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:墜機讓我學到的三件事

Filmed:
7,721,543 views

2009年一月,當機號 1549 飛機迫降紐約哈德遜河,Ric Elias 正坐在第一排。在墜機的當下,他的心中在想甚麼?在 TED,他第一次在公開場合說出他的故事。
- 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
Imagine想像 a big explosion爆炸
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想像一個大爆炸
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as you climb through通過 3,000 ftFT.
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當你在三千多呎的高空
00:21
Imagine想像 a plane平面 full充分 of smoke抽煙.
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想像機艙內佈滿黑煙
00:25
Imagine想像 an engine發動機 going clack嘮叨, clack嘮叨, clack嘮叨,
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想像引擎發出喀啦,喀啦,
00:27
clack嘮叨, clack嘮叨, clack嘮叨, clack嘮叨.
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喀啦,喀啦,喀啦的聲響
00:29
It sounds聲音 scary害怕.
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這聲響很可怕
00:31
Well I had a unique獨特 seat座位 that day. I was sitting坐在 in 1D.
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那天我的位置很特別,我坐在1D
00:34
I was the only one who could talk to the flight飛行 attendants服務員.
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我是唯一可以和空服員說話的人
00:37
So I looked看著 at them right away,
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於是我看著他們
00:39
and they said, "No problem問題. We probably大概 hit擊中 some birds鳥類."
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他們說“沒問題,我們應該只是撞上鳥了。”
00:42
The pilot飛行員 had already已經 turned轉身 the plane平面 around,
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機長已經把機頭轉向
00:44
and we weren't that far.
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我們離目的地很近
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You could see Manhattan曼哈頓.
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已經可以看到曼哈頓了
00:48
Two minutes分鐘 later後來,
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兩分鐘以後
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three things happened發生 at the same相同 time.
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三件事情同時發生
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The pilot飛行員 lines up the plane平面 with the Hudson哈德森 River.
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機長把飛機對齊哈德遜河
00:57
That's usually平時 not the route路線.
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一般的航道可不是這樣
00:59
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
01:01
He turns off the engines引擎.
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他關上引擎
01:04
Now imagine想像 being存在 in a plane平面 with no sound聲音.
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想像一台沒有聲音的飛機
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And then he says three words --
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然後他說了幾個字
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the most unemotional不露聲色 three words I've ever heard聽說.
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我聽過最不帶情緒的幾個字
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He says, "Brace支撐 for impact碰撞."
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他說“即將迫降,小心衝擊”
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I didn't have to talk to the flight飛行 attendant服務員 anymore.
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我不用再問空服員甚麼了
01:18
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
01:21
I could see in her eyes眼睛,
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我可以從她的眼神看到恐懼
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it was terror恐怖. Life was over.
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人生結束了
01:26
Now I want to share分享 with you three things I learned學到了 about myself that day.
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現在我想和你分享那天我所學到的三件事
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I learned學到了 that it all changes變化 in an instant瞬間.
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瞬間內一切改變了
01:34
We have this bucket list名單,
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我們的人生目標清單
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we have these things we want to do in life,
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那些我們想做的事
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and I thought about all the people I wanted to reach達到 out to that I didn't,
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所有那些我想連絡卻沒有連絡的人
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all the fences圍欄 I wanted to mend修補,
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那些我應該修補的圍牆,人際關係
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all the experiences經驗 I wanted to have and I never did.
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所有我想要經歷卻沒有經歷的事
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As I thought about that later後來 on,
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之後我回想那些事
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I came來了 up with a saying,
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我想到一個說法
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which哪一個 is, "I collect蒐集 bad wines葡萄酒."
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那就是“我收藏的酒都很差”
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Because if the wine紅酒 is ready準備 and the person is there, I'm opening開盤 it.
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因為如果酒已成熟,對象也有,我早就把酒打開了
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I no longer want to postpone推遲 anything in life.
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我不想再把任何事延後
02:01
And that urgency, that purpose目的,
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這種急迫的目的性
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has really changed my life.
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改變了我的生命
02:06
The second第二 thing I learned學到了 that day --
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我所學到的第二件事是
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and this is as we clear明確 the George喬治 Washington華盛頓 Bridge,
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正當我們通過喬治華盛頓大橋
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which哪一個 was by not a lot --
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那也沒過多久
02:14
I thought about, wow,
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我想,哇
02:16
I really feel one real真實 regret後悔.
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我只有一件真正後悔的事
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I've lived生活 a good life.
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雖然我犯了些錯
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In my own擁有 humanity人性 and mistakes錯誤,
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但我的生命其實不錯
02:22
I've tried試著 to get better at everything I tried試著.
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我試著把每件事做得更好
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But in my humanity人性,
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但因為人性
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I also allow允許 my ego自我 to get in.
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我難免有些自我中心
02:28
And I regretted後悔 the time I wasted浪費
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我後悔竟然花了許多時間
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on things that did not matter
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和生命中重要的人
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with people that matter.
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討論那些不重要的事
02:35
And I thought about my relationship關係 with my wife妻子,
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我想到我和妻子,和朋友
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with my friends朋友, with people.
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和人們的關係
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And after, as I reflected反射的 on that,
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之後,我回想這件事
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I decided決定 to eliminate消除 negative energy能源 from my life.
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我決定除掉我人生中的負面情緒
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It's not perfect完善, but it's a lot better.
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還沒完全做到,但好多了
02:47
I've not had a fight鬥爭 with my wife妻子 in two years年份.
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過去兩年我從未和妻子吵架
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It feels感覺 great.
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感覺很好
02:51
I no longer try to be right;
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我不再嘗試爭論對錯
02:53
I choose選擇 to be happy快樂.
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我選擇快樂
02:56
The third第三 thing I learned學到了 --
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我所學到的第三件事
02:58
and this is as your mental心理 clock時鐘
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當你腦中的時鐘開始倒數
03:00
starts啟動 going, "15, 14, 13."
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“15,14,13”
03:02
You can see the water coming未來.
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看到旁邊的水位開始上升
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I'm saying, "Please blow打擊 up."
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心想“拜託爆炸吧”
03:06
I don't want this thing to break打破 in 20 pieces
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我不想這個東西碎成20片
03:08
like you've seen看到 in those documentaries紀錄片.
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像紀錄片裡那樣
03:11
And as we're coming未來 down,
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當我們逐漸下沈
03:13
I had a sense of, wow,
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我突然感覺到,哇
03:15
dying垂死 is not scary害怕.
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死並不可怕
03:18
It's almost幾乎 like we've我們已經 been preparing準備 for it our whole整個 lives生活.
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就像是我們一直在為此做準備
03:21
But it was very sad傷心.
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但很令人悲傷
03:23
I didn't want to go; I love my life.
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我不想就這樣離開,我熱愛我的生命
03:26
And that sadness
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這個悲傷
03:28
really framed陷害 in one thought,
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的主要來源是
03:30
which哪一個 is, I only wish希望 for one thing.
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我只期待一件事
03:33
I only wish希望 I could see my kids孩子 grow增長 up.
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我希望我能夠看我的孩子長大
03:37
About a month later後來, I was at a performance性能 by my daughter女兒 --
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一個月以後,我參加女兒的表演 -
03:40
first-grader一年級, not much artistic藝術的 talent天賦 ...
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她一年級,沒甚麼藝術天份⋯⋯
03:43
... yet然而.
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⋯⋯就算如此
03:45
(Laughter笑聲)
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(笑聲)
03:47
And I'm bawling嚎啕大哭, I'm crying哭了,
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我淚流滿面
03:49
like a little kid孩子.
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像個孩子
03:52
And it made製作 all the sense in the world世界 to me.
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讓我的世界重新有了意義
03:55
I realized實現 at that point,
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當時我意識到
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by connecting those two dots,
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把這兩個事件連上
03:59
that the only thing that matters事項 in my life
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其實我生命中唯一重要的事
04:01
is being存在 a great dad.
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就是成為一個好父親
04:03
Above以上 all, above以上 all,
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比任何事情都重要
04:06
the only goal目標 I have in life
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我人生中唯一的目標
04:08
is to be a good dad.
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就是做個好父親
04:10
I was given特定 the gift禮品 of a miracle奇蹟,
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那天我經歷了一個神蹟
04:12
of not dying垂死 that day.
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我活下來了
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I was given特定 another另一個 gift禮品,
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同時我得到另一個啓示
04:16
which哪一個 was to be able能夠 to see into the future未來
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像是看見自己的未來
04:18
and come back
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再回來
04:20
and live生活 differently不同.
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改變自己的人生
04:22
I challenge挑戰 you guys that are flying飛行 today今天,
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我鼓勵今天要坐飛機的各位
04:25
imagine想像 the same相同 thing happens發生 on your plane平面 --
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想像若是一樣的事發生在你身上 -
04:28
and please don't --
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最好不要 -
04:30
but imagine想像, and how would you change更改?
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但想像,你會如何改變?
04:32
What would you get doneDONE that you're waiting等候 to get doneDONE
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有甚麼是你想做卻沒做的
04:35
because you think you'll你會 be here forever永遠?
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因為你覺得你會有其它機會做它?
04:37
How would you change更改 your relationships關係
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你會如何改變你的人際關係
04:39
and the negative energy能源 in them?
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不再如此負面?
04:41
And more than anything, are you being存在 the best最好 parent you can?
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最重要的是,你是否盡力成為一個好的父母?
04:44
Thank you.
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謝謝各位。
04:46
(Applause掌聲)
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(掌聲)
Translated by Coco Shen
Reviewed by Adrienne Lin

▲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