Greg Sutton is the Co-Founder and CEO of TinyEYE Therapy Services, the first company in the world to provide speech language pathology services online. It is TinyEYE’s vision to be the number one advocate in the world for children finding their voice.
Greg Sutton and I met years ago at the Business Expo in 2004 hosted by the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce. At the time, Greg was the Executive Director at the Saskatchewan Advanced TechnologyAssociation prior to co-founding TinyEYE Therapy Services. Fortunately our tradeshow booths were across from each other and we hit it off instantly. Over the years, Greg and I have been part of a peer-mentorship group and I have gained many insights from Greg. He is one of my “go-to” people when I have a business idea or challenge. For those of you who know Greg, he is so gracious with his time and will always listen and share his wisdom. Greg has challenged some of my beliefs (he gives you his honest opinion and doesn’t just tell you what you want to hear), which is why he is such a great leader and mentor. I share these insights in the hope that you can apply them to your own life and business.
1. Kindness and Grit. Easy-going, friendly and kind are the characteristics you’ll instantly identify when you meet Greg. That is his nature and what makes him so magnetic is that his kindness is anchored with grit. When you reflect on TinyEYE’s vision, you can appreciate the powerful WHY (read Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” if you haven’t already or watch the TED Talk). However powerful your why or purpose in life, there are characteristics you must develop to achieve your why. From Greg, I believe Kindness and Grit are two of those critical characteristics.
2. Pan for Gold Nuggets. Because Greg is naturally curious, interested in people and an insatiable learner, he will always make time to chat with other entrepreneurs. When you listen to others’ challenges and show curiosity, you will gain insights and Greg is always panning for gold nuggets. He actively seeks advice and wisdom from those he trusts. Greg will remind you that even if you ask for advice, you don’t have to take it! You can still be open-minded, but you must be disciplined to pan for the gold nuggets to make sure the advice is right for you.
3. The Skeptical Optimist. My belief Three Insights I Learned From Greg Sutton was that if you are a “glass half-full” person that your attitude should always be hopeful and look for the best. My outlook (some of you may have heard me say it before) is if you look for dust, you’ll find dust, so don’t look for it! What I learned from Greg, which is so important in business, is that having a healthy skepticism doesn’t mean you are negative. You can still be an optimist, but don’t be so easily convinced and ask lots of questions. Otherwise you’ll be blinded by your optimism…you’ll get dust in your eye!
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
This is why my humble friend Greg Sutton has wisdom and insight far beyond his years. He has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, new perspectives and learning. Are you panning for gold or do you know it all? No doubt Greg has had a big impact in our world already and I know I am not alone when I say that I can’t wait to see what his future holds.
First published in the March 2018 edition of The Business Voice.
