part0024

“Attack everything with the expectation of winning. Don’t make excuses. Believe you’re going to win every time. Play to that standard. Does that mean you’re always going to win? No. But do everything in your power to win.”

Cosmo’s extensive portfolio includes the three-time world champion Philadelphia Soul Arena Football League team (he co-owns the team with Ron Jaworski, former Philadelphia Eagles player and analyst for ESPN; Dick Vermeil, legendary coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the 2000 St. Louis Rams super bowl team, motivational speaker, and football analyst; and Marcus Colston and Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints Super Bowl winners); MKS&D Talent Management (a firm that has managed Tony Award and Grammy-nominated musicians and actors in film, television, and theater for more than thirty years); Steinberg Sports and Entertainment (in partnership with sports agent Leigh Steinberg; this business merges the worlds of sports, media, entertainment, branding, and cause-related marketing); Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment; Amtech Software (the leading worldwide provider of software and hardware for the packaging industry), and several other businesses. He also does business in health care, technology, and public relations.

His primary pursuit in business and in life is to improve efficiency and productivity. He is on the board of several institutions, including The Humpty Dumpty Institute, The Arena Football League (AFL), and St. John Vianney Church.

I am the son of two Italian immigrant families who came to the U.S. after World War II. We settled in northeast Philadelphia, a very humble inner-city neighborhood. I had a traditional 1950s–60s upbringing. My father was a carpenter, my mother a stay-at-home mom. My parents provided a loving and positive home. I was made to feel special. When you feel that you are special, it’s a crime not to give all you have.

I was the first person to go to college in my family. I attended Temple University, going to school nights and weekends all year round. I worked a full-time job during the day and a part-time job on weekends. Despite my commitments, I finished my degree in four years. In my sophomore year, at nineteen years old, I married my sweetheart, Janet. We have been together now for forty-three years.

I love working. I am driven by competing. Every job I’ve ever had there was an element of competition. I wanted to flip burgers faster than anyone else or make the chicken or whatever faster and better. I wasn’t always competing against other people, but I was always competing against myself. I sought my personal best every time.

I was blessed with mentors. For whatever reason, some older guys I worked with saw something in me that made them take me under their wing. You can get a DNA test that tells you what ethnicities you are. If you did a DNA test on my business acumen, every one of those mentors would show up. They are part of me and I carry them with me wherever I go.

My first business was an accounting firm. I did taxes and accounting for small businesses and individuals. April 1, 1981, on my twenty-sixth birthday, I started a company called Amtech Software, which is still in business thirty-seven years later.

As a teenager, I dreamed of playing professional football. I also wanted to be a doctor. Neither of those dreams came true. Forty-five years later, I gave the commencement speech at the Fox School of Business at Temple University. It is one of the best business schools in the country. The title was “I Went to Temple to be a Doctor and Play Football, and I did Neither.” My point: it’s okay to change your goals. As long as you’re fearless in your pursuit of those goals, you will be okay. I didn’t play football, but I ended up owning a professional football team, the Philadelphia Soul. I didn’t become a doctor, but I ended up owning three healthcare companies.

I no longer live in the old neighborhood, but I give homage to it. My high school recognized me in their Hall of Fame. Even though I never had an NFL career, I am in the City Hall All Stars Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. I have received recognition for doing what I was born to do—work, love, care, and compete with passion.

Here’s my last laugh: I had been in business about ten years when a recession hit in the early 90s. It was the first punch in the stomach since I had started my business. Sales of my product went flat. It was like someone turned off the spigot and I couldn’t sell my product anymore. I was thinking about selling the house that I lived in with my two babies and my wife. We looked for economical housing so we could afford to weather the storm. I didn’t let anyone on the outside see how scared I was, but it was very bad.

I am one who works through things, so I started thinking about products. How could I improve what I have and build a better product? I had this idea about a software solution for the packaging industry. Janet and I met with a marketing firm to pitch the product. I told them, “I’m excited about this product. I’ve done my research. I think it can transform our business.” After my pitch, they excused themselves and left the room. The came back about ten minutes later to let me know the meeting was over. They told me my ideas for this new system were pipe dreams. They didn’t want to waste their time working with me. They were sure I was going to fail. To put it politely, they threw us out of their office.

The idea I had was a software system called Imaginera. Over the years, it has become an overwhelming success to the point of being the market leader in its niche. All our success in the areas of sports, entertainment, healthcare, and technology, as well as our humanitarian efforts, were funded by this product. At the end of the day, every good thing I’ve done I’ve been able to do because of the success of the product that they laughed at.

Years later, I was going to that same office building to shoot a video for my football team. My assistant, Natalie, was with me. I pointed to their door and said, “That’s the firm.” I’m not the type to go back and say, “Look what I did.” I use rejection for motivation. It gave me a reason to succeed. It was my last laugh and I am still laughing.

I always knew I was different. By fifth grade, I thought that I was special, but by sixth grade, I knew that I was special. I saw the world with clarity. I recognized that opportunities are all around us, and they have the potential to affect our lives. Awareness of what was going on around me and clarity of vision allowed me to launch and develop an ever-growing portfolio of businesses.

Clarity is more than having 20/20 vision. It is being aware of oppor-tunities, resources, and limitations. It’s a deep understanding. When you have clarity, you can move forward confidently, expecting success.

Life doesn’t go in a straight line. With clarity, you can make adjustments along the way. I started as a pre-med major, I transitioned into speech, then I transferred to accounting. That’s okay. Once I was clear on my personal goals, I adjusted along the way.

Clarity applies to vitality, too. You need energy and vitality to perform. When you have clarity, you will know when your body needs a rest or you need to have a moment to meditate. You will know when you need to walk away from the table, change your diet, or resist that cocktail.

You will also be able to react to pain in your body and find a solution. I have had a few operations this past year on my eyes and knees. You can’t live your life to the fullest and get the job done if there are physical limitations. Take care of the things you need to take care of. It is all about clarity and awareness.

I’m a very sensitive person. I can come across as tough, I know, but I am really sensitive. I also seem extremely outgoing, but in reality, I am kind of shy.

In my early days, I was scared to death to make sales calls. The potential for rejection by strangers scared the living hell out of me. I had to push myself. I did a pretty good job of hiding it. Like they say, “Never let them see you sweat.” Now, give me a microphone and a stage and you can’t shut me up.

Over time, I have become fearless. That valor or fearlessness is in part because of my mentors. When I was a young man in my 20s, one of mentors told me, “You are young enough to go bankrupt three times and still be a billionaire.” I never had to go bankrupt and I am not a billionaire, but his words helped instill valor in me.

I have also had the safety net of my wife and my family. When you have a safety net, you don’t fear failure. You can always go home. When you don’t have a fear of falling back, when you are clear on what you want to achieve, you can move forward with confidence.

The foundation of my vehemence or passion is that I am super organized. It’s one of my biggest assets.

Like right now, I’m staring at three bins. Keep in mind I own several technology companies, so I have access to all sorts of tools to keep me organized. But I have these bins labeled today, tomorrow, and later. And, on the wall of my office, I have nine separate whiteboards. These tools help me compartmentalize. Each board reflects a different company and contains the small goals that have to be achieved. When they are achieved, they are erased.

A few years ago, one of my companies took a hit. I wrote down a list of seventeen things that I needed to do to fix it. I focused on them one by one. It took me about a year to get it done, but I did it. Those boards allow me to visually organize and, with clarity, take action. Those boards also help me compete against the things written on the board that I need to get done. I like to compete. My organizational system fuels my vehemence.

If you love what you do, that creates energy and vigor. In social media, young people call Sunday “Fun Day” and Wednesday “Hump Day”—like, oh boy! We are halfway through the week. My philosophy is this: Monday is Fun Day.

I enjoy my weekend with my family, but I can’t wait for Monday to come. Monday is my chance to compete. I’m not competing over the weekend when I’m dining with my wife. I’m not competing when I hold my grandchildren in my arms and I’m hugging and kissing them. I’m not competing with my children when we are together. Monday morning comes and it’s like, “Let me out!” And I can’t wait to go. Vigor comes from really loving what you do.

I am very direct and I know what is going on in all my businesses. I walk the floor. I’m always interacting with employees. I am hands-on and face-to-face. I communicate very clearly and very directly what my expectations are. I also discuss with my team strategies for getting things done.

To work for me, you have to be thick-skinned. I am not mean, but I am very direct with my people. Humor is a tool. If one of my sales people is wasting time staring at a screen, I will tell them, “Stop staring at the computer system. Pick up the phone and make a call. Talk to your customers.” I encourage my people to stay in the moment.

I know how to grow businesses. I‘ve proven that, but I have learned to enjoy the journey as much as the destination.

My attitude is you never have to lose, so attack everything with an expectation of winning. Don’t make excuses. Believe you’re going to win every time. Play to that standard. Does that mean you’re always going to win? No. But do everything in your power to win.

Recently, poet and singer Raegan Sealy debuted her poem “Champions” for an enthusiastic Philadelphia Soul crowd. The poem is a celebration of life and brings awareness to the champions around us—police officers, firefighters, teachers, and social service volunteers. One of the lines is, “There is a clock on this game—on time. / There is an end in sight, the finish line…”