This year, we are featuring startup success stories and biographies of emerging leaders in the startup community.
We write and feature “Ross Blankenship,” who continues to build, learn, and share his industry experiences.
From this feature on Blankenship, (https://www.ihbooks.com/ross-blankenship), you’ll read:
“I asked Blankenship more about this upbringing and how he felt he was shaped by it. Ross said, “Traveling and watching my father build medical clinics and save patient lives in the most impoverished parts of rural America, had a huge impact. It was also the idea of being a doctor. You are forced to tell people what they need to hear, and that has been a pretty consistent and candid theme throughout my life.”
A super passionate and avid learner who loved visiting the Texarkana Public Library, science was his big thing. “I was fascinated with the idea of whether time was linear or multi-dimensional and just the idea of how time works. I thought I could at an early age figure out time works. Looking back I see how valuable time was in my life…
When he was 14, Ross headed to boarding school in New England; afterwards, Blankenship was accepted and attended Cornell and Wash U Law.
Owner of several companies, Blankenship is an entrepreneur who has written books on education, business, and investments. In addition to authoring several books, Blankenship has helped others become successful in business. Being able to assist others in achieving their dreams is a gift that could easily become a craft with preparation.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
“I want to leave a legacy of fearlessness and decisiveness. I want to leave the legacy of someone who was always wanting to give friends the shirt off my back. My mission is to help other people become successful… to be candid in that I admit that many people love me and there are just as many people who say I am too abrasive with a big ego. There are always those people who do not think you’re good enough.
They don’t think you deserve to be where you are. That is rooted in jealousy. There are many haters out there who would live vicariously through your life to as opposed to living their own lives.
I remember when I was a young boy… I was on a flag football team, the Cowboys. A couple of the players were so good that I told him, “Dad I want to be so good like so and so,” and he looked at me and said, “Don’t ever talk about other people’s success. Focus on yourself. Focus on who you are as a person and what you can do to become great.”
That’s what sticks to me to this day. I’m not thinking about this person and what I don’t have. I think about how I can create value in my name, brand, and reputation as opposed to living vicariously through others.”
That’s the legacy I want- one of stubbornness, fearlessness, and decisiveness.”
Ross Blankenship 