Dog Spelled Forward

Eric and his wife Dagmar, greeted us at their home in Maywood, New Jersey and in a matter of minutes Dagmar was pouring us fresh coffee and sliding pieces of fruit pie onto plates set out in front of us.

Eric Goebelbecker’s business is Dog Spelled Forward, an irreverent and memorable business name, but one that started out as a joke.  Before he launched his independent business, he was active in the online dog training community, and found the saying “Dog is God spelled backwards” not to be cute, but irritating.  When he started his own blog, he called it Dog Spelled Forward, and eventually decided to make it the name of his business.

Eric spent the better part of a decade in the Army, which he sees as being the polar opposite of being an entrepreneur.  After the Army, Eric worked in computer programming, survived the ‘dot bombs’ of the mid nineties and eventually became fairly settled on Wall Street.  However the allure of working with dogs pulled him into the entrepreneur mindset. While Eric still has a foot in his day job, he is well advanced in his exploration of the world of dog training and business ownership (he was  particularly enthusiastically about his copy of Escape from Cubicle Nation by Pam Slim).

Last year he looked over his client base, and realized that over 80% were women. He described his first Website as macho with dark colors. Although  he was converting 100% of the leads that came in through referral sites, he knew he needed to make his own Website more attractive to his target market. Now he is having his site overhauled by a female Web designer and he is rethinking his marketing and reassessing his branding.

Dog Spelled Forward is unique in Bergen County, New Jersey, too.  Big chain pet stores dominate the region, and the in-store dog training can be seen as en extension of the box store mentality.  The chains don’t offer personalized, affordable and in-home training.  Dog Spelled Forward does.

Eric Goebelbecker, owner of Dog Spelled Forward, in his yard with one of his three rescued dogs.

Eric and two of his dogs pose by one of the training runs in the Goebelbecker’s back yard.

Eric is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and is also certified as a Pet Dog Trainer from the Certification Council of Pet Dog Trainers.  He credits his own training at the St. Hubert’s Dog Training School, and in particular his first instructor Liz Catalano, for building his foundation in dog training and the behavior science behind it.

Eric adjusts training for each pairing of his canine and human clients and puts the emphasis on helping people and dogs communicate using safe, humane and scientifically sound methods.  Many of his clients are busy and their dogs are home or in daycare during workdays so Dog Spelled Forward will do sessions during the day to build a relationship with the dog before the owner begins their training.  Yes, Eric acknowledges that pet training also entails training the owners.

The softer and smarter side of marketing and branding: Eric, showing off his new targeted logo and color scheme.

A blissful and obedient dog, after training with Dog Spelled Forward.

During the afternoon, the Goebelbecker’s son popped in and out of the living room, where we sat with Eric and his wife.  Eric talked a little about his hopes for his son, as he prepares to go off for college in the fall.

“I hope he can get as much satisfaction out of his career as I have.  I do believe if you pursue what you want with your eyes open you will find something.”

Thanks Eric, for the wise word to the entrepreneur in all of us.

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.

Severna Park, Maryland

Russell & Mackenna

Trent, Sadie and I rolled up on a Saturday afternoon to the adorable cottage that is the flagship store of Russell & Mackenna. A fully stocked, but tidy, space showcased the company’s delightfully magical furniture in spirited colors and patterns. You may be familiar with Russell & Mackenna, known for their “fresh furniture” style, from O at Home Magazine, Coastal Living Magazine or Cottage Style. Given their accessible and cheerful design, Russell & Mackenna actually had a national presence before they had a local presence in their Severna Park, Maryland hometown. Their bright and whimsical furniture speaks to the quality and lifestyle of second home coastal cottages, which is Russell and Mackenna’s niche market.

The father/daughter team of Larry Strassner and Lauren Russell is behind everything Russell & Mackenna sells here in the United States.  The company continues to thrive despite the economic climate and Lauren and Larry credit their success to the high quality of their products, the fact that their products are manufactured domestically and the effectiveness of their marketing strategies.

Both Larry and Lauren are big believers in the concept of paying it forward and have made it a core value for the Russell & Mackenna team.  Lauren especially recognized the invaluable help they received when they were launching their business.  Now that Russell & Mackenna is in a position to help other fledgling businesses, they reach out and share their resources and support. Lauren told us the story of finding a talented painter they discovered in a small booth at the back of a trade show. Lauren recognized the painter’s talent and invited her to do a series of custom pieces for the Russell & Mackenna store and catalog.

Lauren Russell, creative director of Russell and Mackenna in the flagship cottage.

Lauren says that for her, thriving is being able to take her knowledge and extend it to other entrepreneurs.  For Lauren, optimism is also a part of being an entrepreneur.

Lauren began her career as a freelance marketing consultant.  When her husband, Kevin, left his job at an investment bank Lauren suggested that he attend to a growing list of home renovations while he thought about what he really wanted to do with his life and his career. Kevin’s first project was to build a vanity for the bathroom.  One of Lauren’s client saw the vanity and asked Lauren if Kevin could make one for her own home. The next day the client called back, and asked if she could order five vanities. A week later Lauren answered the phone for an order for the client’s five children’s bedrooms.  Five bathroom vanities, five beds, five dressers, five bedroom chests.  It was a huge order.  And it not only gave Lauren the idea to start a business, but the seed money to make it happen.

It was at this point that Lauren called her father, Larry.  Lauren asked Larry if he would write a business plan. Larry suggested that, since there wasn’t enough data yet, they should wait a year, and he’d coach them once a week.  Once a week quickly turned into Larry coming out of retirement and moving with his wife to Severna Park.

Lauren Russell, letting Sadie test drive a Russell & Mackenna sofa, at their flagship cottage in Severna Park, Maryland.

Larry advised Lauren to picture her long-term objectives, and helped her make plans to achieve them.   The history of Russell & Mackenna is really the story of growth spurts. Larry talked about the specific evolution of Russell & Mackenna chairs.  Excess demand required excess capacity, and there were orders placed that had to be met.  Larry sought out and found trust, cooperation, and support in a community of Mennonite craftsmen that eventually took over furniture production for Russell & Mackenna entirely.

Print communication was critical to the Russell & Mackenna business three years ago.  Lauren sees their catalog as the most important tool in establishing their business. Now Russell & Mackenna are branching into using social media marketing, and recently launched an e-commerce Website. Now Lauren sees print media becoming secondary to the company’s online presence.  They are watching their client base becoming more comfortable with making major purchases online and are starting to see the tipping point of the Russell & Mackenna brand’s growing popularity.

Daughter Lauren Russell and her father Larry Strassner, Creative Director and President respectively of Russell and Mackenna.

Lauren and Larry sent us away with a fresh outlook, an energized feeling of being among optimistic entrepreneurs and a set of coordinating Russell & Mackenna hats. When we left I could vividly picture one day having our own coastal home, where Trent will surf daily and I will enjoy the afternoons watching light on the water. I can picture a certain quality of life there.  The broad skies, the smell of the ocean and the realization of dreams.

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.

Washington DC

Pinnacle East

It was the first real spring day in Washington DC. Bright green studded the tree tips, a soft afternoon breeze emptied the city on a late Friday afternoon. Three suits, smiles and sunglasses approached and crossed the street. We sat down under the dappled light to speak with Undrea Wright, Andre Johnson and Dehja Bower of Pinnacle East, Inc.

Pinnacle East, Inc. is a private equity firm. Their main goal is to help entrepreneurs satisfy their dreams.  Many people have a great idea, but need help, strategy and funds.

The average investment at Pinnacle East is a million dollars. Many people who begin a business aren’t yet planning for the full marketing that they need, and Pinnacle East helps the entrepreneur to plan for growth and get the funding upfront for that growth.

The team of Pinnacle East: Andre Johnson, Dehja Bower and Undrea Wright.

Part of Pinnacle East’s role is to help the dreamer understand how a dream can be translated into the business world and to help the entrepreneur through the hurdles of starting a business. They believe that with the right tools, every entrepreneur can be successful.

The team at Pinnacle East is passionate about what they do.  They are firm believers in the entrepreneurial spirit and they see a revolution in entrepreneurship as a way to get our country back on track – and they are committed to bringing this vision to the rest of the country.

Dehja sees Pinnacle East as a firm that places a tremendous value on the people with whom they work.  This team is about bringing back the fundamentals: leadership, integrity, stick-to-itiveness, and a focus on goals. Andre cautions that budding entrepreneurs may think that all they need is a business plan. A business plan is only the foundation.  Entrepreneurs need a larger strategic plan that can reinvigorate their passion, and stay on track to accomplish their goals and their dreams. Pinnacle East helps business owners stay invigorated.  Andre wants them to feel that ‘Day One’ passion  and excitement everyday.

Pinnacle East leverages networks of local professionals, networks of financial capital, and their own resources to give their clients access that many new companies don’t have when they start out. They support entrepreneurs by helping them take the risks necessary for their business.

Pinnacle East finds that a lot of people don’t have a strategy for their business. If they do have a strategy, or a mission statement, many times they aren’t following it as years go by. Undrea referenced Michael Gerber and his concept of The E-Myth and advises, “Allow yourself to have a big vision. Be passionate about it. Build a strategy, and plan the tactics.”  This where Undrea Wright sees many small business owners flailing.

Dehja acknowledged that this is tough for entrepreneurs. We can easily fall into the ‘do it ourselves’ mindset. She advises to get the help you need in the beginning to avoid struggling later.  In the age of the instantaneous and Web 2.0 there isn’t a big window for you to get it right.  If you make a mistake, get overwhelmed, and clients notice, your market will also know about it.

Marketing comes into play after you line up strategy, tactics and resources. Many people don’t have solid strategies, and don’t have tactics to back up their strategies.  Just having a great product and great customer service isn’t enough, said Andre.  Part of their not-so-secret sauce is that Pinnacle East sets up their small business clients with Infusionsoft, which is also the main financial sponsor of the American Entrepreneur Project.  Pinnacle East uses Infusionsoft with their clients to make sure the small business owners have the tools to build a relationship with potential customers. Infusionsoft’s automated marketing system allows entrepreneurs to interact with customers in a one-on-one, personalized way rather than shouting a generic message to everyone.

Undrea jokes that his journey to becoming an entrepreneur began because he was a terrible employee. After his fifth year in the military, he realized he never wanted to work for someone else again. He felt that the customer service experience was lacking everywhere he went and he wanted to do something about it. Now he focuses on listening to the customer, sharing knowledge and building community. For Undrea there is a direct correlation between the hard work and focus he puts into his business and his success.

Dehja reflects that she had done very well in the corporate environment. Though she fit in, she realized that there was something bigger out there. She yearned for something different where she could set her own destiny. She found that working for someone else committed her to working on what she had to do, rather than what she wanted to do.  She could stay in the corporate environment that was deemed safe (Dehja now smirks that corporate ‘safety’ is laughable), or she could take a risk and be an entrepreneur.  For Dehja, she had reached the point where she needed to be fulfilled at a different level.

Andre’s path began with a crossroad that many of us have faced.  After the proverbial look in the mirror, he considered his identity, who he really was and who he really wanted to be. This introspection is something that he sees as quintessential to the entrepreneurial spirit. Andre knew that he was ready to take the risk. Fortunately Andre already had some experience as a business investor and for him, the fear of jumping off the cliff easily became the exhilaration of skydiving.

On the steps leading to the Capitol Building, the team at Pinnacle East

Pinnacle East considers the DC metro area as a catalyst for business growth. This is where the iron is hot.  Surrounded by an uplifting community, the nation’s capitol is full of successful business people.  Undrea believes that it is here that one can find mentors, and a community to whom you can bring value. This is a region that will help take your business where you want it to go.

DC is a government worker hub, which Pinnacle Easts sees as an exciting challenge. Along those lines, Undrea shared his favorite Latin motto: De oppresso liber [Free The Oppressed].

Dehja sees DC as a wonderful place with a recently renewed energy and enthusiasm. There is a climate of ambition.  People are more open and receptive to change, whether that means following their dreams or seeking new careers.

Andre tells us we shouldn’t forget the capitalist ideas that this country was founded on when considering the opportunism that exists today.  The American dream is attainable. It is something that we can aspire to, be it a four-bedroom house with an acre of land and a white picket fence, or in whatever form it exists for you.  That white picket fence, Trent suggested, is just a metaphor for stability.

Pinnacle East wants to help you attain your version of the American Dream.  It was inspiring to talk with this team of entrepreneurs who are looking forward.

The Capitol building in Undrea’s sights.

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.

VIP Auto Appearance

Charles C. Mack Sr. and Charles C. Mack Jr. run VIP Auto Appearance, an auto detailing service center serving the Washington DC area from their shop and the rest of the world from their online store.

Charles Sr. began VIP 29 years ago. He was looking for a low-cost start up business and came across an auto detail franchise idea that was operated out of the trunk of a car. Thus he began, not needing the preliminary investment of a garage, and was able to bring his service to people’s driveways.

Charles Sr.’s story reflected many of the themes we have found in our American Entrepreneur Project: he didn’t want to have his income dictated to him. He wanted to plant a seed of inspiration for the next generation.  He was willing to bootstrap his business and plan its growth.

Charles C. Mack, Sr. explaining how he bootstrapped the launch of  VIP Auto Appearance nearly 30 years ago.

Charles Jr. was officially hired by his father at 17 years old, but has memories that reach further back. In seventh grade, Charles Jr. was able to save enough money from working long days at his father’s garage to buy five pairs of shoes for school, one for each day of the week. Now that he has grown into becoming a partner in the business, Charles Jr. is leading his father and VIP into online networking and social media marketing.

Charles C. Mack Jr., still loving his sneakers, in the first bay of the VIP Auto Appearance Service Center in Clinton, Maryland.

Trent and I watched as staff brought a VIP customer his car.  Three workmen walked around the car inspecting it from rim to rim, alongside the customer. Careful delivery of a product – this was clearly a gesture of concern for customer service, making sure everything was done exactly right.  The evident craftsmanship and care was  impressive to see in a service industry.  The customer drove away personally knowing the eight hands that lovingly worked on his car.  That’s the kind of customer service that builds word of mouth and has VIP Auto winning the awards that are peppered throughout the small section of the waiting room that served as an office for Jr. and Sr.

Charles Sr. told us anyone can clean a car, accessorize a car, but you need the right words and skills to show  love and respect for someone’s car in addition to actually doing it. He reminded us that it’s not only knowing who your client is, but knowing how to talk to them about your service and your product.  VIP has developed a workflow that reflects their brand and is mindful of time and quality.  Anyone who trains in this system can walk into a job and keep continuity for the customer.

The customer service oriented team at VIP Auto Appearance at their Clinton Maryland service Center.

(l-r) Kevin Coates, Charles C. Mack Jr., Jovan Douglas and Charles C. Mack Sr.

A certain amount of trust is necessary to run a detailing shop.  It’s about word of mouth. It’s about community reputation. It’s about setting your image apart.  It’s about keeping a promise to your client.  Charles Jr. suggests that being a father and son business might strengthen public perception of this trust.

As a father-son business, how do they delegate responsibility?  Charles Sr. sees his strengths in the science and mechanics behind their services. Charles Jr. is all about creating streamlined systems.  Maintaining quality is a shared duty not only between the Macks but also amongst the entire staff. Charles Jr. told us that his father is the one who is more comfortable walking into local chamber of commerce meetings to hand out cards and talk about the business.  He, instead, focuses on online networking.

Charles Jr. is embracing social networking and internet marketing, and sees his relationship with Infusionsoft as a large part of that.  He uses the company’s marketing automation software – a combination of CRM, email marketing and e-commerce – to put communication with VIP’s customers and prospects on autopilot. He looks to Infusionsoft for ideas, too and dreamed up some creative marketing and sales campaigns to keep sales flowing even as the economy slowed. Infusionsoft sets an example by being heavily engaged with its customers and prospects online and on social networks, including one of the hottest new networks, Twitter.

For a business that relies heavily of word of mouth, VIP has transitioned into the social media arena by being visible on FaceBook and MySpace. They have an interactive Website with integrated shopping cart and multiple domain names. VIP works hard to keep a strong presence on the Internet, particularly in their local area, and to maintain high placement in the major search engines. VIP Auto uses Infusionsoft to capture and maintain the contact information of clients.  Automated Infusionsoft processes are in place to send information on the specifics services that that clients choose to receive, and keep in contact with their broad customer base.

Impala rims, glinting in the driveway of VIP Auto Appearance Service Center.

Impala owned by VIP Auto Appearance employee Kevin Coates.

Charles Jr. admits that the services VIP offers are want, not need-based and the turn in the economy has affected the auto detailing business. Charles Sr. sees this as a period where we all, as entrepreneurs, have to work harder.  With the recession, VIP Auto Appearance is staying on the forefront by continuing to build their marketing efforts. This year VIP is ready to focus on product sales, automated drop shipping to clients, and Charles Jr. is concentrating on building readership on the new VIP blog – coming very soon!

Charles Jr. ended our interview with these words : “Business is business.” It is such a cliché, so commonly used, that people don’t think about what it means.  If you are going into business, you need to understand that a good doctor’s office runs the same way as a good gas station.  Entrepreneurs need to understand the systems of running a successful business and apply that to the business they want to create.  Right now a good plan is not going to work.  You need a great plan, great marketing, and an understanding of who your client is.

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.

DC Metro Food Tours

DC Metro Food Tours offers guided walks merging history, architecture and food in selected DC neighborhoods.  The tours encompass several stops at local restaurants where participants enjoy small plates of food specifically designed for the tour.  Each stop builds on the neighborhood’s history.

Jeff Swedarsky, founder of DC Metro Food Tours, saw his own neighborhood, Old Town Alexandria, as a great place to begin. Old Town was originally part of the District of Colombia.  It was a colonial town that grew up on the banks of the Potomac along with Georgetown.  Because of it’s history and small size, it made an ideal location for launching the first food tours.  DC Metro Food Tours has now expanded into other neighborhoods that have a diverse history and interesting culinary scene.

Jeff Swedarsky, founded DC Metro Food Tours, inspired by a lifelong love of food, and a commitment to promote locally owned and operated restaurants.

Jeff invited us to join him on one of his afternoon tours.  We had our dog Sadie with us, so we were unfortunately not able to take the full tour. Jeff suggested instead that we meet him at the last stop on the tour at Old Town Coffee Tea & Spice. He saved us a few pieces of Alexandria Jelly Cake and some glasses of iced tea.  Jeff wouldn’t consider a visit to DC complete without savoring a local dish.

Old Town Coffee Tea & Spice is one of those tucked away treasures that seems like only locals know. I had to check the address twice.  A tiny sign placed high up in the window told me we were there. Long counters held rows of burlap bags brimming with coffee beans and every surface was adorned with an organized assortment of tea and coffee drinking paraphernalia.  It was clear from this choice of location that DC Metro Tours was about authenticity.

Don’t miss the small sign, Old Town Coffee Tea and Spice.

A slice of Jelly Cake, an Alexandria classic, served at Old Town Coffee Tea and Spice, one of the DC Metro Food Tours stops.

Jeff always wanted to be an entrepreneur.  He had a deep and vibrant love of life – specifically for food, travel and history.  Taking this relatively abstract passion and turning it into a real product was a challenge.  A great deal of planning and logistics goes into DC Metro Food Tours.  For each new tour, Jeff labors to bring other small business owners on board and incorporate them into his vision.

Jeff feels that the energy and entrepreneurial spirit is strong in DC; the founding tenets of the nation are based on people building things they believe in.  He finds great joy in building his business, creating jobs and building his local economy – while indulging his love of food, travel and history. In order to put money back into the business, Jeff works for the government as a consultant.

Preserving and continuing the local culinary heritage of his own neighborhood Jeff Swedarsky,

founder of DC Metro Food Tours stands in one of his top Old Town spots, Old Town Coffee Tea and Spice.

Jeff’s greatest hope for the coming year is to continue to build his community, one of the major responsibilities he has identified for his company.  In the next year, DC Metro Food Tours is looking to add more tours and increase the number of tour guides.  Jeff hopes DC Metro Food Tours will make an impact economically in DC.

Jeff’s advice to us all?  “Don’t let the recession be an excuse for failure.  Make it the reason you find the answer.”

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.

Louisville

Miller-Diehl Construction & Insurance Restoration

Mark is inspired by entrepreneurship.  His first business was selling baseball cards.  He quickly realized he was making more in this side business than he was at the accounting firm where he was employed.  After being a staff accountant, Mark had a short adventure as a candy store owner, but knew that also wasn’t for him. He was just treading water, working more hours a week than he wanted to, looking for something with promise, something that he could see a future in for himself.

As a homeowner, Mark had an inherent interest in real estate and had already bought rental properties.  When the chance to purchase an established construction company came up, he decided to go for it.

Miller-Diehl had grown for several generations in Louisville under one family.  The last of the family was retiring, and Mark took over the reigns.

Mark Spencer, owner of Miller Diehl Construction, on site.

Miller-Diehl’s business is diversified with many types of client so that the crew has work throughout the year. Insurance restoration is half of their business and the other half is petitions remodels and kitchens.  Winter is typically a slow period for most contractors, but it is a time when the most flood and fire damages occurs in the home. He sees this as a unique differentiator for a construction company in the Louisville area.  Mark told us that Miller-Diehl is very busy this year, mostly due to a season of hurricane winds and ice storms.

Mark spoke at length about building a business with employees. People work harder if they like and respect you, and Mark works hard to build a team relationship. Coming into an established business can be difficult, but Mark prioritized the expertise of his employees and made his role to do the bidding and the administration, which made for a smooth transition.

Miller-Diehl is having its best year; business is up over 50% from a year ago, though Mark was cautious, explaining that he felt much of the company’s recent success was related to the atypical storms that came through Louisville the previous winter.

Mark’s story is a familiar one.  The threat of becoming the company man, who at 55, is told that the company doesn’t need him.  The veteran company man who is replaced by someone younger, more technically savvy and less expensive.  Mark knew this was not where he wanted to see himself, so he took control of his fate.  As an entrepreneur the ceiling is as high as you dream it, but that’s tempered, Mark reminded us, with a floor that is a lot lower.

As for Mark?  He likes the risk.

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.

Lone Oak Organics

Welcome and congratulations to Adam Theurer and Alex Wander, founders of Lone Oak Organics, the first certified organic hydroponic greenhouse in the St. Louis area – today is the company’s official grand opening.

Adam and Alex see themselves as stewards of the environment. They are promoting organic food as a way to get St. Louis eating healthier and more nutritious food. Lone Oak Organics is very conscious of the effects of traditional agriculture on the land and have incorporated environmentally conscientious practices into their business.

Lone Oak currently focuses on growing locally grown organic culinary herbs. They grow peppermint, chives, sage, oregano,  savory, arugula,  parsley, dill, cilantro and of course, basil. Offering a locally grown, organic alternative eliminates the need for grocers to fly culinary herbs from Southern California.

Hydroponic watering in action.

Like Paul Scheiter of Hedgehog Leatherworks, Adam and Alex graduated in 2008 from St. Louis University’s Center for Entrepreneurship at the John Cook School of Business, facing one of the worst years in decades for business major graduates.  Adam had a background in agriculture and access to his family’s land.  Alex has a background in marketing.  They met in the SLU Entrepreneurship Program, and joined forces to start their own company,  launching Lone Oak Organics ten months ago.

Adam sees the recession as being a key component to the sucesss of their start up.  Building the greenhouse was less expensive than it would have been a few years ago.  They were able to purchase equipment secondhand at a discount.  The higher cost of gas has actually worked in their favor, driving up the cost of purchasing organic herbs from out of state.

Maintaining a healthy environment is important to both Adam and Alex.  They see green business as the place to be, and are ready to position Lone Oak ahead of the local St. Louis market.  They plan to eventually be in downtown St. Louis, developing an urban organics center for fresh produce. The stacked hydroponics growing system maximizes the use of space and during the cold winters of St. Louis when the temperature can drop to near zero, the Lone Oak greenhouses are heated with a wood-burning furnace, using a renewable fuel source.

Adam Thuerer and Alex Wander stand amongst the basil, at the Hillsboro based Lone Oak Organics, that supplies locally grown organic culinary herbs to St. Louis.

Adam Thuerer, co-founder and Operational Manager of Lone Oak Organics, changed his shirt, and began harvesting some basil for us to sample.

Alex Wander,  co-founder and marketing specialist of Lone Oak Organics, shows us some fresh mint in the Hillsboro greenhouse.

Alex says that although Lone Oak is in start up mode now, the business has the potential to thrive. Alex and Adam are invested in building a strong client base in their community.  Lone Oak is actively available to their customers: offering booths at Farmer’s Markets, demonstrations in local supermarkets and building a stockpile of herb-based recipes on their Website.

Adam and Alex are thrilled to be working in sustainable agriculture and providing healthy food for St. Louis.  Currently, Lone Oak is looking for additional financing to expand their greenhouses and connect with other growers.  They are working on creating streamlined systems to grow their business efficiently, and bring their local market what it wants.  Lone Oak is also actively looking for a botany and horticulture consultant.  Please contact Alex Wander directly at alex(dot)wander(at)loneoakorganics(dot)com if you are interested in learning more about Lone Oak Organics.

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.

Hedgehog Leatherworks

Embrace the wild.  It’s the first covenant of Paul Scheiter’s business, Hedgehog Leatherworks. It’s also the way he lives his life.  On the surface Hedgehog Leatherworks seems to be simply a company that makes leather sheaths. That is what they do, but it’s not all that they are.

Paul Scheiter, founder of Hedgehog Leatherworks, in one of his boyhood stomping grounds outside St. Louis, Missouri.

Paul wants to change the lives of as many people as possible, by allowing them to experience nature and the wild in the same way he experiences it: without fighting, without conquering or muscling through.  Hedgehog embraces the idea that we can all be a part of the woods.  The irony, Paul explained, is that embracing the wild is the most comfortable way to be in the outdoors. The more you resist, he says, the more tension you create.  Could we use this metaphor for business? Should we, as entrepreneurs, embrace the wild? Choose the path of least resistance?

Paul maintains that this core value helps him align a good team at Hedgehog.  Not only do his employees need to be capable of doing the work, but they also need to understand and practice an ‘embrace the wild’ mentality.  Paul said, “They need to be fans of the brand before they can truly come in and grow our brand.”

Most companies say thatthey stand for good quality products and strong customer service, but these values are generic.  We do business in a world where that is not enough.  Paul knows that generic business values don’t have substance and don’t truly explain who he is and what Hedgehog stands for.  As entrepreneurs, we all need to be very specific in how we self-define, so that we can build a brand and build a tribe.  Paul gets this.

Paul models using a Hedgehog Leatherworks sheath.

Paul brought Hedgehog Leatherworks to life while attending the undergraduate program in entrepreneurship at St. Louis University‘s Center for Entrepreneurship at the John Cook School of Business. The program is known for its practical approach to teaching business and it is also behind the Global Student Entrepreneurship Awards (GSEA), which recognizes full-time students that are also full-time business owners. In 2006 Paul placed 2nd in the competition out of roughly 300 international submissions from around the world.

Placing in the GSEA put Paul into networking circles where he eventually met fellow entrepreneur and author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, Mike Michalowicz.  Their values meshed. They hit it off. Ultimately, Mike’s firm became an investor in Hedgehog Leatherworks. (As a side note, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur is a supporter of the American Entrepreneur Project!)

Less than a year later, here we are, chatting about business with Paul and listening to his advice. Paul encouraged other entrepreneurs to be focused, to look for the first step, take it, and then look for the next step.

The first step is the hardest, in life and in business. You can’t get caught up in anxiety so much that you don’t make the first step.  Doing it once, you realize that it wasn’t so scary.  And after a while, Paul told us, you get acclimated to experiencing that fear.  Now he knows that fear means that he is on the verge of breaking through to the next step.  And in this way, he’s embracing the wild of entrepreneurship.

Paul shows us how to start a fire.

We want Paul on our team! Read more about The Way of Hedgehog at the Hedgehog Leatherworks Website.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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

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.