Dr. E. Gaylon McCollough, MD FACS will present "How looking your best breeds health and success" at EntreCon.

It’s said that you only get one chance to make a first impression. That’s especially true in business.

As an entrepreneur, you can have a great idea and a solid pitch, but what you might not consider before approaching that potential backer could be the thing that seals the deal: your appearance.

We know that entrepreneurs are the driving force of the local economy and job creation, two important measures we keep track of in the Studer Community Institute’s Pensacola Metro Dashboard.

But what does how you present yourself mean to your chances of successfully finding an investor or a bank loan?

At EntreCon, you can find out.

One of the speakers we’re pleased to announce is Dr. E. Gaylon McCollough, MD FACS. McCollough’s topic will be one everyone can benefit from: How looking your best breeds health and success.

From the abstract for the presentation:

Aristotle said, “A pleasing appearance is more important than any letter of introduction.”

His words are as valid today as when they were written. One’s appearance (countenance, weight, fitness, wardrobe, grooming, etc.)  is an investment in one’s self.  Psychologists have found that how well one presents oneself is indicative of how well one pays attention to the image, management and viability of the business or institution one owns… or represents. Health experts have shown that Individuals who do the things necessary to look their best tend to find better health… and enjoy longer work-spans.

The bottom line:

Image matters. A good first impression can be the key that opens doors of opportunity. A portal to success that could, otherwise, prove to be impassable.  

McCollough knows about both health and success.

He was an Academic All-American Center on Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s 1964 National Championship team and was drafted by the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.

While in college, McCollough received numerous academic and athletic awards. In addition to tye Academic All-America team, he was awarded All-SEC honors. McCullough ultimatle turned down a football career with the Dallas Cowboys and focused, instead, on becoming a doctor. While in medical school, however, football called again and on weekends, he played for the Atlanta Falcons development franchise and earned “All-Pro” Honors.

After medical school, he became an internationally renowned surgeon, teacher and author. He is listed in Best Doctor’s in America, America’s Top Plastic Surgeons, Who’s Who in Medicine and the National Academy of Medicine.

McCollough is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is certified by The American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABFPRS) and served as the Board’s president.

He has been president of virtually every professional organization in his specialty. He is also Clinical Professor of Surgery (Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) in the Department of Surgery at the University of South Alabama, School of Medicine.

In addition to being respected as a plastic surgeon, McCollough is also revered for his civic and charitable works.

McCollough serves as Chairman of the Baldwin County Republican Party and a Vice-Chair of the State of Alabama Republican Party. He serves on the Gulf Coast Healthcare Authority, Chairman of the Baldwin County Health Foundation and as a mentor to high school students enrolled in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy.

He is a member of the national faculty of the United Sports Academy and has been awarded the “Distinguished Service Award” and the “2015 Theodore Roosevelt Meritorious Achievement Award” by the USSA.

Dr. McCollough also received the All-American Football Foundation’s “Un-Sung Hero Award” and “Outstanding American” award and been named “Alabama’s Citizen of the Year” by the March of Dimes.

He served as president of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and is an inductee of the Senior Citizen’s Hall of Fame and the Southeast Alabama (Wiregrass) Hall of Fame. He is a founding board member of the State of Alabama’s Bryant-Jordan Student-Athlete Foundation.

McCollough is also the author of both medical and non-medical books.

He has written three textbooks relating to nasal and facial plastic surgery, and eight non-medical books that deal with mankind’s purpose in life on earth and the responsibilities of the human race.

His best-selling book, “The Long Shadow of Coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant,” represents the most accurate account of the life of his legendary coach and friend. His latest book, “Orwell’s America,” is a non-fiction work about challenges facing current day America and how to resolve them.

Dr. McCollough and his wife, Susan Nomberg McCollough have established and endowed, a one-of-a-kind initiative, The Susan and Gaylon McCollough Medical Scholars Forum, at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. The Forum prepares prospective physicians for their training and obligations they will face as a provider of and advocate for the health, safety, and welfare of the individuals they serve.

The McCollough’s have also recently endowed a Career Learning Center to assist the athletes at the University of Alabama prepare to enter the business and professional world.

The McCollough’s are founders and benefactors of a charitable foundation that provides facial plastic surgical training for young surgeons and services for individuals who need, but cannot afford, plastic and reconstructive surgery.

We look forward to seeing McCollough – and you – at EntreCon, Nov. 5-6, 2015 at the historic REX Theatre downtown. And make sure you look your best – you never know who you might meet.