Ten Years In

Reflections on the first decade of building The Gathering Spot and what I’ve learned along the way

Today officially marks 10 years since we opened.

There really are no words to summarize 10 years, so I will be as brief as I can and simply say thank you.

Thank you for making TGS a reality. For helping move an idea to a movement. For making TGS one of the most consequential businesses in our community of this era.

So many people have been impacted by TGS. Real companies got started. Friends were made. Jobs were secured. We have been there to help celebrate important moments. We have welcomed top business and civic leaders of our time. We have also been there when our community needed space to navigate very difficult moments. Again, it is hard to fully summarize. I think it is fair to say, though, that TGS has made a difference.

If you have heard me talk about TGS before, you know that I see our work as part of a continuum of communities and places that have been central to driving progress. That is a humbling responsibility. This has been the only professional commitment of my life. It has always felt like our assignment during this season of our lives, and it is truly our duty to do our best to be good stewards of this opportunity.

Thank you to the members who believed before there was a track record. Those who hosted events with us when others encouraged you to give the opportunity to someone else. We have never taken that for granted.

Thank you to our teammates, past and present, who have worked alongside us to build this business. With you, we have expanded to four locations. So many people have been instrumental in making that possible. Thank you for calling TGS your professional home.

This is not everything, but here are the highlights.

Your vision is not random.

The thing that stays with you over time is usually the thing you are meant to build. Treat it with conviction. Do not dismiss it as accidental.

Your why matters more than your what.

What has sustained me for 10 years is a deep belief in our mission of connecting people. How you do that will change. Why you are doing it should not.

Know your model better than anyone else.

Be the world’s leading expert on what you do. Understand the economics, the experience, the tradeoffs, and the risks better than anyone in the room.

Nobody is that special.

Winning is less about being the smartest person and more about staying in the game. Perseverance compounds. Most people are not willing to endure what you are willing to endure to be successful.

Play the long game with relationships.

Some of the people who became investors or supporters started as friends. It was never transactional. Build real relationships and let time work.

Be yourself and don’t be transactional

We have met a lot of well known and powerful people doing this work. We have built real relationships with many of them because we show up as ourselves, not because we are trying to extract something.

Team is everything.

We have had many of the same people throughout this journey. That consistency is what makes growth possible. Cherish your people.

Build through no.

When someone says no, ask who they would recommend. Rejection can expand your network as much as yes if you are not afraid of it.

Raising capital is hard, but possible.

We have raised over 30 million dollars to build this company. It is difficult and humbling work. Raising capital is about vision and giving people confidence that you will do whatever is necessary to make the company successful.

How you recover is everything.

You will make mistakes. You will face setbacks. What defines you is not the disruption, but the response. Every time.

Be openly convicted.

Stand for something. Lead with clarity. If you are supported by a community, you have a responsibility to act with courage on their behalf.

Community is everything.

You will not always get it right. But if you love your community and serve them well, they will carry you to anywhere you could imagine. Nobody is self made. We are all community made.

Ten years ago we opened the doors with belief. Ten years later, that belief is deeper, clearer, and stronger.

I am grateful for the first decade. I am focused on the next.

I will be back here to chronicle the journey.

In Community,

Ryan