Just an (extra) Ordinary Man
At a recent Goldman Sachs Summit for the 10KSB program, I see this man in the audience who was nicely buttoned up, seemed to be of influence (not by design, but by example and accomplishments), yet he had out his cell phone taking crowd shots. He was accompanied by two women I know from the company, so I was fairly convinced he held a powerful position with the household name. Sure enough, the next thing I knew he was being whisked up on stage.
I learned during his moments in the spotlight that this extraordinary summit was his idea. He is none-other-than John Rogers, Executive VP of Goldman Sachs. Now that the crowd of 2,500 people (those who were listening, anyway) know this man who also served under the Ford, Regan and George HW Bush administrations, I expected him to be escorted behind the curtain. Nope, instead he comes down the stairs, back out onto the ballroom floor. People line up to take selfies. I, too, lined up. I just wanted to say "thank you." Of course, if he offered, I would have been thrilled to have a picture with him. In these situations I tend to be a bit sheepish, so I find people popping in, aggressively making their way in, not caring that others are trying to do the same thing. So I volunteer to take the cell-phone photos instead. Though, unlike the professional portraits I created of Rogers' Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon in Dallas, I do not make any promises. And it's actually a lot more fun interacting than playing the waiting game.
Upon doing some research, I later learn Rogers does not like to have his picture taken, yet he was very gracious to all the entrepreneurs his program has aided. I eventually was able to shake his hand, thanking him for the over-the-top event and the 10,000 Small Businesses program as a whole.
It's not surprising Rogers is humble; he knows how to work hard and he appreciates what solopreneurs and entrepreneurs do for the American economy. He spent his childhood working in his family's third-generation wholesale frozen food business. There's something obvious about a person who has been raised by someone who started off sweeping floors, running numbers, interacting with clients, placing orders, hiring, firing ....
Fast forward to Day 2 of this three-day Small Business Owners' Wonderland.Rogers kicks off the programming by taking selfie crowd shots to prove to his wife that his circle of friends is far reaching. (She claims his only friends work at GS.)
With the proof in his pocket, he goes on to say, "We thank you for taking time out of your small business to join us in this movement." (The movement he is referring to is meeting with lawmakers, completely surveys, expressing concerns and taking action to influence Congress and the Senate to make changes, benefitting small businesses.) What, John Rogers? You are thanking us? Goldman Sachs has spend upward of $450 million on the program thus far. And Solomon has vowed to keep the program growing at least until they have reached 20,000 small businesses.
My gratitude to the financial giant and what they have done for Photography by Misty (and continue to do so) gushes from me as I brag about the program to my fellow Plano Chamber members and other networking peeps. I am still ahhmazed this world-renowned enterprise has invested in my home/Plano-based business (where we offer one-off headshots; we pack up the professional studio for everything else).
It was a wonderful week, where I was able to speak with Rogers on another occasion. No, I did not stalk the man. I mean, maybe I would have if I had known at the time all of his accomplishments. I would say the greatest thing about Rogers is not his historical endeavors, the fact he was the youngest person to have been appointed assistant to the president nor his plethora of commitments to America's small businesses. In my opinion, his greatness flourishes from his humbleness, his genuine nature and his ordinariness (even though most would consider him most extraordinary).
Hats off (and there are many of them) to Rogers and the people behind all the moving parts of 10KSB.
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