Meeting of the Big Minds (MBM) April 2010
This past weekend I was fortunate enough to attend MBM. The retreat is the brainchild of Dan Lack, the visionary Founder of Pushing Beyond, out of Atlanta, GA. We were introduced by a mutual contact 8 months ago and since then sky has been the limit. In terms of attending MBM, Dan’s only qualification is quite simple – in his humble opinion you must be “one heck of a badass” (quoted word for word).
The retreat was three days (thurs-sun) and is held semi-annually in the middle of literally nowhere – Huntsville, TX. There is no internet and little time for phone calls, something most of us get anxiety just thinking about. The retreat brought together 16 rockstar entrepreneurs from around America who are each doing absolutely mind blowing things and crushing it beyond belief. If someone asked me to describe the retreat I would respond in 3 words: passion, inspiration, reality.
Hosted at a serene location, Fox Creek Ranch, the 20 room oasis has been in the Lack Family for three generations. Dan’s grandparents built the home as a sanctuary for his entire family and its extensions, which number above 60 folks. The ranch includes 300 acres of pristine wild land, rolling pastures, a large lake and (of course) cows.
When the retreat began I had absolutely no clue what to expect. I thought I would most likely acquire a few friends and relationships out of the experience and call it a day. However, to my gleeful surprise, by the end of MBM I can honestly say that in just 4 short days I gained a family of 8 extended brothers and 7 sisters who I would do anything for on this earth. Think about that for just a moment. And yes, MBM is just that darn powerful.
It’s actually very challenging to articulate my experience at MBM and what it meant to me. There were so many transformations – personally, professionally, emotionally and spiritually. In all honesty, MBM has been one of the highlights of my entire life to this point. It’s a bold statement and I truly mean every word.
The interesting thing about MBM is that there are other organizations throughout the country which try to replicate the MBM model. Guess what? I have been to many of them and know a plethora of folks who have attended all the rest. Hands down – nothing comes even remotely close to MBM. It’s simply unheard of for 18 entrepreneurs from all walks of life, living in 8 different states, working in 10 different industries, decide to come together at a secluded ranch to create real valuable, actionable and scalable connections for one another both personally and professionally.
MBM is invite only and spreads exclusively through word of mouth. With such a value add model, it’s no surprise that Dan amassed a rockstar list of folks who in a business context are driven and relentless toward success, but more importantly, were open, vulnerable and completely unselfish toward everyone else throughout the entire retreat. A few additional words to describe the journey I experienced over the 96 hour I was in Texas include: compelling, connected, eclectic, humorous, reality-altering, triumph, uplifting and zoned in.
Two activities were the main focus of the retreat:
- MBM Spotlights: Each individual was given the undivided attention of the entire group for 19 minutes. This was our opportunity to share with the group a little about who we are: what we‘re currently working on, and how the group could lend us support.
- MBM One-on-Ones: Spending quality time and having great one-on-one conversations with each person at the ranch. This was done by: sitting on the hammocks, running/walking the property, Bass and Catfish fishing, playing basketball and skeet shooting.
There were an abundance of memories I accumulated with each and every person above.
To Amber, Ben, Brian, Caroline, Dan, Erin, Garrett, Gina, Glenn, Haley, Ingrid, Keith, Lyn, Mike, Suzanne, Traci …. You are each genuinely gifted at your craft, humble in your pursuits of achieving success and astonishingly beautiful – both inside and out. Thank you for the opportunity to hear your insights, stories and viewpoints on the world. I will carry each conversation close to my heart as long as I live and look forward to seeing everyone during my nationwide tour in May.
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Stop At Nothing. Achieve Anything.
Gary Whitehill is the Founder of The Relentless Foundation and New York Entrepreneur Week (NYEW), both of which reflect his entrepreneurial drive and relentless energy.
In 2009, The Relentless Foundation inspired the creation of New York Entrepreneur Week (NYEW), an unprecedented gathering of entrepreneurs, from innovation-minded start-ups to multi-million dollar revenue generators who are given the chance to learn, connect and leverage opportunities to help drive economic change.
The Entrepreneur Week movement continues to grow, with events planned in more US cities and around the world.
Additionally, Gary believes kids should have the ability to create the world they want, and that those who are driven to achieve must also be given tools such as entrepreneurship to learn, grow and express themselves.
Gary supports people and companies invested in driving social and economic change.
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