Dan Gertsacov’s Post

This week’s #gratitudetuesday is to take a moment to continue to recognize those who came before us…the individuals who carved the path that we are able to walk on today. In my case, I’d like to express my deepest appreciation for Agnes “Granny” Gertsacov (1900 – 2004). Yes, you read that correctly…104 years old. What a lady! Born in 1900, she officially lived through three centuries. She grew up in Rhode Island, as her parents fled the pogroms of Tzarist Russia in the 1890’s to the promise of a better life in the US. She witnessed history: from WWI to the Roaring 20’s to the Great Depression to WWII to the progress from the 1950’s and all the way past Y2K. She had a 6th grade education, yet she read the NY Times cover to cover every day, with the intellectual acumen to debate any topic. Granny started a jewelry business with her 2 sisters when the idea that 3 women would work outside the home was not considered socially acceptable. She worked into her late-80’s and continued to hand-string fine crafted pearls until her mid-90’s. At 103, she called me while I was at business school, with the entrepreneurial idea to start a men’s fashion business together (which I ended up launching after she passed as a tribute to her…the “grannyshirt” is now a prized collector’s item). But her story has resounding impact all the way to today. She brought up 3 kids on her own, raising them in poverty but finding a way to send them to college and thus setting her grandkids on the path that I was lucky enough to find prepared for me. My youngest daughter's middle name is Agnes, in honor of her. Here are a few “Granny-isms” – aphorisms she would repeat constantly, still insightful and applicable today. She was the matriarch of our family and I miss her dearly. ·     On money: "Remember these three phrases: Monetary Discipline. Financial Prudence. Fiscal Restraint. You work for your money once, then you make it work for you or YOU ARE A DUMMY!" ·     If Granny thought you were talking too much: "You don't have to look for a fool, you can always hear one." ·     On love: "Don't worry about finding the 'Right' girl, just worry about being the 'Right' guy" ·     On progress: “The best time to live is right now. The world has never been as good as it is right now or that it will be tomorrow.” ·     If you ever gave Granny a ride somewhere:  "Home, James…and don't spare the horses."

#careerrecipe no 26 is hot off the Big Green Egg - this week focused on #timemanagement and #worklifeintegration (not #worklifebalance), while grilling up a reverse sear of a beautiful ribeye - enjoy! Shout out to Katherine Liu for the topic request - keep them coming!

this week's #gratitudetuesday to thank Nilay Patel for the invitation to join him for a wide-ranging discussion on bbq, tech, entrepreneurship and community, as part of the special 4th of July episode on the #Decoderpodcast at The Verge. Listen in when you have an hour to kill or check out the transcript in the link below. We have a clear mission, vision and core values at Big Green Egg…and 50 years in, we are just getting started!

#careerrecipe no. 25 and going to do something a bit different - let's get into some delicious Brazilian steak on the Big Green Egg, as I present 3 things to do to effectively manage up in your career, whether that is with your boss, other senior management or the board. My thanks to Daniel Shapero for the idea to blend my passion for grilling with my passion for helping others to find #meaningfulwork. And special thanks to William Chris Wellborn and the wonderful folks at Wellborn 2R Ranch for the incredible 🥩 . Open for requests of what to grill/discuss next....

#gratitudetuesday this week to recognize that our paths are made possible by those who carved the path before us. Who carved yours? In my case, my path is thanks to the entrepreneurial journey of my father, Alan Gertsacov. My dad had a difficult upbringing. He grew up in poverty in the projects of Providence, Rhode Island, the youngest son of a single mom who had her own small business. This was in a time when being a single mom and a female entrepreneur was not very common (more on that remarkable lady for another post). When my dad came back from serving in the Coast Guard in the late 1950’s, he and his brother had the entrepreneurial idea to open a junk yard. A few years later, that humble junk yard grew into a scrap metal company, aptly named Cove Metal. Years later, Cove Metal expanded again to include the manufacturing of wire machinery. They continued to grow that business, until my dad’s accidental death when I was twelve years old. The Cove Metal sign is still there, as I recently took a picture with the building sitting in disrepair. As a result of my dad (and mom's) efforts, my brothers and I had the privilege to choose what and where to study and to chart our own path.   My dad taught me that business and life is about people and how you treat them. If I have the chance to see above the trees to the horizon, it is because I'm standing on the shoulders of the giants who came before me, like my dad. #whocarvedyourpath?

#gratituteduesday this week to all the chefs and artisans around the world, who are keeping their food traditions alive and well, using the same techniques that have been handed down for generations. And when you come visit Atlanta, check out Northern China Eatery for the best handmade soup dumplings - one our family favorites!

#careerrecipe no 24...with some more thoughts on #innovation, specifically with a deeper dive on the 70/20/10 model I learned at Google and is deployed by many other companies. How do you allocate resources in your company towards innovation across the organization?

#gratitudetuesday to recognize a few incredible Big Green Egg dealers in Southeastern New England and to express my appreciation for welcoming me to their stores, as well as sharing their insights from the field. I toured some great stores from Aubuchon Hardware and I specifically want to thank Charles Berger from Chatfield True Value in Southbury, CT and Craig Barkhouse from Natick Fireplace in Natick, MA. Both are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate ambassadors for our brand. Our company - and many companies like ours - doesn’t make in the corporate office. Our EGGheads interact in real time, every day with our dealers like Charlie and Craig and their teams. That is where the brand magic happens. Those daily, real-life interactions are the lifeblood of the Big Green Egg brand. Thank you Charlie, Craig and your teams!

#careerrecipe no 23 is hot off the egg, taking on some perrennial debates in sales and marketing: brand marketing vs transactional marketing? is traditional advertising dead? does the paid/owned/earned media construct still apply and matter? how to create a consistent brand experience in both online + offline channels? Listen in and let me know what you think.

#gratitudetuesday this week has me reflecting on (and expressing appreciation for) who I reconnected with and what I took away from my 20th year reunion from Harvard Business School this past weekend. The section experience is not unique to #HBS, but it is one of the things that makes #HBS special. 900 incoming students are seemingly randomly divided into 10 groups of 90 students and then you proceed to take all of your first year classes together in that group. It is like a homeroom on steroids. Section J was and still very much is an incredible and diverse group of humans. We gathered after 20 years to share a memory, a reflection and an ambition for what is to come. We laughed; we cried; we reconnected. Here are a few of the highlights of what I heard from my sectionmates: -- In the whirlwind of post-pandemic life, many are missing the quality and quantity of time they had with family during the pandemic. That time together was the silver lining of such a difficult period. -- Many have sent or will send kids on to college soon. The thought of being "empty nesters" is exciting, yet also creates a desire to hold on to their kids for a bit longer. -- As a result of the prior points, many are shifting priorities away from work for a pure financial goal and are now yearning for roles that have more meaning for them and/or have the flexibility to spend more time with family. So this week, I would like to recognize and thank each and every member of Section J...(LinkedIn won't allow me to tag all 90 of them, but you know who you are!) Your example inspires me to be a better leader, father, husband and friend.