GS10KSB is short for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program, which is a condensed MBA sponsored by Goldman Sachs created to assist small businesses grow. I am a graduate of the 16th Cohort out of Philadelphia. There are many Cohorts that have graduated from all over the country. This past weekend we made history with THE largest gathering of Small Business owners – EVER, as we congregated together to listen to numerous world class speakers and advocate for Small Business. Did you know that Small Businesses employ close to 50% of the American workforce? A hit to small businesses is a hit to the entire US economy. This is the first time we were meeting after the pandemic and we were all hit.
The speakers included… Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, George W. Bush, Ann Colgin (Founder and Co-CEO, Colgin Cellars), Adam Grant (Wharton Organizational Psychologist and Author, Think Again), Emma Grede (Co-Founder and CEO, Good American), Rebecca Minkoff (Founder and Chief Creative Officer, REBECCAMINKOFF), Gwyneth Paltrow (CEO and Founder, goop), Chris Paul (NBA Player and Olympian, Twelve-Time All-Star and Two-Time Gold Medalist), Ryan Reynolds (Producer, Screenwriter, Actor, and Entrepreneur), Brian Rudolph (Co-Founder and CEO, Banza), Marcus Samuelsson (Chef, Author, TV Personality, and Restaurateur), and Alli Webb (Founder, Drybar). All had tales of their struggles and triumphs as entrepreneurs and small business owners. I would like to share a few of their pearls of wisdom I jotted down as I listened…
Michael Bloomberg said… “Talk to you customers. Listen to them. Thank them.”
Alli Webb, co-founder of DryBar said… “Life is like a Wack-A-Hole machine… Just role with it.“
Emme Grede, co-founder and CEO of Good American and Skims shared… “People (customers) smell Authenticity… be authentic.”
And as always Warren Buffet ended the Small Business Summit with his own pearls of wisdom and insights … “Always have someone in your life (Mom, Dad, Spouse, Kids…) you do not want to disappoint.” His Dad told him … “I believe in You ” and “You can do better.” These words were the most important words he heard which propelled him to success as a person and a businessman. This was after bringing home a less than stellar report card that he shared with us. He nearly flunked out!!!! He also spoke of his friend Tom Murphy of 50 plus years that had just passed. Tom never had an unkind word or act for anyone. Mr. Buffett shared… “Find someone in your life that is kind and stay close to them – they are there if you look for them.” He finished by saying to stop and think before being unkind … “You can always tell someone to go to hell TOMORROW.” Hmmm. I may commit to doing something kind EVERYDAY for the first time in my life?