What I’ve Been Most Impressed by
Jonathan Quarles Leaders Connect Detroit. Here are some highlights of this deeply moving event.
Jonathan’s upbringing and childhood in Flint impacted who he is today.
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His family, especially his father, taught him strong core values.
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His strong work ethic comes from his father. His father was always a man of his word and sacrificed everything for his family.
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He started his own business at age 8 as a paperboy. Through this he discovered self-discipline, motivation, and self-preservation.
Growing up, he learned many tips and skills from his experiences and the people he knew.
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The only way to help your community is:
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Be an entrepreneur/business owner. That way you can create opportunities for you, your family, and your community.
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It is important to be of service to people.
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It doesn’t matter how you start, but how you finish.
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Service to people is more important than anything else.
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Entrepreneurship is being a professional problem solver.
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Love is supreme over all else.
Jonathan’s “Pivot”
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2020 has been the most challenging and yet encouraging year.
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Because of Covid, he had to make a major pivot with his companies.
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Their major customers were restaurants and hotels.
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They started as just a bottling company. After Covid, an adjustment was needed to better service the community.
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They started to focus on other important water issues such as sanitation, hygiene, and other water solutions.
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They went from a bottling business to becoming a triple bottom line company (people, planet, profit). It was no longer just business transactions, but a community project.
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The board of the company is dynamic. Diversity is important with the team, industry, and support system.
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The focus of the company is to connect local Detroit professionals to international resources.
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Our new normal requires us to think globally.
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You must understand your purpose and your “why”.
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Pre-order his new book “Making Dollars While Making Change”