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 coses que vaig aprendre mentre el meu avió s'estavellava

Filmed:
7,721,543 views

Ric Elias tenia un seient a primera fila en el vol 1549, l'avió que va fer un aterratge forçós al riu Hudson a Nova York el gener de 2009. Què va passar per la seva ment mentre el sinistrat avió queia? A TED, ens explica per primera vegada en públic la seva història.
- 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
ImagineImaginar a biggran explosionexplosió
0
0
3000
Imagineu una gran explosió
00:18
as you climbescalar througha través 3,000 ftpeus.
1
3000
3000
quan puges 900 metres.
00:21
ImagineImaginar a planeavió fullple of smokefum.
2
6000
4000
Imagineu un avió ple de fum.
00:25
ImagineImaginar an enginemotor going clackClack, clackClack, clackClack,
3
10000
2000
Imagineu un motor fent clac, clac, clac,
00:27
clackClack, clackClack, clackClack, clackClack.
4
12000
2000
clac, clac, clac, clac.
00:29
It soundssons scaryasustadizo.
5
14000
2000
Sona aterridor.
00:31
Well I had a uniqueúnic seatseient that day. I was sittingassegut in 1D.
6
16000
3000
Bé, jo tenia un seient únic aquest dia. Estava assegut al 1D.
00:34
I was the only one who could talk to the flightvol attendantsassistents.
7
19000
3000
Era l'únic que podia parlar amb els auxiliars de vol.
00:37
So I lookedmirava at them right away,
8
22000
2000
Així que de seguida els vaig mirar,
00:39
and they said, "No problemproblema. We probablyProbablement hitcolpejar some birdsocells."
9
24000
3000
i van dir: "No hi ha problema. Probablement hem colpejat algunes aus".
00:42
The pilotpilot had alreadyja turnedconvertit the planeavió around,
10
27000
2000
El pilot ja havia virat l'avió,
00:44
and we weren'tno ho eren that farlluny.
11
29000
2000
i no estàvem tan lluny.
00:46
You could see ManhattanManhattan.
12
31000
2000
Es podia veure Manhattan.
00:48
Two minutesminuts latermés tard,
13
33000
2000
Dos minuts després,
00:50
threetres things happenedsucceït at the samemateix time.
14
35000
3000
3 coses van succeir alhora.
00:53
The pilotpilot lineslínies up the planeavió with the HudsonHudson RiverRiu.
15
38000
4000
El pilot va alinear l'avió amb el riu Hudson.
00:57
That's usuallygeneralment not the routeruta.
16
42000
2000
Generalment aquesta no és la ruta.
00:59
(LaughterRiure)
17
44000
2000
(Riures)
01:01
He turnsgirs off the enginesmotors.
18
46000
3000
Va apagar els motors.
01:04
Now imagineimaginar beingser in a planeavió with no soundso.
19
49000
3000
Imagineu estar en un avió i sense sorolls.
01:07
And then he saysdiu threetres wordsparaules --
20
52000
2000
I després va dir 3 paraules...
01:09
the mostla majoria unemotionalsense emocions threetres wordsparaules I've ever heardescoltat.
21
54000
3000
les 3 paraules més desapassionades que hagi escoltat.
01:12
He saysdiu, "BraceAparell ortopèdic for impactimpacte."
22
57000
3000
Va dir, "Preparin-se per a l'impacte".
01:16
I didn't have to talk to the flightvol attendantoperador anymoremés.
23
61000
2000
No vaig haver de parlar més amb l'auxiliar de vol.
01:18
(LaughterRiure)
24
63000
3000
(Riures)
01:21
I could see in her eyesulls,
25
66000
2000
Vaig poder veure-ho en els seus ulls,
01:23
it was terrorterror. Life was over.
26
68000
3000
era terror. La vida s'acabava.
01:26
Now I want to shareCompartir with you threetres things I learnedaprès about myselfjo mateix that day.
27
71000
3000
Vull compartir amb vostès 3 coses que vaig aprendre sobre mi mateix aquest dia.
01:31
I learnedaprès that it all changescanvis in an instantinstantani.
28
76000
3000
Vaig aprendre que tot canvia en un instant.
01:34
We have this bucketcub listllista,
29
79000
2000
Tenim aquesta llista de coses per fer abans de morir,
01:36
we have these things we want to do in life,
30
81000
2000
aquestes coses que volem fer en vida,
01:38
and I thought about all the people I wanted to reacharribar out to that I didn't,
31
83000
3000
i vaig pensar en tota la gent a què volia arribar i no ho vaig fer,
01:41
all the fencestanques I wanted to mendreparar,
32
86000
3000
totes les tanques que volia reparar,
01:44
all the experiencesexperiències I wanted to have and I never did.
33
89000
3000
totes les experiències que he volgut tenir i mai vaig tenir.
01:47
As I thought about that latermés tard on,
34
92000
3000
Mentre pensava en això més endavant,
01:50
I cameva venir up with a sayingdient,
35
95000
2000
em va venir una frase,
01:52
whichquin is, "I collectrecollir baddolent winesvins."
36
97000
3000
que és, "Col·lecciono vins dolents".
01:55
Because if the winevi is readyllest and the personpersona is there, I'm openingobertura it.
37
100000
3000
Perquè si el vi està llest i la persona hi és, l'estic obrint.
01:58
I no longermés llarg want to postponeajornar anything in life.
38
103000
3000
Ja no vull ajornar res a la vida.
02:01
And that urgencyurgència, that purposepropòsit,
39
106000
2000
I aquesta urgència, aquest propòsit,
02:03
has really changedha canviat my life.
40
108000
3000
realment ha canviat la meva vida.
02:06
The secondsegon thing I learnedaprès that day --
41
111000
2000
La segona cosa que vaig aprendre aquell dia...
02:08
and this is as we clearclar the GeorgeGeorge WashingtonWashington BridgePont,
42
113000
3000
i això és mentre evitàvem el pont George Washington,
02:11
whichquin was by not a lot --
43
116000
3000
que no va ser per molt...
02:14
I thought about, wowwow,
44
119000
2000
Vaig pensar sobre, uau,
02:16
I really feel one realreal regretlamentar.
45
121000
2000
realment sento un gran pesar.
02:18
I've livedvivia a good life.
46
123000
2000
He viscut una bona vida.
02:20
In my ownpropi humanityhumanitat and mistakeserrades,
47
125000
2000
Amb la meva pròpia condició humana i errors,
02:22
I've triedintentat to get better at everything I triedintentat.
48
127000
2000
he tractat de millorar en tot el que havia intentat.
02:24
But in my humanityhumanitat,
49
129000
2000
Però en la meva condició humana,
02:26
I alsotambé allowpermetre'l my egoego to get in.
50
131000
2000
també vaig fer lloc al meu ego.
02:28
And I regrettedva lamentar the time I wastedmalgastat
51
133000
3000
I lamento el temps que vaig desaprofitar
02:31
on things that did not mattermatèria
52
136000
2000
en coses que no importaven
02:33
with people that mattermatèria.
53
138000
2000
amb gent que si importa.
02:35
And I thought about my relationshiprelació with my wifeesposa,
54
140000
3000
I vaig pensar en la meva relació amb la meva dona,
02:38
with my friendsamics, with people.
55
143000
2000
amb els meus amics, amb la gent.
02:40
And after, as I reflectedreflecteix on that,
56
145000
2000
I després, mentre meditava en això,
02:42
I decidedva decidir to eliminateeliminar negativenegatiu energyenergia from my life.
57
147000
3000
vaig decidir eliminar l'energia negativa de la meva vida.
02:45
It's not perfectperfecte, but it's a lot better.
58
150000
2000
No és perfecta, però és molt millor.
02:47
I've not had a fightlluitar with my wifeesposa in two yearsanys.
59
152000
2000
En 2 anys no he tingut una baralla amb la meva dona.
02:49
It feelsse sent great.
60
154000
2000
Et fa sentir de meravella.
02:51
I no longermés llarg try to be right;
61
156000
2000
Ja no tracto de tenir raó;
02:53
I choosetriar to be happyfeliç.
62
158000
3000
Trio ser feliç.
02:56
The thirdtercer thing I learnedaprès --
63
161000
2000
La tercera cosa que vaig aprendre,
02:58
and this is as your mentalmentals clockrellotge
64
163000
2000
i això és com que el teu rellotge mental
03:00
startscomença going, "15, 14, 13."
65
165000
2000
va descomptant, "15, 14, 13".
03:02
You can see the wateraigua comingarribant.
66
167000
2000
Veus l'aigua aproximar-se.
03:04
I'm sayingdient, "Please blowcop up."
67
169000
2000
Estic dient, "Si us plau vola".
03:06
I don't want this thing to breaktrencar in 20 piecespeces
68
171000
2000
No vull que això es trenqui en 20 peces
03:08
like you've seenvist in those documentariesdocumentals.
69
173000
3000
com es veu en aquests documentals.
03:11
And as we're comingarribant down,
70
176000
2000
I mentre baixàvem,
03:13
I had a sensesentit of, wowwow,
71
178000
2000
vaig tenir la sensació, guau,
03:15
dyingmorint is not scaryasustadizo.
72
180000
3000
morir no fa por.
03:18
It's almostgairebé like we'vetenim been preparingpreparació for it our wholetot livesvides.
73
183000
3000
És gairebé com que si ens preparessim per a això tota la nostra vida.
03:21
But it was very sadtrist.
74
186000
2000
Però va ser molt trist.
03:23
I didn't want to go; I love my life.
75
188000
3000
No me'n volia anar; estimo la meva vida.
03:26
And that sadnesstristesa
76
191000
2000
I aquesta tristesa
03:28
really framedemmarcat in one thought,
77
193000
2000
es va emmarcar en un únic pensament,
03:30
whichquin is, I only wishdesitjar for one thing.
78
195000
3000
que és, només desitjo una cosa.
03:33
I only wishdesitjar I could see my kidsnens growcréixer up.
79
198000
4000
Tant de bo pogués veure els meus fills créixer.
03:37
About a monthmes latermés tard, I was at a performancerendiment by my daughterfilla --
80
202000
3000
Un mes més tard, estava en una actuació de la meva filla
03:40
first-graderestudiant de primer grau, not much artisticartístic talenttalent ...
81
205000
3000
primer grau, no gaire talent artístic ...
03:43
... yetencara.
82
208000
2000
...encara.
03:45
(LaughterRiure)
83
210000
2000
(Riures)
03:47
And I'm bawlingbramant, I'm cryingplorant,
84
212000
2000
I estic cridant, plorant,
03:49
like a little kidnoi.
85
214000
3000
com un nen petit.
03:52
And it madefet all the sensesentit in the worldmón to me.
86
217000
3000
I per a mi, aquesta era tota la raó de ser del món.
03:55
I realizedadonar-se'n at that pointpunt,
87
220000
2000
En aquest punt vaig comprendre,
03:57
by connectingconnectant those two dotspunts,
88
222000
2000
en connectar aquests dos punts,
03:59
that the only thing that mattersimporta in my life
89
224000
2000
que l'únic que importa en la meva vida
04:01
is beingser a great dadpare.
90
226000
2000
és ser un bon pare.
04:03
AbovePer sobre de all, abovea dalt all,
91
228000
3000
Però sobretot,
04:06
the only goalobjectiu I have in life
92
231000
2000
l'única meta que tinc a la vida
04:08
is to be a good dadpare.
93
233000
2000
és ser un bon pare.
04:10
I was givendonat the giftregal of a miraclemiracle,
94
235000
2000
Se'm va concedir un miracle,
04:12
of not dyingmorint that day.
95
237000
2000
de no morir aquell dia.
04:14
I was givendonat anotherun altre giftregal,
96
239000
2000
I se'm va concedir un altre regal,
04:16
whichquin was to be ablecapaç to see into the futurefutur
97
241000
2000
que va ser la possibilitat de mirar el futur
04:18
and come back
98
243000
2000
i tornar
04:20
and liveen directe differentlyde manera diferent.
99
245000
2000
i viure d'una altra forma.
04:22
I challengedesafiament you guys that are flyingvolant todayavui,
100
247000
3000
A vostès que estan volant avui, els desafio a
04:25
imagineimaginar the samemateix thing happenspassa on your planeavió --
101
250000
3000
que imaginin que el mateix els passa en el seu avió,
04:28
and please don't --
102
253000
2000
i per favor que no sigui així,
04:30
but imagineimaginar, and how would you changecanviar?
103
255000
2000
però imaginin, com canviarien?
04:32
What would you get donefet that you're waitingesperant to get donefet
104
257000
3000
Què és el que farien, que encara esperen fer
04:35
because you think you'llho faràs be here foreverper sempre?
105
260000
2000
perquè pensen que viuràn per sempre?
04:37
How would you changecanviar your relationshipsrelacions
106
262000
2000
Com canviarien les seves relacions
04:39
and the negativenegatiu energyenergia in them?
107
264000
2000
i l'energia negativa en elles?
04:41
And more than anything, are you beingser the bestmillor parentpare you can?
108
266000
3000
I el més important, estan sent els millors pares que poden?
04:44
Thank you.
109
269000
2000
Gràcies.
04:46
(ApplauseAplaudiments)
110
271000
10000
(Aplaudiments)

▲Back to top

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