Hill Capital had the privilege of hosting the 2023 Entrepreneurs’ Rally XI with EO Minnesota and our friends at Traction Capital. It was a fantastic celebration of over 400 energized entrepreneurs from across the country!
The day began with a talk titled “From Suck to Success” by EO Detroit member Todd D. Palmer, who is the retired CEO of a 6x INC 5,000 company and is now a coach and retreat facilitator at Extraordinary Advisors. Todd vulnerably shared his entrepreneurial journey and reminded us to share our authentic selves. As so much of business today is filtered through the highlight reel of social media, it was refreshing to hear from someone who has truly traveled the highs and lows of the entrepreneurial journey and emerged victorious on the other side.
After Todd’s talk, we had three roundtable mentoring sessions where attendees were intentionally partnered with mentors to create meaningful connections. Likewise, later in the afternoon attendees were partnered again and had an opportunity to share their experiences. These sessions were intentionally designed to maximize the connections that entrepreneurs could make with each other throughout the day. Thank you to the moderators and mentors that lead the roundtable discussions! Your support was invaluable.
Before lunch, we heard from our first keynote speaker of the day, Meredith Elliott Powell, who is an award-winning author and business strategist. She captivated the audience by sharing nine powerful strategies to embrace change, visualize success, and thrive amidst uncertainty.
To end the day, we learned valuable business insights from Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez, the former MLB MVP and current Minnesota Timberwolves co-owner. While recounting his journey, Alex's story of failure and resilience resonated with everyone in the room. He candidly discussed his suspension from baseball, sharing his struggles with depression and a sense of being washed up. Nevertheless, he discovered how to transform his mindset and make a remarkable comeback. His empowering message to his daughters, as well as all of us, is now a resounding declaration: "I have a Ph.D. in failure and a Master's in getting back up."
Fun fact: Did you know that A-Rod is the 5th leader in strikeouts? As entrepreneurs…you gotta swing and keep getting back up to the plate!
As the current EO Minnesota chapter president and CEO of Hill Capital, it was my honor to be a part of such an incredible event. Every entrepreneur I've encountered possesses a unique story. We find common ground in the shared challenges we face, fostering a sense of mutual respect and understanding that unites us. Our collective ambition lies in the desire to create something remarkable from nothing. This year’s MN Entrepreneurs’ Rally affirmed what entrepreneurship stands for.
Are you an entrepreneur in search of community? Consider the following action steps:
Join your local EO chapter. With more than 18,000 business owners in 61 countries, EO helps business owners grow personally and professionally through peer-to-peer learning, best practices, and connections with like-minded experts. To join EO Minnesota, click Apply at https://www.eominnesota.org/learn-more. For more information on EO Chapters in other states and countries, check out https://www.eonetwork.org/
Attend Empire Builders on November 2, 2023. Empire Builders is open to entrepreneurs at all stages in their journey and will include curated connections, speakers, and opportunities for meaningful mentorship with Hill Capital Ambassadors. Want to learn more? Send me an email at patrick [at] hillcapitalcorp [dot] com
Save the date for the 2024 Rally on May 9, 2024—or better yet—send me an email at patrick [at] hillcapitalcorp [dot] com and I’ll send you the link to register now at a deeply discounted early bird price.
Thank you to everyone at EO Minnesota, Traction Capital, and all our sponsors that made this event possible, including Flagship Bank, Magnetic North, Blue Sparq Marketing, EideBailly, Lathrop GPM, Choice Bank, Broughton Ward, Taft, Teams by Beam, Bust Out, Fredrikson, Multifunding Business Loan Advisors, Jak + Co., Apex Gets Business, The University of Saint Thomas Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, CFA Society Minnesota, Gustavus Adolphus College, Entrepreneur Fund, Elevate Hennepin, and SCORE.
See you on May 9, 2024 for next year’s Rally!