An Evening with Dan Gilbert at Wayne Law

Last night I attended an Evening with Dan Gilbert at Wayne Law. Gilbert, a graduate of Wayne Law ('87), participated in a question-and-answer session with Wayne Law Dean Jocelyn Benson. Gilbert discussed growing up in Detroit, from his days as a pizza delivery guy in Southfield (who relied on shortcuts and not GPS), to his days as chairman and founder of Quicken Loans. He also discussed moving Quicken and its family of companies to Detroit’s central business district in 2010. At the time, approximately 70 employees resided in Detroit. Now, over 3,100 employees reside in Detroit. Finally, Gilbert shared his business philosophy, including the importance of failure and various “ISMs in Action,” a book created each year by Quicken. My favorite ISM and the one stressed the most by Gilbert was awareness:

Keep your head up. Look. Be curious. Notice what is actually happening around you. Really notice. Listen. Listen to your clients. In fact, listen to everyone. Everything starts with awareness. Being alert. Being awake. Tuning in to the frequency. It’s a perpetual choice to both stay aware and raise your level of awareness.

Congratulations to Mr. Gilbert and Dean Benson for putting on such a great event. For additional ISMs, visit http://www.quickenloanscareers.com/about-us/culture/