Issue 301, October 5, 2025
We’re not very different from one another,
not different at all in fact. We’re all just people with
the same needs, the same desires, the same feelings.
It’s a lie about us being different.
Harry Bernstein
Dear Members,
One of my favorite movie scenes is from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, when Gus, the father of the bride, explains that the groom’s last name “Miller” comes from the Greek word for apple. He then proudly shares that his own last name, Portokalos, means orange. His message? In the end, we’re all different — but we’re still fruit.
That scene always makes me smile, and it reminds me of what I love most about this group: our members and the many different backgrounds and stories we each bring to the table. I’m always inspired by the journeys that brought people to Jacksonville and the passion they’ve poured into building their businesses.
This past Wednesday, I was reminded just how special our club truly is. One of our long-time members, Arun Venkatesan of SGS Technologies, stopped by my office while visiting a nearby client.
Now, if anyone ever wanted to write the next Odd Couple series, they couldn’t ask for a better storyline: a sales guy from New Jersey and a quiet, highly intelligent guy from India. You might ask, What could these two possibly have in common? And my answer would be — more than you’d think.
We both work with our wives and started our businesses from scratch. We both left stable jobs to chase the dream of being our own boss. Arun lights up when he talks about his three daughters — just as I do when I talk about my two sons. We jumped into my truck and drove around, talking about ways to help each other’s businesses. At one point, I was laughing as if I was back in high school, hanging out with my best friend before a long weekend.
So, I’d like to encourage each and every one of you: take the time to get to know your fellow members. Reach out. Share your story. You never know what connections you’ll make — and you just might find, in the end, that we’re all just fruit.
Sincerely,
Ken Petsch
2025 President