Senior EVP and Head of Enterprise Strategy & Administration, Us Bancorp
Search every verified Adam Graves interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In a 2017 TEDxBeaconStreet interview, Adam Graves discussed his journey to developing a talk on entitlement and self-awareness. He described meeting John Warner at a cafe where he is a partner, and how his frustration in finding a suitable TED talk topic led him to explore his own sense of entitlement. Graves stated that his upbringing as an only child, along with his engagement with books, television, and movies, fostered an early interest in self-reflection and understanding his place in the world. Graves emphasized the importance of emotional intelligence and self-awareness, attributing his ability to explore these concepts to his personal experiences. He argued that engaging with people who hold differing views is essential for individual and societal growth, noting that it requires assertiveness to step outside one's comfort zone and share personal stories.
“It's a funny story actually — I met John Warner at a cafe around the corner called Ruffalo where I'm a partner along with Colleen, and one afternoon I decided to stop by and speak with an intern we had, and as it turns out that in turn gave a talk here last year and John happened to be sitting in the corner of the cafe...”
“I tried for weeks to come up with the ideal TED talk topic and I got frustrated because I couldn't find anything that I felt suited me and that I could speak truth about — I tapped into my own sense of entitlement in that way and that allowed me to make the connection between feelings I'd had in the past and what I was...”
“I feel like I have a very fortunate life in a number of ways... one thing I was gifted with was the opportunity to self-reflect — I grew up as an only child and I'd love to explore books, television, movies, video games; I began to see myself in those plots and I started to become more and more interested at a very you...”
“Self-awareness is due to emotional intelligence — it's completely relying on it in my opinion, and I've been fortunate to have an emotional and educational journey that has led me to this point where I'm able to explore emotional intelligence and appreciate it in others.”
2017 TEDxBeaconStreet Interview with Adam Graves. When we feel entitled to something, it changes how we see both ourselves ...
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