THE EDITOR Letter from By Debby Zelman Rapoport was recently invited to sit in on a program co-sponsored by The Beachwood Chamber of Commerce (BCC) and The Effective Leadership Academy (ELA). BCC is a leading voice for the Beachwood business community and recognizes the importance of training today’s youth to become tomorrow’s leaders. ELA is a 501(3)c non-profit organization that provides personal-development programs for students in grades 5-12, and those who impact the lives of youth. It teaches networking skills, team-building, confidence, goalsetting, attitude, self-knowledge and self-leadership skills to help young people develop their most valuable asset – themselves. I “Achieving greatness at anything is hard – at any age. There is no easy path to get to anywhere great. You can take the easy path, but you’ll never win the gold.” The week-long program, titled Beachwood Junior Leadership Academy, attracted 14 enthusiastic students who learned community-building and self-awareness skills from community leaders. Each morning they had an hour and a half of leadership development training from ELA, and each day, a new panel was introduced based on the theme of the day: – Jeff Hoffman government, arts and culture, environmental, health and wellness, and entrepreneurial. Friday’s program, the one I attended, featured a panel of local entrepreneurs who shared stories, beliefs and actions that brought them to where they are today. The program was impressive, and the lessons are valuable in all phases of our lives. The panel included: n Chris Wentz, founder of EveryKey, with associate Max Gottfried; n Tami Schneider, founder of Cleveland Yoga; n Brad Tramer, founder and designer of the J.Riley Brand; and n Jeff Hoffman, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and founder of Priceline and other companies. Wentz, whose company is developing a wristband that will replace all keys and passwords, recognizes that wearable technology is one of the quickest growing markets. His 25-person company that spans three countries has hopes of being a major job creator in this region. He started EveryKey as a class project, and was this year’s Entrovation winner. The messages he shared are to be persistent, keep trying and don’t give up. Schneider has yoga studios in Beachwood and University Circle and runs 115 yoga classes each week, accommodating 350 students per day. She believes that underneath it all is passion – and her passion is to share yoga powerfully through her voice and those of her teachers; to be involved in community events, workshops and retreats; to give back; and to empower others through certified teacher-training programs. “Realizing your passion is your secret sauce,” she said. “Create and share your vision. Be fearless. Learn in the doing. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and recognize that, if you do, everything is recoverable.” Tramer, a 17-year-old rising senior at Hawken School, created the J.Riley brand after visiting the New England states and admiring the timelessness and beauty of true American style. He knew he wanted to create something bigger than himself – something that could embody the craftsmanship and heritage of authentic east coast style. He wanted to be a part of the world he learned to admire and respect, saying, “When we find something we’re passionate about, we have the freedom to do what we love every day – to keep pushing forward, to recognize challenges – and to take leaps of faith.” Hoffman has been an entrepreneur his whole life. Being an entrepreneur wasn’t about money, it was about independence. Hoffman has created and sold many start-up companies, the biggest being Priceline. “It’s about creating value that people want,” he added. “It’s about problem solving. I never wanted to just start a company. When I recognized a problem, I said, ‘Let’s fix it.’” His biggest message is don’t chase money; chase excellence. Money follows excellence. “I never cared about money,” he said. “I did care about commitment, passion, and other things we did well. That’s why I’m successful.” “Achieving greatness at anything is hard – at any age,” Hoffman shared. “There is no easy path to get to anywhere great. You can take the easy path, but you’ll never win the gold.” Here are some additional messages shared by the panel: n Don’t be afraid of failure. n Dream big. Work hard. Create value. n When you fall, get up, shake yourself off, and try again. n Follow your big, crazy dreams. n Remind yourself of goals you want to achieve. n Put yourself out there. n Explore options. Discover a passion that you didn’t know was inside you. n Surround yourself with kind, ambitious people. n Take yourself seriously. n Make a commitment to invest in yourself. n Attitude determines outcome. Following the panel discussion, students participated in a networking event led by Hoffman, who said, “Entrepreneurship is a career. It’s driven by freedom, independence and wanting to design your own future. Work as hard as your dreams are big. Create something that the world cares about.” August 2014 n Beachwood Buzz 3