Episode 27: The Critical Skill of Persistence, with Rob Emrich

Rob Emrich is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of Gimbal Inc. Gimbal Inc. is a marketing technology that unites the physical and digital worlds. The company counts over 10,000 end customers, from global giants like Ford, Citibank, Walgreens to small neighborhood businesses.  Gimbal has received over $90 million in investment from institutions like Qualcomm, AEG, Zebra Technologies, and SK Group. The company was recognized for its remarkable growth #66 on the Inc 500 and #34 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500. Before Gimbal, Rob started five other ventures and has a lifetime record of 4 wins and 1 loss. Rob has been featured in the The New York Times Bestselling book The Lean Entrepreneur & 21 Questions for 21 Millionaires. He has been recognized by the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and 'Forty under 40′ (at age 25). He is an active member in the Young Presidents' Organization and a member of the Digital Advisory Committee at The Alliance for Audited Media. Rob has done more community service than courts demand of white-collar criminals. In addition to serving on corporate boards, Rob has sat on nonprofit and community boards of various Jewish organizations, The Tobacco Public Policy Center, The Alliance for Nonprofit Insurers, the PBS Documentary on Pediatric Cancer A Lion in the House, and continues his philanthropic work with his family through The Emrich Foundation, a donor-advised fund at The American Endowment Foundation. Rob received a scholarship to attend The Ohio State University Honors Program, and graduated with Research Distinction. He loves adventure travel and backcountry camping and has walked over 1,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to New York. What you'll learn about in this episode: How the loss of his sister at a young age to pediatric cancer altered the person Rob would become later in life How a terrifying experience overseas taught Rob an important lesson on the value of persistence Why Rob's entrepreneurial interests cause him to keep going back to the crazy life of startups What lessons Rob has learned from his wins and losses he has experienced throughout his career How stubbornness and resilience helps drive Rob, and his views on competitiveness and fear of failure How Rob works to maintain focus on his goals, and how he course-corrects when he does lose focus Why it's important to rise to your challenges, to be willing to learn new things, and to adapt to changes Why Rob had to overcome the mindset he was raised with, where finances were never discussed aloud How to familiarize yourself with a subject well enough to operate, without expecting yourself to become an expert Why Rob considers, "The Hard Thing About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz to be essential reading How to Contact Rob Emrich and Additional Resources: Website: www.robemrich.com The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz: http://a.co/d/0zB0rBU