Very Short Interview #1

For my very short interview, I chose to interview the owner of a local business owner here in Gainesville. He owns the Cymplify coffee shop and is an entrepreneur. He is an entrepreneur because he came up with the idea for a business and made it come to life through hard work and dedication. 

These are the three questions I chose to ask him:

1. What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneur course?
His response to this question was simple. He said that in an entrepreneur course, they should be teaching you to gain experience in anyway that you can. Whether it's volunteering at a local business or working at a business, experience is the key to success as an entrepreneur. He also said that they should be teaching you how to communicate with people because this is as essential as having experience. 

2. What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
He said that being an entrepreneur means that you work hard, are passionate, and don't give up no matter what hardships are thrown at you. The amount of times his business plan and objectives were shot down are countless. The important thing is that he kept going and made it to where he is today. Also, as an entrepreneur, he is capable of dealing with multiple people and problems at multiple times, and is able to manage issues by being innovative and using critical thinking skills. These in his opinion are all important aspects of being an entrepreneur. 

3. How many obstacles have you had to overcome throughout your journey of being an entrepreneur?
He said too many to count. When he was first starting his business, there were often times where he would go a day without having any business. He had to implement marketing strategies and conduct competitive analysies to see how he could improve his business and get people in the door. He has been told by many people that his business would fail, but this didn't stop him, along with all of the other hardships he had to overcome. 


Reflection:
Through this interview, I learned what it takes to be an entrepreneur. You have to know going in that you will be dealt hardships and be forced to figure out how to overcome them and keep going in the direction of success. Experience is key if you want to be an entrepreneur, so I'm glad that I have had experience working in businesses.