Very Short Interview No. 1

For my interview with an entrepreneur, I chose to talk to a close family friend.  He has started his own successful financial advising firm and managed it for over 15 years.  He is also one of the main people that is there daily making sure all of his clients receive top quality service.

Q & A with an experienced entrepreneur:

1. What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
• I think it means to not be afraid of going into the unknown.  Having the ability to not be afraid of starting something whether or not it will succeed.  It also means to take the initiative, to think for yourself, and to want to do something that is unique regardless of what others think.  That is what I think it means to be entrepreneur.
2. What do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?
• I wish I had been taught that it's okay to fail.  Throughout school, you're taught that if you don't get an A in class then you're doing bad.  Rather than that teaching style, they need to help the kids understand why they got it wrong and let them learn how to improve.  It just makes sense because it allows you to grow.
3. What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneurship course?
• I think you should learn the mindset of an entrepreneur.  It is one that allows you to be open to new things as well.  It also is one that has the courage to be bold and try new things.  If you can accomplish learning that, then you are ahead of most people that try to be an entrepreneur.

I feel that what I learned through my interview is a lot of what we have been told in class and through the exercises we do online.  The part about it being okay to fail really stood out to me.  I remember in the first day of lectures for this class we were told that it's ok to fail, so long as you learn and grow from it.  I feel that this interview has confirmed a lot of what we learn in class as being true to the real world.