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 ting jeg lærte mens mit fly styrtede

Filmed:
7,721,543 views

Ric Elias havde et sæde på forreste række af Flight 1549, det fly som nødlandede i Hudson floden i New York i januar 2009. Hvad foregik der i hans hoved mens det dødsdømte fly gik ned? Hos TED fortæller han sin historie for første gang for offentligheden.
- 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
ImagineForestil dig a bigstor explosioneksplosion
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Forestil dig en stor eksplosion
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as you climbklatre throughigennem 3,000 ftft.
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mens du stiger over 3,000 fod.
00:21
ImagineForestil dig a planefly fullfuld of smokerøg.
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Forestil dig et fly fyldt med røg.
00:25
ImagineForestil dig an enginemotor going clackklak, clackklak, clackklak,
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Forestil dig en motor, der siger "clack, clack, clack",
00:27
clackklak, clackklak, clackklak, clackklak.
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"clack, clack, clack, clack"
00:29
It soundslyde scaryskræmmende.
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Det lyder skræmmende.
00:31
Well I had a uniqueenestående seatsæde that day. I was sittingsidder in 1D.
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Jeg havde et unikt sæde den dag. Jeg sad på 1D.
00:34
I was the only one who could talk to the flightflyvningen attendantsledsagere.
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Jeg var den eneste som kunne tale med flypersonalet.
00:37
So I lookedkigget at them right away,
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Så jeg kiggede på dem med det samme,
00:39
and they said, "No problemproblem. We probablysandsynligvis hithit some birdsfugle."
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og de sagde: "Ingen alarm. Vi har sikkert bare ramt et par fugle"
00:42
The pilotpilot had alreadyallerede turnedvendt the planefly around,
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Piloten havde allerede vendt flyet om,
00:44
and we weren'tvar ikke that farlangt.
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og vi var ikke nået særlig langt.
00:46
You could see ManhattanManhattan.
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Man kunne stadig se Manhattan.
00:48
Two minutesminutter latersenere,
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To minutter senere
00:50
threetre things happenedskete at the samesamme time.
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skete tre ting på én gang.
00:53
The pilotpilot lineslinjer up the planefly with the HudsonHudson RiverFloden.
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Piloten retter flyet mod Hudson floden.
00:57
That's usuallysom regel not the routerute.
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Og det er altså ikke den sædvanlige rute.
00:59
(LaughterLatter)
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(Latter)
01:01
He turnsdrejninger off the enginesmotorer.
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Han slukker for motorerne.
01:04
Now imagineforestille beingvære in a planefly with no soundlyd.
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Forestil dig et fly uden lyd.
01:07
And then he sayssiger threetre wordsord --
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Og så siger han tre ord --
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the mostmest unemotionalSkid threetre wordsord I've ever heardhørt.
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de mest følelsesforladte tre ord jeg nogensinde har hørt.
01:12
He sayssiger, "BraceTandbøjle for impactpåvirkning."
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"Forbered jer på nedslag" sagde han.
01:16
I didn't have to talk to the flightflyvningen attendantomstilling anymorelængere.
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Det var ikke nødvendigt at tale med personalet længere.
01:18
(LaughterLatter)
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(Latter)
01:21
I could see in her eyesøjne,
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Jeg kunne se det i hendes øjne,
01:23
it was terrorterror. Life was over.
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det var frygt. Livet var slut.
01:26
Now I want to sharedel with you threetre things I learnedlærte about myselfMig selv that day.
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Nu vil jeg dele de tre ting, jeg lærte den dag med jer.
01:31
I learnedlærte that it all changesændringer in an instantøjeblikkelig.
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Jeg lærte at alt kan ændre sig på et øjeblik.
01:34
We have this bucketspand listliste,
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Vi har den her ønskeliste,
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we have these things we want to do in life,
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alle disse ting vi vil nå at gøre i vores liv,
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and I thought about all the people I wanted to reach out to that I didn't,
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og jeg tænkte på alle de mennesker jeg ville nå ud til, men ikke gjorde,
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all the fenceshegn I wanted to mendMEND,
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alle de fejl jeg ville rette op på,
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all the experienceserfaringer I wanted to have and I never did.
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alle de oplevelser jeg ville have men aldrig fik.
01:47
As I thought about that latersenere on,
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Da jeg tænkte på det senere hen
01:50
I camekom up with a sayingordsprog,
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fandt jeg på et lille ordsprog,
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whichhvilken is, "I collectindsamle baddårlig winesvine."
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som lyder: "Jeg samler dårlige vine".
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Because if the winevin is readyparat and the personperson is there, I'm openingåbning it.
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For hvis vinen er klar og personen er der, så åbner jeg vinen.
01:58
I no longerlængere want to postponeudskyde anything in life.
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Jeg vil ikke længere udskyde noget i mit liv.
02:01
And that urgencyhaster, that purposeformål,
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Og den hast, det formål
02:03
has really changedændret my life.
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har virkelig ændret mit liv.
02:06
The secondanden thing I learnedlærte that day --
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Den anden ting jeg lærte den dag --
02:08
and this is as we clearklar the GeorgeGeorge WashingtonWashington BridgeBridge,
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og dette er, mens vi passerer George Washington Bridge,
02:11
whichhvilken was by not a lot --
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hvilket ikke er med nogen stor margin --
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I thought about, wowwow,
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Jeg tænkte på at, wow
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I really feel one realægte regretbeklager.
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der er alligevel én ting, jeg virkelig fortryder.
02:18
I've livedlevede a good life.
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Jeg har levet et godt liv.
02:20
In my ownegen humanitymenneskelighed and mistakesfejl,
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Gennem min egen menneskelighed og min fejl
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I've triedforsøgt to get better at everything I triedforsøgt.
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har jeg prøvet at blive bedre til alt jeg har prøvet.
02:24
But in my humanitymenneskelighed,
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Men i min menneskelighed
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I alsoogså allowgive lov til my egoego to get in.
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har jeg også ladet mit ego slippe ind.
02:28
And I regrettedfortrudt the time I wastedspildt
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Og jeg fortrød den tid jeg havde spildt
02:31
on things that did not matterstof
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på ting som ikke betød noget
02:33
with people that matterstof.
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med mennesker som betød noget.
02:35
And I thought about my relationshipforhold with my wifekone,
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Og jeg tænkte på mit forhold tll min kone,
02:38
with my friendsvenner, with people.
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med mine venner, med folk.
02:40
And after, as I reflectedafspejles on that,
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Og bagefter, mens jeg reflekterede over det,
02:42
I decidedbesluttede to eliminateeliminere negativenegativ energyenergi from my life.
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bestemte jeg mig for at eliminere negativ energi fra mit liv.
02:45
It's not perfectperfektionere, but it's a lot better.
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Det er ikke perfekt, men det er meget bedre.
02:47
I've not had a fightkæmpe with my wifekone in two yearsflere år.
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Jeg har ikke haft et skænderi med min kone i to år.
02:49
It feelsføles great.
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Det føles fantastisk.
02:51
I no longerlængere try to be right;
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Jeg prøver ikke længere på at få ret;
02:53
I choosevælge to be happylykkelig.
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jeg vælger at være lykkelig.
02:56
The thirdtredje thing I learnedlærte --
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Den tredje ting jeg lærte --
02:58
and this is as your mentalmental clockur
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og dette er mens ens mentale ur
03:00
startsstarter going, "15, 14, 13."
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begynder at tælle ned "15, 14, 13".
03:02
You can see the watervand comingkommer.
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Man kan se vandet nærme sig.
03:04
I'm sayingordsprog, "Please blowblæse up."
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Jeg siger "Spræng i luften, tak"
03:06
I don't want this thing to breakpause in 20 piecesstykker
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Jeg vil ikke have, at denne ting skal brække i 20 stykker
03:08
like you've seenset in those documentariesdokumentarfilm.
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som man ser i dokumentarerne.
03:11
And as we're comingkommer down,
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Og mens vi var på vej ned
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I had a sensefølelse of, wowwow,
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havde jeg en følelse af at, wow,
03:15
dyingdøende is not scaryskræmmende.
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det er ikke skræmmende at dø.
03:18
It's almostnæsten like we'vevi har been preparingforberede for it our wholehel livesliv.
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Det er næsten, som om vi har forberedt os på det hele livet.
03:21
But it was very sadtrist.
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Men det var meget trist.
03:23
I didn't want to go; I love my life.
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Jeg ville ikke have, at det var slut; jeg elskede mit liv.
03:26
And that sadnesssorg
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Og al den sorg
03:28
really framedindrammet in one thought,
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samlede sig virkelig i én tanke
03:30
whichhvilken is, I only wishønske for one thing.
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som er, at jeg ønsker mig kun én ting.
03:33
I only wishønske I could see my kidsbørn growdyrke up.
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Jeg ønsker kun, at kunne se mine børn vokse op.
03:37
About a monthmåned latersenere, I was at a performanceydeevne by my daughterdatter --
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Omkring en måned senere var jeg til en af min datters forestillinger --
03:40
first-graderførste-grader, not much artistickunstnerisk talenttalent ...
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første klasse, ikke meget kunstnerisk talent...
03:43
... yetendnu.
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... endnu.
03:45
(LaughterLatter)
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(Latter)
03:47
And I'm bawlingskråled, I'm cryinggråd,
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Og jeg bryder sammen, jeg græder
03:49
like a little kidbarn.
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som et lille barn.
03:52
And it madelavet all the sensefølelse in the worldverden to me.
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Og intet i verden gav mere mening end det for mig.
03:55
I realizedgik op for at that pointpunkt,
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På det tidspunkt gik det op for mig,
03:57
by connectingTilslutning those two dotsprikker,
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ved at forbinde de to punkter,
03:59
that the only thing that matterssager in my life
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at den eneste ting, der betyder noget i mit liv
04:01
is beingvære a great dadfar.
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er at være en fantastisk far.
04:03
AboveOvenfor all, aboveover all,
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Over alt andet, alt andet,
04:06
the only goalmål I have in life
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er det eneste mål, jeg har i livet
04:08
is to be a good dadfar.
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at være en god far.
04:10
I was givengivet the giftgave of a miraclemirakel,
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Jeg fik gaven i form af et mirakel,
04:12
of not dyingdøende that day.
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ved ikke at dø den dag.
04:14
I was givengivet anotheren anden giftgave,
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Jeg fik en anden gave,
04:16
whichhvilken was to be ablei stand to see into the futurefremtid
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som var at kunne se ind i fremtiden
04:18
and come back
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og komme tilbage
04:20
and livelevende differentlyforskelligt.
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og leve anderledes.
04:22
I challengeudfordring you guys that are flyingflyvende todayi dag,
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Jeg udfordrer alle jer, der flyver i dag,
04:25
imagineforestille the samesamme thing happenssker on your planefly --
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forestil jeg de samme ting sker på jeres fly --
04:28
and please don't --
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og så alligevel ikke --
04:30
but imagineforestille, and how would you changelave om?
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men forestil jer det, og hvad ville du ændre?
04:32
What would you get doneFærdig that you're waitingventer to get doneFærdig
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Hvad ville du få gjort, som du ellers venter med at få gjort
04:35
because you think you'llvil du be here foreverfor evigt?
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fordi du tror, du er her for evigt?
04:37
How would you changelave om your relationshipsrelationer
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Hvordan ville du ændre dine forhold
04:39
and the negativenegativ energyenergi in them?
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og den negative energi i dem?
04:41
And more than anything, are you beingvære the bestbedst parentforælder you can?
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Og mere end alt andet, er du den bedste forælder, du kan være?
04:44
Thank you.
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Mange tak.
04:46
(ApplauseBifald)
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(Klapsalver)
Translated by Jonas Tholstrup Christensen
Reviewed by Mikael Fuhr

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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