The Immigrant Edge: Building Success Through Resilience, Relationships, and Reinvention

Summary

The Amazing Authorities Podcast

Episode: The Immigrant Edge: Building Success Through Resilience, Relationships, and Reinvention
Host: Mitch Carson
Guest: Gorm Tuxen, Bestselling Author & Danish-American Entrepreneur
Date: May 5, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the inspiring journey of Gorm Tuxen, a Danish immigrant who has built enduring personal and professional success in the United States. Through his story—the subject of his bestselling book—Gorm shares key lessons in resilience, the power of relationships, and the spirit of reinvention. Listeners will discover how immigrant grit, adaptability, and mentorship not only shape entrepreneurial journeys but also empower others, leaving a legacy far more significant than financial gain.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Immigrant Advantage

• Statistics and Perceptions: Host Mitch Carson introduces the well-documented trend of first-generation immigrants outperforming natives in business and entrepreneurship. He points to Gorm’s story as a modern reflection of the American Dream ([00:31]).

• Unexpected Beginnings: Gorm’s journey began as an exchange student in Memphis, Tennessee, an experience that shaped his early perceptions of America and set his path toward permanent immigration ([02:26]).

  “Everybody thinks they know what America is… They think that's America. Well, America has a lot of things other than a tourist experience.” — Gorm Tuxen ([02:54])

2. Family, Trauma, and Bold Decisions

• Turning Point: A severe car accident at age 16 gave Gorm the urge for reinvention and the drive to move beyond his small Danish hometown ([03:55]).
• Intergenerational Connections: His family always had ties with America; his father was American-born and his grandfather had immigrated and returned during the Great Depression ([03:35]).

3. Building a Life with Shared Purpose

• Marriage and Partnership: Gorm attributes 41 years of marriage to mutual respect, shared dreams, and parallel individual growth, noting the importance of partnership both personally and professionally ([06:24]).

  “We found common interest and common purpose in the American dream. Not just for me as a provider, but for her as a participant.” — Gorm Tuxen ([07:18])

• Integration: Gorm shares how his wife, also Danish, adapted to the U.S., learned English, and built her own entrepreneurial career, emphasizing the immigrant experience as a journey of shared adaptation and opportunity ([09:09]).

4. Cultural Adaptation and the Power of Language

• Losing the Accent: Gorm discusses how his early immersion helped him adapt linguistically—an opportunity most immigrants after age 14 rarely have ([10:34]).

• Cultural Identity: At home, English dominates, but Gorm’s daughter is fluent in both Danish and English, maintaining family heritage and strong cross-Atlantic ties ([33:42]).

  “Being an immigrant doesn't mean that you deny your cultural heritage. It means that that will always be with you.” — Gorm Tuxen ([34:07])

5. Entrepreneurial Journey: From Employee to Owner

• Making the Leap: Gorm knew from the outset he wanted to own a business. He used his initial job at a Danish furniture company as a springboard, eventually partnering with mentors to open a store ([11:29]).

• Corporate Reflection: A successful stint in corporate America taught him he valued independence and impact over politics and hierarchy ([12:34]).

  “I couldn’t do the politics and everything associated with that... I think the biggest thing with being an entrepreneur is that you’re passionate and you want to be independent.” — Gorm Tuxen ([12:52])

6. Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

• Experience vs. Entrepreneurship Degrees: Gorm cautions against relying on formal education alone and stresses the value of practical experience and mentorship ([13:58]).

  “Entrepreneurship is not a degree. It's an I agree… It's mindset.” — Gorm Tuxen ([14:18])

• Mentorship: True growth hinges on being a great student before becoming a mentor. Gorm values employees who seek purpose and learning over just a paycheck ([16:13]).

• Continuous Learning: Success is a journey of ongoing education, not a destination reached by earning a diploma.

7. Gratification Through Mentoring

• Legacy over Money: Gorm finds the most satisfaction in mentoring others and making a difference, insisting that real success transcends financial gain ([16:24]).

  “There's no amount of money in the bank that can make you as happy as seeing what other people can do with what you taught them.” — Gorm Tuxen ([16:27])

8. Life Resets and Reinvention

• Major Pivots: Gorm describes moments of complete reinvention—including leaving corporate life post-9/11, focusing on technology and security innovations, and learning to see opportunities in changing industries ([17:42]).

9. Curiosity, Persistence, and Handling Rejection

• Technical Curiosity: Gorm’s technical pursuits flowed from a childhood spent building with Legos to leading engineering teams later in life ([18:47]).

• Dealing with “No”: For Gorm, a “no” is the beginning of collaboration, not a defeat. He employs questions and storytelling to find common ground and drive consensus ([20:45]).

  “When I hear a no, it's like, well, they're not seeing it from my vantage point... I'm going, okay, let me try to tell you a story… You may not come to the same vantage point, but you come to some point in the middle where at least a lot more is visible to everybody involved.” — Gorm Tuxen ([21:44])

10. Persuasion, Belief, and Building Trust

• Relationships over Pitches: Gorm argues that convincing others—whether investors or collaborators—relies on demonstrating character and taking risks yourself, not just pitching ideas ([27:44]).

  “You build relationships. And it's about character. And character dictates that if you don't believe in it, if you don't take a risk, then why should other people invest in it?” — Gorm Tuxen ([28:05])

11. Resilience and Forward Focus

• Learning from the Future, Not the Past: Gorm urges readers and listeners to let go of the past and focus on building a future based on lessons learned but not defined by old failures ([29:35]).

  “Forget the backpack. You learn nothing from the past. You learn something for, for the future. Informed by the past, the lessons that you learned apply differently.” — Gorm Tuxen ([31:10])

• Fear and Change: He warns against letting failure diminish risk-taking, emphasizing that true defeat is the loss of spirit or joy, not external challenges ([31:55]).

  “Nothing really kills you… What you need to be afraid of is what kills your spirit.” — Gorm Tuxen ([31:55])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We found common interest and common purpose in the American dream. Not just for me as a provider, but for her as a participant.” — Gorm Tuxen ([07:18])
• “Entrepreneurship is not a degree. It's an I agree… It's mindset.” — Gorm Tuxen ([14:18])
• “There’s no amount of money in the bank that can make you as happy as seeing what other people can do with what you taught them.” — Gorm Tuxen ([16:27])
• “When I hear a no, it's like… they're not seeing it from my vantage point… So for me, it's a combination of asking questions and illustrating, saying, you know, here's what I see. What do you think?” — Gorm Tuxen ([21:44])
• “Forget the backpack. You learn nothing from the past. You learn something for, for the future. Informed by the past, the lessons that you learned apply differently.” — Gorm Tuxen ([31:10])
• “Being an immigrant doesn't mean that you deny your cultural heritage. It means that that will always be with you.” — Gorm Tuxen ([34:07])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:31] — Introduction to the immigrant advantage; Gorm’s background.
• [02:26] — Exchange student years: first encounters with America.
• [06:41] — The secret to a 41-year marriage: shared values, respect, and individual purpose.
• [11:29] — Making the leap: employee to entrepreneur in the U.S.
• [13:58] — Entrepreneurship advice: real-world learning and mentorship over credentials.
• [16:24] — Mentorship as the ultimate reward.
• [17:42] — Life pivots post-9/11: finding opportunity amid uncertainty.
• [20:45] — Gorm’s approach to rejection, persuasion, and building consensus.
• [27:44] — How to build trust with investors: risks, relationships, and character.
• [29:35] — Lessons from failure and the importance of forward momentum.
• [34:07] — Cultural identity: preserving heritage while embracing the American experience.

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Final Takeaways

Gorm Tuxen’s story is more than a tale of immigrant achievement; it’s a blueprint for success built on resilience, lifelong learning, the power of mentorship, and unwavering commitment to one’s values. Whether in business, relationships, or personal evolution, Gorm demonstrates that continual reinvention and generous sharing of knowledge leave the most lasting mark. The “immigrant edge” is not just about hard work—it’s about curiosity, collaboration, and courage in the face of the unknown.

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Learn more about Gorm Tuxen’s book Immigrant Entrepreneurship in America: Insights from the Journey to Success, and join his entrepreneurship discussion group at tuxengroup.com.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Amazing Authorities podcast where game changers, visionaries and category leaders share how they built their brands, platforms and global influence. Your host is Mitch Carson, international speaker, media strategist and creator of the Instant Authority system. If you're ready to learn from those who've done it and want to become the go to expert in your space, you're in the right place.

[B]

There's a statistic, a big one, that immigrants that come to America turn out being more successful than the people that are native born. And today's guest, Gorm Tuckson, is no exception. The man came here, I would imagine in his 20s, is that about right? Yeah. And when you have that interest in adventure and have the willingness before you've got 17 children and all these responsibilities where you can take a risk to look after or look into your dream. And Gorm, welcome to the Amazing Authorities podcast because you've got a best selling book and you've got a, a great story and it's, it's the typical American dream story where you come to this promised land but you didn't come from poverty, you came from Denmark. I mean you, where's your axe, man?

[C]

It's in the closet. You know, I can't be walking around the streets with scares me.

[B]

Well, probably you could put your nor hat on and be a true Viking. You've got that in your blood.

[C]

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So, so, yeah.

[B]

Well, tell us what happened. I mean we, we had a little bit of pre chat before we hit the record button and you've got your book proudly displayed there, which is now a bestseller, number one bestseller. And it's about your intro, not just your story because those can get boring. People think, oh, it's a story. But you, you've also embraced the stories of helping other people in your book.

[C]

Yes, yes.

[B]

What's your favorite?

[C]

Pardon?

[B]

What's your favorite story

[C]

in the book or.

[B]

Yes, well, you could say in life. I mean you could talk about.

[C]

I think my favorite story goes back to when I was an exchange student because that's what started it all. Oh, okay. I mean, yeah. So I was an exchange student, 75, 76. And I was sent to Memphis, Tennessee of all places. Right. And you know, my parents encyclopedia, which is a little dated because I don't think Lindbergh had flown the Atlantic yet. So the information about Memphis was, you know, rather disturbing it when I read that. But, but I got sent to Memphis and I, I got thrown into something that, where I had absolutely no frame of reference. I had, I thought I knew what America was. Everybody thinks they know what America is, especially people that are not here. And, and, and it's like, well, I've been to New York, I've been to Florida, I've been to Los Angeles or something. And they think that's America. Well, America has a lot of things other than a tourist experience. So, you know, I got thrown in with a host family that had Germanship and no kids. And then I was going to high school. So I graduated high school in Memphis, Tennessee. I got some amazing friends out of that. And I just absolutely fell in love with America during that period. Period. You know, my dad was born in Asco, Minnesota. My Grandfather immigrated in 1928. Excellent timing. By 32, he was on the boat back, you know, you know, with, you know, paid for by his mother with $300 he had borrowed. And my dad was a few months old at the time, so though his. His twin brother later joined the US Military, so there was always this connection with the US and the family and, and that sort of. Sort of felt like at least the story and like you said, the excitement, right, that the, this, you know, I had to go test it out. We. We had just been through a severe traffic accident at the time, almost killed my whole family. And I was 16 years old. And it was one of those reset periods where I go, I just need to. I need to get out of here. I need to do something. Totally difference.

[B]

So were you from Copenhagen or. Or a smaller city?

[C]

Born in Copenhagen and raised in a. In a little town called u. Just about 60 kilometers west of Copenhagen. So small town, 3,000 people, you know, out in the country. So. So this whole thing about America, going to America back in the day, people thought I'd lost my mind, you know, of course, that was way before the Internet and anything else. Right. So they got written up in the local paper that I was going to America. So that became a very formative thing. I mean, at the end of that exchange relationship, I felt like I came back to the wrong place and didn't want to leave. And it sustained my friendships. And some of my friends came over and visited Denmark and finished my education in Denmark with a clear purpose that I wanted to come back permanently to the United States.

[B]

Well, your dad is technically American if he was born.

[C]

Yeah, he was married. Yes, yes, he was born there. Yeah.

[B]

Well, then you had a right to live in America anyway. I mean, by.

[C]

Yeah, he could file a petition for me. You know, my wife, who's also Danish, was a different deal, you know, because she came. I Knew that I was going to come here and stay. Right. Because I, this was just me. I felt like I could see where all the possibilities were and there were no, no lack of opportunity. And, and I was just all excited about it. So when we met, I told her I'm immigrating to America. And of course she thought I had lost my mind, but. But no, that it turned out that way. So she came over for a period of time before we got married. And then of course, the whole immigration thing, one thing led to another, but, you know, we've been married for 41 years now, so it turned out pretty good.

[B]

Okay, I gotta ask an off topic question because that in itself, I, I lasted 11 in my marriage.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

How did you survive? How have you put together 41 years of marriage? That in itself is commendable and I think you deserve a second badge, you know, gold star or something. 41 years. What kept that together because it's so common to be divorced.

[C]

Statistically, I think the, the fact that this was a shared journey. Okay. I mean, she knew nothing about America. Right. So in the early days, I was sort of having to be the one that showed around. But then she took it like, you know, fish to water. And, and today she's as American as any American. She's got her own business, you know, she runs a ladies fashion store here in town that she's been running for 25 years. And, and she's an entrepreneur in her own right. So we found common interest and common purpose in the American dream. Not just for me as a provider, but for her as a participant. And I think that's oftentimes where it goes wrong in marriages is that, you know, everybody's looking for the marriage to fulfill everything or. And it doesn't work out that way. Where what we've managed to do over the years is find parallel paths, if you will, but you know, with our own execution and with a great deal of respect for, you know, okay, this is what I do over here and that's what you do over there. And, and we can talk about it, but doesn't necessarily mean that we would do it the same way, so.

[B]

Well, you, you mentioned some words that are. Because this is a parallel to relationships, you know, some are romantic, in your case, married and as a family person. But you, you mentioned shared values, shared, shared dreams, essentially because she wanted to come to America with you and re the R word. Respect, Mutual respect. Without that, the foundation crumbles.

[C]

Yeah, it does. It does. Yeah. And you know, 41 years is a Long time. You know, you're bound to run into some, you know, struggles here and there, but it's all about how you get on the other side of them. Right? And. And so. And that is about mutual respect and looking into the future. And. And, you know, I guess we're both pretty. Pretty persistent people. You know, we're not, you know, not. We don't let go of things easy. You know, I mean, it's so, you know, we share that. Maybe that's a Viking thing. I don't know.

[B]

Well, it could be. Well, she's got Viking blood in her as well, right? If she's Danish, did she speak English or not?

[C]

School English, but not enough to get around at all. I mean, she. She pretty much had. Was thrown straight into it. And I had a job. I was, you know, started with this Danish furniture company, set up a subsidiary in the US for them after my graduate study, and she had no exposure. And. And so the first, you know, you know, few months she was here, she would drive around with me, and I was driving in seven states, so she would come along. She got to see the country, and then other times she would be staying back in Racine, and. And eventually she, you know, got to help out of the school in the art department and stuff like that and started building her own relationships. And that's what. Then. That's what really, you know, made it take off, is that she started like.

[B]

Well, see, that's a great immigrant story because you. Well, at least you spoke English because you had been an exchange student, so you had that advantage. Now, I would imagine you possibly. I don't know. How old were you when you came here originally?

[C]

17.

[B]

17, okay. So you were 17, and at that time, you had to. You might have had an accent a little bit.

[C]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And. And wasn't, you know, you know, at all aware of, you know, you know, the American grammar and.

[B]

And.

[C]

And there's a lot of. Everything was new and yeah, I had an accent. No question about it.

[B]

So not anymore. But you see, that's rare because if someone comes into it. This is the interesting aspect of foreign language. If you're a foreign speaker and it's not your native language, after the age of 14, it's very hard to lose that accent. I would not detect that you're Danish, other than your name. I mean, it's clearly not Irish, you know.

[C]

Yeah, that's true.

[B]

Not o'. Connell.

[C]

No, not.

[B]

Not George o'. Connell.

[C]

You know, maybe he's the same beer drinking habits, but.

[B]

Yeah, well, Something. But yeah, definitely sounds Viking, you know, or there. But so you've got this immigrant story and this entrepreneur journey that you've been on since. What age did you decide to give up being a clock puncher, so to speak? Yeah, yeah. To. Okay. Gorm is going to start his own enterprise.

[C]

It was my aspiration from the very beginning before I ever got here, you know. Okay. I had to find a life raft to get me over here. That was the. Sure, sure. So I had two bosses at this furniture company that eventually became partners in the furniture store. And, and you know, they left the company that I originally signed on with and started up another enterprise in the same business. And we had made a lot of people a lot of money and, and we thought they, they said, well, they were interested in, you know, maybe investing in furniture stores in the US And I said, well, so am I. And we threw together and, and they helped get us some product and, and we were, you know, basically, you know, putting in the sweat equity and, and running the store and doing all that. So it took like three or four years and I was basically from being an employee to being, you know, self employed with a couple partners. So, so it was always my ambition to do that.

[B]

And

[C]

then I had some years in corporate, which was a whole different deal, but had actually managed to make my way up in the, in the division of Dover Corporation. But I also learned that that wasn't me. It sort of validated why I wanted to be independent. I just didn't fit in that environment, you know, I mean, it's just I couldn't do the politics and, and everything associated with that. I mean, I could do the work for sure and we were very successful. But, but I didn't find the, the gratification in it, you know. So I think the biggest thing with being an entrepreneur is that you're passionate and you want to be independent. Right? You don't want to be told what to do. You're willing to take the risk, pay the price. You don't have anybody to blame for it other than yourself. And if you learn the lesson, that's great, you're one step further. And if you don't, shame on you, you know, because you're going to have to learn it again.

[B]

So, you know, so true. So true. And it's. What would you say to somebody that is 22, they've just graduated college? Would you urge them into entrepreneurship or should they cut their teeth on working for somebody for a bit to learn what not to do or what to do? I Mentioned both ends of the spectrum there.

[C]

Yeah. So, so, you know, I'm, I'm very big on mentoring, but if it'd be a good mentor, you have to be a good student, right? Correct. So what, what I say, what, what I, what I see a lot of young people do is they think they can go to college and then they could get a degree in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is not a degree. It's an I agree.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

You know, so that, I mean, you mindset. Yeah, it's mindset. So you're apt to go to university. That tells you the whole story about how you go raise money. The fact of the matter is nobody's going to invest in you unless you've got something that's worthwhile and you're going to have to prove it first. So quit with the ambitions about, you know, becoming the next Elon Musk overnight, you know, but look at it as a mission. What makes you happy now you have to pay the pipers. And what, what you're looking for are mentors that can help move you forward. Those are easily found if you just want to be a student. The problem is a lot of students, when they come out of, out of school, think they're done learning. They got a diploma. I mean, you know, I'm a trustee at Drew University here in our area, and I see it again and again. It's like, I got a diploma, I got to go out. How much money can I make? Well, I, I don't know. What difference are you going to make? I mean, what are you going to do? Are you going to pay it forward or are you more interested in. I give you a number. When we interview here and we have young people coming in, that's one of my sorting criteria is if we're just talking about the size of the paycheck, it'll be a short conversation. If we're talking about what you get excited about and what you could be passionate about and whether you think this is the environment for you, whether you could find that, then I'm glad to help teach you and every, everyone here will be glad, happy to invest in you even if you don't stay with us. It's okay. You know, and, and I think if you, if you want to understand that that's available. And two, commit yourself to finding that you're on a much better path to doing something because it's all about continual learning all the time.

[B]

So, so, well, it's, and you, and you mentioned that mentorship component. Is that gratifying to you or is

[C]

it, that's the biggest thing. I mean I tell you what, there's no amount of money in the bank that that can make you as happy as seeing what other people can do with what you taught them. That it's mindboggling. And, and, and that's again a lot of times we tend to value success just in monetary terms. Well, you're not in my, I don't see anybody being very successful with that if that's their measure. But did you make a difference? And you don't have to be told that you made a difference because you could see it yourself. And that is like, you know, a God given gift that you're turning over and making better for somebody. There is nothing more gratifying than being a mentor, no question about it.

[B]

Yeah. And seeing other people. You know, there's that. I think it took a pivot for me at around 40 where I wasn't so much about me as, as much how much of an imprint I can leave and start thinking legacy. And that's a little bit of ego, but it's also self validation of yeah, I did make a difference here. And it's more than a tombstone. Maybe I am able to affect other people than just an inscription on the tombstone.

[C]

And our time frame is about the same. I'd say my time frame was right there in the 40s. I was coming out of my corporate career. I was done with corporate. I wanted to seek out my independence again. Another one of these resets, you know, I took it, this was right after 9, 11. And I took the family, put them in a car. My daughter was 2 years old at the time and we drove down to Disney World. It was easy to get in because there was nobody there, you know. And I just again took one of these, okay, reset. I have no clue what I'm, I'm going to do other than I want to find you know, independence again. And, and then I, of course I thought well security has got to be where the action is going to be because obviously we didn't have enough of that. And, and that sort of led me to the next engagement. Getting into the whole technology, security, technology business and everything that I've been doing that being there, done there over the years.

[B]

What an interesting pivot. I mean from making furniture to cybersecurity.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

What do you have a technical background? Were you an engineering student?

[C]

I have a technical aptitude. I love putting things together. You know, when I was a kid Legos was my thing and I was always been a dreamer. So I would Sit in class. I couldn't figure out math because I couldn't see what the relevance was. It was just all a number of gymnastics. But had they told me I could figure out exactly how I could make two motors on a LEGO train go through a turn without breaking the rails, I would have really paid attention because I tried hard to figure that out, but I didn't have the tools to do it. So I've always had that thing about putting things together. Right. So.

[B]

Curiosity.

[C]

Curiosity. Exactly. So. So it was never really about the furniture. The furniture was. My dad was a master carpenter. It was a natural progression to start there. But. But in the, you know, back in the, in the 90s, when, when, you know, the computers and PCs and Microsoft and everything was brand new, I saw that as a real opportunity. There are not many experts around here. Anybody could be an expert if you can learn. And that's when I started applying myself. And then I was lucky enough to get a job with, with, with, you know, with Duncan Industries in the parking meter industry and, and become a technology leader because I managed to challenge people. I ran the engineering department for a while, and they said, well, you're not an engineer. I said, no, but that's, that's the good thing, because being an engineer is about making things. And normally the first answer I get is no. But if you can go out and find out what the customer wants, then. Then maybe you can make that, and then we're all better off. And I'm not saying you're not smart, but I'm just saying it may be better applied if we all get a paycheck out of it, you know, so.

[B]

Well, I got to ask a question because you brought up an interesting little piece, and that's why I love what I. I do, because nuggets get sprouted. What happens when somebody says no to Gorm Tuckson?

[C]

Oh, that's just the beginning of a process. It's almost expected. And you could ask my partners around here. They put up with it for 25 years, but. But no. You say no. I just. I. I just dog it. I. I just. I'm not gonna give up. Yeah. It doesn't mean I'm gonna run over you or tell you what to do.

[B]

Oh, I did a round. I did a round. Not smash.

[C]

Eventually I'll get there.

[B]

So that doesn't. Doesn't smash your spirit. You just figure out, okay, now do you try, or is there an attempt to convince people, or do you want to work with a proof? Because I think this is very important. Psychology is when you get a no, what is your attitude? Is it defiance to, to prove yourself, to make sure that people understand that you're right, or is it blind passion or something else?

[C]

You know, maybe more like blind passion and saying when I hear a no, it's like, well, they're not seeing it from my vantage point. So, you know, I try to. Before we start arguing about why, why no, because that doesn't go anywhere. I'm going, okay, well, let me, let me try to tell you a story. I mean, isn't this what we're trying to do? Isn't that I ask a lot of questions? I mean, it's because that's the best way. Because again, nobody's going to change unless they really want to change. And they're not going to find. You're not going to find common ground unless you look at it from the same perspective. I mean, it's so, so that's all about where you see it from and what you're seeing. So for me, it's a combination of asking questions and illustrating, saying, you know, here's what I see. What do you think? And, and then, you know, you may not come to the same vantage point, but you come to some point in the middle where at least a lot more is visible to everybody involved. And, and then once you get trying with them and it starts becoming a success, then they go, oh, I can trust it. I mean, my goodness, this is really worthwhile. And, and you know, I think we can use a lot more of that in society these days. You know, where, where go and exploring, mission together. You know, give up all your preconceived notions about stuff and explore it for what it is without having to have a certain outcome or opinion or whatever, but just explore it. I mean, isn't that what learning is all about?

[B]

So Will, and there's, there's that big P word called persuasion, all sorts of scientific breakdown. There's nlp, there's hypnosis. I mean, there's, there's straight bullying somebody to persuade them, to push them to see it the way you see it. I would imagine your demeanor, at least at this age of we're similar age, you figure a workaround. Now you, if you know something is true, how do you convince somebody to see it from your perspective? Now, I could go very extreme and this could create a lot of furrowed browse. If I were to say I'm a X type of religion and I don't even want to get into naming it, but if I have a religious View. Okay. If we went back 1200 years, there was belief in, you know, you coming from Denmark back then, it was inanimate objects. Today probably more evolved towards Christianity or some other term. But to get into an argument with somebody over religion. Yeah there, it isn't logic based. There isn't any logic to that. There's pure indoctrinated passion and, and emotion and it's very difficult to sway somebody within a religious argument. I would use that as an extreme. Would you agree?

[C]

Yeah, absolutely. But, but I tell you in, in that particular instance, for instance, I mean I grew up in a country where I was a, a Protestant by default because that's the only religion there was. Right. So right the minute I was born, I was, I got baptized in church and that was it. And the church, you know, did all the, all the identity papers and stuff. So I was, you know, I was probably Lutheran. Yeah, loser. Yeah, I was so, you know, from day one, just like that. That's how it worked back then. So we never really got a relationship with religion because that was just an expected, I mean, yeah, yeah, I'm a loser, you know, and then we'd be confirmed and you know, as 14 year olds and they say, yeah, yeah, that's great, we get some gifts and presents and it's a nice celebration and whatever. But in, when you meet and work with people, and I happen to be in that situation where with people that are very passionate about religion, that it's very much, you know, part of the identity here in the Midwest and you start learning what, what a gratif. What, what, what a, an uplifting thought that is and you can see how that helped people move on. It's inspiring. It's helped me, you know, find religion in my own way. I'm not a, you know, habitual churchgoer, but I do believe in, in my own place in the universe. And, and, and as with age, we all learn now we're not going to change the universe. It's, it's got its own way of going about things. So you learn humility, right. But you learn to accept it not as, as though you got browbeat into it or that you have to lay at the feet of something that's greater than you, but that you can accept the fact that, that you're not all seeing and all being well.

[B]

And I'm using religion because that seems to be the most divisive, talked about topic anywhere in the world. If you have a different perspective because it invalidates everything you've been indoctrinated with. If you make an argument for the other religion, let's say competing religion with competing values and competing textbook. Let's just call it a textbook. Well, it is of sorts. I'm not disrespecting any religion. Call it the Holy Bible, Holy Quran or what have you. And there's the Bhagavada. They're Taoist tomes of information, all of that, but they're, they're texts is what I'm saying. It's text based books. That's what I'm referring to. To. That would be an extreme. That's a difficult argument to get somebody, or convincing somebody, persuade them away from that into another religion. How do you. That would be an extreme. Now we're talking about investors. Let's, let's bring it a little more practical. So you want to get somebody to invest money with you. It's a mini shark tank. How do you present to get people to see your widget, your concept, so they open their, their wallet?

[C]

I tell you what, for me it's all about practice, okay? You don't convince anybody by writing a nice business plan or, or, or spending money doing research with a bunch of statistics. You build relationships. And it's about character. And character dictates that if you don't believe in it, if you don't take a risk, then why should other people invest in it? So what I've always done is taken the risk up front and I'm happy to. And at least if it goes down, then I'm the only one that goes down with the ship. And then it'll get to a certain point where people automatically go, you know, I want to work with you. I think we can do something together. And that makes the whole argument a lot easier than, you know, the other way around where you're out trying to pitch something. It's about exposure and about building relationships and common purpose. I mean, at the end of the day, business is not that complicated. We all try to do something that creates a greater economic value for all parties involved without, you know, getting killed in the process. But, but, but how you get there is about looking out for your partners, right? And any business venture has problems, you know, so you are going to be running into problems. Who would you rather have? Somebody you sold an idea that you can't live up to, or somebody who's been around you and have come to their own judgment about who you are and that we're both okay with it? Because every step of the way going forward, that's going to be Tested. And if those things are in harmony with each other, it's a lot easier to get out of a tough spot without killing each other than if it's the other way around because somebody's going to feel like they got cheated. So, you know, I guess that's, that's kind of my perspective on that deal.

[B]

And what will people take away reading your book?

[C]

Well, I hope what they'll take away is that, that, you know, life is full of challenges. And it's really a question of do you appreciate that? Do you understand that that's, that's just a matter of course, and that, that, that's just makes you stronger? If you look at it the right way, it's not the end of the world. I, I, I can tell you I've had times where I thought it was the end of the world and where you thought you'd hit the bottom, but then you bounced off of it one more time just to find out you weren't quite there yet. But I've always gotten back. I've always, you know, looked at you, you know, looked ahead. One of my ground rules is forget the backpack. You learn nothing from the past. You learn something for, for the future. Informed by the past, the lessons that you learned apply differently. But, but, but if what you take from the past is what you shouldn't do, then you are on a degrading scale because you're going to take less and less risk all the time because you're going to afraid to fail again. And we all know those poor people wind up going, if I'd only done this, and I tried this and that didn't work out well. Okay, then try again. I mean, it's like, what did you learn? It's, you know, it's, it's a progression every time you hit the wall, you know, you learn a new lesson. So I think it's a lot about persistence and a lot about perspective and, and if you were on with those two things and you make it a cognizant thing, and of course, the older you are and the more battles you've been in, the easier it is to see. Nothing really kills you. It doesn't kill you. What you need to be afraid of is what kills your spirit, what makes you not well, you know, that's what you need to be afraid of. If it's distinction, yeah, laborious or, or, you know, a grind, then change, for crying it out loud, it isn't worth it. What, are you going to get a early heart attack or. Yeah, find some other Way out of it. You can bring things to an end as well as circumstances can, but you just need to hold yourself responsible to your own happiness. And most of that happiness, I think, comes from doing something for other people and building something with all this, creating that joy and whatever comes from that.

[B]

Well, let's see your book. It's a little bit out of. It's in frame, but why don't you grab it? Let's see what we got. So it's the Immigrant Entrepreneurship in America. Gorm. What is the. What is the subtitle? I can't read it. At the bottom, just above your name,

[C]

it says, insights from the journey to success. Okay.

[B]

Well, clearly, I love the, the COVID design and the. The proverbial road and of course, the. The American flag out in the distance. And then we've got the. The bestseller badge, which you earned. And that's. It's available on Amazon, I would imagine, and other. Other locations.

[C]

Yeah, it's. It's pretty much available everywhere, but Amazon has it ready to go. And, and one of the things that we've done is, you know, you can learn more about what we do as a company at Tuxen Group.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Dot com. And there's a link there to a little discussion group that I'm trying to put together. You know, where. Where. You know it. I've had some folks already sign up, and, and I'm envisioning some discussion from different perspectives about entrepreneurships and, and, and looking forward to sharing and learning with others, so.

[B]

Well, that's great, Gorm. Thank you so much for your time today. You. You truly are an embodiment of the American journey and the American dream and 41 years of marriage, and you still speak about her fondly. That says. That speaks volumes, my friend. And.

[C]

Wow.

[B]

And do you speak English at home or Danish?

[C]

Mostly English these days, but, I mean, we taught our daughter to speak Danish, and so she speaks Danish pretty well. I mean, she was speaking fluent Danish by the time she was three. And of course, what that's done is that now when we go, because all of our families in Denmark, when we go, she can speak Danish with them and she can engage and move on in the family relation. And we find that's very important. I mean, being an immigrant doesn't mean that you deny your cultural heritage. It means that that will always be with you. That's always who you are. That's right. And why this. That's why this country is so wonderful. We're allowed to space, to be there because we are a conglomeration of people from all over the world, right?

[B]

Well that's America. Yeah, it is. It's an immigrant culture and so so truly. Well there will be your your American by technical anyway because your father was born there so you automatically get you get the E ticket to Disneyland, you know so well I just dated myself saying that that was the. That was the high end rides the E ticket Gorm. Thank you again so much for your time today. You're. You're an amazing authority. Great contribution. You come from the heart. Gave valuable insights and love to have you back again in the future.

[C]

Love to come back. Mitch. Thanks for having me. It's been an honor and it's been a lot of fun.

[A]

Thanks for tuning in to the Amazing Authorities podcast. If today's episode inspired you, take a moment to subscribe rate and leave a review you it helps more experts like you rise to the top for behind the scenes access and free resources to boost your authority. Head to mitchcarson. Com. Until next time, stay amazing.