LaunchPad published author Randy Ginsburg ’19 (Whitman) was featured in Forbes.com earlier this month. He’s been gaining notice for his message that entrepreneurs are people who know how to turn adversity to advantage. That’s a powerful message right now. Ginsburg took his experience of being knocked down by bullying in adolescence, and turned it into lessons on resilience. His book, “Adversity to Advantage” offers some important tips for these challenging times. What are the secrets to fighting doubt and despair in times of adversity? How do you build resilience and inner strength? What are tips for shoring up your own mental health? How do you build fortitude and self-confidence? These lessons and more are covered in his book, now available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
Here are links:
Print copy on Barnes and Noble
Ginsburg, a graduate of the Whitman School of Management, earned a double major in Entrepreneurship and Marketing and is an alumnus of the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars at SU Libraries. His book was written to inspire those who were bullied with wisdom and advice from a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who have overcome that negative experience and used it as a stepping stone for personal and entrepreneurial growth.
“I wrote the book out of a desire to create, but also to prove myself to all the people who mistreated me or doubted me in the past. Not only have my experiences with bullying helped me find my passion for entrepreneurship, but they also provided me with a chip on my shoulder that constantly fuels my fire to succeed,” said Ginsburg. Although conventional wisdom says that bullying is exclusively detrimental to one’s health, studies show that 47% of victims report a positive effect on their adult lives.
The book shares stories of successful entrepreneurs’ bullying experiences, including: Tom Ford, who beat bullying to launch one of the world’s largest fashion houses and reinvent himself as an award-winning filmmaker; Elon Musk, whose familiarity with pain helped him to start PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX; and Andrew Nikou who defeated bullies and went on to found OpenGate Capital, a multi-billion dollar global private equity firm.
Ginsburg launched his book last fall at the LaunchPad as part of an innovation event at Orange Central.