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4 Lessons Nature Can Teach You About Business

22 November, 2022

Are you struggling to find new ways to motivate your work team? Are you brainstorming a marketing strategy or quarterly plan and feeling fresh out of new ideas? If so, it may be time to take a step outside.

When people think about adventures in the great outdoors, they probably disassociate those activities from the daily grind of the corporate office. Many people don’t realize, however, that nature can teach the most essential life lessons, especially when it comes to business. That’s right—from an overnight white water rafting trip to a days-long hike up a steep mountain, nature is an underrated mentor when it comes to business.

If you are a business owner or leader who is looking for new ways to collaborate and innovate with your team, consider taking a trip to the Rocky Mountains or Yellowstone National Park. The fresh air may not only help you out of your creative rut, but it can also provide inspiration for better collaboration and communication.

From my experience, here are four lessons Mother Nature can teach you about business:

1. Learn how to adapt quickly.

Many industries are in the midst of major shakeups right now. Business professionals, especially leaders, need to know how to adapt to change as quickly as possible in order to stay on top of changing needs and trends. By its very essence, nature teaches all who enjoy it how to respond to unforeseen circumstances. For example, if a tree has fallen and obstructed the trail you’re following, you must find another route. Or, if it starts to rain, you may need to explore creative ways to seek shelter. Business, like nature, can be chaotic, so it’s important to be flexible and stay humble.

2. Put “waste not, want not” into action.

If you went camping or hiking with a limited food supply, you probably wouldn’t waste any food or materials. Like expert outdoorsmen, great business leaders avoid wasting resources at all costs. They know how to work within a budget, and if there is a surplus, they allocate those resources to another need or project. They can assess current resources and make them last, which is especially important in shaky economic times.

3. Gain a new perspective.

Have you ever hiked to the very top of a tall mountain and looked at the world below you? If so, you probably gained a new perspective. Enjoying these activities in nature can help you see things differently when you are stuck on a problem at work that seems difficult or impossible to solve. If you are facing some type of professional obstacle, perhaps it’s time to look at the problem from a different angle to find the right solution.

4. Appreciate small details.

When you take a sailing trip or venture out to see a waterfall, you may notice a stunning sunset or a rainbow where the light glistens in the cascading water. These seemingly simple things can enhance your time outdoors and cause you to pause in gratitude. In business, it’s easy to get so busy that you forget to say “thank you” for the smallest things. Taking the time to notice the simple details in nature can encourage you to pause at work and recognize the things your employees or colleagues do exceedingly well that make a huge difference professionally.

While it may seem difficult to draw parallels between the typical workday and an excursion outdoors, Mother Nature can teach you many valuable lessons. It doesn’t matter if you are outdoors for a few hours or a few days. All you need to do is take a step outside, look around, and listen.

Contributed to EO by Patrick Sipp, the owner of Flying Pig Adventures, who helps his clients get back outdoors, where the spray of the river, the warmth of the sunshine, and the immensity of the world around are clear and present. Patrick is a family man who has turned his passion for the outdoors into a gateway for his guests to experience an adventure unlike anything else.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Inspirational LEADERSHIP Lessons Learned

Tags: entrepreneurs' organization Flying Pig Adventures lessons learned Patrick Sipp

14 EO Members Share The Best Thing About Entrepreneurship

17 November, 2022

“Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. However, it allows you the freedom to explore all the spaces and crevices of your mind and abilities and work on your own terms,” said Natasha Miller, EO Los Angeles and EO US West Bridge member, and founder of Entire Productions. “I couldn’t imagine another way of life for myself. But understand it’s not for everyone.”

It can, however, change your perspective on life. As Julia Duran of EO European Bridge chapter explains, “I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I was taught that if I wanted a comfortable and safe future, I had to work for someone else—ideally a large company. However, owning a business taught me that the opposite is also true: If I want a solid future, I’m the one who needs to make it happen.”

In recognition of Global Entrepreneurship Week, here’s how EO members from around the world responded when asked:

What is the best thing about being an entrepreneur?

Freedom to Live the Life we Dream

“In a word: Freedom. Freedom to create. Freedom to dream and execute. Freedom to make an impact in our community. Freedom to set my own goals, vision and mission. Freedom to invest in people and things that I feel are important. Freedom to succeed or fail on my own accord (though failure is just another opportunity). Entrepreneurship is Freedom to Live the Life we Dream.”

— Mike Bacile, EO Dallas, founder and CEO, The Daily Java

Contributing in a Positive Way

“Entrepreneurship means that we are creators and builders rather than destructive forces in the world. We can positively affect the lives of our team, clients and community. When we get it right it means that we are good citizens that contribute to our communities and the world.”

—Stephanie Clark, EO Nebraska, co-founder and CEO, GMP Pros

Changing Lives

“Being an entrepreneur is the most meaningful job I’ve ever done. I was born in a small village without electricity. Education changed my life. I came a long way to reach where I am now: a social entrepreneur who is founder and president of a foundation that supports girls whose dreams do not fit the life they live—like me in my youth. That is why I support university education of young women. I believe in the transformative power of education. With education, a woman changes, she changes generations, and then the world changes. For this aim, I will work until I die.”

— Meryem Salman, EO Turkey, partner and vice chairman +partner, Finance & Insurance and founder, Buldan Foundation

Facing Challenges Confidently

“Being an entrepreneur has pushed me to acquire new skills and face challenges actively. I never know what competencies I will need for my future ideas to materialize, but I will grow confidently in that direction. Entrepreneurs live between the uncertainty of risks and the excitement of upcoming adventures.”

— Julia Duran, EO European Bridge Chapter and EO Silicon Valley, co-founder and CEO, SouthGeeks

Creating Impact

“Entrepreneurship is the number one change agent in the world. I’m honored to work with partners and employees to create businesses that change the world. I was drawn to entrepreneurship for the freedom of lifestyle, and have learned that my most fulfilling moment is when we create products that help others impact the world!”

—Patrick Bryant, EO Charleston, founder and CEO, Go To Team

Opportunity to Fix What’s Broken

“Entrepreneurship provides opportunities: the opportunity to grow intentionally (I’m attending EO with Harvard Business School); the opportunity to live flexibly (my family and I spent September hiking the Pacific Northwest); and the opportunity to give back consistently (mentoring other founders, serving on boards, investing in employees, etc.). But the greatest is the opportunity to fix what’s broken. Entrepreneurship is an innately iterative process. Sometimes you fail, and it sucks. But the next day, you have the opportunity to get up and make it better. It’s all inside yourself and nobody can take that away from you.”

—Daniel Roberts, EO Atlanta, founder and CEO, Friendly Human and VidLoft

Improving Our World

“The best thing about being an entrepreneur is having the ability to make and build things that improve our world, our climate, and the lives of our customers and employees.”
—Kyle Ewing, EO Colorado, founder and CEO, TerraSlate

Freedom and Disruption

“The three best parts of being an entrepreneur:

Location Freedom: I can travel the world while growing my business—fulfilling my dream to live across the globe.
Position to Change Lives: I was able to grant location and schedule freedom to our 250+ team members, allowing each to engineer their ideal lifestyle.
Disruption: Market failures are the bane of my existence. It kills me seeing people or companies struggle when there is a better way out there! As an entrepreneur, I can turn industries on their head by disrupting them with innovative products.”

—Kean Graham, EO Vancouver, founder and CEO, Monetize More

Realizing Dreams

“You are constantly sharpening your skills by learning from failures and improving your personal self — every day. You start to accept that making mistakes becomes a part of your journey when your goal and vision is clear. Even if you started with a vision that was a bit selfish, over time your vision becomes about the people who work for you to make your dream a reality. When your people truly appreciate your empathy and understanding, they work really hard to achieve your dream.”

—Tony Raval, EO San Diego, founder and CEO, FrescoData

A Life of Free Will

“Entrepreneurship to me means living the best version of myself every waking moment because this is a life I crafted for myself. I am essentially living a life of free will, the capacity to make choices that fulfill my desires and dreams, and hold only myself accountable. “

—Alicia Chong, EO Philadelphia, founder and CEO, Blu Monaco

Freedom of Time

“The best part of being an entrepreneur is the freedom of time it can provide. Now in my 20^th year of my company, I spend my time working “on” bigger picture, visionary ideas vs. working “in” the business. This also gives me time to give back to my local community through several volunteer boards and EO. The EO Path of Leadership for both my local chapter and now region is both challenging and rewarding. The more I give, the more I receive. I feel lucky to spend an increasing amount of my time working with other outstanding entrepreneurs, learning, and growing into the best version of me. Freedom of time has been the best gift I could ever give myself.”

—Cameron Johnson, EO Edmonton, president, California Closets Alberta

Improving Lives Daily

“Improving lives daily: It’s both our company motto and the best part of being an entrepreneur. We employ 40-plus women—many are moms who work from home while juggling households and families. Watching how what we do every day improves the lives of our people and clients—it’s phenomenal!”

—Jim Jacobs, EO Philadelphia, founder and CEO, Focus Insite

Leading with Higher Purpose

“The best thing about being an entrepreneur is the ability to show people the innate potential of business to make the world a better place, and therefore change their perception of capitalism at large. As a conscious capitalist, I believe in leading with a higher purpose that integrates the interests of all stakeholders, including everyone the business touches and the planet we all share together. My mission is to inspire current and future leaders to look into what is truly important in the world, and choose a mission that both feeds their passion and does right by their community. As entrepreneurs, we have the unique ability to demonstrate that business can and should be guided by purpose, not just profit.”

—Kent Gregoire, US East Bridge Chapter, founder and CEO, Symphony Advantage and a Certified Conscious Capitalism Consultant

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey Inspirational members

Tags: Alicia Chong Cameron Johnson Conscious Capitalism Daniel Roberts entrepreneurs' organization eo atlanta EO Charleston eo colorado eo dallas eo edmonton EO European Bridge eo los angeles EO Nebraska EO Philadelphia EO San Diego eo silicon valley EO Turkey eo vancouver Jim Jacobs Julia Duran Kean Graham Kent Gregoire Kyle Ewing Meryem Salman Mike Bacile Natasha Miller Patrick Bryant Stephanie Clark Tony Raval US East Bridge US West Bridge

3 Stories of Entrepreneurial Action in a Year of Great Challenge

17 November, 2022

By Marc Stöckli, Global Chair, Entrepreneurs’ Organization

The strength of entrepreneurs has always been their ingenuity in resilience – their ability to triumph through adversity, devise new ways to push the world forward in dire times and inspire their communities to come back stronger.

In recent years we’ve seen several situations where this quality has been desperately needed – turmoil, conflict and crises have become a constant undertone. But what we’ve also seen in these situations is how entrepreneurs have come together to help people, to lend the strength and tools to rebuild.

This is why I believe in the power of EO and our members – I’ve witnessed so many real-life stories that prove the extent of our efficacy when we come together; how we can move the world forward by unlocking our full potential as leaders. What I love about entrepreneurs is that they do not wait in the aftermath of disasters or crises. They roll up their sleeves and find solutions. They are the drivers of change and the ones who rebuild countries from within, carrying entire communities on their shoulders.

As we mark Global Entrepreneurship Week (14-20 November), I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to celebrate some of the many heroic business leaders across EO’s membership, and the gift of a community that brings us together to solve problems with the tools and enterprises that empower self-reliance.

I begin in Eastern Europe. We have all witnessed the destruction of the war in Ukraine – displacement and devastation have left an indelible mark on the nation, and spurred a damaging ripple effect on food supplies, energy security and global supply chains. As soon as the conflict began, EO members in Poland, Romania and all across the globe organized to offer vital life support.

What started as essential supplies for refugees fleeing Ukraine turned into a wider plan to support the long-term health of entrepreneurs that remained in the country – buying goods from them, supporting their businesses and ensuring they had the resources necessary to continue trading. So far, more than $700,000 in support has been directed by our members to local businesses. Bravo!

The help given to business owners is so incredibly valuable because it supports a country rebuilding from the ground up, while restoring a crucial part of a thriving community. It enables the ripple effect.

This year Pakistan was faced with devastation of a different kind: unprecedented floods that killed more than 1,700 people, including 600+ children, and injured another 12,000 more. Some 2.1 million people were displaced from their homes—many made homeless—and the country was forced to declare a state of emergency. The EO Lahore chapter came together quickly with EO Karachi and EO Islamabad in establishing three committees to support entrepreneurs and their communities in affected areas, helping them rebuild in the aftermath of the worst floods in Pakistan’s history.

These committees focused on directing ways to help deliver safe drinking water, lifesaving medical supplies, therapeutic food supplies and hygiene kits to heavily impacted families and children, but they also focused on empowering people to rebuild for themselves, to avoid creating dependence. One initiative in particular stands out: an entire group focused on equipping Pakistan’s enterprises with the tools to grow business right there in their country. Entrepreneurs established a bazaar with 70 shops, made it operational in less than two weeks and helped more than 100 families whose livelihoods were at risk. All of this was done by EO members, who both planned and strategized but also joined on the ground to help make it all possible.

Another amazing story of entrepreneurial progress comes from the southern tip of Africa, where a Canadian-based EO member from South Africa founded a company to help bridge the digital skills divide in the country. WeThinkCode recruits and trains young people to become software engineers, closing the skills gap and providing new career opportunities. Their user community is made up of 91% students who are from low-income households, 94% black students and 50% who are young women. The programme has proven revolutionary with 94% of students finding full-time employment after graduating, on average doubling their salary in the first two to three years and using those earnings to support their parents and families. Amazing.

Every day, EO members amaze me with their ability to inspire, pivot, rebuild and reimagine a better world for their communities and ours. This Global Entrepreneurship Week, I humbly celebrate and applaud our incredible network of business leaders who work tirelessly to support, not only their employees and customers, but each other and their extended communities in times of need. I would name you all here, but that would make this a much longer read. You know who you are and how much we admire you.

This is how we move the world forward and unlock our full potential. Together we grow.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey members

Tags: entrepreneurs' organization entrepreneurs' organisation EO Canada EO Islamabad eo karachi EO Lahore Global Entrepreneurship Week Marc Stockli WeThinkCode

Leading Leaders: 5 Insights from 5 Years with EO (that can help you, too)

14 November, 2022

By Dr. Carrie Santos, CEO of Entrepreneurs’ Organization

2017 feels like a very long time ago. The world has changed significantly. A global pandemic. A brutal war. A stressful squeeze on global supply chains. A surge in extreme weather disasters. The rise of ‘fake news’. It is a time that has tested many of us.

Yet, as I mark five years leading the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) as its CEO, it’s a good time to reflect on five key insights gained from such a remarkable community of business founders. These are lessons I have learned, thanks to all of you.

EO’s members are builders, founders, owners and leaders in their own right. Each possesses the unique traits of entrepreneurship. When I took over as CEO, I quickly realized the challenges ahead: how to best serve, unite and lead other leaders. Which of my experiences could have the greatest impact on an already successful group of people? How can I help them grow as individuals, and help us grow as a community?

I have learned so much from EO in these last five years. Let me share five of my takeaways, gained by learning together with such extraordinary people. Some might be helpful for you, too.

1. Actively listen to find the gold

Learning is a full-time job: 24/7, 365 days a year. We must always be primed to learn, because we never know where or when someone might share something we didn’t know we needed to hear.

At EO, we are lucky to have such a wide range of experience and expertise across our membership that the moments of real insight are everywhere. We are offered in conversation with each other what I describe as little golden nuggets of wisdom. But we need to be present and listen, or we will miss them. In the moment, on the job, experiential learning can happen, so long as we are always open to insight. It can be how to handle a customer complaint, how to stay calm when your teenager is exasperating, or how to deal with a parent’s dementia. When you believe you can learn from each person’s wisdom, you will find it.

2. Look for the global context in local business conversations (and vice versa)

With members in more than 70 countries, EO is truly global, but that does not mean that our members around the world share the same culture, views or experiences. Local context is so important, and is vital for shaping a person’s worldview. We start to see the commonalities that connect us. Those shared concerns and dreams.

I have been privileged to travel extensively over the last five years and I have gained new perspectives on issues that I thought I well understood. Different countries have different mixes of industries, and within them, different challenges, but also unique successes. Entrepreneurs everywhere are wired similarly, even as they work in varying environments. Again and again, I get to watch members from different continents connect as they realize they appreciate the same business guru, fitness coach or author.

3. Know and practice our failure narrative

This should be second nature to a community of big-thinking and bold-acting founders who are well-versed in picking themselves up, dusting themselves off, and starting again when things did not work out the first, second, or even third time: know your failure narrative. It was new to me after arriving at EO to learn that I did not have to keep on my armor of perfection and infallibility, and there was much more to learn by being vulnerable about my weaknesses and disappointments.

Without being honest with ourselves about why our strategies went awry, we cannot improve. The most successful entrepreneurs do not get wrapped up in the blame game, and instead say, “hey, what can we learn from this?”

The same holds true in the stories we tell each other. We know when listening to someone who insists their life is one success after another, we tune out because they are not being honest with us or honest with themselves. But when we look inside to those tough lessons that shaped us, and we share our full narrative, others can also see themselves. That support we get when we show ourselves not at our best—and realize we are accepted even more—makes it possible to transform and to move forward. Stepping back and seeing a mishap as a learning opportunity is like entrepreneurial magic.

4. Thank people who challenge us

This is so simple once you realize it. If we do not thank people for challenging our thinking, for stress-testing our ideas, or for pushing back on our instructions, then they will never do it again.

Diversity of thought is so key to progress, and we must do everything in our power to encourage that. It starts with thanking those who stand up to us. Give yourself a moment if you need to, put down your defenses. Say thank you. And be sure you mean it.

5. Be ready to let go – even when trying to build a consensus

Even the smartest person in the room’s idea will be improved by a fresh point of view. I know plenty of people who pay lip service to generating consensus, but then dismiss new ideas because they are already set on what they want. Instead of listening for what is good in someone else’s idea, they are running through in their head how to win more people to their side and push harder.

If we took the energy we spend on defending our approaches and focused instead on putting the elements of different ideas together, we would get a much better outcome.

Creativity should not be an individual sport we try to win for having the best idea. It takes much deeper creativity to combine what is best from multiple points of view and design a shared outcome. Learning this is a team sport that is one of the most challenging leadership skills to master. Partnerships must be equal and genuine. If we are only focused on what we want when we enter a dialogue, then we have missed an opportunity to build a real relationship with our peers. The bonding and buy-in we get when everyone knows the outcome is truly a collective effort is unparalleled.

Truly, my most rewarding and memorable experiences at EO these past five years were spent in collective problem-solving. You start the day with your preferred solutions and approaches, and by the end of the day, the group’s accomplishments far surpass anything you might have imagined on your own. Imagine how constructive it would be if we all practiced this not just in our businesses, but in our countries, communities and families! Imagine how we could unlock our full potential to move the world forward.

Who knows what challenges and learnings the next five years ahead may hold? With these takeaways from my first five years at EO, and skills in listening, honesty and collaboration, it’s clear that the future is limited only by our imagination. Whatever may come, I feel a deep sense of gratitude and respect for the thousands of amazing entrepreneurs and business leaders across EO and our partner organizations who have helped shape and strengthen me and our team along the way. Leading EO is an honor and an education.

Happy Global Entrepreneurship Week!

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey LEADERSHIP Lessons Learned WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Tags: Carrie Santos entrepreneurs' organization entrepreneurs' organisation failure narrative GEW GEW2022 Global Entrepreneurship Week lessons learned

3 Soulful Takeaways from EO’s 2022 Canadian Regional Leadership Summit

11 November, 2022

Contributed by Kate Holden, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and business leader who is currently president of EO Winnipeg and serves on the EO Canada Board as Canada’s Member Products Director. Kate is the founder of The Pourium, a fast-growing retail/e-commerce wine business.

In EO, we often talk about the Four Quadrants—business, family, community and self. We also talk about the Four Capacities—physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual.

After years of Forum, leadership training and learning events, I realized: Entrepreneurs tend to be the least comfortable in the “self” and “soul” areas (myself included).

You may relate to how I once felt about those areas.

I spent the majority of my life aligned with the classic entrepreneurial archetype. You know: The entrepreneur who believes “fast” is too slow and “tomorrow” might as well be next century. I’ve always prioritized growth and acceleration. So, thinking about “the soul” felt slow, intangible and far-removed from my business goals. It felt difficult to wrap my brain (and time) around.

I’m a dreamer, but I’m also pragmatic. I’m a do-er, a happen-maker. Working on my “soul” didn’t seem to fit.

When a fellow entrepreneur introduced me to a Spiritual Coach, I was hesitant—to say the least! But, after nine months of working with my Spiritual Coach, my perspective shifted—and I began to find value in spiritual growth in a way that didn’t feel too “out there.”

When it came time to design a theme for EO’s 2022 Canadian Regional Leadership Summit, I knew I wanted it to focus on the soul.

We spent four days in Toronto listening to presentations, engaging in workshops, and being guided by four women experts. Topics included tarot readings, manifestation and visualization, energy and chakra alignment.

Here are the three biggest learnings my brain (and my soul) took away from the Summit.

1. Spiritual Work = Showing Up As our Best Self

One of the biggest misconceptions about spiritual work is one I shared until recently: That it brings no tangible value or ROI to our companies.

What I learned is that the biggest ROI of spiritual work comes down to the way we show up as leaders.

I hadn’t thought of it as a practice of the soul. Yet, much of what the world’s top leadership thinkers talk about comes down to perspectives, soft skills, mindsets, emotional intelligence (EQ), values, intentionality—all things that are less connected to the brain and more connected to the heart (or soul).

We can learn habits and hacks to help us become better leaders, but we can’t “right-brain” our way into being empathetic, visionary, strategic and connected. The soul helps us fill the large gaps the brain can’t fill on its own.

2. Energy is Everything

I’ve known that energy management is important: Studies confirm that up to 63 percent of entrepreneurs are dealing with or have experienced burnout. It’s a real phenomenon. Leaders struggle to manage wellness in the face of long hours and escalating pressures.

During the Leadership Summit, I learned that energy is not just causally connected to our circumstances; the energy within us is often carried forward. The past is entrenched within today’s energy and affects us, whether we realize it or not.

I hadn’t thought of energy as something that gathers experiences and lives within us. But energy is dynamic—literally!—and our energy fields, or quantum fields, need to be “unblocked” on occasion to clear out that previous build-up of past energy.

Other people can also have a significant effect on our energy. It’s rarely malicious or toxic, but from employees to family members to friends, people tap into our energy because they need it. After interacting with them, you may feel exhausted. Those relationships feel depleting.

“Unblocking” or “resetting”— whatever you want to call it— is a practice which helps recalibrate our energy and ensure we’re accessing the best versions of ourselves.

3. Explore Your Belief Systems

Perhaps the most powerful outcome of spiritual work is the opening, dismantling and resetting of belief systems that underpin everything we do.

The four brilliant women at the Leadership Summit all spoke about belief systems (or “vortexes”) as thoughts and behaviors which keep us locked into certain patterns. Sometimes these are harmless, smaller belief systems we established as kids; sometimes these are fundamental, big-picture belief systems that affect who we are, how we run our companies, and how we engage with our communities.

This process can be an emotional one. I’ve learned, for example, that I have a tendency to source validation in my work output. As a result, I say “yes” way more than “no” when it comes to a new project, leadership role, or professional responsibility.

As a result, I end up taking on more than I can handle. I tie my identity to the things I accomplish, and I deplete my energy on projects that do not always bring me joy.

We rarely realize it consciously, but our belief systems govern everything from decision-making to our ability to dream to our leadership styles. We all have ingrained belief systems. They frame our lives—and sometimes they have lenses or tints to them. Shouldn’t we check in on them every so often?

Spending four days at the 2022 Canadian Regional Leadership Summit talking about the soul was enriching for me (yes, the person who wouldn’t have ever seen herself as a “soul person”).

It doesn’t matter whether you believe in past lives, energy shifts, souls, chakras and auras. I’ve learned that spiritual work is a little like reading a book from an entirely different part of the bookshelf. You may not align fully with the author’s perspective, but you unquestionably learn something new—and it can change you on a deep level.

Looking back, it amazes me: Our remarkable group of seasoned entrepreneurs showed up to such a foreign and, at times, uncomfortable topic with open hearts and open minds. It wasn’t about the specifics of the material; it was about exploring another angle to elevate their leadership capabilities, connect with others and understand themselves.

I left the Leadership Summit with my quantum energy fields bouncing with positive energy. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey LEADERSHIP WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Tags: Canadian Regional Leadership Summit entrepreneurs' organization EO Canada eo winnipeg Kate Holden The Pourium

6 Surprising Parallels Between Entrepreneurship and Crisis PR

8 November, 2022

Contributed to EO by Eden Gillott, who is president of Gillott Communications, a strategic communications and crisis PR firm. She’s the author of A Business Owner’s Guide to Crisis PR: Protecting You & Your Business’ Reputation, an EO Los Angeles member, and that chapter’s Accelerator co-chair.

We asked Eden about the similarities between entrepreneurship and crisis public relations. Here’s what she shared:

1. You’re a small percentage of the population.

As an EO member and entrepreneur, it’s easy to forget that most people don’t own businesses. According to Verne Harnish in Scaling Up, “There are roughly 28 million firms in the US, of which only 4 percent ever reach more than US$1 million in revenue.” It’s why the EO Accelerator programme trainers always remind EO members and Accelerator participants in the room that we’re breathing rare air. Similarly, Crisis PR is highly specialized in the world of public relations.

Recently, I went to a going-away party for a Fortune 10 company employee. The group was complaining about their various bosses, an upcoming reorg they felt was handled poorly, and the breakdown in how company expectations for their departments were being communicated.

The discussions at that going-away party are the type of things that I, as a crisis manager, strive never to have happen in the first place. I work to minimize brand damage when disgruntled employees stir the pot. It’s all about managing perceptions. If employees are unhappy about how things are handled or communicated, it’s on us as company leaders and crisis managers to fix it.

2. You don’t shy away from risk.

As an entrepreneur, you step up to do things most people won’t.

And sometimes, running your business can feel like you’re managing a new crisis daily. Or, like many entrepreneurs in EO, you own multiple companies, which means your life feels like organized chaos.

Crisis PR isn’t about playing it safe. It’s about doing the things most people are uncomfortable doing. Crisis managers live for the adrenaline rush of charging full speed ahead into a crisis.

3. You’re a team player.

We didn’t get our businesses to where they are by working alone. Our team sizes vary from a few employees and partners in the same city to thousands spread across the globe. We know we’re better together.

Even the statements you see during a crisis are a team effort. The communications that come out are not created in a vacuum. Paragraphs are blended, quotes and commentary are incorporated, and legal is always consulted before anything is uttered or published.

4. You’re great at spotting trends.

While you’re excellent at spotting trends, you also know that what worked in one situation may not necessarily work in another.

Each situation is unique, which is why you’ll hear me say, “This sounds very similar to other clients we’ve worked with.” But I’ll never describe it as “exactly,” “identical,” or “just like” anything I’ve handled in the past. You learn from experience, but only so much.

5. You fight to guard your time.

“Hold on. I need to go handle something.”

You slip out of your seat at dinner to take an important phone call. You peel away from a party to send an email (even if it’s to delegate the crisis to someone else).

Crises are no respecters of time. They don’t care if it’s a weekend or if you’re at a special event. For both entrepreneurs and Crisis PR managers, time boundaries are often blurred or nonexistent.

6. You take knowledge and apply it.

As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly learning and figuratively downloading into our brains the new trends and principles to apply to our businesses. We know there’s a difference between the iconic scene in The Matrix when Neo confidently says, “I know kung fu,” and applying what he learned to win against Morpheus. Neo still needed the hands-on experience (no pun intended).

Similarly, seasoned crisis managers have what feels like a terabyte of scenarios and playbooks stored in their heads. The compounding effects from the never-ending parade of possible variables empower us to tackle a crisis head-on and make it look easy.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Crisis Entrepreneurial Journey LEADERSHIP PR/MARKETING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Tags: Accelerator Los Angeles Crisis PR Eden Gillott entrepreneurs' organization EO Accelerator eo los angeles Gillott Communications

How GSEA Social Impact Prize Winner Joe Knopp Started Something That Matters

4 November, 2022

The EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) is the premier global competition for students who own and operate a business. Nominees compete against their peers from around the world in a series of local and national competitions in hopes to qualify for the GSEA Global Finals. GSEA delivers on its vision to empower student entrepreneurs to become the world’s most influential change-makers by supporting them with mentorship, recognition and connections to take their businesses to the next level of success.

In the 2022 GSEA Global Finals competition, Joe Knopp represented the United States. He won the GSEA Social Impact Prize for his work in helping to solve the global water crisis with his company, Ripple.

At its core, Ripple is dedicated to serving others by leveraging high-quality product lines to solve real-world problems. The problem at hand: Access to clean water.

Joe started the company in November 2020 from his dorm room at Walsh University in Ohio. Inspired by the book Start Something That Matters by Toms founder Blake Mycoskie, Joe decided to tackle the world water crisis.

Investing every bit of his savings from summer internships —about US$14,000 — Joe purchased 2,000 high-quality water bottles. He then sold them at a cost that included $6.50 from each bottle to go toward building a modern freshwater well in Uganda. Selling 2,000 bottles pays for one well. In essence, each bottle sold provides 2.5 people with clean water for the rest of their lives.

“It took six months to sell our first 2,000 bottles and make the US$13,000 to build our first well. That journey included nights of packing bottles to the point of exhaustion as well as cross-country trips to deliver bottles to businesses,” he said.

Fast-forward just two years to today, and Joe’s growing team has financed and built 21 modern, solar-powered water wells in Uganda. The business is thriving, but he isn’t stopping there.

Joe sees Ripple as an ongoing journey to bettering the world. If he took a pebble and tossed it into still water, ripples would appear. His first “ripple” is the company, Ripple.

The second ring of the ripple is already in progress. Joe is collaborating on an entrepreneurial enrichment program available to university entrepreneur centers across the country.

“I learned so much about how to run a business from starting Ripple,” Joe said. “With this entrepreneurial enrichment program, we can add so much more value to the world.”

We asked Joe about his GSEA experience:

What challenges have you overcome during your entrepreneurial journey?

I lost my father at an early age. At one point, after graduating high school, I was homeless. I moved out of an abusive household, had barely enough money to buy a used car, and slept in that car. I had to figure it out; there was no safety net. I bounced around from couch to couch. When I got to college, there was a deep exhale because I finally had a dorm room to live in.

Tell us about your trip to Uganda to dig that first well.

After selling our first 2,000 water bottles, Ripple had US$13,000—enough to dig the first well. I connected with a university alumnus, Michael Balumba, who was teaching Ugandans to uplift themselves from poverty. Using Ripple’s funds, Michael and his team built the first-ever modern solar-powered water well in Uganda.

We chose solar because traditional hand pump borehole wells typically only last 20 years, which is why Africa as a continent is plagued with thousands of dead wells. In order to mitigate the wear and tear on the well, we utilized clean solar energy to bring the water from the aquifer into a water tower for distribution.

Solar has another benefit. We can use solar power to pump water into a water tower, and distribute it across the community. That way, local elementary schools can have access to water for the first time.

During the height of the pandemic in 2020, our first well was nearly completed. I flew 26 hours to Uganda. I got off the plane, met Michael Balumba in person for the first time, and spent time with the people in the village.

I’ll never forget our first launch day in the rural village of Katiiti. There was a little girl who just stood in front of the well, gazing at it in wonder. I gave out water bottles, and she chose a pink one. Then we filled up our bottles with fresh water from the well, and we clinked them together in celebration!

In two years, we have funded 22 clean water solutions of which 16 are completed and in use. The other 6 will be completed before the end of this calendar year. Overall, more than 50,000 people are seeing a better quality of life from the impact of the wells.

How did you discover the GSEA competition? Tell us about your journey.

My fellow competitor, Blake Faulkner, from Miami University of Ohio, told me I should enter—the week before our local GSEA competition! I scrambled to get my application done and worked on my pitch. It was enough to capture the hearts and attention of the judges. After that round, EO members mentored and helped me hone my pitch before competing in the US Nationals.

I had never been in a pitch competition larger than the one at my own university! After US nationals, I won the Social Impact Award and US$5,000 at GSEA Global Finals.

I used part of the cash prize to go to Uganda in September and used US$1,000 to run a Menstrual Equity Workshop at two schools we’re supporting there. We distribute menstrual supplies for those who can’t afford them. Instead of one-time use, we bought reusable pads that can be washed over and over again.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m working on the We Build a Well Program in universities across the country. The program will give entrepreneurial students the tools and support they need to ideate and build their own businesses. In the next three years, we aim to be in 50 universities.

Participants will sell 200 water bottles each. For every 10 participants, we’ll have enough to build one more well. The top student will go to Uganda for the experience of launching that well.

What would you tell other student entrepreneurs about the GSEA competition?

Apply! Do it now! The worst you’ll get is a no. If you’re lucky, the competition will teach you to fail faster. And if you do fail, build out your idea some more, and come back. Don’t be afraid to share what you’re passionate about.

When you really love something, you’re excited to do it daily. That’s when life starts to get good, in my eyes. I get the most joy in taking an idea from nothing to something.

Everyone creates their own ripple in the world. You get to choose whether or not your ripple is going to be a positive ripple.

The 2022-23 GSEA competition season is now open. If you are a university student running a business, apply today!

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: GSEA

Tags: Blake Faulkner entrepreneurs' organization gsea GSEA Global Finals GSEA Social Impact Joe Knopp Menstrual equity Michael Balumba Ripple student entrepreneur Walsh University We are the Ripple

4 EO Members Share Lessons From Early Entrepreneurial Projects

2 November, 2022

Contributed by Kym Huynh, an EO Melbourne member, EO Global Communications Committee member, and co-founder of WeTeachMe. Kym is fascinated by entrepreneurs and their journeys, so he asked EO members from various chapters to share their experiences. Read his earlier posts on how EO members define success, the impact of core values, lessons learned from their best and worst partnerships and the best advice they’ve ever received and nine lessons learned from entrepreneurial projects.

When asked, “What was your first entrepreneurial project? What did you learn?” Here’s what EO members shared.

See differences as opportunity and not a challenge

My first entrepreneurial project was becoming a tour guide in Italy —a country that was not my own. I was taking exams in a new language, there was non-stop paperwork, complex protocols, and never-ending answers that were not set in stone or black or white.

Back then, I wanted everyone to work in a way that was aligned with my brain and work methodologies. Experience in the field taught me that accepting other people’s way of work can bring the same, if not better, results.

I learned to accept and work with differences in thought and methodology, reset my brain to embrace diversity, and to see the differences as opportunity and not a challenge.

— Andrea Grisdale, EO Italy, founder and CEO at IC Bellagio

You don’t know what you don’t know

I was unaware that my first entrepreneurial project would take me on a 23-year journey.

I, and my business partner, saw an opportunity to secure a distribution agreement for a product and service that we are passionate about. We pursued the international headquarters located in the United States for five months before receiving the horrible fax message (yes, a fax!) that we were not going to become a distributor.

We were devastated because we had a clear plan to make this venture work. At 11:30pm one evening, I went to a 24-hour printing business, wrote my first business plan, printed it, bound it, and by 11 am that same morning my sister (who was travelling to the US) had it in her hand to present to headquarters.

My sister—naturally, we did not present her as my sister—presented the case on our behalf, and said that “we would not take no for an answer”. Headquarters agreed to a face-to-face meeting and subsequent training but with no promises. For the next six weeks while we prepared, we borrowed AUD$120,000 (this was 23 years ago) against my parents’ house to make the launch in Australia as big as possible.

In that six weeks, we honed the business plan, hired staff and invested in resources. Our preparedness, enthusiasm and passion enabled us to pull the entire thing off.

After our training in the US, we executed on the AUD$120,000 launch. We spent it all in seven days with not one guaranteed account. We had media, PR, celebrities—and within 18 months we opened 118 accounts with a three‑staff business.

Fast forward 23 years: We now have 300 high-functioning accounts, a team of 40, and are a leader in our industry. One lesson learned is that you don’t know what you don’t know. Had I known the enormity of the task ahead, I may have been too frightened to go for what was in both by my heart and my gut. However, our knowledge and passion fueled the creation of a team, a following, an amazing client base, and a business.

The saying “fake it till you make it” has more relevance than people give it (with a caveat). Our moves were well-calculated, we knew our numbers, and we threw our inhibitions to the air and recruited like-minded, passionate people.

— Daniel Dickson, EO Sydney, managing director of Amarco Enterprises

Don’t sign any agreement in a hurry

Maybe not my first entrepreneurial project, but certainly my first entrepreneurial real business.

I was working for Polaroid as a Finance Manager, and was amazed at the cost an agency charged for placing employees. I decided to start a personnel agency, but stay at Polaroid until the new business took off.

I hired two mature salespeople who had the attitude I was looking for, and I called the business “Vogue Personelle”. I’m quite proud of the branding; I utilized the French tricolour in my logo, and placed Vogue magazines at reception.

We had been in operation for two months, and I thought I would soon leave Polaroid. Then, I got offered the job as General Manager— effectively making me the youngest GM in the Polaroid empire.

I decided to sell the business fast, and I got screwed by another larger agency. They not only got the business for virtually nothing, but also took the incoming fees from the placements my team had made.

My lesson: Even under time pressure, don’t sign any agreement without reviewing it carefully and preferably with legal advice.

— Tony Falkenstein, EO New Zealand, founder and CEO of Just Life Group and CEO of Just Water

Greatness requires passion

I left school at age 15 to run my own small business. I created custom PCs for consumers, built networks for small businesses, and developed websites.

I learned two key things in those early years. First: Focus is essential. Spreading myself too thin meant a lack of specialization and a lack of ability to effectively market myself as a credible expert, given the breadth of services being offered.

Second, a reinforcement of the need to shed offerings that I didn’t love. While you may be good at something without loving it, you’ll never be truly great at it. Greatness requires passion not just for the monetary ends, but for the means that gets you there.

—Jamie Skella, chief operating and product officer at Mogul

This post originally appeared on Kym Huynh’s Leadership Toolkit blog and is edited and reposted here with permission.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey Lessons Learned members

Tags: Andrea Grisdale Daniel Dickson entrepreneurs' organization eo melbourne eo new zealand eo sydney jamie skella kym huynh lessons learned Tony Falkenstein

How to Break Free of The Enhanced Silos Remote Work Creates

28 October, 2022

Over the last few years, we have learned first-hand the many benefits of working remotely. But there are downsides as well: Namely, the way we communicate between departments and teams in remote and hybrid environments has built bigger silos.

In an office, the opportunity for collaborative communication is far greater. With everyone working in the same place, there are more chances for employees to interact organically and communicate with coworkers outside of their teams. Those same opportunities just aren’t present for workers who telecommute—unless we go out of our way to keep connections with people outside our direct team.

I, for one, lost regular points of contact with coworkers who were outside of my everyday circle when I first started working remotely. I gradually lost touch with people I might have run into on my way to a meeting or met at their desks throughout the workday. After all, when most of your meetings happen via videoconference, your interactions become siloed to your direct team or the people you most often meet with.

This disconnect is not only a problem for small businesses or entrepreneurs but also for larger tech companies. Microsoft, for example, experienced a decrease in interconnectivity between business groups when the company shifted to remote work.

So, when it comes to cross-departmental collaboration and communication, is a remote work environment sustainable?

Creating a More Connected Organization

Microsoft found that from February 2020 to February 2021, time spent in meetings on its Teams platform more than doubled, and the average length of meetings rose from 35 to 45 minutes. That’s unsurprising, as when you’re going through a major change, you tend to over-communicate with the people around you. Because of this, the relationship with my direct team strengthened in many ways over the course of the pandemic. The uncertainty put us in survival mode. That, in turn, led to greater awareness and passion for the work we were doing, ultimately bringing us closer together.

This doesn’t happen as easily between departments, however, which can lead to losses in productivity due to miscommunication. Before the pandemic, you could walk around the office, go to a member of a different department, and have a conversation about issues with a project. But it’s not possible to “run into” someone over Zoom. So, unless they’re invited to a meeting, you probably don’t communicate with people outside your direct team effectively.

Remote and hybrid work aren’t going away any time soon, and it’s important to find more intentional ways to communicate cross-departmentally. Here are two key strategies that can help you and your teams break out of the silos you’ve been stuck in:

1. Maintain a location-agnostic culture.

In a remote or hybrid environment, you have to be conscious about spending time with people physically and digitally. While in the office, it’s easy to say, “Hey, let’s have a meeting,” and only invite those who are physically present, leaving out the remote workers.

Be cognizant of how you can keep everyone included in the workplace culture—regardless of department or location. For example, schedule a monthly in-person lunch with remote and in-person workers across functions to model cross-departmental bonding for your team.

2. Promote enhanced communication.

The ability to build deeper, more emotional connections is often missing in a remote work environment. Encourage employees who work remotely to make more time to check in and connect with people on other teams.

As I’ve mentioned, there are simply fewer opportunities for casual conversations in remote and hybrid teams. Your employees must be intentional about connecting, following up, and asking for updates about projects or issues that need to be addressed outside of scheduled meetings.

The pandemic forced us all to learn a lot about ourselves and our teams—and to rethink what it means to be connected and productive at work. We shifted, adapted, and as a result, gained a new perspective on how to work effectively. As leaders, it’s our job to implement those insights throughout our team to break down silos and create more connected, collaborative companies.

Contributed to EO by Bob Marsh, a keynote speaker and Chief Revenue Officer of Bluewater, a design-forward technology company that helps craft moments that connect and inspire. Specializing in retail technology, displays and fixtures, as well as AV integration and event tech services, Bluewater works with top brands, including Bridgestone, Rocket Mortgage and Forbes.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Best Practices Company Culture

Tags: Bluewater Bob Marsh entrepreneurs' organization hybrid work microsoft Microsoft Teams remote work Zoom

3 Lessons Learned from Living in Adventure Mode

26 October, 2022

I spent 14 years building and scaling my business, International Nomads. We launched in 2006 as the first full-service digital agency in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Middle East region. We crafted digital strategies for brands and built apps, games, marketing campaigns, and story-driven experiences long before it was popular in the region. We were explorers and adventurers, like many startups: Following our passion, trusting our gut, and building something we loved.

In 2019, I exited the business and relocated to Canada. Suddenly, I found myself in a period of my life that so many entrepreneurs know all too well after an exit: I felt unsure of my “place.”

My company was a grounding force in my life. Aside from my wonderful family and faith, my company was part of my identity—and it was my most significant driver of purpose.

I remember asking myself questions like:

Am I still an entrepreneur?
What should I be doing next?

I had two choices: Feel aimlessly lost or embrace the adventure of exploration.

It has been three years since the beginning of that moment in my life. I have learned a few things throughout the entrepreneurial lifecycle (build, grow, exit, restart) that might be helpful to entrepreneurs going through that same journey.

Be an Underdog

Like most entrepreneurs, I started as an underdog, and it remained a key part of company culture as we grew. I had studied fine arts in university instead of business, marketing or computer science. I was not the “obvious” choice to build and scale a company—but I did it anyway.

As a firm, we pitched campaign ideas and strategies to huge, internationally recognized brands, going up against big network agencies. We had no venture capital and weren’t part of a global agency network. We were resilient, creative, driven—and each time we were snubbed, it made us more determined to win the account. We did win those huge accounts, and we relished the moments.

The experience of being the underdog was a good reminder that I needed these last three years as my entrepreneurial life underwent a transition. Whenever I started to feel lost, confused or doubtful of my abilities, I remembered: When challenged, I was always the underdog who found a way to come out on top. Sometimes, an underdog mindset can be the best motivator for growth.

Live and Think Nomad

After exiting the company, I felt like I had no “home base”. Suddenly, I was a nomad wandering the world.

Shifting perspective, I realized that the nomadic lifestyle and mindset are incredibly powerful. I had always believed in it—so much so that I named the company “International Nomads.”

Nomads are not bogged down by traditional limitations. They embody freedom—and suddenly, I was free. I traveled, collected experiences and explored new cultures, places and people. My perspective grew like never before. Instead of being singularly focused on the daily “9 to 5 grind,” I was able to see a more holistic view of the world in a way I had not seen before. I put more time into building deeper relationships with my family and others in my life, both old connections and new ones. My ideas, energy and vision became clearer than ever.

Even though I’m now firmly based in a new city, the nomad spirit is rekindled within me. It reminds me that sometimes exploration without a clear destination is freeing, empowering and transformative. Take chances, say yes, and try things. When we are uncomfortable, we realize how much we take things for granted. Sometimes discomfort is a good thing. Whether in business or life, think like a nomad.

Embrace an Exploration Mindset

After my exit, people would ask: “So, what are you doing nowadays?” It was a question I did not like because I had no clear answer. Conventional wisdom tells us that life is linear and our paths, both educational and professional, should be linear, too.

I was living in entrepreneurial adventure mode: I was doing freelance consulting and advisory to a business here, investing in a web3 gaming startup there. From AR to social media trends to real estate, I was exploring. It didn’t make for a great answer to the question I was asked (repeatedly).

Then I realized: My first business was an agency. At any given time, we had 10 to 15 projects, all different in scope and shape and size, running at once—a portfolio of projects, clients, industries and contacts. I could have numerous ventures, projects and experiences happening simultaneously, too.

Suddenly, I became eager to dabble in different things—the more diverse, the better. I learned a ton in the process, had a lot of fun, made connections in various industries, and began slowly carving out my next path. A portfolio mentality can be a mighty tool to find singularity of focus.

At first, exiting the company I ran for 14 years challenged my sense of identity. Today, I realize that there is power in the exploratory process. Had I stayed in my business, my life would have been stable—but I would have missed out on the incredible adventure that will lead to my next venture (ask me about it in six months).

Entrepreneurs, make sure your journey of exploration never ends. Embrace the unknown of living in adventure mode—it might be the best decision you ever make.

One other thing I have learned: The beauty of all adventures are the experiences and stories we collect along the way. I have plenty of them now—and what is more powerful than the stories we live, tell and share with others?

Samer Hamze, an EO Toronto member, is an entrepreneur, investor, advisor and explorer of digital and real-life communities serving startups, agencies and SMBs with creative, marketing and technology strategy. He has worked with leading brands across the globe. Samer is an entrepreneur in adventure mode, helping companies explore new technologies, communities and stories.

Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey international Lessons Learned members

Tags: entrepreneurs' organization EO Canada eo toronto International Nomads Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Middle East region Samer Hamze

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INSIGHTS FROM

LEADING ENTREPRENEURS

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1. Learn how to adapt quickly.

2. Put “waste not, want not” into action.

3. Gain a new perspective.

4. Appreciate small details.

What is the best thing about being an entrepreneur?

Freedom to Live the Life we Dream

Contributing in a Positive Way

Changing Lives

Facing Challenges Confidently

Creating Impact

Opportunity to Fix What’s Broken

Improving Our World

Freedom and Disruption

Realizing Dreams

A Life of Free Will

Freedom of Time

Improving Lives Daily

Leading with Higher Purpose

1. Actively listen to find the gold

2. Look for the global context in local business conversations (and vice versa)

3. Know and practice our failure narrative

4. Thank people who challenge us

5. Be ready to let go – even when trying to build a consensus

1. Spiritual Work = Showing Up As our Best Self

2. Energy is Everything

3. Explore Your Belief Systems

1. You’re a small percentage of the population.

2. You don’t shy away from risk.

3. You’re a team player.

4. You’re great at spotting trends.

5. You fight to guard your time.

6. You take knowledge and apply it.

What challenges have you overcome during your entrepreneurial journey?

Tell us about your trip to Uganda to dig that first well.

How did you discover the GSEA competition? Tell us about your journey.

What are your plans for the future?

What would you tell other student entrepreneurs about the GSEA competition?

See differences as opportunity and not a challenge

You don’t know what you don’t know

Don’t sign any agreement in a hurry

Greatness requires passion

Creating a More Connected Organization

1. Maintain a location-agnostic culture.

2. Promote enhanced communication.

Be an Underdog

Live and Think Nomad

Embrace an Exploration Mindset