How I Built This: From Sicily to Serial Entrepreneurship - The George Sortino Story

Update: 2025-11-20

Description

In this How I Built This episode of The Elevate Your Business Podcast, Adam sits down with George Sortino — a Sicilian-born, American-made entrepreneur who built hotels, restaurants, bowling alleys, sports books, barbershops, and entertainment centers across Northern Ohio.

From arriving in the U.S. at age seven, to buying his first hotel with no money down, to creating Sortino's legendary Italian restaurant experience, George embodies the spirit of old-school entrepreneurship fueled by humility, grit, and a relentless commitment to people.

This episode is packed with "cheat codes" for business owners — including money management rules, leadership principles, customer service philosophy, and timeless lessons George learned from his father that shaped his life and legacy.

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 – George's upbringing: from Sicily to Sandusky
03:00 – His father's resourcefulness and early lessons in resilience
05:00 – The entrepreneurial spark rooted in family heritage
07:00 – First jobs, making $1 a day, and learning trades young
10:00 – How a simple conversation led to buying his first hotel
12:00 – The origin story of Sortino's Restaurant
14:00 – Creating the iconic "pasta and wine at the table" experience
16:00 – Early startup challenges, long hours, and labor of love
18:00 – Building multiple businesses: hotels, restaurants, bowling, and more
20:00 – Why relationships became his greatest advantage
23:00 – Selling Sortino's and expanding into Kalahari Resorts locations
25:00 – Balancing business ownership and family life
27:00 – His biggest regrets and proudest family moments
29:00 – The toughest periods as an owner and how he got through them
32:00 – His philosophy: "Problems are opportunities"
34:00 – A powerful story about integrity when no one is watching
36:00 – Money management rules every entrepreneur should follow
40:00 – His favorite business books and success philosophies
42:00 – Looking back: did he exceed his expectations?
46:00 – Advice to aspiring entrepreneurs
49:00 – Advice for business owners feeling stuck or plateaued

Key Takeaways:

💡 Relationships are your real competitive advantage.
💡 Great service is doing the unexpected — especially when no one is watching.
💡 Cashflow discipline builds longevity; living below your means builds freedom.
💡 Problems aren't setbacks — they're pathways to profit.
💡 Work ethic matters, but humility and kindness matter more.
💡 Success doesn't happen by accident; it happens by design.

Key Quotes from George Sortino:

🗣 "Problems become opportunities — that's how you build a business."
🗣 "The eye of the owner fattens the horse."
🗣 "Better to live one day like a lion than a hundred years like a sheep."
🗣 "There's nothing more rewarding than relationships — that's what builds success."
🗣 "If you don't manage your money, you will never manage your business."