EP #137: The Growth of Us - K Bill Dost (Entrepreneur, Philanthropist)

The African Proverb, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together", speaks on the value of having support from your tribe. In this podcast, Bill Dost – entrepreneur and friend to the show – discusses why family is so important and how he began to incorporate them into his entrepreneurial journey. His napkin wisdom which reads, "Give me my family and I can do anything", stems from his belief that you can do anything if your family is backing you. "But without that strength, what good is it to win anything?" mused Mr. Dost. It is important to note that "family" could be substituted for friends, a tribe or any group that supports and motivates you. He learned this the hard way when he and his wife of twelve years, Maggie, began drifting apart a few years ago. "When my business was in a good place, I focused on the growth of "me" and not the growth of "us"," Bill says. This led the couple to drifting apart. Because she wasn't being kept in the loop, Maggie didn't feel any sense of connection to Bill's entrepreneurial journey – and even worse, she was beginning to feel the same sentiment towards Bill. "I was a jerk," Bill admits. During the 2008 recession, Bill took a step back and realized that he had neglected to grow with his wife during the entrepreneurial process. "I was investing in myself but not my significant other. This led to my family becoming a "single person household"," says Bill. However, he knew things needed to change. He apologized to his wife and began to include her in more – they began reading the same books, attending conferences together and more. And, slowly but surely, the relationship improved. He had learned a very important lesson that had almost cost him his marriage: "We need to provide the room for our spouses to have the same journey. For so long it was all about me, and my growth. I would rather personally growth slower as a partner, than to grow faster and alone," says Bill. Check out the podcast by clicking the link below and tweet us with ways you keep your tribe in the loop on your journey.