39 min
Rob Follows: Playing Big and Answering Your Call Generous Business Owner
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- Entrepreneurship
What do you want to see when thinking back on your life from your deathbed?
In this episode, Jeff and Rob discuss:
Rob’s unique childhood and family situation and what he learned from it.
Finding the balance in positivity.
How Rob found his career in marketing, got involved in non-profit organizations, and began STS Capital.
Why you need to stop playing small and start seeing the abundance and thinking BIG.
Key Takeaways:
Be willing to learn from others who have more experience than you. No matter what you know, someone else knows more. But don’t let them tell you you cannot achieve your dreams.
If you see something wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up and call attention to the problems. If you have solutions to those problems, bring them too.
What you learn when running your business, is only going to help you in your philanthropic giving.
Creating money and gathering stuff for yourself is not going to take you very far. You can’t take it with you when you go - what are you going to do with the money you’ve earned?
Start to recognize when you are playing small and when you’re only playing not to lose, not to win.
"Be your big self. Believe in the dreams that you’re inspired to envision. And don't let anybody tell you you can't. Anybody that tells you you can't is not worth listening to. It's time for you to step up, be your biggest self, and make this world a better place in the best way that you possibly can." — Rob Follows
About Rob Follows - Founder and Chairman:
Rob’s purpose and passion is to help entrepreneurial business owners achieve maximum value when the right time comes to sell. Today, Rob has been involved with or led over a thousand M&A transactions, with a total transaction value of over $100B.
Rob led STS as its Founder and Chief Executive Officer for over two decades until he scaled to the role of Chairman in 2023. As Chairman, Rob works to further external business development efforts that include engagements with clients, participating and recruiting in the speaker circuit, and writing his book “Everyone has Their Own Everest, What is Yours?” among other initiatives.
In addition to being Chairman and Founder of STS Capital Partners, Rob is also the founding Chairman of Altruvest Charitable Services, a Canadian charity that provides training and tools to improve the performance of local charities so they can give more to their causes. In 1998, Rob received the Top 40 Under 40 leadership award for the work he had done in creating 1,000 new jobs in Canada, as well as founding and growing Altruvest Charitable Services which has now contributed over $10 million since its establishment.
Along with his work and charitable accomplishments, Rob is also an extreme adventurer. When Rob summited Everest on May 24, 2006, he became part of an elite group of people who have climbed all Seven Summits.
Connect with Rob Follows:
Website: https://stscapital.com/
Email: rob@stscapital.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robfollows/
Connect with Jeff Thomas:
Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/
Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/
Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-up
Email: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisors
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw
What do you want to see when thinking back on your life from your deathbed?
In this episode, Jeff and Rob discuss:
Rob’s unique childhood and family situation and what he learned from it.
Finding the balance in positivity.
How Rob found his career in marketing, got involved in non-profit organizations, and began STS Capital.
Why you need to stop playing small and start seeing the abundance and thinking BIG.
Key Takeaways:
Be willing to learn from others who have more experience than you. No matter what you know, someone else knows more. But don’t let them tell you you cannot achieve your dreams.
If you see something wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up and call attention to the problems. If you have solutions to those problems, bring them too.
What you learn when running your business, is only going to help you in your philanthropic giving.
Creating money and gathering stuff for yourself is not going to take you very far. You can’t take it with you when you go - what are you going to do with the money you’ve earned?
Start to recognize when you are playing small and when you’re only playing not to lose, not to win.
"Be your big self. Believe in the dreams that you’re inspired to envision. And don't let anybody tell you you can't. Anybody that tells you you can't is not worth listening to. It's time for you to step up, be your biggest self, and make this world a better place in the best way that you possibly can." — Rob Follows
About Rob Follows - Founder and Chairman:
Rob’s purpose and passion is to help entrepreneurial business owners achieve maximum value when the right time comes to sell. Today, Rob has been involved with or led over a thousand M&A transactions, with a total transaction value of over $100B.
Rob led STS as its Founder and Chief Executive Officer for over two decades until he scaled to the role of Chairman in 2023. As Chairman, Rob works to further external business development efforts that include engagements with clients, participating and recruiting in the speaker circuit, and writing his book “Everyone has Their Own Everest, What is Yours?” among other initiatives.
In addition to being Chairman and Founder of STS Capital Partners, Rob is also the founding Chairman of Altruvest Charitable Services, a Canadian charity that provides training and tools to improve the performance of local charities so they can give more to their causes. In 1998, Rob received the Top 40 Under 40 leadership award for the work he had done in creating 1,000 new jobs in Canada, as well as founding and growing Altruvest Charitable Services which has now contributed over $10 million since its establishment.
Along with his work and charitable accomplishments, Rob is also an extreme adventurer. When Rob summited Everest on May 24, 2006, he became part of an elite group of people who have climbed all Seven Summits.
Connect with Rob Follows:
Website: https://stscapital.com/
Email: rob@stscapital.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robfollows/
Connect with Jeff Thomas:
Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/
Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/
Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-up
Email: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisors
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw
39 min