Column: The President's Message
Poker Lessons ...
Sumitted By: Jim Giovannini
Published: June 2011
“I’m all in.”
Anyone who has ever played no-limit Texas Hold ‘em understands the power of that phrase. It strikes simultaneous fear in both you and your opponent. Its promise is either the celebration of windfall or the disaster of poker table bankruptcy. Whether said in your best nonchalant, Mr. I Don’t Care voice or your most expressive, Mr. I am taking all Your Chips voice, those little words epitomize a true entrepreneur. It is all about measurable risk. How much are you willing to take?
Over the last few weeks, risk has played a large role in all I do, from managing my own company to making decisions for EIA. The goals are always the same: quality service and amazing customer care. Do we risk millions in order to make millions or do we take the safe road with less commitment and less reward? It is a true balancing act. But without the thrill of the risk, none of us would be entrepreneurs. We have grown accustomed to setting lofty goals and (hopefully) achieving them.
EIA has taken a bit of a risk lately. As you may know, we recently launched a series of nationwide meet and greets. Through these tours, we are visiting with current members and meeting prospective ones. The whole point is service and care. As an association, we must show each member, new and old, that we care. We must provide current information on the state of the industry and give members the opportunity to network. So, where’s the risk? Obviously, the meet and greet tour costs money, money that we believe will be made back many times over through new and renewed memberships and conference registrations.
From a personal business view, I have been risking it all through SES for years now. Will the State pay the district and will the district pay the providers? Will waivers gut the industry or will we continue to serve and teach children better math and reading skills? These questions and more give me serious pause on a daily basis.
Do you want to know if the goals you’re setting are true goals or simply benchmarks? Try this simple gut-check test. Think of a goal – business or personal; write it down; visualize working toward that goal and achieving it. Does it make you nervous? Does it thrill you? Does it do both?
In order for a goal to be considered a true goal it must have equal parts fear and excitement. If it doesn’t have both, it’s not a goal.
So, here’s to each of us setting goals that both excite us and scare the you-know-what out of us. I look forward to visiting with each of you this summer in San Francisco. And if you haven’t yet made your reservations, now is the time because, as you know, I’m all in.
Published: June 2011
“I’m all in.”
Anyone who has ever played no-limit Texas Hold ‘em understands the power of that phrase. It strikes simultaneous fear in both you and your opponent. Its promise is either the celebration of windfall or the disaster of poker table bankruptcy. Whether said in your best nonchalant, Mr. I Don’t Care voice or your most expressive, Mr. I am taking all Your Chips voice, those little words epitomize a true entrepreneur. It is all about measurable risk. How much are you willing to take?
Over the last few weeks, risk has played a large role in all I do, from managing my own company to making decisions for EIA. The goals are always the same: quality service and amazing customer care. Do we risk millions in order to make millions or do we take the safe road with less commitment and less reward? It is a true balancing act. But without the thrill of the risk, none of us would be entrepreneurs. We have grown accustomed to setting lofty goals and (hopefully) achieving them.
EIA has taken a bit of a risk lately. As you may know, we recently launched a series of nationwide meet and greets. Through these tours, we are visiting with current members and meeting prospective ones. The whole point is service and care. As an association, we must show each member, new and old, that we care. We must provide current information on the state of the industry and give members the opportunity to network. So, where’s the risk? Obviously, the meet and greet tour costs money, money that we believe will be made back many times over through new and renewed memberships and conference registrations.
From a personal business view, I have been risking it all through SES for years now. Will the State pay the district and will the district pay the providers? Will waivers gut the industry or will we continue to serve and teach children better math and reading skills? These questions and more give me serious pause on a daily basis.
Do you want to know if the goals you’re setting are true goals or simply benchmarks? Try this simple gut-check test. Think of a goal – business or personal; write it down; visualize working toward that goal and achieving it. Does it make you nervous? Does it thrill you? Does it do both?
In order for a goal to be considered a true goal it must have equal parts fear and excitement. If it doesn’t have both, it’s not a goal.
So, here’s to each of us setting goals that both excite us and scare the you-know-what out of us. I look forward to visiting with each of you this summer in San Francisco. And if you haven’t yet made your reservations, now is the time because, as you know, I’m all in.
About the EIA President
Jim Giovannini
Jim, along with his business partner Patsy Prince, has established learning centers throughout the Chicago area that meet a vital need in the communities in which they serve: the need for quality private individualized tutoring that builds students’ skills as well as self esteem. As Academic Tutoring Centers grew over nearly two decades, so did Jim’s vision as to whom he could reach with his passion for learning. Each year, Academic Tutoring Centers serves thousands of students and employs hundreds of teachers. The experience in guiding the expansion of his own business prepared Jim to assume leadership roles in national organizations such as The Education Industry Association (EIA) and the Education Industry Foundation (EIF). Jim currently serves on the Board of Directors of both organizations and is the current EIA president.