Sports, hobbies, interests helped guide CEOs futures
This week’s question: As a child, did you have hobbies or interests that indicated you had a future as a CEO?
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Not at all! On the contrary — I was more solitary and enjoyed reading and a quiet time at the beach with friends. Never would I have imagined it.
Daniel Ades, managing partner, Kawa Capital Management
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My father was a policeman and my mother a teacher — I didn’t know a single CEO or even imagine I could be one. I was not an early entrepreneur, but hobbies like debate, journalism and music taught me to learn by listening.
Christine Barney, CEO, RBB Communications
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As a child, more so in my early teens, I saw my father having his own successful business, and I saw myself being much like him when I got older. He inspired me, as I always dreamed of being the CEO of my own company. I was blessed with that reality 26 years ago.
Richard Behar, Founder and CEO, Capitol Clothing Corp.
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Yes, I knew I wanted to own a business by the time I was 8 years old. I guess I was born “with it!” My most enjoyable hobby was to read the business section in local newspapers, and I watched business programs on TV.
Carmen Castillo, president and CEO, SDI International
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As a child, I was interested in everything. I was always busy, I was on every sport team (never a good athlete), every club, went to every party, and as my cousin says, my idea of relaxing was changing activities. I often found myself in leadership positions in many of these organizations. And all of them added to my knowledge about people, about working with teams, about negotiating for a collective win, about recovering from a defeat and celebrating victories.
Alicia Cervera Lamadrid, managing partner, Cervera Real Estate
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Responsibility, creativity and audacity have always been a part of me. I won every essay and speaking competition from kindergarten to college. I was the MC for most events and ceremonies. I had honors everything and C’s and check minuses in conduct for finishing all my work early and talking/distracting the other children. In high school and elementary, I was voted most likely to succeed and most unique. I always worked to be better than the self I was the day before. I loved science and art and was constantly merging the two worlds to create masterpieces. My favorite toy when I was 7 was a chemistry set, and I had a full-time job from 15 until today.
Pandwe Gibson, executive director, EcoTech Visions
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I grew up in a big family and loved being surrounded by people. Our home was like Grand Central Station, constantly abuzz with activity, friends and extended family coming and going. In retrospect, it is not surprising I ended up in the hotel business welcoming visitors from around the world.
Julie Grimes, managing partner, Hilton Bentley Hotel
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No! My siblings say that I was always organizing the neighborhood kids to put on a show, have a lemonade stand, sell garden fruits and vegetables in the summer. Apparently, I was also known as “bossy.”
Ann Machado, founder and president, Creative Staffing
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Yes, business was always fun and a creative outlet for me. I was a lousy athlete, so I didn’t play or follow sports (I still don’t). My brother Eric and I, when we were about 6 and 4, respectively, figured out we could buy things in bulk and sell them on our street — things like fruit, candy, magazines and anything else that wasn’t nailed down. Our parents were wonderful in not showing us any limits and, a few years later, we would take the bus to our father’s real-estate developments and start doing things we thought needed to be done. Sometimes, it caused problems, but it usually worked out fine. From there, we started trading some exotic securities in high school.
Victor Mendelson, co-president, HEICO
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I have always gravitated toward challenging situations and enjoyed consensus building and problem solving. I learned how to be resourceful and work with others to deliver a positive outcome early on from watching my mother as she handled delicate situations in her business and working with community leaders to help transform Fort Lauderdale beach.
Nitin Motwani, managing principal, Miami Worldcenter Associates
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My interest in restaurants grew organically from my desire to connect with my father. Being that he was an immigrant entrepreneur, restaurateur and founder of Canton Chinese Restaurants, if I wanted to spend time with him, it meant being at the restaurants. In hindsight, it was great training because I got to see him in his place of genius. He taught me the importance of business partnerships and respecting everyone on the team. Being immersed in that environment helped plant the seeds of my interest in hospitality.
Abe Ng, founder and CEO of Sushi Maki
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I always loved learning about the history and paths of entrepreneurs and small business owners. My desire to be an owner was clearer than just a CEO.
Todd Oretsky, co-founder, Pipeline Brickell
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I was born in Cuba, and baseball was king. I have fond memories of playing baseball at school and in the neighborhood. Though I was never great at the game, I was pretty good, and it taught me the critical lesson of teamwork. You can be the best player in the world, but if there are deficiencies in the batting order or on the field, it is very difficult to succeed. I was best at motivating the team and cheering from the dugout. It’s what I do today. I surround myself with great thinkers and do my best to motivate and create an environment of innovation and success.
Eduardo Padrón, president, Miami Dade College
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I always had a knack for assessing and taking control of a situation quickly. I was definitely called “bossy” and “competitive” more than once, and those terms always sounded negative at the time. Now I can see that those were the qualities that led me toward the career I was meant to have. Today, I think it’s a good thing to be bossy and competitive — and I make sure my daughters know it!
Joanna Schwartz, CEO and co-founder, EarlyShares
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My hobbies were sports. I was always interested in being the best! School, jobs, etc. … I was always designated as a team leader.
Darryl K. Sharpton, president and CEO, The Sharpton Group
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My father was a main street doctor in a small town. We lived above the “store.” I grew up with a strong sense of community, and that has translated into a view of how we at Akerman operate as a firm and within the communities where we practice. I went to military school for a while and was a sergeant in the ninth grade, the highest rank in the class. Go figure!
Andrew Smulian, chairman and CEO, Akerman LLP
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I was the younger of two children, so I regularly got annoyed by my older sister telling me what to do; I was never the person in charge. That no doubt nurtured a strong desire to be that person and direct my own destiny. For interest, I loved small insects and animals, ants, worms, snails, beetles — and terrifying my sister with them.
Gillian Thomas, president and CEO, Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
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At an early age, I was always into sports, specifically football. Sports are a great way to teach both leadership and the ability to be a team player, as well as discipline and encouragement of others — all qualities I believe contribute to being a successful CEO.
Paco Velez, CEO, Feeding South Florida
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I’ve been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. I started every business you could think of, from selling things like lemonade, tie-dye shirts and hair bows to building tree houses. I had many interests different from those of my four brothers, and I was focused on each until I accomplished my goal. Then I moved on to whatever my next big idea was!
Alina Villasante, founder, Peace Love World clothing
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Hobbies or interests? Not really. I played soccer and was a saxophonist in a band while most boys were more interested in basketball and American football. I would say that I was always different.
Marlon Williams, founder and CEO, Fenero
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Even as a kid, I loved working. I started my first job at 12 years old and haven’t stopped working since. A strong work ethic is absolutely essential at the upper levels of any company, whether you are already there or would like to get there in the future.
John Wood, president, Amicon Construction
This story was originally published August 16, 2015 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Sports, hobbies, interests helped guide CEOs futures."