Very Short Interview No. 1

Good Morning Everyone,

Today I am going to talk about an interview I had with an entrepreneur. Before I post the questions and answers let me tell you a little bit about Mr. Burgeson. Mr. Burgeson is one of my best friends father, who earned a Finance degree from DePaul University. He worked as a stock broker for about 10 years until he built up the courage to start his own company. Mr. Burgeson always has loved sports and has been around sports his whole life. He now currently is the co-founder with his wife (Mrs. Burgeson) of a small little company named Hallmark Emblems that makes patches used on jersey's of many professional sports teams.

Now that you know a little bit about Mr. Burgeson, lets get started.

Question 1: What is something you wish you knew about entrepreneurship before deciding to start your own company?

Answer 1: "Well, I wish knew more about marketing and how to inform people about my company. It took me a long time and a lot of luck to be able to work with the NFL, NHL, and NBA. When I first started Hallmark Emblems with my wife, we did not necessarily know how to get our product on the market."

Question 2: What is it like being an entrepreneur?

Answer 2: "Being an entrepreneur means that your work becomes your life. There is no punching in and punching out, you are always on the job. If you don't get any sales then you don't get paid that month. A lot of people know about the glory and fun side of entrepreneurship, but it comes with a lot of hard work."

Question 3: As you know, I am currently taking Principles of Entrepreneurship. What should my mindset be going into this class?

Answer 3: "Do not think of this class or text book as the bible. There is no one way or method making a successful company. Use this class to learn different strategies, and then combine them together to do what is best for you. Entrepreneur's are known for being innovative, so do not think there is a set formula for a successful startup."

Mr. Burgeson gave me a different perspective on entrepreneurship. I never really thought about the marketing aspect until he said something. Also, people do tend to avoid the bad parts of being an entrepreneur. Although it can be extremely rewarding, a lot of stress and hard work go into running a company. There are a lot of challenges in becoming an entrepreneur, especially finding that work life balance. I have learned a lot from Mr. and Mrs. Burgeson about entrepreneurship, but it was really nice to sit down and really discuss the logistics of it. I am really glad I had the chance to talk with Mr. Burgeson and I look forward to the next interview.