“To me, an entrepreneur is anybody who decides to take accountability for outcomes.” – Rick Sapio
Rick Sapio (EO Dallas) is a lifelong entrepreneur who began his first firm at age 13, after the premature demise of his father. Since then, he has based greater than 20 corporations and was a founding member of the Dallas chapter 30 years in the past.
In August 2023, Rick acquired a life-altering medical prognosis: superior pancreatic most cancers. A life-threatening prognosis is a pivotal second, particularly for entrepreneurs who’re accustomed to navigating challenges and discovering options.
“As an entrepreneur, you’re taking full and full accountability for outcomes. And so how does that play out with a terminal most cancers prognosis? For me personally, I query every part the medical doctors say and take whole and full accountability for my well being and medical therapy,” Rick stated. Towards physician’s orders, Rick refused chemotherapy, the usual of look after his prognosis, then checked himself out of the hospital and took company for his personal well being.
Throughout a breakfast occasion with EO Dallas on February 8, 2024 (watch the recording), Rick shared revelations and insights he’s had within the six months since his prognosis. “Give it some thought out of your life perspective: Should you took whole and full accountability for each end result, how totally different would your life be?”
Rick shared profound insights into the entrepreneurial mindset when confronted with adversity:
1. Change the terrain
The terrain concept of drugs is, if you happen to change the terrain, you modify the illness. Rick weighed 222 kilos at prognosis. Six months of radical exercises and dietary adjustments later, he now weighs 167 kilos with 9% physique fats. “I don’t imagine that the most cancers is aware of who the heck the particular person it attacked is anymore!” Rick stated.
Lesson: When disaster hits, don’t hesitate to make radical adjustments for max affect.
2. Take company in disaster
Rick demonstrated company by refusing to just accept the usual therapy protocol with out exploring alternate options and second opinions. “To outline company, I imply I’m my very own agent.” His resolution to take management of his well being journey and problem medical recommendation illustrates the significance of advocating for oneself and making knowledgeable choices.
Lesson: Empower your self to take cost, analysis choices, and make decisions aligned together with your values and objectives.
3. Keep a optimistic mindset
Regardless of dealing with a dire prognosis, Rick maintains a optimistic outlook and sees his state of affairs as a possibility to develop. “I’m embracing my most cancers as a instructor. It’s educating me the right way to be extra loving, extra current, and extra sincere.”
Lesson: Domesticate a development mindset, adapt to alter, and think about challenges as alternatives for private improvement.
4. Proactively put together for enterprise continuity
Rick hasn’t labored in his enterprise a lot since his prognosis; therapeutic pancreatic most cancers is his new full-time job. Luckily, Rick proactively appointed a succesful firm president two years in the past and established programs and processes to make sure that operations may proceed with out him. “The enterprise is doing effective. My employees stepped up as I took a whole depart of absence,” he famous. The worth of peace of thoughts can’t be overstated.
Lesson: Prioritize constructing resilient programs, delegating tasks, and planning for unexpected circumstances to safeguard your online business’s continuity.
5. Shatter the phantasm of management
Most of us stay our lives pondering now we have management over our enterprise, household, or well being. We expect success is in our arms. However Rick has seen first-hand how management is an phantasm that blinds us to many potential dangers. “Over three a long time in communities like YPO and EO, I’ve discovered worthwhile classes on braveness, collaboration, and the significance of giving again. I’m attempting to pay it ahead with these insights to awaken others to the unpredictability of tomorrow,” Rick stated.
Lesson: Whereas it takes a major disaster to actually grasp this actuality, do all you’ll be able to to undertake a mindset of gratitude and stay within the current. Recognize what you’ve got now; the longer term is unsure.
6. Entrepreneurs beat the percentages
Medical doctors informed Rick he has a 2% likelihood of being alive in two years. Rick considered his life. His dad died when he was 13, then his mom had a nervous breakdown and by no means recovered. He informed the physician, “I’ve by no means had a 2% likelihood at something in my life. I really feel like these are double the percentages I’ve had my complete life. That’s superior. I’ll take these odds!”
Lesson: An entrepreneurial mindset and resilience are a bonus in overcoming each sort of problem.
7. You’ll be able to’t change human nature
“How folks reply to the information of my prognosis has been attention-grabbing. With most individuals, sarcastically, it’s crickets. I’ve known as buddies to ask in the event that they’re going to come back to my funeral. Their response is, ‘Completely, I’m coming to your funeral.’ So then I ask, “Why don’t you come go to me whereas I’m nonetheless on this facet of the grass as a substitute?” It’s weird.
Lesson: Maximize the alternatives you’ve got right this moment; they might change tomorrow.
8. Give hands-on assist to folks in disaster
When folks ask Rick how they might help, the query feels overwhelming. “It’s like my spouse and I are within the ocean throughout a hurricane, drowning and gulping for air, and also you’re in a helicopter above, yelling right down to us, “Hey, you want something?” I’m paralyzed by that query. We merely don’t have a solution,” he defined.
Lesson: In any disaster, hands-on assistance is appreciated: Take their youngsters to high school, purchase them groceries, take them dinner, or write them a love letter. Your time and actions are the largest assist.
9. Settle for generosity and assist
Rick has skilled immense generosity and assist from buddies and colleagues. Two nice examples:
- A protracted-time good friend and vendor refused a US$170,000 fee from Rick’s firm, saying “Pals don’t take cash from buddies with pancreatic most cancers.” Rick was astonished, “I had by no means ever in my life skilled that degree of generosity.”
- One other good friend discovered Rick deliberate to journey alone to Vienna, Austria, for medical therapy – however noticed that Rick was in such ache he may barely stroll. The good friend dropped every part and took Rick to Vienna himself. “This man has 4 youngsters, a enterprise in a number of states — and he dropped every part to be with me for 11 days. He paid for the aircraft tickets, resort, chauffeur, and natural chef, explaining merely, ‘That is what buddies do for buddies.’” Rick stated. “I can’t even fathom that degree of generosity.”
Lesson: Be beneficiant together with your time and actions. You’ll by no means remorse it.
10. Treasure EO connections
“EO has been an unimaginable addition to my life. I’ve been concerned since Verne Harnish known as to say I wanted to get entangled in EO Dallas. Now,30 years later, all of the individuals who have had an enormous affect on my life got here from EO both immediately or not directly,” Rick stated. “Thanks for being you and for taking company in life. Thanks for taking accountability for outcomes, and thanks for giving me the ground right this moment.”
To study extra about Rick and his journey, you’ll be able to view his presentation to EO Dallas and his presentation, “Going Past Recognized Limits” to Stagen Management Academy.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: On February 16, 2024, Rick’s spouse Melissa was identified with Stage 4 colorectal most cancers. Many individuals are reaching out to ask how they might help Rick and Melissa. She was hospitalized for the previous two weeks. The Sapios ask in your prayers. If you want to study extra about Rick and Melissa’s journey, comply with The Sapios on Caring Bridge.