Free 52 Cups of Coffee: Inspiring and insightful stories for navigating life’s uncertainties by Megan Gebhart Page A
Authors: Megan Gebhart
silent resolve to prove he could get into the accounting program.
And he did. He was accepted, earned his degree, and took a position in Houston with Arthur Andersen.
* * *
It was amusing to listen as Vince relived his college experience—everyone loves an underdog story—but what had me captivated was the story about how he left Arthur Andersen after 19 years (long before the company dissolved due to legal issues) to start his own venture: Main Street Capital Corporation, an investment firm for small-to-medium sized businesses.
Starting Main Street Capital had been a risky decision. Vince had a wife and three kids relying on his success, in addition to the friends and family who were willing to invest their savings into his company. With so many interests at stake, failure wasn’t an option. But, with 20 years of experience and a strong business plan, he had the confidence to make it work.
* * *
12 years later, Vince’s company is a success. Main Street Capital now has several dozen employees, manages a portfolio of 40 businesses, and has big growth plans for the future.
I asked him how he had made it successful . Vince told me, “I hire people smarter than me, who are more talented than me.” Vince has figured out where his own strengths are and that allows him to identify employees whose strengths balance out his weaknesses. Due to his hiring philosophy, he has surrounded himself with good people.
It’s not the first time a group of good people has led to his success. While getting into the business college was a step in the right direction for Vince, the real magic happened when he joined a business fraternity, where he quickly became good friends with many of the members. It was a group of ambitious students who worked hard and still managed to find time for a social life. It was a transformative group for him. He had always had close friends, but there was something powerful about surrounding himself with supportive, motivated, and bright students, all interested in the same topics.
I could relate—in a big way. My transition to college had been relatively easy. I joined the cross-country team, which meant I had a ready-made group of friends the day I started school. I also had two coaches keeping an eye on me (a comforting feeling when 1,000 miles from home). I still had to find my place within that group, but instantly surrounding myself with good people had been a nice way to get college started on the right foot.
I took that support for granted. It wasn’t until I left the team and found myself without the support system that I realized how important it had been in my life. I still had great friends on the team, but I no longer had a three-hour block of time I spent with them every day. Suddenly, I felt lonely and entirely unmotivated. The loss of a social network made for a rough sophomore year.
Then, during my junior year of college, I stumbled into a group of students who had a transformative effect on me. It was a much less formal setting than Vince ’s fraternity; we were just a group of student entrepreneurs getting together once a week to have a beer and talk business. However, before we knew it, the group started to grow. There is something magical about getting a bunch of passionate, like-minded people in one place. And 30 years from now, when I reminisce on my time at Michigan State, it will be this group of people that I talk about.
Stefan Olander
Cafeteria at the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon
Medium Americano
Don ’t work so hard that you stop loving what you do.
I got my first pair of Nike running shoes in eighth grade—back when it was a feat to finish a five-mile run. By my senior year of high school, I had a dozen pairs piled in the corner of my closet, worn from countless miles traveled along the familiar streets of my hometown.
My interest in running continued to grow; in 2008, I took a road trip out to Eugene, Oregon to watch my roommate compete in the Olympic
And he did. He was accepted, earned his degree, and took a position in Houston with Arthur Andersen.
* * *
It was amusing to listen as Vince relived his college experience—everyone loves an underdog story—but what had me captivated was the story about how he left Arthur Andersen after 19 years (long before the company dissolved due to legal issues) to start his own venture: Main Street Capital Corporation, an investment firm for small-to-medium sized businesses.
Starting Main Street Capital had been a risky decision. Vince had a wife and three kids relying on his success, in addition to the friends and family who were willing to invest their savings into his company. With so many interests at stake, failure wasn’t an option. But, with 20 years of experience and a strong business plan, he had the confidence to make it work.
* * *
12 years later, Vince’s company is a success. Main Street Capital now has several dozen employees, manages a portfolio of 40 businesses, and has big growth plans for the future.
I asked him how he had made it successful . Vince told me, “I hire people smarter than me, who are more talented than me.” Vince has figured out where his own strengths are and that allows him to identify employees whose strengths balance out his weaknesses. Due to his hiring philosophy, he has surrounded himself with good people.
It’s not the first time a group of good people has led to his success. While getting into the business college was a step in the right direction for Vince, the real magic happened when he joined a business fraternity, where he quickly became good friends with many of the members. It was a group of ambitious students who worked hard and still managed to find time for a social life. It was a transformative group for him. He had always had close friends, but there was something powerful about surrounding himself with supportive, motivated, and bright students, all interested in the same topics.
I could relate—in a big way. My transition to college had been relatively easy. I joined the cross-country team, which meant I had a ready-made group of friends the day I started school. I also had two coaches keeping an eye on me (a comforting feeling when 1,000 miles from home). I still had to find my place within that group, but instantly surrounding myself with good people had been a nice way to get college started on the right foot.
I took that support for granted. It wasn’t until I left the team and found myself without the support system that I realized how important it had been in my life. I still had great friends on the team, but I no longer had a three-hour block of time I spent with them every day. Suddenly, I felt lonely and entirely unmotivated. The loss of a social network made for a rough sophomore year.
Then, during my junior year of college, I stumbled into a group of students who had a transformative effect on me. It was a much less formal setting than Vince ’s fraternity; we were just a group of student entrepreneurs getting together once a week to have a beer and talk business. However, before we knew it, the group started to grow. There is something magical about getting a bunch of passionate, like-minded people in one place. And 30 years from now, when I reminisce on my time at Michigan State, it will be this group of people that I talk about.
Stefan Olander
Cafeteria at the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon
Medium Americano
Don ’t work so hard that you stop loving what you do.
I got my first pair of Nike running shoes in eighth grade—back when it was a feat to finish a five-mile run. By my senior year of high school, I had a dozen pairs piled in the corner of my closet, worn from countless miles traveled along the familiar streets of my hometown.
My interest in running continued to grow; in 2008, I took a road trip out to Eugene, Oregon to watch my roommate compete in the Olympic
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