Eventually, Anderholm moved to Corporate Marketing to head up worldwide product marketing for all Lotus spreadsheets. He enjoyed handling 1-2-3 marketing and combating Microsoft even as Lotus as de-emphasizing the desktop in favor of Notes. In 1995, IBM acquired Lotus and forward vested employee stock options. Anderholm left Lotus in December 1995 for Fidelity Investments where he helped them launch their early Internet initiatives.

After Fidelity, Anderholm joined then-fledgling Art Technology Group as their first marketing executive and later joined Davox Corporation (now Concerto Software).

"After 22 years, the same value proposition - more productivity, more flexibility, more compatibility, etc. - was getting old for me," admitted Anderholm. "I wanted something more elemental. So now I’m focusing on a new set of value props: a luxurious night’s sleep, a sumptuous breakfast and casual elegance in Downeast Maine."

Born and raised in New England, Anderholm used to spend summers along the coast of Maine. He even managed a seaside inn on Kennebunk Beach during summer breaks while attending Middlebury College in Vermont. "’Manage’ really meant doing everything from cooking breakfasts to sorting laundry to property maintenance," acknowledged Anderholm. "So, I have some experience that should serve me well as an innkeeper when we open next spring."

This summer The Bass Cottage Inn is undergoing over a half million dollars in renovations. Anderholm looks forward to the dust settling so that he and his wife can put the finishing touches on the décor and open for business.

Naturally, the inn already has a website: www.basscottage.com. Friends and former Lotus colleagues can sign up for an email newsletter, allowing them to stay abreast of the inn’s progress and also be informed of special introductory offers. "As I learned at Lotus, word-of-mouth is a key purchase motivator," said Anderholm. "So, tell your friends about a great place to stay in Bar Harbor, Maine: The Bass Cottage Inn! See you in Spring 2004."

July 22, 2003