What led you to become an entrepreneur?

When I was young, my father used to run his own businesses. During the summers I would work with him and tag along as he estimated the jobs, performed the work, and collected the revenue.  I guess I can credit him for exposing me to an entrepreneurial way of doing business.

What are the most important factors contributing to your success?

My business partner, my team, and my customers are the most important factors to my success. Having a strong business partner to advise you and help avoid hurdles is a tremendous help when first getting started.  In addition, selecting and hiring a team with strengths that complement your own can really help you to sleep at night.

Who was your mentor and what did he/she teach you?

I can’t say that any one person can be given full credit as my mentor.  I rely on a number of people to keep me on track.  The two people I owe a strong debt of gratitude to are my business partner, Jim Jensen, founder of Satcom Communications, and my operations officer, Frank Huston.  Without their support and dedication, this job would be a whole lot harder.

What is your business philosophy or some of the specific principles that guide you when making decisions relative to your business or your life?

My two major philosophies are to “never back down,” regardless of what others might tell you, and to look for opportunities in every aspect of business.  You never know what you might uncover.

What wisdom would you pass on to those getting started?

Develop a clear vision of where you want to be and always be willing to take advice from your peers.

What personal characteristics helped you to succeed?

I have a strong personal drive to succeed; I’m not afraid to work hard, and I seem to have a natural sense of good business.

What resources and relationships were most helpful to you when getting started?

When starting out, I relied heavily on my business partner for financial support and business advice.  As we began to grow, I also leaned on many of the established small business that delivered services we were not prepared to deliver but needed to use in order to meet our customers’ needs.

What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?

I’ll have to let you know when it happens.

Is there one mistake or decision that you’ve made that you wish you could do differently?

If I had the opportunity to go back and do things over, I would have been less risk averse and planned more aggressively for success.  Additionally, I would have turned over more of the day to day operations to others so I could better pursue my company vision.

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