Nick Gray, The Underdog Wunderkind and Superconnector

Is loneliness the new smoking? A number of studies and polls have recently come out that indicate Americans of all ages, socioeconomic, and geographic locations are more isolated and alone that in any other time in recent history. Some postulate this has been spurred by people isolating themselves via increased screen time, alienating and divisive social media posts, remote working, and perhaps augmented by living in a post-Covid era.

Regardless of the causes, Nick Gray is wielding name tags and a harmonica, and rolling up his sleeves to remedy this new plague, which we’ll be discussing in this episode. But first who is Nick Gray? Well, he is a bit of an underdog wunderkind. Let me explain.

At age 14, Nick while in middle school, built websites and was making $70 per hour, which later on helped pay his tuition at Wake Forest University. After graduating, he helped build and grow the family business, which his father stared in their basement, Flight Display Systems. The company made avionics equipment for private jets and military aircraft. They sold the company and now Nick manages their family office, which we’ll also talk about.

Nick moved to New York and, based on his disdain for museums, but smitten on a date to The Met, built and launched a multi-million dollar, Inc. 5000 company, called Museum Hack. He also did a TEDx talk about it (which has been watched by more than 75,000 people), and then sold the company, as many of us do.

Along the way he also lived in India and produced a Bollywood music video.

He’s been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and New York Magazine. In addition to having been a featured speaker at TEDx, he’s also presented at The DO Lectures and The Skift Conference, among many others.

Needless to say, Nick is not your everyday entrepreneur, or person. His latest foray is that of author, and we’ll do a deep dive into his new book, The 2-Hour Cocktail Party, a step-by-step handbook that teaches you how to build relationships by hosting small gatherings.