Humility, Helping Hands, and the Long Road to “Making It”
As an alumni of Hult International Business School, I was invited to attend Hult Xploration Day in London. It is a new event series specifically for Hult alumni, focusing on learning, networking, and career development. The event took place on Saturday June 21st in London and was titled "Winning the Tech Race - From Vision to Velocity". The event featured speakers from various fields, including Hult alumni, founders, and investors.
TL;DR - JC Glancy Interview Wrap
Speaker: JC Glancy, founder of Unicorn, ZenBusiness, a new StartUp, ex-Facebook, relentless entrepreneur with a working-class Ohio background.
Why Become an Entrepreneur? Motivated by both opportunity and necessity, and especially inspired by his father’s resilience.
Success Mantras: Love what you build, obsess over customers, make a few users love you, be willing to “abuse” early customers (to learn), and step aside when the business needs someone better at the helm.
Current Focus: Using AI to automate business formation in complex markets (Europe, Africa), with a passion for helping people start businesses, especially those who have to.
Investing: Prefers seed-stage, founder-driven, quick decisions, avoids over-due diligence.
Hot Takes: Regulatory complexity is opportunity; AI can personalise and scale; ethical AI and mental health are under-discussed.
Audience Reaction: Glancy’s humility and heart resonated deeply. Founders and attendees were inspired, engaged, and eager to connect.
JC Glancy in conversation with Cristina Munteanu at Hult Xploration Day at Hult International Business School, London
Listening to JC Glancy talk about his journey — from coffee runs with his dad in Ohio to building the largest ‘business formation’ platform in the US — something stood out more than any metric or milestone. What stood out to me was his genuine humility and desire to help others. It’s a quality that’s often undervalued in startup land, where bravado and “hustle” can so often be mistaken for strength. However, as Glancy’s story shows, humility isn’t just a nice-to-have, it can be a superpower.
The Roots of Humility
Glancy’s entrepreneurial passion was formed by necessity, not just ambition. His father, after a life-changing injury, had to start a business to put food on the table. And Glancy explained how that experience wasn’t just formative, it was fundamental to whom he would become. It taught Glancy that entrepreneurship isn’t just about chasing big exits or unicorn valuations. Entrepreneurship is about sacrifices, resilience, and making a difference for people who need it most. That, for me, is where true humility is born. Glancy’s recognition that none of us gets here alone, and that success is always built on the support of others — family, mentors, customers, and even competitors — is an extremely important lesson for entrepreneurs.
Helping Others, Even as You Climb
One of the most refreshing things about Glancy’s approach is his willingness to step aside when the business needed a different kind of leadership. He handed over the CEO role at ZenBusiness to someone more experienced, not because he had to, but because it was the right thing for the company. That’s true humility in action, putting the mission above ego.
Humility isn’t just about stepping back, it’s about reaching out and asking for help. Glancy’s current mission — helping people start businesses in Europe and Africa — is more than scaling a new venture. It’s about using his experience, network, and resources to make entrepreneurship accessible to others. He’s not waiting until he’s “made it” in the traditional sense to give back. He’s doing it along the way.
This resonates deeply with me. Like Glancy, I grew up in a working-class family, watching a parent try to make ends meet, and that experience shaped my own drive to build something meaningful. But it also taught me that you don’t have to wait until you’re “successful” to help others. You can give a hand — whether it’s advice, an introduction, or just a listening ear — even as you’re working toward your own goals.
The Power of Giving First
In today’s startup world, there’s a lot of talk about taking, whether that’s market share, funding, or more attention than the next person. But the most resilient businesses, and the most fulfilled founders, are the ones who give first. They mentor, they share, and they build communities. Glancy’s story is a reminder that giving isn’t just good karma, it’s good business. Giving builds trust, loyalty, and a network that will support you when you need it most.
Practical Takeaways for Founders
Stay Humble: No one has all the answers. Be open to feedback, willing to pivot, and ready to admit when you’re wrong.
Help Others: Use your experience, network, and resources to lift others up, even if you’re still climbing the mountain yourself.
Put the Mission First: Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your business is to step aside and let someone else lead.
Give Before You Ask: Build relationships by offering value first. The returns you gain in trust, loyalty, and opportunity will far outweigh any investment.
Final Thought
You don’t have to be a billionaire to make a difference. You don’t have to have “made it” to help others either. As JC Glancy’s journey shows, the most meaningful success is the kind that lifts others up along the way. And that, more than any exit or valuation, is what leaves a lasting legacy and has people clamouring to work with you.
Keep climbing, but don’t forget to reach back and give a helping hand to the person behind you. In the end, that’s what people will remember most. Were you kind, were you helpful?