Thrive & Inspire ’24: Entrepreneur Summit Founder an ‘Impactful Force’ for Employees and Clients
Gerard O’Brien, Founder of Texas Entrepreneurial Summit
YOU HAVE BEEN successful with ORION Ambulance Services and various other business interests; how do you plan to diversify and potentially share your insights with others? A great deal of my excitement for this year comes from an opportunity to assist a crucial group of the Houston community: our local entrepreneurs. I believe that a key metric of the health of a region’s society is the success of local business owners. Consequently, I am forming the Texas Entrepreneurial Summit, a series of speaking seminars featuring myself and other entrepreneurs across a spectrum of industries. Together, we will offer new, or established, business owners glimpses of our own experiences through not only the uplifting aspects of being an entrepreneur, but also the treacheries of running a business. It will focus on the successes and failures we have experienced, as well as our strategies for confronting and overcoming relatable challenges throughout our careers.
What is the best way to nurture those around you and what is unique about your leadership style? People will support that which they help create. My goal is to provide each employee with a stake in their own success by outlining a measurable path of advancement for them, based on their skills and interests. An essential component of this is nurturing them through consistent training, so that they feel confident coming into the building each day. My duty to be an impactful force as a leader is as much to my employees as it is to my clients.
How would you define the difference between knowledge and wisdom? To me, knowledge is gained from education and training. Knowledge is what anyone can find in a book and attempt to replicate again and again. Wisdom, though, results from the consequences of implementing knowledge in the “real world.” To a large degree, knowledge is standardized. We can all read the same chapters, attend the same lectures, and understand that 5 + 5 always equals 10. What distinguishes us from one another is the wisdom we each hold that has been formed from our unique,
What inspired you to be an entrepreneur? Nearly 30 years ago, I met someone who inspired me through their own experiences and actions. This role model soon became a mentor who sparked my passion and walked with me as I began my path of entrepreneurial ventures. Their belief in me augmented my belief in myself, providing me the confidence to pick myself up if I happened to stumble along the way. To this day, that mentor remains one of my closest and dearest friends. When I have dilemmas, challenges, or simply need a pep-talk, I know they are there to answer my call.
