Bringing Our Families Along

Bringing Our Families Along

Why we're building an EO year our families and SLPs want to be part of

Two years ago Tess and I drove to Denver for EO Alchemy. Eight hours out, eight hours back. We could have flown, but the drive turned out to be the best part. Sixteen hours in a car with no agenda, just time to have meaningful conversations without interruptions. Last year, we did the same on the way to Alchemy in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Alchemy mixes business learning with personal learning, offsite activities, and enough unstructured time that you're actually together while you're there. Tess has an entrepreneurial streak of her own, and she came home from that first one with real business takeaways and, more than that, inspired to grow her own entrepreneurial journey.

Alchemy is the event that brought Tess into EO. It went from being something I went off and did to something we looked forward to together.

Of all the directions we could have pointed this chapter for the year, none matters more to me than our own families and the legacy we build inside them.

The part we don't say out loud. It's not uncommon for a spouse, a partner, or a kid to quietly resent EO. Forum takes a morning. A learning event takes an evening. The annual retreat takes a few days to a week or more. Add it up across a year and the people at home can start to see EO as one more thing that pulls you away. That's a fair way to feel, and I don't think we do ourselves any favors pretending otherwise.

So this year I wanted to work on the other side of that. Instead of EO being the thing that takes us away from our families, I'd like it to be something they get real value out of too.

What Emma's building. A big thank you to Emma Garrison, who took over as our learning chair this year. When I brought her this idea, she ran with it. Behind the Curtain at Mammoth HQ. Opening Day at the ballpark. Those weren't member-only nights, and that was on purpose. Emma is doing the quiet work of making sure our calendar has room for families and SLPs, not just members.

EO Utah NextGen. I also want to recognize Sabrina Morales and her work with EO Utah NextGen. Sabrina took this on in April, and since then she's been with our teens week after week, organized company visits, and brought in Natalia Capote and other parents to help. She and Natalia have put in countless hours on something that can make a real difference for our kids.

For Tess and me, the appeal is simple. We want to give our kids a chance to learn entrepreneurial skills and then decide for themselves whether that's a path they want. Either way, the skills hold up in a regular career.

The program is aimed at kids between 14 and 19. They're learning marketing, sales, budgeting and how to run a project, and they're learning by doing rather than sitting through a lecture. Their first one is the Fall Family Event in October, which they're planning and running themselves, and they're picking things up from our members and our Strategic Alliance Partners along the way. The early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Shall We Eat. Thom Hall, our MyEO chair, has put together a dinner series he's calling Shall We Eat, and it makes a pretty good date night. We kicked it off at Sapa Sushi Bar in Salt Lake City. Cool EO members, good conversation, really good food. Thanks Thom for taking the time to build this one. Keep an eye on the events page for the next one, and if an SLP isn't part of your picture right now, come on your own or bring a friend.

Alchemy in Santa Fe. Which brings me back to where I started. EO Alchemy is in Santa Fe this November, and if some concentrated time together in a beautiful location sounds like something you and your SLP would enjoy, this is a good year to go. Reach out to Alyssa or to me for additional details on how to get registered.

So let me point at a few real things. The Fall Family Event at Boondocks in October being put on by our Next Gen teens is the easiest place to start, and it's built for the whole family. Reach out to Sabrina or Alyssa for the latest details. If you've got a teenager in that 14 to 19 range who hasn't heard about NextGen yet, my hope is you'll bring it up with them. Sabrina would love to hear from you. And if there's something your family would show up for that we aren't doing yet, I'd rather hear it from you than guess, so tell Emma or tell me.

For me, that's Tess and our kids. For you it might be a partner, your parents, a sibling, or a close friend. The point is the same. My hope is that the people closest to us come away from this year thinking EO was good for them too.

Rob Goeller
President, EO Utah

Expertise you can use

Meet the partners supporting EO Utah, see their specialties, and reach out when their experience can help your business.

Cooper Norman · Sandler Training · Business Sales Group · Andina Family Offices · Tenfold Advisors · Bank of America · Elevated Employee Group · USI Insurance Services

Meet the Strategic Partners

3 Scripts To Help You Set Boundaries Without Burning Bridges

Sep 2, 2026 · Rosanna Berardi · EO Western New York · about 5 minutes

You do not have to answer every message to lead well. Three practical scripts help you protect focused time while giving your team room to make decisions.

Read on the EO Blog

Stop Overhauling Your Business. Fix What is Getting in the Way

Aug 26, 2026 · Adi Klevit · EO Portland elumni · about 5 minutes

Before you launch another transformation project, look at the work your team keeps chasing. Adi Klevit shows how a clearer handoff or an earlier decision can free up time without adding another system.

Read on the EO Blog

Welcome Gregory Bellmyer of Next Gen Builders. Greg brings a hospitality mindset to custom construction across Summit and Wasatch counties. His path started in Manhattan restaurants and executive dining, then took him to Utah and into the trades. Today he leads a team of four with a focus on clear communication and trust.

Bruce Rowe introduced him to EO, and the Jesse Itzler event and a conversation with Richard Wood helped convince him to join. Away from work, Greg enjoys cooking, camping, and fishing with his family. Say hello when you see him at an event.

Make time for what comes next

All times Mountain Time.

Featured Event

Unlock Your Power of Influence

Sep 24 · 8:00 AM–12:30 PM · Cottonwood Country Club, Holladay

Members and key executives · WAITLIST

Work on how you frame a proposal, structure choices, and earn buy-in with London Business School professor Dr. Niro Sivanathan. The session is full; join the waitlist if you want a place when one opens.

Join the waitlist

How to Build a Customer Experience That Sells for You

Oct 15 · 10:00 AM–3:30 PM · Location TBD

Members, SLPs and key executives · Limit 50

Bring your business into a working session with George Bryant. Map your customer journey, identify the touchpoints that need attention, and leave with a prioritized plan your team can use.

Register

Stop Funding Marketing. Start Running It

Oct 29 · 1:00 PM–3:00 PM · Location TBD

Members, SLPs and key executives · Limit 50

Open your laptop and build with Scott Empringham. Work on a marketing strategy, create content, and map a weekly distribution system for your business in the room.

Register