Georgia Deserves Better: A Roadmap for Going Forward

Exclusive Interview

Gary Whitehill believes humans deserve better. In a world full of so-called thought-leaders steeped in conventional wisdom, Gary architects the practical roadmaps and collaborations necessary to eradicate barriers, leapfrog constraints, and break records to accelerate the future into right now. He has earned a reputation for being driven and relentless when it comes to solving complicated and complex challenges in both the public and private sector across more than 100 countries.

Gary knows that in order to create the reality which drives success, we need to look far beyond statistics, trends and “best practices.” His professional life is decorated with a series of groundbreaking successes that most people couldn’t achieve in ten lifetimes, and he’s only 34 years old: a two-time gold medalist in powerlifting, he pioneered Entrepreneur Week, which scaled to four continents in two years, and grew a company division from $1 million to $250 million in three years. Gary has contributed to multiple books and been featured in industry-leading publications, including Harvard Business Review, Globo, Inc Magazine, and The New York Times.

Last week, at the invitation of G4G/USAID, he came to participate in a Georgian Startup Grind event in Tbilisi. After the talk GEORGIA TODAY sat down with Gary to discuss his thoughts on Georgia.

You constantly emphasize the importance of culture in your talks. Why?

Culture properly defined encompasses the shared myths, themes and characteristics which bond families, communities and this beautiful nation. Culture can be intentionally manifested through seven ingredients which are then enhanced by supporting processes and knowledge.

Culture is more powerful than any law, belief system, knowledge or process. Changing culture can be difficult as culture is heavier than the heaviest rocks, more un-moveable than the largest mountain and more elusive than the study of quantum physics.

Today we live in a philosophically bankrupt world, and this is what provides Georgia a unique opportunity to develop a definitive lead, regionally and globally. Culture anchors identity, so much so that it can be intentionally infused instead of just an undefined output.

There are no laws, belief systems, wisdom or processes that can supersede culture. In today’s current paradox, humanity is being held hostage to a culture that operates like an algae bloom whereby everyone competes for dwindling resources not aware of the fact that the very things we do to save ourselves as individuals, are the very things which destroy us collectively. But the larger secret, whether it’s an individual, business or society, is that that which can kill us, also makes us stronger.

Therefore, the number one strategic risk to the development of this country is the extent to which Georgians severely undervalue the opportunity provided by leveraging their culture. This absolutely must change.

From what you’ve seen so far, what’s your take on Georgia’s existing innovation community?

At the SeedStars program sponsored by USAID, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of raw potential. This is a direct result of the dense and diverse culture across Georgia. But what the country lacks politically is the shared mission, vision, and values which encompass 21st Century leadership.

With that in mind, what is the way forward for Georgia?

Honestly, it all boils down to leadership. Without real leadership, things go downhill fast. Governments want power. What they do is kiss babies, shake hands, and pander half-truths. That’s what they do, and that is far from what leadership means in the 21st Century. This country is starving for a clear vision and mission. You just have Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Iranians, Turks, Russians, building hotels etc., being pandered as “progress,” money for the sake of money, instead of actual strategy and inclusive community development for Georgians. If someone does not stand up in this country to discover and design an innovation-based policy rooted in culture that informs a clear vision, this country is going to land on the wrong side of history. With just 3.5M humans in a world of 7.4B, the numbers are not on Georgia’s side, and that is the seriousness of the mission at hand.

What are the main traps facing economic development in Georgia?

Without leadership, Georgians will further suffocate in the quicksand that is a tourism-first strategy. A recent statement from the Minister of Finance, that “tourism is the best export” shows a dire lack of understanding of how to develop the country for the long-term. It’s pathetically ridiculous. What the next trick politicians like to enforce is the outdated conventional wisdom of exporting services. But once again, this is not a viable long-term strategy for economic development in the 21st Century. The country needs to architect its future around pillars of value creation instead of tourism and services, which are forms of exploitation. For instance, exporting the story, culture and rich learnings of the wine industry is a perfect example of a unique value Georgians can share with the world.

Today, the world associates the wine narrative with the French, while Georgia’s importance to the industry is virtually unheard of in most parts of the world. It’s these kinds of essential elements, history and culture, which must be infused and crystalized to form a strong and coherent foundation for prosperous long-term economic development.

What should Georgia’s vision be?

In the 21st Century, you only get one opportunity to make a first impression. These next 3-4 years are Georgia’s window of opportunity. There is no other country of this size in the world with such an important and valuable geopolitical position. Consequently, the vision for this country must become: “a socially conscious high-tech democracy standing as the beacon of hope for the 21st century Silk Road.” If the politicians cannot distill the philosophical narrative of the Georgian culture into a deeply conscious, simple vision, then there won’t be a country within 10 years. A coherent one sentence vision is the only way to rally the nation’s passionate tribe behind a distinct mission, values, and strategies that are relevant in the 21st Century. The best practices of the 20th century, the models and statistics being served up as ‘progress’ are outdated conventional wisdom; literally irrelevant in the 21st Century. This is a country with a very strong legacy, and as part of this vision we need to not only get rid of the 20% of the country that is occupied by Russia, but we need to end the Soviet occupation that still lingers in our minds.

So how do we get there?

We start by designing an easily understandable economic strategy: Georgia should focus on building five companies making $5 million in revenue over the next five years. The formula of 5-5-5. These companies should be focused within 2-3 industries familiar intuitively to Georgians based on the history of the nation. Logistics, wine and agriculture would be examples. Once again, being clear, simple, concise, and direct is imperative. Then, once the country has implemented 5-5-5, we bring in the the right strategic partners, the right investors, the right people who believe what we believe: elevating the right vision. This is where Georgia must start when designing how to move forward appropriately in the 21st Century. Remember, the vision informs the mission, and the mission informs the strategies. This is the only formula for supercharging Georgia to become the beacon of opportunity it deserves to be.

What are some of the underlying things that need to change for this 5-5-5 plan to work?

Georgia has a need, a hunger, and a thirst for action. Today the richness of its cultural heritage is once again a massive untapped opportunity. But to get there we need to address some of the dark horses from the past, specifically solving the ethnic conflicts with the Abkhazians and South Ossetians. Either this country stands up and comes together, or it will be stuck in perpetuity as a three-legged horse instead of a thoroughbred stallion. Without this crucial step of reconciliation, implementing 5-5-5 will never work. Nothing else matters at this point because there won’t be any layer of trust. Trust is ultimately what’s necessary for Georgians to stand up and come together, uniting towards a shared vision, mission and direction. For Georgia today, it is social capital which is exponentially more important than any form of monetary capital.

What do you mean by social vs. monetary capital?

Correctly designed, an influx of monetary capital is a direct byproduct of a strong, cohesive, and dense network of national social capital. The future of this country relies on the unification of these distinct cultures and histories from each region of the nation. Unfortunately, what we are seeing is just transactional relationships, money for the sake of money, being transacted to make rich people richer. What Georgians are craving is the vitality of social capital becoming the epicenter of development. This will set the trigger for new emerging forms of trust, community, and new areas of business which catapult this nation into becoming the Golden Apple of the 21st Century. Simple monetary transactions that aren’t designed with community development and Georgian culture in mind eventually achieve the opposite of their intention: they separate the culture and the humanity that this country is founded on. This is precisely the reason why we see such trends as the rise in xenophobia.

Any parting words?

This country needs to focus on community development and reconciliation instead of right or left. Always remember, service over ambition and integrity over expedience. This is something Georgians live every day in their hearts.

Mate Foldi