ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ric Elias - Entrepreneur
Ric Elias is the CEO of Red Ventures, a marketing services company that grew out of Elias' long experience in business.

Why you should listen

Born in Puerto Rico, Ric Elias came to the United States for college knowing little English, as he writes in his online bio . So what did he do? "I adjusted my schedule and took only classes that dealt with numbers my entire first year," he says. "I'd always been decent at math, and things like calculus and accounting were non-lingual. I was able to buy some time to improve my English skills." His facility with numbers has led to a wide-ranging career in business and finance.

Elias is the CEO and co-founder of Red Ventures, a firm that helps large service companies acquire new customers online. He began his career in General Electric Co.'s Aerospace Division, then worked at the marketing services company CUC International (later known as Cendant). Prior to founding Red Ventures, Ric served as president of Spark Network Services, a promotion and data company held by Cendant.

"I'm a frustrated athlete," says Elias. "To me, business is the Olympics for non-athletes. It comes down to loving competition; figuring out whom we should compete against and how to beat them."

More profile about the speaker
Ric Elias | Speaker | TED.com
TED2011

Ric Elias: 3 things I learned while my plane crashed

Ric Elias: 3 stvari, ki sem se jih naučil med strmogljavljenjem letala

Filmed:
7,721,543 views

Ric Elias je na poletu 1549 sedel v prvi vrsti letala, ki je zasilno pristalo na reki Hudson v New Yorku januarja 2009. Kaj se je podilo po njegovi glavi, ko je to pogubljeno letalo strmoglavljalo? Na TED-u prvič javno razkrije svojo zgodbo.
- Entrepreneur
Ric Elias is the CEO of Red Ventures, a marketing services company that grew out of Elias' long experience in business. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
ImaginePredstavljajte si a bigvelik explosioneksplozija
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Predstavljajte si veliko eksplozijo,
00:18
as you climbplezati throughskozi 3,000 ftft.
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potem ko ste se vzpeli na 1000 metrov.
00:21
ImaginePredstavljajte si a planeletalo fullpolno of smokedim.
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Predstavljajte si letalo polno dima.
00:25
ImaginePredstavljajte si an enginemotor going clackLupa, clackLupa, clackLupa,
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Predstavljajte si motor, ki dela klak, klak, klak,
00:27
clackLupa, clackLupa, clackLupa, clackLupa.
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klak, klak, klak, klak.
00:29
It soundszvoki scarystrašno.
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Sliši se strašljivo.
00:31
Well I had a uniqueedinstven seatsedež that day. I was sittingsedi in 1D.
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Tistega dne sem imel edinstven sedež. Sedel sem na 1D.
00:34
I was the only one who could talk to the flightlet attendantsspremljevalk.
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Bil sem edini, ki se je lahko pogovarjal s stevardesami.
00:37
So I lookedpogledal at them right away,
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Zato sem se takoj ozrl k njim
00:39
and they said, "No problemproblem. We probablyverjetno hitudaril some birdsptice."
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in one so odvrnile: "Ni problema. Verjetno smo zadeli kakšne ptice."
00:42
The pilotpilot had alreadyže turnedobrnjen the planeletalo around,
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Pilot je že obrnil letalo nazaj
00:44
and we weren'tni bilo that fardaleč.
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in nismo bili tako daleč.
00:46
You could see ManhattanManhattan.
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Lahko si videl Manhattan.
00:48
Two minutesminut laterpozneje,
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Dve minuti kasneje
00:50
threetri things happenedse je zgodilo at the sameenako time.
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so se istočasno zgodile tri stvari.
00:53
The pilotpilot lineslinije up the planeletalo with the HudsonHudson RiverReka.
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Pilot poravna letalo z reko Hudson.
00:57
That's usuallyobičajno not the routepot.
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Pot običajno ni taka.
00:59
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
01:01
He turnszavrti off the enginesmotorji.
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Ugasne motorje.
01:04
Now imaginezamislite beingbiti in a planeletalo with no soundzvok.
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Predstavljajte si, da ste v letalu v popolni tišini.
01:07
And then he sayspravi threetri wordsbesede --
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In potem izreče štiri besede --
01:09
the mostnajbolj unemotionalNeemotivan threetri wordsbesede I've ever heardslišal.
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štiri najbolj otopele besede, kar sem jih kdaj koli slišal.
01:12
He sayspravi, "BraceZaviti oklepaj for impactvpliv."
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Reče: "Pripravite se na trčenje."
01:16
I didn't have to talk to the flightlet attendantspremljevalec anymoreveč.
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Ni mi bilo več treba govoriti s stevardeso.
01:18
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
01:21
I could see in her eyesoči,
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Razbral sem v njenih očeh --
01:23
it was terrorteror. Life was over.
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bila je groza. Življenja je bilo konec.
01:26
Now I want to sharedeliti with you threetri things I learnednaučili about myselfjaz that day.
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Z vami želim deliti tri stvari, ki sem se jih tisti dan naučil o sebi.
01:31
I learnednaučili that it all changesspremembe in an instanttakoj.
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Naučil sem se, da se vse spremeni v trenutku.
01:34
We have this bucketvedro listseznam,
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Vsi imamo dolg spisek,
01:36
we have these things we want to do in life,
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imamo neke stvari, ki jih v življenju želimo uresničiti,
01:38
and I thought about all the people I wanted to reachdoseči out to that I didn't,
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in jaz sem pomislil na vse tiste ljudi, s katerimi sem želel stopiti v stik, a nisem,
01:41
all the fencesograje I wanted to mendpopraviti,
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na vse pregrade, ki sem jih želel odpraviti,
01:44
all the experiencesizkušnje I wanted to have and I never did.
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na vse izkušnje, ki sem jih želel imeti, a jih nisem nikoli imel.
01:47
As I thought about that laterpozneje on,
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Ko sem kasneje razmišljal o tem,
01:50
I cameprišel up with a sayinggovoriti,
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sem se domislil reka,
01:52
whichki is, "I collectzbiranje badslab winesvina."
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ki pravi: "Zbiram slaba vina."
01:55
Because if the winevino is readypripravljen and the personoseba is there, I'm openingodprtje it.
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Namreč, če je vino pripravljeno in je oseba prisotna, ga bom odprl.
01:58
I no longerdlje want to postponeodložiti anything in life.
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V življenju ne želim več z ničimer odlašati.
02:01
And that urgencynujnost, that purposenamen,
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In ta nuja, ta razlog
02:03
has really changedspremenjeno my life.
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je resnično spremenil moje življenje.
02:06
The seconddrugič thing I learnednaučili that day --
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Druga stvar, ki sem se je naučil tisti dan --
02:08
and this is as we clearjasno the GeorgeGeorge WashingtonWashington BridgeMost,
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potem ko smo preleteli most Georgea Washingtona,
02:11
whichki was by not a lot --
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kar je šlo za las --
02:14
I thought about, wowwow,
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Pomislil sem da, vau,
02:16
I really feel one realresnično regretŽal.
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v resnici obžalujem eno samo stvar.
02:18
I've livedživel a good life.
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Živel sem dobro življenje.
02:20
In my ownlastno humanityčloveštvo and mistakesnapake,
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Ker sem človek in delam napake,
02:22
I've triedposkušal to get better at everything I triedposkušal.
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sem poskušal postati boljši v vsem, česar sem se lotil.
02:24
But in my humanityčloveštvo,
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Ampak v svoji človečnosti
02:26
I alsotudi allowdovolite my egoego to get in.
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sem dovolil, da se vplete moj ego.
02:28
And I regrettedobžaloval the time I wastedzapravili
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Obžaloval sem čas, ki sem ga zapravil
02:31
on things that did not matterzadevo
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za stvari, ki niso bile pomembne,
02:33
with people that matterzadevo.
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z ljudmi, ki mi veliko pomemnijo.
02:35
And I thought about my relationshiprazmerje with my wifežena,
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Razmišljal sem o odnosu s svojo ženo,
02:38
with my friendsprijatelji, with people.
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s svojimi prijatelji, z ljudmi.
02:40
And after, as I reflectedodraža on that,
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In po razmisleku o tem
02:42
I decidedodločil to eliminateodpraviti negativenegativno energyenergija from my life.
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sem se odločil odstraniti negativno energijo iz svojega življenja.
02:45
It's not perfectpopolno, but it's a lot better.
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Ni popolno, a je veliko boljše.
02:47
I've not had a fightboj with my wifežena in two yearslet.
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Z ženo se nisva prepirala že dve leti.
02:49
It feelspočuti great.
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Občutek je super.
02:51
I no longerdlje try to be right;
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Ne trudim se več, da bi imel prav.
02:53
I chooseizberite to be happyvesel.
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Odločim se biti srečen.
02:56
The thirdtretjino thing I learnednaučili --
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Tretja stvar, ki sem se je naučil --
02:58
and this is as your mentalduševno clockura
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takrat ko notranja ura
03:00
startsse začne going, "15, 14, 13."
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začne odštevati "15, 14, 13, ..."
03:02
You can see the watervoda comingprihajajo.
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Lahko vidiš, kako se približuje voda.
03:04
I'm sayinggovoriti, "Please blowudarec up."
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Rečem si: "Prosim, eksplodiraj."
03:06
I don't want this thing to breakodmor in 20 pieceskosov
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Nočem, da ta stvar razpade na 20 kosov,
03:08
like you've seenvidel in those documentariesdokumentarni filmi.
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kot vidite v dokumentarcih.
03:11
And as we're comingprihajajo down,
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In ko smo se spuščali,
03:13
I had a sensesmisel of, wowwow,
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me je spreletel občutek, vau,
03:15
dyingumiranje is not scarystrašno.
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umiranje ni strašno.
03:18
It's almostskoraj like we'vesmo been preparingpriprava for it our wholeceloto livesživi.
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Skoraj tako je, kot da bi se nanj pripravljali že vse življenje.
03:21
But it was very sadžalostno.
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Bilo pa je zelo žalostno.
03:23
I didn't want to go; I love my life.
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Nisem si želel oditi; ljubim svoje življenje.
03:26
And that sadnessžalost
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In tista žalost
03:28
really framedokvirjem in one thought,
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se je strnila v eno misel,
03:30
whichki is, I only wishželim for one thing.
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namreč, želim si le ene stvari.
03:33
I only wishželim I could see my kidsotroci growrastejo up.
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Želim si le, da bi videl odraščati svoje otroke.
03:37
About a monthmesec laterpozneje, I was at a performanceizvedba by my daughterhči --
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Kakšen mesec kasneje sem bil na nastopu svoje hčere --
03:40
first-graderprvi grader, not much artisticumetniško talenttalent ...
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prvi razred, brez velikega talenta za umetnost ...
03:43
... yetše.
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... pa vendar.
03:45
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
03:47
And I'm bawlingbawling, I'm cryingjok,
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Jaz se zvijam, jaz jočem
03:49
like a little kidfant.
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kot majhen otrok.
03:52
And it madeizdelane all the sensesmisel in the worldsvet to me.
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In to je zame imelo popoln smisel.
03:55
I realizedrealiziran at that pointtočka,
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Takrat sem ugotovil,
03:57
by connectingpovezovanje those two dotspike,
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ko sem povezal ti dve dejstvi,
03:59
that the only thing that matterszadeve in my life
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da je edina resnično pomembna stvar v mojem življenju to,
04:01
is beingbiti a great dadOče.
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da sem dober očka.
04:03
AboveNad all, abovenad all,
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Predvsem, predvsem,
04:06
the only goalcilj I have in life
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edini cilj, ki ga imam v življenju,
04:08
is to be a good dadOče.
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je biti dober očka.
04:10
I was givendan the giftdarilo of a miraclečudež,
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Podarjen mi je bil čudež,
04:12
of not dyingumiranje that day.
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da tistega dne nisem umrl.
04:14
I was givendan anotherdrugo giftdarilo,
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Podarjeno mi je bilo še nekaj.
04:16
whichki was to be ablesposoben to see into the futureprihodnost
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Lahko sem pogledal v prihodnost
04:18
and come back
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in prišel nazaj
04:20
and livev živo differentlydrugače.
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ter zaživel drugače.
04:22
I challengeizziv you guys that are flyingletenje todaydanes,
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Izzivam tiste, ki danes letite,
04:25
imaginezamislite the sameenako thing happensse zgodi on your planeletalo --
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predstavljajte si, da se enaka stvar zgodi na vašem letalu --
04:28
and please don't --
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in upam, da se ne --
04:30
but imaginezamislite, and how would you changesprememba?
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ampak predstavljajte si. Kako bi se vi spremenili?
04:32
What would you get doneKončano that you're waitingčakanje to get doneKončano
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Kaj bi vi storili, česar še niste,
04:35
because you think you'llboš be here foreverza vedno?
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ker mislite, da boste večno tu?
04:37
How would you changesprememba your relationshipsodnose
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Kako bi vi spremenili svoje odnose
04:39
and the negativenegativno energyenergija in them?
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in negativno energijo v njih?
04:41
And more than anything, are you beingbiti the bestnajboljši parentstaršev you can?
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In najpomembnejše, ali ste najboljši starši, kot ste lahko?
04:44
Thank you.
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Hvala.
04:46
(ApplauseAplavz)
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(Aplavz)
Translated by Mateja Jenko
Reviewed by Evridika Cuder

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ric Elias - Entrepreneur
Ric Elias is the CEO of Red Ventures, a marketing services company that grew out of Elias' long experience in business.

Why you should listen

Born in Puerto Rico, Ric Elias came to the United States for college knowing little English, as he writes in his online bio . So what did he do? "I adjusted my schedule and took only classes that dealt with numbers my entire first year," he says. "I'd always been decent at math, and things like calculus and accounting were non-lingual. I was able to buy some time to improve my English skills." His facility with numbers has led to a wide-ranging career in business and finance.

Elias is the CEO and co-founder of Red Ventures, a firm that helps large service companies acquire new customers online. He began his career in General Electric Co.'s Aerospace Division, then worked at the marketing services company CUC International (later known as Cendant). Prior to founding Red Ventures, Ric served as president of Spark Network Services, a promotion and data company held by Cendant.

"I'm a frustrated athlete," says Elias. "To me, business is the Olympics for non-athletes. It comes down to loving competition; figuring out whom we should compete against and how to beat them."

More profile about the speaker
Ric Elias | Speaker | TED.com