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.

Dave Peery

Dave Peery is cool.

Dave Peery runs a philanthropic organization called the Peery Foundation that partners with the Ballard Center for Innovation at BYU.

I initiated conversation with Dave after having met with Caleb Weiler of Dark Horse Ventures. Dave has a very cool demeanor that reflects both his intellect as well as his kind and gentle heart. You’d expect that from someone who runs one of the most successful philanthropic venture groups in the world. Granted, most of Dave’s giving is actually wholly philanthropic and gives with no expectation of return.

My conversation with Dave was focused primarily on getting some validation on the idea we have with Dark Horse Ventures. However, I’d like to point out some of the really great advice I got from Dave.

Dave told me some of his story, and of how he felt he’d been put on the path he was on for a reason. Dave told me about how he wanted to learn the trade of his father, Dick Peery, after his mission. So, Dave spent 3 years at BYU cranking out a degree in Latin American Studies. With a college degree and a huge desire to make a positive impact on the world, Dave set out to learn about real-estate. After that, he did everything he could to get the Peery Foundation involved with the most important social innovation in the world.

After having explained where I was in my education and my desire to become an entrepreneur, Dave told me, “Make sure to go all-in with whatever you choose to do. You’ll learn more that way”. He also mentioned that whatever I chose to study should be something I enjoy, and something that I can hopefully use in the future. Dave, for example, has used lots of his Spanish since working with the Peery Foundation. He travels to South America quite often, in fact.

Thanks Dave for your insights and help in ironing out what I want to do with my career! I know better now how to move forward with my life plans - it’s going to be a blast!

Sam Bernards

Sam Bernards is cool.

Sam Bernards is a legend among Utah entrepreneurs. He came to BYU to speak and we struck up a really nice conversation where Sam left me with some nuggets of wisdom.

Sam broke down for me the way he goes about evaluating a pitch deck, how he hope to work with the companies in which he invests, and how he learned great lessons along his career journey. He told me how to establish my own personal brand and how to market myself as an entrepreneur.

As a manager working at Wal-Mart, Sam demonstrated innovative thinking at its finest. He was tasked with finding a way to bring Wal-Mart stores into tough markets in big cities across the US. He spent months planning and coordinating and after all his efforts was successful in the launch of what we know as Wal-Mart Express. Sam talked about how he had to plan his relationship building with all the people involved in this process. One of Sam's coolest comments was on how he put a big map across the entire office he worked in where he placed the picture and plan for each executive that he had to work with.

After sharing parts of his story with me, Sam proceeded to give me some cool ideas on how to plan my future as an entrepreneur. He said I should look at myself through 3 different lenses and ask the following questions:

1. What am I good at?
2. What do I like to do?
3. What am I seriously passionate about?

He told me to answer these questions with the best knee-jerk answer I could - 3 answers per question. After having written down my answers, Sam told me to look for patterns among the answers I wrote down. These patterns should be summed up with one simple word - these words will define my personal brand. Pretty cool, right?

Maybe you'd like to try the personal brand exercise and throw those words onto your LinkedIn profile, I definitely did on mine!

Sid Krommenhook

Sid Krommenhoek is cool.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to talk with Sid Krommenhoek  for an extended amount of time. However, within the next months and hopefully years I plan to work towards establishing a personal relationship with Sid. Why would I feel this way after just a 20 minute conversation? Its simple - Sid is an inspiring man who makes people want to be better.

I once saw Sid speak at a BYU class on entrepreneurship. He asked all the students to ask him personal questions that would elicit an honest, heartfelt, and meaningful response. Sid, like myself, wears his emotions on his sleeve - and I loved that! I asked him a question (I don’t remember what it was) and he offered me one of his favorite books, “The 4-Hour Workweek”, by Tim Ferris.  After this initial interaction, I knew this would be someone I could relate to, and learn a great deal from.

Aside from his various startup experiences, Sid has enjoyed invaluable experiences in the world of venture capital. He talked with me about how much work it requires to be an entrepreneur, and some of the lessons he learned from his experiences with Zinch. He told me about his family life, and how now he enjoys his work/life balance a little bit more. One thing he said really stuck with me - that God and family are the most important things to him. If they are the most important to me, then I will do what it takes to have them always at the top of my priorities. Thanks, Sid, for that awesome insight and for your amazing example of dedication to self, family, and God.

Derek Miner

Derek Miner is cool.

Derek began his career as an entrepreneur before he even graduated college – during his senior year he was part of the leadership team behind ah-ha.com, eventually overseeing the company’s successful acquisition and subsequent public offering in 2004. Derek then went on to co-found Orangesoda.com, helping the company to achieve one of the highest growth rates in the state of Utah and overseeing another successful acquisition by the Deluxe Corporation, a Fortune 1000 company. Derek then moved to Contour, an action camera company, and helped lead them to a successful merger/acquisition in the summer of 2015.

Derek has been recognized by Utah Valley Business Magazine as a “Top 40 Under 40” executive, and has been named to the Signal Peak Capital Top 100 Venture Entrepreneurs four years in a row. He is a frequent community speaker, an active angel investor, and an enthusiastic business mentor. Derek serves on several company advisory boards including the UVU Gift Planning Advisory Board and the Associate Entrepreneur Founders Organization at Brigham Young University.

Derek received his bachelor’s degree from the School of Technology at BYU, with a focus on industrial design and product development.

                                            Excerpt taken from Techtrep.com

Derek and I had lunch near the beginning of the semester, thanks to a warm introduction from a mutual friend, Jon Bradshaw. Derek and I instantly connected and it’s thanks to Derek that I was able to work at Tech Trep Academy with him and his brilliant co-founder, Matt Bowman.

Derek is positive, he’s focused, he works fantastically within and leading a team. Derek is the best manager I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with. The ability to inspire creativity and hard work are two of the main skills I’ve noticed in Derek and hope to emulate in my own life.

I have been able to observe, and did notice in our first lunch, Derek’s genuine nature and his innate hard work ethic. Simply put, he’s a born entrepreneur and his track record shows he has been able to utilize the skills he has to be marvelously successful.