Gary C. Cooper

Author of The Success Paradox | Chairman of Palmetto Infusion | CEO & Founder of The Carolus Company

Investing in human and business potential.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

I’ve landed in Fort Lauderdale for the 57th @FLairports Conference.

Tomorrow, I'll be speaking on:

Before Takeoff: The Inner Work of Sustainable Leadership

I'll be in here from July 27 to 29. If you're a healthcare entrepreneur or leader, I'd love to connect!

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

You're not just risking yourself. You're risking your spouse, your kids, and your family's future.

Those are the parts that most people never see.

Building a business isn't for the faint of heart.
As we say around here, sometimes you've just got to risk it for the biscuit.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

"It must be nice to own your own company."
People say that to me all the time. But what they don't always see is what it took to get there.

Every time I've owned a business, I've had to personally guarantee the loans. To guarantee those loans, I had to mortgage my house.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

When you're starting out, you put up what you've got, and for me that meant putting our home on the line.

People talk about the financial risk of entrepreneurship, but they don't talk enough about the mental aspect. It's lying awake at night because the note comes due on Friday.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

And the lesson that stuck with me was:
Whoever gets to acceptance faster wins.
Many of the things I chased and tried to force simply weren't meant for me at that moment. I wasn't ready.

Scarcity asks, Why me?

Abundance asks:
What in me needs to grow before I can receive this?

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

Scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset.
When I have a scarcity mindset, I start trying to grab more. I'm afraid of losing what I already have or not getting what I want, and greed and all that kind of mentality start coming out.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

When you expected something really big to happen in your life, and it didn't, that's grief too.
She called them “miniature griefs” that make us frozen.
I was waiting on a “silver bullet” to fix my problems.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

Some of the most important calls and ideas of my career came out of those drives. We all need time where our minds are free enough to reflect, process, pray, and connect the dots. Sometimes the most productive part of the day isn't the meeting. It's what happens on the way.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

Some of the best ideas I've ever had didn't come from sitting in an office or around a conference table. They came from what I’d call “the space in between.”

For years I spent more time driving from office to office, doctor to doctor than I did sitting behind a desk.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

I could call people without interruption. I could let my mind bounce all over the place. Being in motion would trigger the next thought: a person I needed to call, a problem we needed to solve, an opportunity we hadn't fully considered, a conversation I'd been putting off.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

That's the story. Clemons, Trey, James, Jennifer, and the team want to get it right. Not fast.

You can't shortcut trust. Patients feel it. Your own people feel it first.

Watching my son build a company with that instinct already baked in makes me proud.

And we're hiring!

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

Things are shaping up at our @InterimHealth franchise in Florence, SC! We just got our license!

When I asked Clemons how it was coming along a few months back, he said:

"We're just laying the groundwork and getting everything in place right now. We want to do it right."

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

I’ve been fortunate. Many people believed in me and gave me opportunities before I’d earned them.

The best way I know to thank them is to do the same for someone else.

What have you done recently to bless others?

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

Every day I spend a few minutes reading a daily meditation.

Today’s included a simple reminder: “You have been blessed, so bless others.”

The older I get, the more I believe that’s what leadership is really about.

For much of my career, I focused on building businesses.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

I still love building great companies, but I’m equally motivated by helping people build great careers.

Mentoring future leaders, creating opportunities, sharing success through our incentive programs, and giving back have become some of the most meaningful parts of my work.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

We’re also growing our team across various locations. If you’re passionate about caring for patients and want to work alongside people who truly live our values, apply to join the team!

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

We're on a roll at @PalmettoInfusio!
Over the past few months, we’ve opened new clinics in Greenwood, SC and Palm Coast, FL, celebrated ribbon cuttings in Newnan and Marietta, expanded our Columbus location, and continued renovating clinics to create a better experience.

[Gary C. Cooper @gary_c_cooper]

With every location, we’re making specialized care more accessible for people living with chronic diseases, closer to where they live. That’s always been the mission.

I’m grateful to Tim Hadley, our leadership team, and every member of the Palmetto Infusion!