Mike Winder

 Mike Winder is cool.

Mike Winder is an entrepreneur and intrapreneur in every way shape and form. Before becoming the VP of community relations at Zions Bank, Mike was mayor of West Valley Utah and VP of Marketing at Winder Farms.

I met Mike at StartFest, early in the semester, and was impressed by how genuine he was and how he looked to help me out (sign of a great networker). We scheduled a lunch the first time we met and 2 weeks later he and I enjoyed a nice bowl of clam chowder in SLC.

When I met with Mike we talked about how he's gone about finding his career path. It was a pretty typical interview until I asked him some more personal questions. I asked about how he decided to marry his wife, what impact his career choices had on their children, and when he was most concerned about failing. These questions sparked some really interesting answers.

Mike and I discussed how a "just do it" attitude was such an essential element to any entrepreneurs life. Mike made a lot happen as mayor of West Valley, completely changing the perception of the city across Utah. When he was with Winder Farms, he decided to branch out and implement a new supply chain strategy (home delivery) that would service thousands of more people and drive revenue in a huge way.

Most importantly, I learned from Mike the same lesson I had learned throughout the entire semester - that when you meet someone new, always try to help them with what they're in need of. Mike, for example, was really helpful in showing me how to create an LLC and then how to open up a banking account with Zions Bank - something that I had no idea how to do. Additionally, he offered me enrollment in their program for Elite Entrepreneurs - another blessing for someone like me who is looking to network with a lot of like-minded people. Meeting Mike Winder was a huge boost for my social network and I hope to help him however he needs the first chance I get.

Brandon Woolf

Brandon Woolf is cool.

Attached is the audio recording of my phone interview with Brandon. Brandon and I talked a lot about how to progress from being a student and becoming an entrepreneur. He explained to me the process he had gone through working at various larger firms before deciding to work on something smaller. His new role of VP of Marketing at Lucid has been a blast for him and he mentioned that it was thanks to his experiences at Google that he could do his new job so effectively. However, he did mention to me that by working at various smaller companies over the course of 5-10 years I could be exposed to a wider range of problems and have a slightly different experience than he did. In the end, it all comes down to what I prefer. He said, "don't let anyone tell you how you should or have to live your life" make sure you live the life that YOU want to live. 

You can listen to my full conversation with Brandon Woolf here.

Jared Gay and Tom Brinton

Jared and Tom are cool.

They formed a super cool app, Flip - check out their website here.

When I first met with Jared and Tom, it was under the premise that I would introduce them to some possibly interested investors. After talking more about their app, Flip, I saw it may not have been the best fit for the people I was thinking of.

Despite some hiccups in the initial stages of their business, Tom and Jared shared with me a lot of great insights on what it means to be an entrepreneur. They are two guys who love learning and applied their problem-solving skills from college to the pains that they experienced on a day to day basis. For me, the biggest lesson I learned from Jared and Tom were their ability to identify a real problem and then provide a unique solution.

Another great lesson I learned from Jared was the ability to make a lot happen with a little bit of resources. Jared studied Public Relations at BYU and I guess that's where he learned to make an impact without any funding. They have a pretty solid PR campaign going and are hoping to finish the back end development on Flip asap - stay tuned so that you can start selling your stuff with ease.

Caleb Weiler

Caleb Weiler is cool.

Caleb and I met at a startup bootcamp here on campus. However, Caleb is not a BYU student! Caleb has spent the last few years working in accounting and then decided to leave and start something of his own. He lives here in Orem with his wife and 2 children.

Caleb has an incredible business acumen that has enabled him to be successful in his startup venture fund, Dark Horse Ventures. Aside from that, Caleb has a deep love for service and for those that are in need - his charitable heart is what drives him to work day in and day out.

When I first started meeting with Caleb, he showed a great deal of leadership. He helped me and 3 others understand the vision that he had with Dark Horse. Additionally, he spent time listening to our input and ideas whenever we met together. I think Caleb is the kind of person you’d want on your team, working on something that matters.

David Eff Peterson

David Eff Peterson is cool.

David Eff Peterson was introduced to me by a friend of a friend. David and I met on the premise of discussing his new business, Use My Songs.

When I first met with David and had a chance to understand his business, my mind instantly started churning and we were able to make some important connections. I felt a huge need to provide value to David in any way that I could. As a student with a developing net of connections I did all I could to talk to the right people about Use My Songs.

David is a fantastic example of someone who follows their dreams with all their energy and focus. David left BYU and moved his flourishing music career to Los Angeles. As an up and coming rapper, David was looking for any avenue that could enhance and jettison his music to the top of the charts. As a true innovator, David did whatever it took to answer this question in the most productive way. He started working with Devin Supertramp, a YouTube sensation, in order to get his music into videos seen by millions. Once he witnessed the success of using YouTubers to promote his songs, David felt a platform to connect musicians and YouTubers needed to be created.

Now, in an effort to completely disrupt the music licensing industry, Use My Songs is a one stop shop for both new musicians and any YouTuber that's looking to make a name for themselves with a really cool jam in the background.

The business model and strategy David has developed taught me loads about solving a problem with the end user in mind. Additionally, the determination he demonstrated in solving tough issues with big-hitters like Universal and Sony was really impressive. David Peterson is an entrepreneur through and through - he'll be writing a book (or a rap) about this journey someday.

1 Million Cups

When I attended One Million Cups I had the opportunity to talk with a few really cool entrepreneurs. I spoke with the guy who runs One Million Cups, Anders Taylor, and his father Bob Taylor. The best part of One Million cups was the atmosphere. The weekly meeting has a very laid back feel that inspires creativity and collaboration. I enjoyed talking with Chris Bailey as well - a local kid that helping his mom get a children’s play clothing business off the ground. We talked about the problems they are facing, the need they have for a strong social media presence, and how exactly they were going to scale with a manufacturer. Additionally, I shared some of my ideas on how to make a really fun e commerce site that kids would have an easy time navigating. I shared that my sister is a graphic designer and may be interested in doing some freelance work for their company. I hope connect more with the Taylors family as well when I move back to the Bay Area. There are a lot of great lessons to learn from people like Anders who has daily interactions with the entrepreneurs here in Utah and gets to see lots of different problems they are facing. Moreover, when I was at 1 Million Cups there was a lot of question and answer directed at the innovators that were presenting. I liked this portion of the gathering because it gave everyone a chance to collaborate and share ideas. Ultimately, everyone wants to see success for those that are trying to start a business. This was unique of the meeting because everyone there had been through a lot of hard times with their own startups. The entrepreneurial community resonates well with my personality and I look forward to many experiences working with people from all different industries.  1 Million Cups is an awesome way to get involved and get started on your own entrepreneurial dreams.

StartFest

StartFEST

StartFEST is an event for all entrepreneurs and startup investors held here in Provo. It was a fantastic event that featured a slew of successful innovators and the people that helped back innovation across the state of Utah.

            I went to StartFEST because my goal this year at school is to becoming increasingly involved in the startup community and establish myself as a legitimate entrepreneur. The event featured some workshops directed by industry leaders. The first workshop I attended was focused on naming and branding startup ventures. I learned that you have to establish what kind of brand/name you’d like for your company. There are 4 options: Functional, Experiential, Invented, and Evocative. Functional names are exactly what they imply – functionality of their company. Experiential brands are hard to trademark, like Quicken. Some of the best brands are Invented  brands, however, they usually need some sort of subtitle or unique logo. Evocative brands reference something big – they seem senseless or too big, ie. Quora.

            My aspirations to be fully involved in a startup were further motivated by this branding workshop and others. I’d say my ability to come up with branding ideas, how to better access a market, and how to be creative when developing my peers business ideas was enhanced through my attendance to StartFEST.

            One of the best outcomes of StartFEST was the chance I had to mix and mingle with a large group of like-minded people. I focused much of my time at StartFEST on networking. As I continue down my unique journey as an entrepreneur, I know that skill will catapult me to the places I want to be. More importantly, as I build my network I’ll be able to help my peers and other entrepreneurs connect with the right people. This element of networking is the most intriguing to me.