What happens when you bring together 2,200 small businesses [all alumni of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses entrepreneur program], 4 billionaires [Blakely, Bloomberg, Buffett, Branson], 7 famous CEOs, 8 politicians & 1 very generous sponsor (THANK YOU Goldman!!) for an alumni summit last week in D.C.? 2 days of entrepreneur growth/therapy we will never, ever forget!
We absorbed everything and want to distill lessons relevant to everyone, in any industry. Here are our top 6 takeaways for your business (and frankly, life), paraphrased from these incredible leaders!
Spanx CEO Billionaire Sara Blakely
1. Don't focus on the things you can't change (e.g. interest rate). Focus on what you can change, like customer experience.
UPenn Negotiations Professor Extraordinaire Mori Taheripour
2. Wherever you are, BE ALL THERE. The current wealth of information creates a poverty of attention. Learn how to disconnect. Learn how to be still.
3. Whatever wolf you feed is the one that will survive. You choose to feed the negative wolf or to feed the positive wolf. Don't give in to negative thoughts.
Soulcycle CEO Melanie Whelan
4. Get it out of your head and onto a piece of paper. Make standard operating procedures (SOPs)! No one can read your mind or your expectations.
Disruption Panel with Jo Malone, Melanie Whelan & Lisa Price (Carol's Daughter)
5. Hyperfocus on 1 idea. You have a bucket of water, don't water the whole garden. Take care of one plant and it will thrive.
Hi Oprah!
6. If you can get on her show, do it! Nearly every CEO speaker during the summit credited Oprah with catapulting their businesses into the stratosphere
In admiration & gratitude as a 10KSB alum,
-Team PARTNER
