Meet Marshall MacFarlane | Facilities Management professional, veteran and freelance writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marshall MacFarlane and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marshall, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born and raised in eastern Canada. One of two boys (I’m older by three years) in a very conservative family. I came from a small town, and eventually moved to an area that was even more rural. We had a small farm, and I enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapping. Our family was also a military family on both sides; I was the third generation of MacFarlane to be a Senior NCO in our Regiment. My mother and brother also served. My parents were strict when it came to work ethic, honesty, humility and similar values. I am a millwright by trade. Finally, my grandfather was a noted author, editor and photographer. I like to think I inherited some of his talents, and have also been a freelance writer and editor since my senior year in High School, when I was awarded my first magazine column. All of those things, combined with my life’s journey, contributed to what and who I am today.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Two things, I suppose. I love being good at what I do (my profession – Facilities Management). From an early age I had humility and “quiet professionalism” pounded into me to the point that for many years, even as an adult, it felt weird to say “I’m really good at that”. It felt like bragging. But money was never my main motivator, nor are accolades. I was blessed to have jobs along the way that gave me an incredible breadth and depth of experience that only made me better at my craft. To be known by my peers as “one of the best” – is very rewarding. Second, I love volunteering. I love helping people. Call it depression perhaps, but I have lived much of my life with an absence of joy. Don’t get me wrong – I’m funny (so I think) and often – I’m happy. That being said, I see joy in other people and I’m envious. I’ve learned along the way, however – that it is very difficult to feel sorry for yourself when you are helping other people. I enjoy helping! Whether it is a lady reaching something at the grocery store, or leading a non-profit, I truly enjoy that feeling. I volunteer at my Church, I volunteer with conservation organizations like the Arizona Mule Deer Organization, and I am the current President of the Phoenix Chapter of IFMA (International Facilities Management Association) and I enjoy it immensely. I’m (usually) a good leader. Not the best, but good. Not in every situation, but certain ones. Again, it feels odd to say that even today, but I have discovered that is a gift I can use to help people. My wife is a quadriplegic and I am her caregiver when I am not at work. I don’t see it as work; I see it as helping someone I care about.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, in the greater Phoenix area, that would depend on the time of year wouldn’t it? Let’s assume for the sake of this exercise it is nice outside. I love to fish, so we would likely squeeze in a fishing trip. Probably to Lake Pleasant for striped bass, but maybe to one of the Rim lakes for trout. New Brunswick, Canada where I grew up is beautiful in summer, as is northern Maine, which was my next stop. That being said, I’ve been in Arizona for over 25 years an this is home. I love Arizona and the diversity of flora and fauna. I love the Sonoran Desert. I love how you can drive two hours in any direction and experience totally different topography and geology. I would take my friends north to the pines. We’d go south so I could show them the grasslands and scrub oaks. I’d drive down Route 79 so they could see the cactus forest and the Tom Mix monument. along the way I would be chattering about javelina hunts and the differences between Coues deer and desert Mule deer. I’d take them south to the border; to Sasabe where we often hunt. We’d spend some time (reluctantly, for me) in Phoenix where we’d hit the Phoenix Police Museum, the Zoo, and the Botanical Gardens. For someplace cool to eat, I’d take them to Dick’s Hideaway. Closer to my house in Queen Creek we’d likely frequent my regular places at Barrio Brewing at the Mesa Gateway Airport and Old Ellsworth Brewing in the QC. For maybe one more fancy night out we’d do Bourbon and Bones in Gilbert. We’d probably wrap up the week by heading east and checking out the Arboretum in Superior, and maybe hit a great Mexican restaurant in Globe or Miami.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well, it sounds like a cliche but in nearly every instance in my life where I’ve experienced success, I was surrounded by people who made me better. People who pushed me when I needed it. People who pulled me out of my shell as an introvert. People who demonstrated high standards. People who were smarter than me, who worked harder, or had skills in other areas that I couldn’t even dream of. Magically, I have landed in life situations along the way where I was surrounded by exactly the people I needed at that time, in that place to grow or to lead or to contribute. I’ve been blessed!

Website: http://desertratoutdoors.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshall-macfarlane-0a426518/

Other: Finally, I made a career change very recently. Check out what I do: https://c-3engineering.com/