Team spirit

Pat Croce has been described as the Dale Carnegie of the 21st century by Inc. magazine, but that title doesn't go far enough.

This celebrity entrepreneur could also be called the Guru of Get-Up-and-Go, Doctor Dynamism or Mr. Management. Think of him as Coach Croce, the man who can help you and your business get to the winner's circle. To put him in your corner, all you have to do is listen.

He wants to tell you everything he knows. And he knows a lot.

"I'm a very successful

entrepreneur, who does business in a uniquely customer- and employee-friendly way," says Croce. "Some of it is 'Sesame Street' simple, stuff your parents taught you, like saying please and thank you. It's part of building relationships. Everything depends on relationships.

"My approach combines common sense, street smarts and book sense. My son-in-law has an MBA, and I value what he has to say. But application is something else. What you learn in school has to be put to use before it's useful.