Written for EO by Adam Dailey (pictured above, right), an EO San Diego member and CEO of Funly Events. On the morning of Monday, 4 March 2019, I was easing myself into the week. I practiced my morning routine with intention. I waited to turn on my phone, holding off the inevitable flow of business-related messages. When I did turn on my phone, however, the flurry of emails and texts that came through weren’t about business. And they would change my life forever. Within seconds, I learned that my good friend and former EO Co-Learning Chair Brandon Stapper [pictured at left] had died in a helicopter crash in Kenya. How could this be, I thought. Brandon was invincible. Was this a hoax? A mistake? It was barely an instant before my mind went to David Baker [pictured below], one of my best friends. He was also on the trip with Brandon. I had brought David into my Forum years ago. He was the kind of guy that everybody wanted to be—a lifestyle entrepreneur who had figured out the way life should be. David had eventually become both my business partner and my running partner. My world was turned upside down when I received confirmation from David’s girlfriend that he had also been in the helicopter. In an instant, I had lost two friends. Hours went by as I reached out to friends and communicated with others who were just learning about the accident. I met with some running buddies and we ran the loop around the Bay that we typically did with David every Thursday. We cried, but we barely knew what to say. A couple of hours later, I met with other Forum mates. We sat numbly, not knowing what to say to each other. But it felt better to be around people and not by myself. So, I called on our chapter to meet that evening at a brewery owned by David that we frequented. We had no agenda—we just wanted to be together. None of us knew how to act. It was somber. It was sad. It was depressing and awkward. It was also too soon. We did not know how to process this loss. Death is hard and complicated. There’s no correct way to mourn someone, I’ve learned. A few of us went into action. We raised money. We set up meal delivery for David and Brandon’s families. We planned a memorial and built a website (www.dabakerman.com). As EO members, this is what we do. We fix stuff. We build things. We do. Fast forward to just a few days later, on Friday, 8 March. Our chapter dine-around was planned for that evening, but we decided to replace it with a memorial event for Brandon and David. Nobody knew what to expect. EO events are typically socially charged and fun. I, for one, knew that I didn’t want to be around anybody. I was questioning everything. I was our chapter’s incoming President and David was going to be my Integration Chair. We were supposed to sit together on the flight to the EO Global Leadership Conference in Macau. I certainly didn’t feel like leading. But what happened that evening is what makes EO and its members extraordinary. While most groups simply gather, EO takes action. Other groups might book a restaurant table for 20. EO members book an entire venue and produce a high-quality event with a stage, microphones, and even a well-produced video commemorating our two fallen brothers. Friends and family from within and outside of EO gathered. A grief counselor was on hand to provide support. More than a dozen people stood up and spoke about their experiences with David and Brandon. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. I cried into the shoulders of people I hadn’t connected with in years. Brandon’s wife spoke. So did David’s 87-year-old father. “What an amazing group of people,” he observed. This was something special. Everyone who attended the event is bound forever in a special way. The evening was a blur. Yet, somehow, the next morning, I felt better. The crying slowed. I felt more purpose from EO than I had felt in years. In the aftermath of this heartbreaking tragedy, I realized it’s not about US$1-million businesses. It’s about creating relationships, taking action and surrounding ourselves with truly special people. The post From Heartbreak Comes Purpose appeared first on Octane Blog – The official blog of the Entrepreneurs' Organization. via Octane Blog – The official blog of the Entrepreneurs' Organization http://bit.ly/31cHuJG
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Carlo G. Santoro attended the 2019 Startup Grind Global as an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) ambassador and mentor. He has been an EO Melbourne member for almost 25 years and is currently the managing director of RetailCare. After the Startup Grind Global conference, he took time to reflect on the lessons he learned from the many early-stage entrepreneurs he spoke with. We share his thoughts below. Well, that’s a wrap on the 2019 Startup Grind Global in Redwood City, California. What an amazing venue—the old Fox Theatre! This year, I attended with the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO), as an ambassador and mentor. EO is a peer-to-peer learning organization, so it made perfect sense to offer free mentoring sessions to conference attendees who wished to spend time with an entrepreneur. And if you think the attendees who were “mentored” were the only ones who learned at these sessions, you’re wrong! After 20 sessions, over two intense back-to-back days, I took away many lessons that I am excited to implement. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of the attendees with their great energy and hope for the future. There is no end to ideas in a world where there is opportunity. Here are my top findings from the Startup Grind Conference: Start-ups want “other people’s” moneyWhen I started my company, I had no concept of “other people’s” money. I simply started offering my services while saving and building. From the conference, I got a vibe of great ideas that had not been tested or developed. The plan was to secure other people’s money—whether venture capital, friends or family—to get the business (the ideas) started. When there are great ideas, it’s important to test them, quickly. With the evolution of the online task websites, where you can post any job to find someone who will do it for a small fee, why not start the testing there? Using your US$5,000 from savings could be all you need to find out if it’s going to work! Many early-stage entrepreneurs have little knowledge about how to start a companyIdeas are flowing, and they are never-ending! I was so impressed with the businesses of the future. We are in exciting times for crazy ideas as populations grow, and all the niche markets are being formed. This means opportunity. The key idea is that an idea is simply not enough. As I listened, I heard a gap in the knowledge of what to do with the idea—where to start and who to talk to. Launching a start-up is a difficult path to navigate. This is where schools, colleges and universities could certainly raise their game. Incorporate classes that help students learn the process of commercializing an idea. Mentoring is a necessity to all business people, no matter what phase they are inOf the hundreds of attendees I spoke with, it was obvious that most had no one to talk to—no one who didn’t have an agenda, at least. Getting help from business partners, boards of directors or investors is always going to be loaded, as they have a vested interest in the decisions and advice they give. So where does an entrepreneur go? A mentor. A mentor is a person with whom you can have open discussions, with no pressure to perform on anything discussed. This mentoring process is about sharing stories with each other and allowing the mentee to hear the value that resonates for them. The lessons learned can be applied without any agenda, which builds an authentic relationship and method of learning. Everybody is searching for the next big thingInnovators, entrepreneurs and founders who I heard from had one thing in common: They were in search of the next big thing—whatever that is! We live in a world where businesses are operating all around us in every part of our lives. The media makes some businesses famous and successful, but there are millions of other businesses. The search for that big idea can be hard, very hard. Luckily, most of the successful business ideas are the simple ones. Even the simple ones can be scaled and successful. Keep it simple. Many new ideas are a reverse model of a current modelI was very impressed with the ideas that many mentees had come up with. Most were crazy ideas that turned a current business model upside down or back to front: Ideas where we pay before or after, ideas where everything is free, ideas where people are involved where they weren’t before, ideas where AI will do all the tasks of humans. I congratulate the next generation of entrepreneurs on how they are innovating to turn things upside down and make new businesses successful. Lifestyle mattersMany people who I spoke with had not asked themselves how pursuing their idea would impact their lifestyle. Launching and running a business demands involvement and commitment during every phase. A business doesn’t become successful without hard work, and hard work often requires sacrifice—giving up time with family or those opportunities for fun in life. Are you thinking about this when you plan your start-up? Thank you to all the great mentors, all the mentees and the EO team! Carlo Santoro was born and educated in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Carlo is a dedicated EO member and has taken part in numerous leadership positions. Carlo is married with two children. He is the managing director of RetailCare and spends much of his time as an accomplished consultant and mentor to the retail industry. The post Key Takeaways From Startup Grind Global appeared first on Octane Blog – The official blog of the Entrepreneurs' Organization. via Octane Blog – The official blog of the Entrepreneurs' Organization http://bit.ly/2WlQwoU |
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November 2020
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