4 Lessons from the Greatest Business Deal in Sports History
By Joseph Steinberg, an EO New York member and CEO of SecureMySocial
How two brothers made $800 Million as basketball team owners – without actually owning a team.
By Joseph Steinberg, an EO New York member and CEO of SecureMySocial
How two brothers made $800 Million as basketball team owners – without actually owning a team.
Categories: Best Practices Guest contributors Lessons Learned Make a Mark
This article was written by EO Vancouver member, Calvin Johnson.
I’ve been an EO member for 15 years, but it wasn’t until 2014 that I became involved with the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA). I had served many roles previously on the BC Children’s Hospital Board, but I wanted to transition into something that engaged young entrepreneurs – and I found one. Our chapter president approached me and asked if I would be interested in creating a competition, with the catch that we’d never participated in GSEA before. I’d say, “Be careful what you wish for,” but this turned out to be an experience unlike anything else I’ve done in my career.
Categories: FINANCES international Lessons Learned members PR/MARKETING
Tags: Calvin Johnson eo gsea hootsuite
This article was originally published by Ashoka on Forbes.com. Ashoka, the largest network of social entrepreneurs worldwide, is a partner of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization.
Kim Jordan is Cofounder of New Belgium Brewing, one of America’s pioneers in craft brewing and an industry shaper known for its forward-thinking environmental practices and employee engagement. In 2013, Kim sold the company to her co-workers, making it 100% employee owned at a moment of growth and expansion. Ashoka’s Michael Zakaras caught up with Kim to learn of her guiding principles, how she and the New Belgium team translate them into business practice, and what this means for young people and education today.
Categories: Company Culture FINANCES general Guest contributors Interview LEADERSHIP Lessons Learned WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Tags: Ashoka beer co-ownership craft brewing engagement forbes Kim Jordan New Belgium Brewing Team
By Brian Scudamore, an EO Vancouver member and founder of O2E Brands
There is no shortage of high school and college dropouts who transformed themselves into business success stories – Richard Branson, Hootsuite’s Ryan Holmes, or Ikea’s Ingvar Kamprad, to name a few.
The fact that these titans of industry made it, despite their refusal to finish school, says to me that classrooms aren’t set up for future entrepreneurs. As a fellow dropout, I have often thought that if curriculum had included lessons in entrepreneurship I might have stuck it out.
Categories: Best Practices Coaching FINANCES Lessons Learned members
Tags: brian scudamore entrepreneurs' organization eo vancouver feature friday lessons learned o2e brands
By Shelley Rogers, EO Brisbane
When it comes to my entrepreneurial journey, I compare it to running my first triathlon. While I did train heavily for the race, I had no idea what to expect. It brought with it plenty of sweat, scratches, a few tears and, admittedly, a few swear words thrown in here and there. When I finally crossed that finished line, I felt a sense of accomplishment, pride and success. To my surprise, I had finished sixth in my age category. It was just another example of how through hard work and heart, you can achieve anything.
Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey general Goal Setting Inspirational Lessons Learned WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Tags: #womentrepreneur 31 Days of #WOMENtrepreneurship entrepreneurial journey EO Brisbane Shelley Rogers strategy
By Graham Marsden, Marketing Director at the Entrepreneurs’ Organization
Author’s note: EO has a partnership with Inc. Magazine, and we were grateful to have been generously extended access to their Iconic series of events this year. I attended this week’s event in Seattle as a Marketing Director from a non-profit organization helping entrepreneurs become their best selves. As such, I was keen to listen in for insights that EO members would appreciate. While Inc. did provide the ticket to this event, my opinions are my own and do not represent the Entrepreneurs’ Organization; this article has not been edited by Inc.com.
It was gratifying to me to see that dozens of EO members from chapters throughout the US, including Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Idaho, made their way to the Inc. Iconic Seattle event on Tuesday, 5 April. Hosted in a dark and immense concert hall, the event had a TED-style feel, while delivering perspectives from true icons in business, including two Sharks from ABC’s Shark Tank. Here are some of the elements of the day that stuck out for me:
Categories: LEADERSHIP Lessons Learned Make a Mark Partnerships
By Georges Levesque
You read that right. I am the son of a nun. To be precise: an ex-nun. My mom was a member of the Roman Catholic Sisters of Wisdom in Edmundston, Canada, from the age of 18 to 26. After she left, my mom continued to teach, met my dad, had three kids, moved 11 times and welcomed the ultimate gift of seven grandchildren. All the while, her experiences and values as a nun guided her on her journey. And in many ways, those values are the same ones that drive me in business and life. Here are three of the biggest lessons my mom imparted through her experiences:
Categories: Best Practices general Inspirational Legacy Lessons Learned members
By Cindy Koebele, EO Minnesota member and President of TitleSmart, Inc., a full-service title insurance company.
The title insurance industry, like many others, has faced incredible change over the past few years. I started TitleSmart, Inc. in 2007 during the collapse of the housing market, precisely because I believe change and chaos breed opportunity. Remaining focused on the core of our business, while others are distracted by temporary circumstances, is at the heart of our business plan.
During the recession, while most companies were pulling back and investing less in their clients, we jumped in with enhancements to the closing process that impressed our customers at a time when they were feeling let down by others in the marketplace. An unwavering focus on creating a superior customer experience saw our company through one of the toughest times in our industry and left us with a loyal base of customers and a clear direction for the future.
Categories: Best Practices FINANCES general Guest contributors Lessons Learned Sales WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
Tags: #EOeconomy 31 Days of #WOMENtrepreneurship Cindy Koebele customer experience customer service eo minnesota TitleSmart
By Brian Scudamore, an EO Vancouver member and founder of O2E Brands
We’re a nation of hoarders. I should know; my company 1-800-GOT-JUNK? became famous on a TV show that deals solely with helping people buried in their own junk. The first hoarded home I ever entered had a stockpile of soup cans that could have lasted well into the 23rd century.
Hoarding “stuff” is bad for people, and it’s even worse for entrepreneurs.
Categories: Best Practices LEADERSHIP Lessons Learned members
Tags: 1-800-got-junk? brian scudamore business eo vancouver o2e brands
This article was written by Richard Walton, an EO Cape Town member and founder of Avirtual, for the March 2016 issue of Octane magazine.
Dear Richard:
Look at you— you’re an entrepreneur! I know you think you’ve got it all under control and that you know better than me, but I’ve got 20 years of experience on you, so listen up. Listening, in fact, is one of the most useful things you can do when you’re starting out— not just to me, your older and wiser self, but to everyone who is willing to give you advice. Here are a few more nuggets you’ll need to know to get the most out of your entrepreneurial journey.
Categories: Best Practices Lessons Learned members
Tags: #EOeconomy advice Avirtual business EO Cape Town letter octane magazine Richard Walton