Category Archives: American Entrepreneur Project

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Road Trip | Virginia

April 17, 2009 – 6:42 am

A few images from our day enjoying the sun, as we got closer and closer to the Atlantic Ocean.

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Sadie leaping over logs at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

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Sadie, happy under the sun, enjoys some time outside of the car.

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Sadie and Trent, after a week of driving under the clouds, finally see the sun.

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High noon at Shenandoah National Park.

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Not quite the Atlantic Ocean, but it felt good to see the Potomac.

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A great dane investigates Sadie from a first floor window on Captain’s Row in Old Town Alexandria.

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Self-portrait.

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Relaxing in the grass.  We have finally arrived on the east coast, and it’s springtime!

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Road Trip | St. Louis

April 15, 2009 – 7:53 am

It was raining and we had very little time in St. Louis.  But I did convince Trent is circle the Gateway Arch a few times, and I got this image at sunset.

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Road Trip | Kansas

April 14, 2009 – 8:57 am

Some landscape of of our time in Kansas, with the ubiquitous Sadie road trip portrait.

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Flint Hills in Kansas

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Windy.

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Limestone in Kansas

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Kansas landscape

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Finally arriving in a very windy and cold Kansas City, after two long days of driving.

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Dakota and Duncan Bellinger swimming at the dog park.

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Sadie shaking off after her first fresh water swimming experience.

Thanks again to Joe and Skylar Bellinger for hosting us, and asking us to stay for Easter dinner, and hosting a beautiful afternoon at their Overland Park home.

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Joe Bellinger, in his easter shirt, in his Overland Park home.

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Basting the ham for Easter dinner.

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Place setting and small bouquet at the Easter dinner table.

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Grown folk table at the Bellinger’s Easter Sunday dinner.

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Skylar Bellinger helping her husband, Joe, cook Easter Sunday dinner.

We met some very interesting entrepreneurs, and had a wonderful time visiting with Joe, Skylar, their friends and family.

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American Entrepreneur | Paula Kidd Casey

April 13, 2009 – 2:00 pm

Wichita, Kansas

Sackaroos

Paula Kidd Casey, a Wichita based attorney, started her own law firm in 1986.  Two years ago, she was on a golf course chatting with her college roommate Sue Burnett about what was important to them. Paula really wanted to do something for the environment, and she mentioned to Sue that she was looking for some kind of reusable shopping bag system, but couldn’t find what she wanted.  Sue put the brakes on the golf cart. She had made the bag that Paula was looking for.  After a few revisions on Sue’s initial concept, the Sackaroo was born. Soon after, Sackaroos Reusable Bags was incorporated and the Website launched.

Sackaroos is a reusable bag system, handmade in America.  It is a compact shopping bag that hold multiple mesh bags.  Rather than having a motley assortment of canvas bags in the back of the car, consumers can use the neat Sackaroo system that contains four mesh bags. You can see through the mesh so you know which bags contain which foods, and each bag hold the same volume as a traditional paper grocery bag. The outside pocket of the Sackaroo can hold keys, a wallet and shopping lists.

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Paula Kidd Casey, co- founder of Sackaroos, author of Getting the Bigger Picture in Your Divorce, and attorney based on Witchita, Kansas.

Sue Burnett still handles manufacturing. Mike Casey, Paula’s husband, works on the customer service and marketing, though he admits he’s at the beginning of the learning curve in terms of social media marketing.

Having experience in her own law firm gave Paula an understanding of what it takes to start a business. She told us that she had no preconceived notion that they would be millionaires in the first year. She reminded us that “you have to be tenacious enough to stay with it and you have to be wiling to change when things happen.”

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Paula Kidd Casey, co-founder of Sackaroos, and details of the reusable shopping bags.


Mike described Paula as having “a burning desire to do something other than practice law”.  He went on to explain, “She never says we can’t.  She says how can we? Grab hold, hang on and get out of her way.”

Paula has her own words of encouragement for burgeoning entrepreneurs, “Think outside the box.  Be flexible with change.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Paula doesn’t see herself as brave, she just wants new and exciting things in her life.  She is afraid of being the kind of person that doesn’t have the initiative to follow through on her ideas.  She doesn’t want to waste her passion.

In addition to her family law practice and Sackaroos, Paula has written a book, Getting The Bigger Picture In Your Divorce and it’s not the 60 inch TV. She also patented a magnetic counting bracelet called Counter Clock.

No passion being wasted here…!

An Intimate Portrait of the American Entrepreneur Project is sponsored in part by the automated marketing gurus at Infusionsoft

and is championed by the spirited zeal of The Toilet Paper Entreprenuer and TPEs across the universe.

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American Entrepreneur | Devin Walker

April 13, 2009 – 10:00 am

Lawrence, Kansas

PrintPop

Devin Walker welcomed us into his home, nestled at the end of a curving drive in a small housing community in Lawrence, Kansas. Outside the house looked like many others on the street. Inside, his home burst with color, personality, loads of original art, two pianos and countless guitars.

On his journey to being an entrepreneur, Devin joined the military and immediately knew that it wasn’t the life for him.  He didn’t want to be told what to do, what to wear, what to look like.  After the military, Devin ventured into the dotcom world, worked for a record label, designed Websites, but fundamentally knew that while he was gathering skills and knowledge, this manner of work didn’t make sense to him.  He was tired of helping make other people rich.  He resigned from his job, enjoyed a few months playing golf and then launched PrintPop.com.

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Devin Walker, CEO of Printpop, in his home office standing in front of two of his own paintings.

Printpop is an online company that allows unknown, undiscovered and emerging artists to upload their original artwork and share it with the world. The company prints, packages and ships digital reproductions of the artwork, allowing artists to keep their originals and access a larger audience for selling limited edition copies.

Devin conceived PrintPop in 2001, after a friend asked him to send her a picture of one of his paintings.  He emailed her an image, but wondered if he could send her a large print reproduction.  He looked through the Web, but found no sites that would allow him to upload his original artwork and make a quality digital reproduction. He began to take notes and approached some venture capitalists.  After a few meetings, he took a look at his personal finances and took a leap of faith to do it on his own.

Coming from the very high cost of living in San Francisco, Trent and I were amazed with the large and affordable housing we saw as we crossed the Midwest.  Devin sees his geographic location as a key factor in the success of PrintPop.  The city of Lawrence fosters its artist community, and the local government supports small businesses.  Devin’s own cost of living and doing business is much less than on the coasts.

PrintPop is now thriving and growing.  Active artists on PrintPop hail from 43 US states, 7 Canadian provinces, as well as Egypt, South Africa, Russia, China and across Europe. In the last twelve months, PrintPop has seen 400% growth, much of that Devin credits to social media marketing.

PrintPop keeps it fresh and innovative:

- This year PrintPop will be rolling out a completely revamped site. Stay tuned!

- Art Star: A contest recognizing the top-selling artists.  The winner will receive a solo gallery show hosted by PrintPop including entertainment and local PR.

- PrintPop makes its presence known by sending an artist look-alikes (think Frieda Khalo or Andy Warhol) to local art events.

- PrintPop has expanded to  GiftPop.com

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Devin Walker, CEO of Printpop, enjoying trading Hawaiian boyhood stories with Trent.

Next to Devin’s desk is a bookcase looming with tomes of business books, including The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur and Sex Money Kiss by Gene Simmons, a performing artist with an amazing American dream story.  According to Devin, the Gene Simmon’s book is a must read. To quote the CEO of PrintPop, “All business books are essentially the same story: how to succeed.  If you don’t speed, you’re never getting a ticket. If you work hard, you’ll be rewarded.”

Devin is confident this economic environment won’t break him.  He sees himself as responsible for artists’ passions.  He has built a community of artists that count on him.  Printpop is based on getting artists recognition and compensation for their work.

In the end, Devin is one happy guy.  He gets paid to do what he loves, for the coolest people on the planet – artists.  Devin Walker is proof that you can be successful doing what you love and giving back to a community you care about.

An Intimate Portrait of the American Entrepreneur Project is sponsored in part by the automated marketing gurus at Infusionsoft

and is championed by the spirited zeal of The Toilet Paper Entreprenuer and TPEs across the universe.

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American Entrepreneur | Jean Lozada

April 13, 2009 – 10:00 am

Platte City, Missouri

Jeanie Naturals

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, Jean Lozada and her husband Angel warmly ushered us into their immaculate home.  The living room opened to the kitchen where windows looked out to rolling hills and sunlight streamed into open rooms. Jean gestured to this serene environment and told us this was where she made her products.  The only hint that it was her workshop was a lingering sweet scent in the air.

Jean grew up in a family that loved and valued fragrance.  Her great grandmother made her own homemade herbal blends.  Like the love of fragrance, entrepreneurism is also a family tradition. Jean’s brother works as an independent real estate agent, a career that Jean briefly flirted with herself.  While she didn’t continue in real estate, she referred to her brother as her business role model.

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Jean Lozada at her home in Platte City, Missouri with an assortment of her Soy and Shea Butter Body Massage Candles.

Jean described herself as a former company girl.  She was very loyal to a large company but suddenly found herself part of a massive downsizing. At that point she knew that she wanted to work for herself, and Jeanie Naturals was born. Hers was a sentiment that we heard a lot in our journey meeting entrepreneurs across the country; the time Jean puts into her business doesn’t feel like work.  She told us that when her husband is working out of town, she can be engaged in creating her product for ten and twelve hour days.  It doesn’t feel like her previous desk job, where she would be ready to punch the clock at five. Since founding Jeanie Naturals, Jean loves having control over her own work schedule.

Jeanie Naturals is an eco-friendly company that manufactures natural and organic products for the home and body.  All of their formulations begin with a base of herbal teas and botanicals.  The Jeanie Naturals line includes soap, lotion bars, candles, and body massage candles; each product comes in a variety of natural scents.

On the home front, Jean treasures the support of her husband, Angel, and her family.  She is also actively involved with the Indie Beauty Network, and cites Donna Maria Coles Johnson as another mentor. The low cost of living in Missouri, the love and support of her husband and freedom of being her own boss allows Jean the creative reign to experiment and play with new products. 

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Jeanie Naturals relies on word of mouth, and social networking sites to promote products.  Jean measures Web analytics and adapts her marketing based on that information. Recently Jean made the major decision to reduce the amount of products she offered.  She wanted to keep Jeanie Naturals a one-woman show, and it was difficult to keep up with demand.  She thought carefully about what she enjoyed creating most, and what products made up the majority of her sales.  And there was a connection. Jean enjoyed her time making candles, and knew that she crafted each one with love.  When she realized that the candles were also the biggest selling product, it was easy to trim her product line.

For Jeanie Naturals, the company motto is to have fun doing what you love.

An Intimate Portrait of the American Entrepreneur Project is sponsored in part by the automated marketing gurus at Infusionsoft

and is championed by the spirited zeal of The Toilet Paper Entreprenuer and TPEs across the universe.

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Happy Easter from Kansas City

April 12, 2009 – 8:47 am

Happy Easter from Kansas City!  Or more precisely Overland Park, where we have been camped out with our friends Joe and Skylar Bellinger, spending the last few days alternating between delighting in colossal amounts of midwestern food(Strouds) and bbq(Arthur Bryants), cathing up with the backlog of Denver, and and meeting Kansas entrepreneurs.

Yesterday afternoon I took some time to help Skylar prepare for Easter. I can’t remember the last time I frosted sugar cookies, if indeed that time ever existed. I had a great time dyeing frosting spring colors and decorating  tulips, umbrellas, rainbows (and a few surfboards thrown in for Trent).  After the cookies were done, Matt and Leslie came over with ‘Easter beer’ and assorted egg dying kits and arts and crafts afternoon rolled into the night.

A few images of our efforts.

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Wishing everyone a beautiful day! More entrepreneurial stories to share coming tomorrow.

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American Entrepreneur | Greg Eckler

April 11, 2009 – 11:00 pm

Denver

Affinity Group’s Greg Eckler

We had originally planned to meet with American Entrepreneur Greg Eckler on a Monday in early April, but his wife, Kelley, was due their first child.  On that Wednesday, the Ecklers invited us to the hospital just before they took their new baby home.  Trent suggested that the hospital might be an appropriate a location for a portrait, as the joy of a new baby would focus both Greg’s life and business.

A steady stream of new parents walked past us, as we sat down with Greg on chairs near an elevator going up to the maternity floor.  Greg candidly spoke to us about one of the most important components of our lives, how to provide for the needs of those closest to us.

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Greg Eckler, American Entrepreneur and Certified Residential Specialist with Affinity Group,

holding his first born son Samuel Randolph Eckler born April 6 7:36p.m. 7 lbs, 8 oz.


Greg works a real estate agent and broker in Denver, Colorado. Right now he maintains a focus squarely on the information his clients need and avoids the doom and gloom of the national media. He told us that the negative reports of the industry are not always accurate. When asked how the economy was affecting his real estate business, he said, “Right now our biggest problem is that the news comes from LA, New York and Washington, the places that saw crazy booms when we saw nothing.  We’ve been riding it out this whole time and now we are suffering because of the loan problem, and that’s national. But we cycle with the coasts. When they’re bad were good and when they’re good we’re bad. Know that Denver is not LA or DC.  There shouldn’t be panic here.”

The first thing Greg taught us is that a great system and accurate information will lead to success in any economy. Greg was also very focused on creating superior customer service for his clients. Greg created an accurate referral service system for his real estate business that benefits both the agents he partners with, and the customers he serves.  His website generates over 300 leads a month and he and his partners,  work to convert these leads into buyers and sellers.  This referral system matches the lead to the person who is best suited to serve their specific needs.

Over the course of our conversation with Greg, it became apparent that it is more important for him to be there for his family, than it is to be successful in his business. This is the inspiration and reason for his success. Greg’s road to becoming an entrepreneur should be familiar.

“I started off with the industrial mentality: go to school, get a job, retire, you’re happy.  Life is all figured out. But it wasn’t working,” said Greg in describing his journey. “I just wasn’t fitting in. I was in IT for a while; I was a programmer for IBM, a consultant.  I just never liked it. Personally, I tolerated it, I made good money but it was the handcuffs of the corporate world.”

His reasons for leaving a secure corporate job said a lot about him as a father and the life that he wanted for his son.  Greg said, “ I don’t want my kid to think Office Space [the movie] and Dilbert are funny. Because they’re hysterical to me and I hate that.”

Like all successful business owners, he knows he cannot do it by himself.  For Greg, it is Kelley who is his main supporter.  He said, “The pivotal decision was Kelley telling me to quit.  I needed that support. Having someone else believing me more than I do.”

Having a child can restructure one’s priorities.  How can we find balance with the needs of our clients, employees and the needs of our family? This is a challenge for entrepreneurs.

Greg’s answer was simple and in words that I think we can all understand.  He said, “I’m not a role model but I’m an example that you can do it. I am a real person and not some infomercial.  You can do this as long as you’re not in suburban prison.  People pay too much for their house and then they’re stuck working for the man.  Our house is fine.  We have an extra room we can finish and I could be here forever.  We can go on vacations and we don’t have to compete with the Jones’s. The Jones’s are the one who can’t afford anything because they spend too much.”

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Newborn Samuel Randolph Eckler, in his father’s arms.


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Samuel Randolph Eckler, getting a kiss from his mother, Kelley.

An Intimate Portrait of the American Entrepreneur Project is sponsored in part by the automated marketing gurus at Infusionsoft

and is championed by the spirited zeal of The Toilet Paper Entreprenuer and TPEs across the universe.

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American Entrepreneur | Glenice Martinez

April 11, 2009 – 10:00 pm

Denver
Chano’s Tamales

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Glenice Martinez, American Entrepreneur behind Chanos Tamales, in the Morrison Road Complex commissary kitchen in Denver, Colorado.

Glenice Martinez, the woman behind Chano’s Tamales, invented a delicious creation – Tamale Poppers. Glenice greeted us at the entrance to the kitchen; she brought us right to the plates of tamales she had prepared, and watched in glee as we sampled her product (without tasting any of them herself).  Tamale poppers are small and round, kind of like a Mexican donut hole.  Everyone loves traditional tamales, but not everyone loves the mess.  Glenice makes her bite size products in seven flavors. We sampled pork with red chili, similar to a regular tamale, and green chili. Glenice has created a versatile product, too. She explained that the poppers have, “a little bit of a crunch on the outside. You can dip them in salsa, nacho cheese or a bowl of chili.  They can also be added to taco salads.”

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Tamale Poppers, bite sized tamales, created by Glenice Martinez of Chano’s Tamales.

Not only are tamale poppers easy to eat, they are delicious. You don’t have to take our word for it: Chano’s Tamales finished third last year in the Colorado Tamale Cook-off. Before we left, Glenice prepared and packaged dozens of poppers in different flavors, making sure we had enough to bring to our friends (which we did, and they loved).

Like all great tamales, Glenice’s are a family tradition.

Forty years ago, when she married into the Martinez family, Glenice was taught by her new father-in-law, Chano, the art of making tamales. Today, Glenice has more than her father-in-law’s name and master recipe.  Her family is committed to the success of her business.  A family friend translated the menu into Spanish and her daughter’s husband is a Spanish-speaking sales representative to Denver area Mexican restaurants.  Glenice’s daughter designed the logo, menus and business cards. Another of Glenice’s four daughters works as a distributor for a line of food products, breakfast burritos.

Glenice welcomes help in the business areas where she is doesn’t have expertise. She is a part of the local Denver entrepreneur community.  Most integral to the launch of Chano’s Tamales, was the help of Denny and Elaine McFerrin at the Denver commissary kitchen, the Morrison Road Complex. (The Morrison Road Complex is a state licensed community kitchen that helps launch up to 60 food related businesses every 4-6 months.)  In addition, Glenice is taking classes from a business coach.  She hopes to begin by getting her tamale poppers in a few of local restaurants and then approach the bank for a loan. She is not looking for a lot, just enough for a cart that might cost $5000. Her plan is to get that first cart so she can get her product out to the stadium to attract the attention of restaurants, bars and catering companies. She has plans for her tamale poppers to be in every bar and restaurant in America, but she has to start somewhere.

If you are considering investing in her you are probably asking yourself if she has the commitment to make this work.  Despite the challenge presented by the economy, she has this to say about her business: “I believe in myself and I know I can do the job and that I’m going to make it. I’m going to make it even if it takes me a couple more years, I will never give up.”

Glenice admits she and Chano’s Tamales are struggling and she is open about needing help.  She shared with us that her greatest concern is not being able to make it all work because she has to support the family. Her husband works part-time and Glenice is doesn’t think that job will last much longer.

But like all great entrepreneurs, she is not afraid and is willing to do whatever it takes, just like you were.  “I’m not afraid to go out and get another job, or two part-time jobs.  For someone my age, I still have a lot of energy and I have a lot to offer.”

Glenice hopes to secure $5000.  If 20 people read this article and give her $250 as an investment, we can make this happen.

We believe that Glenice is someone who deserves a shot. One thing we, as a community of entrepreneurs, have in common is the need to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs. Here’s Glenice, with a great product and passion.  Let’s help her make it happen.

An Intimate Portrait of the American Entrepreneur Project is sponsored in part by the automated marketing gurus at Infusionsoft

and is championed by the spirited zeal of The Toilet Paper Entreprenuer and TPEs across the universe.

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American Entrepreneur | Andreea Ayers

April 11, 2009 – 9:00 pm

Denver

Tees for Change

Andreea Ayers, owner of Tees for Change, greeted us in the parking lot of Boulder’s Common Threads, one of the local shops where her t-shirts are sold. Andreea had the beautiful and graceful glow of pregnancy and she spoke with and confidence. She was about to teach us what she knew about properly and methodically growing your business.

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Andreea Ayers, founder and CEO of Tees for Change, sustainable tees on a mission.

Andreea Ayers is the business owner that we should all be striving to be. She is committed to her community, her family and the environment. She has created a sustainable product that neatly serves her target clients.  She has partnered with experts and other professionals to help her in her journey and business education. And importantly, she had the confidence to acknowledge the areas of her business where she wasn’t an expert, and invested in her business’s future (and the local economy) by hiring others to help her business grow.

The story behind Andreea’s journey to Boulder is very much a part of her business success. When she was five months pregnant with her first child, she quit her job in New York City where she did direct marketing for NYU.  She knew she had to do it on her own. Once in Boulder, Andreea found a supportive community of entrepreneurs and used the Boulder Innovation Center, and Savor the Success, as main resources in launching her business.

Tees for Change manufactures the aforementioned ‘tees’ and other apparel. Andreea describes the business as eco-friendly; Tees for Change apparel is made of sustainable materials like cotton or bamboo. These are dyed with low-impact nontoxic dyes, and then uplifting messages are imprinted with PBC-free water-based paints.

From the beginning, Andreea was not content with only selling eco-friendly apparel; she wanted to make a bigger difference and to give back. She partnered with Trees For The Future to plant a tree for every shirt that she sells.  When we spoke with her, they were about to plant their 10,000th tree.  The trees are planted in South America and Africa, where they’re needed most.

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Andreea Ayers, radiant in abundance, with her Tees for Change apparel line at Boulder’s Common Threads.

Trent was particularly impressed with how careful and how thoughtful Andreea was about expanding Tees for Change. Andrea made sure her new product lines were unique and desirable. She’s been able to assess her strengths and the areas where she needed assistance.  For example, she realized her inventory was both her greatest asset and her greatest expense. Using her marketing background, she conducted some market research, and she was able to plan for the healthy growth of Tees for Change. She is beginning to expand her business, as small retail shops close, by pursuing vendor relationships with local resorts and spas.

Andreea told us, “My goal is to reach out to the larger clients.  I was buying my inventory from five different manufacturers, but it was not really cost effective.   My new place can do everything, labels, and tags, and can really help cut costs.  They also can know what I am looking for, and they can turn around and produce quickly.”

One of the best things that Andrea did in preparation for the expansion of her business was to assess the area swhere she wasn’t an expert. She hired members of her local entrepreneurial community to help her.  She quickly realized if she wanted to sell more products, she needed a professional photographer and web designer who could create a system that allows her to track orders and take coupons. She’s also hired an accountant. She stressed, “It’s so worth it.”

Bravo, Andreea, for reinforcing the concept of a triple bottom line.  Being proactive in her life and her business, and achieving her commitment to balance a healthy lifestyle, a healthy business and a healthy community.

An Intimate Portrait of the American Entrepreneur Project is sponsored in part by the automated marketing gurus at Infusionsoft

and is championed by the spirited zeal of The Toilet Paper Entreprenuer and TPEs across the universe.

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