When JGSI launched in 2011, I was the only employee, and solely responsible for “selling” our idea to the general public. I had never been successful at selling anything to anyone in my life (not even reams of copy paper to law firms), so I was advised to create and perfect my “elevator pitch.” Something really quick in 30 seconds about who I am and what the organization is all about. In my pitch I described myself as a young guy, extremely hungry and driven to get our underdog mission off the ground. And this story really did define myself and the organization well.
Fast forward to 11 years later, and I have told my story and elevator pitch to literally thousands of people. Our kids have overheard my pitch so many times that each of them can repeat it verbatim, and it’s become a running joke in our family.
A few days ago, I was on a phone call in our office giving my usual elevator pitch. I happened to walk by a mirror just at the moment I repeated my line: “I'm a young guy.” Noticing more gray hairs than ever before, it hit me that I was no longer telling the absolute truth: I am not a young guy anymore. I'm turning 40 years old in a few months. I have a daughter in high school! Though I am not even one drop less motivated to take JGSI to the next level then I was on day one, I'm definitely a different person now than I was back then.
Not only did I realize how much I’ve evolved, but I was struck by how much JGSI has evolved alongside me. We now operate on 116 grad campuses around North America, our budget this year is $1.7 million, and we are carefully building our infrastructure with equally passionate and driven employees – my partners in helping advance our organization’s game changing mission. It’s not just one hungry kid with a big dream anymore. That kid has grown up, and the dream has come true.
The Mishnah in Ethics of Our Fathers teaches that “40 is the age for understanding.” It took 40 years of wandering in the desert before we were ready to enter the Promised Land. As I stand on the cusp of 40 after wandering like a crazy person selling this organization for all these years, I understand how JGSI’s tremendous success has been thanks to so many people besides me – including you.
It’s time for a new elevator pitch. I'm excited to see how the JGSI story continues to evolve, and I’d love to hear your ideas :)
