At Grove City College, especially in the Entrepreneurship department, we have a select group of alumni that come back to pour into students and that are used as examples of success stories. I love that these alumni return to invest in our students, and I love having a successful story come out of our department. It gives me hope, because if they can do it, why can’t I?
Throughout my tenure at Grove City, I have interacted with Evan Addams. I did not really get to know him, however, until my senior year. Prior to that, I had seen him speak on panels, he was the alumni contact for the reunion class I adopted for Homecoming, and he guest lectured in some of my classes. In the fall of my senior year, I was given the opportunity to introduce his lecture for the Staley Speakers series. Part of that allowed me to talk with him a little further at a dinner and develop a relationship. There are several things that he does really well, but I especially noticed that he is excellent at encouraging others.
Evan Addams is fully present wherever he is. He engages with people and does not just focus on the small talk, but tries to drive conversation deeper. After dinner before the lecture began, Evan took a moment to introduce me to another player, and called out something positive he noticed about me. I was honored and it taught me something about relationship building. Calling out the gold in someone is a quick way to gain respect and earn trust. I felt seen, valued, and encouraged in that moment, and he caught my attention. It was even cooler because someone I already respected honored the giftings in me, and it gave me a seat at the table.
This is a skill that is so applicable to sales. Honoring those above and beneath you gives everyone a seat at the table. Forming a relationship and calling out the good in people earns their trust. Being genuine in your treatment of people can be felt, and it is never despised.
I learned a lot simply from that one moment with Evan Addams, and hope to apply that to all my relationships, specifically in my future sales career.
Ethan David 
Tessa 
Rachel Goetz
When he was class he was very good at zeroing in on certain specific situations. The lesson though that he was trying to get across was broad and could be applied to any start-up situation. His success in sales and the business world are amazing. The background story of starting his own company out of college was also nice to hear because I feel like not a lot of us have gotten the opportunity to talk to a recent grad about life right after graduation. It was a new and fresh perspective.
This is such a great insight into Evan Addams’s success as an entrepreneur. I aspire to live with that level of intentionality both in my professional and personal life. Thanks for sharing!
Evan Addams is an alumni of my fraternity, and since graduating, has still been very involved and intentional with us. His actions are always others-centered and he has great charisma. Thankful he’s been able to teach us some awesome things in class!