Simon Atkins with son, Skye, wife, Yoshi and daughter, Gaia. Photo courtesy of Simon Atkins.
of human beings with our earth.”
The Path to Billings
“There’s positive energy in these prairies. I love that I can work from my home and raise my children in this beautiful landscape.”
Atkins’ journey to Billings, Mont. from New York City followed an unusual path. In 1998, Atkins began discussing the possibility of a joint venture with Steve Goldstein, president of TradeWeather, a company that traded weather futures and other financial instruments. Goldstein’s offices were in the World Trade Center where the two would often meet. But in the summer of 2001, Atkins’ health suddenly began to change. He had inexplicable and increasing migraines, along with visionary dreams implicating that he should leave New York. For the budding
Dr. Simon Atkins, Ph.D.’s new book, Skyaia: Cosmic Change & Health Impacts, is due to be published in early 2012 on Amazon and on Kindle Fire.
entrepreneur, leaving was not part of the plan. But the premonition of danger became unshakable and Atkins’ unmitigated unease compelled him to head west, out of New York, realizing he could do his work from essentially anywhere. He got as far as South Dakota when he received the unforgettable news early the morning of 9/11. Steve Goldstein had been in the North Tower that morning and perished in the attack. “That was my awakening,” Atkins says. “From that day on I was determined to concentrate on finding positive possibilities with every life challenge – including helping businesses by providing disaster threat assessment consulting.” According to Atkins, at any given time 30 percent of the economy worldwide is at risk due to volatile weather. “My job is to minimize risk by giving advance warning,” he says.
Planting Roots
In 2002, Atkins met his wife, Yoshie Shimamura, who was in Billings visiting her mother. The fact that Yoshie was from Kumamoto, Japan, a sister-city to Billings, was prophetic for Atkins. “I felt we were meant to live here,” he said. The couple and their two children, Skye and Gaia, live in a home on top of the Rimrocks with sweeping views of the valley below. From his office inside, Atkins monitors the many forces of nature that impact weather across the globe. His reports are forwarded to many multi-national companies who incorporate the data into risk management planning, as well as numerous farmer/rancher clients for use in long range planting schedules and forensic meteorology. For Atkins, it’s the best of both worlds. “There’s positive energy in these prairies,” he notes. “I love that I can work from my home and raise my children in this beautiful landscape.”
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