Keepers of information, walls to progress, impassable chasms of detriment!

Whichever metaphor you chose each of us has encountered a “Gatekeeper,” these people hold us back, with paperwork, egos, scheduling, anything you can imagine. A lot of problems stem from the inability to get passed these obstacles and achieve our ultimate goals. I wonder how many people have been discouraged to the point of giving up. We need to stay motivated, persevere, and move past these obstacles for our companies to survive.

Consider these responses to the following question:

What is the worst experience you’ve had with a “gatekeeper” and how did you accomplish your goal?

Matt Wilson founder of Under30 CEO

I absolutely hate the gate keepers in large bureaucracies.  This is the entire reason I’m an entrepreneur–I want to control my own initiatives.  In the field of collegiate entrepreneurship it is often frustrating working with big institutions scheduling speaking engagements and programs working with students.  I’d love to put on more seminars but it takes forever to get past the gatekeepers.

My advice would be get to know the gatekeepers–the secretaries who hold the keys to the important people’s schedules, filter emails and setup their phone calls.  Get on their bad side and you are blacklisted forever.

Patrick Sargent founder of Work Your Way Up Productions

When making “Work Your Way Up” I reached out to several very well known entrepreneurs such as “Life is Good” founders Bert and John Jacobs. Obviously the better-known people you have in your film, the more likely people are going to want to watch and hear about those people’s stories. Unfortunately several very prominent entrepreneurs turned me down. In filmmaking people themselves, whether actors in narratives or key interview subjects in documentaries have a huge impact on your film. Having Denzel vs. a no name first time actor can make or break your film. When I became aware that several of the people I was counting on for my documentary were not going to participate I had to search for more entrepreneurs who had intriguing stories as well. I learned that although you may not be able to get the exact people you initially desired, there are always tremendous people out there and many times they would love to participate in your project. The key is finding them and showing them that you have a worthwhile project for them to get involved with.

Mike Thoene founder of Fixit Repair

There are very few gatekeepers in my life, but one that stands out the most would have to be the fact that a paper certificate means so much in this world that it will completely towers over straight experience. For instance, I worked for four years for a single company as the Head IT Technician, without any sort of certificates or anything such as that, sadly that company had to close its doors. I have applied to several other positions that took the exact same skill base, but because of a few required certificates that I did not hold, I did not receive those jobs. I had to move on and create my own company and show all of those folks that I have the knowledge to get the job done efficiently and correctly. But, even still, I find customers calling me up and one of the first questions they ask “Are you Microsoft certified?” Sadly, I am not. I am only A+ Certified and it hurts me that clients don’t know what that means. Because of this paper gatekeeper that seems to be a mile wide, I am working to achieve a Microsoft Certification. Hopefully I will have it within a month. This type of gatekeeper is definitely getting in my way, and I will persevere and overcome!

Rob Ianelli founder of WhatsUpMartha.com

I can’t really say I’ve had “the worst experience” with a gatekeeper, but more importantly, I have these moments all of the time. Pretty much everyday you’re going to encounter a gatekeeper and it’s going to try and push you down through the floor. It’s something that any entrepreneur has to be able to acknowledge and for the purposes of this response, overcome.

One that vibrantly comes to mind is back when I was launching www.WhatsUpMartha.com and I had been reached by one of the local island newspaper reporters about putting together a story. As you can imagine, I was ecstatic and my small team and I were jumping around with the prospect of getting press coverage weeks upon our launch of the business. What was a joy filled moment soon became business reality when the lead editor of the newspaper caught wind of what my company was planning to do (We’re a New Media Company) and squashed the entire article. You can imagine, that I was pretty upset with how we were treated. I needed that press, or at least I “thought” I did.

This editor which feared the shift in media that is already taking place, made sure of it that throughout the entire Summer we had zero press about us, even when other companies we were working with were featured when they put on the events that we co-sponsored. So, I did what I believe is the power of the entrepreneur. I went after every single person in our market, guerrilla style. I found another way to get noticed.

We didn’t advertise, we didn’t make up a ton of stickers and pamphlets, but instead, made up a business card and busted our ___ to get the recognition we needed. What could have really put me in a funk turned out to light a fire inside that has not, and will not ever go away.  We ended up rocking out the initial season and built a ton of traffic and brand recognition without a single piece of traditional advertising.

Bottom line. We didn’t need an article about us.

So, when you’re thinking that there’s just one more person after the other trying to put you in your place, remember it’s going to be like that for a long time. What’s most important is “never staying on the ropes” and keep swinging back. Then, and only then will you be able to take down any gatekeeper and build your business to where it’s meant to be.

Keep swinging.

Musa brings individual expression to every woman who has embraced the high heal. A huge market right, the possibilities are endless for this young start up. Its owner Mallory has her hands full, she is currently designing a “Signature” line, which will allow for a wider customer base. While designing and creating a supply line Mallory also fills custom orders for shoes tailored to the owner’s style. How is this accomplished? Hand-painted, one of a kind creations. Her skills in art and design allow Mallory to create a pair of shoes for any style for the ultimate in exclusivity.

Would you say that a business degree is necessary to success?

I always joke around and say that I have no idea why I went to school for marketing when I should have gone for art. But I definitely think that having a business education is extremely important in order to succeed as an entrepreneur.  Although I am constantly learning and growing as a business owner, I don’t think that I would be where I am if I hadn’t gotten a business degree.  You could have the best product or service in the world but if you don’t know how to properly manage your finances, market your product, manage your customers, etc. then you won’t be able to succeed or grow as a business.  I consider my talent as 20 percent of my success so far and 80 percent of my success is from my business knowledge.

In a recession have you seen problems with charging a premium price? If you have, how have you dealt with them?

I do think that charging a premium price has been an obstacle for me.  To date, I’ve only been taking custom orders which are more expensive.  I think this has been hindering my growth as a business.  This is one reason why I have decided to buy my own Musa-branded shoes and create my Musa Signature Looks which are less expensive than a custom order.  With the Signature Looks I’ll be able to have a wider range of price points so more people can afford a special pair of shoes especially in these difficult times.

What is the biggest obstacle you’ve encountered? How did you get around it?

Fortunately, I haven’t had any major obstacles so far. Other than the challenge of price, I think finding a manufacturer to produce my Musa-branded shoes has been my biggest obstacle.  It has taken me about 3 months to find a manufacturer that has what I need and I am comfortable working with.  However, I have learned that when you are faced with an obstacle to be patient and keep in mind that not everything is going to go as planned.  I stayed patient and determined to find the best manufacturer that I could and I have now found an amazing company that I am really comfortable working with.

What is the biggest success you’ve had? How did it come about?

I don’t think I can pick just one!  Every step that has helped me progress and grow feels like the biggest accomplishment!

I would say that along with finding a manufacturer, one of the biggest successes I’ve had is probably the sale of my first pair of custom shoes.  My brother has been really great with promoting Musa to his friends and my first custom order came from one of his really good friends.  He loves to call himself my unofficial sales force!

If you could share one tip with entrepreneurs just getting started, what would it be?

Be patient but persistent!  This has practically become my daily mantra that I tell myself.  You can plan all you want but you have to know that unexpected issues and delays come up and you must take these as you come.  Nothing is going to happen overnight.  Start-up can be very stressful so I think it is important to let aspiring entrepreneurs know that patience is key to not going insane during the start-up process!

Connect With Mallory, or order some shoes!

Musa’s Official Site and Blog:

Musa on Twitter:

Musa on Facebook:

Enasni clothing is an incredible line designed by Peter Zhang, it is featured in Peter’s store in La Jolla, California. Currently he as store front on Prospect St. it is beautiful, after personally visiting I agree with all of the customers when they say it is the most comfortable and stylish clothing you can buy. Peter’s brand offers a full line from clothing to shorts to dresses, he cooperates with other designers to offer a fully stocked store complete with shoes, purses and other accessories.

How did you go from business school to clothing design?

Business school was a means to an end for me. I never saw it as a direct necessity for what I chose to do and what I will continue to do in life. However, college was a time well spent. If I learned nothing, what college did do for me was, it gave me the time to figure out what my next step was. It gave me time to mature and grow mentally and emotionally.

Is your degree from Bryant a required step to your success?

My choices after business school were a result of following my own desires and ambitions. My degree from Bryant was not required. To be honest, nothing is required. As long as you have a vision and you want to achieve it, you will find a way… like designing clothing.. who needs Parsons? Although, there are always different paths which one can take to increase the chances or rate of success, success in your own terms.

I would have to say, being an entrepreneur, you should value every aspect of your journey… the more you learn and take in at every step, the more prepared you will be in the future.

Could you describe the situation in which you learned the most for your business?

The situations in which I learn the most from are from my biggest mistakes. What just dawned upon me is the idea that it is probably a good thing to make big mistakes when you are young and starting off. If you happen to get lucky and hit a home run on your first try…. remember it was just luck and you learned nothing. You established no concrete cause and effect relationship for your resulting success.  But do that a second time and I will be impressed. Like Malcolm Gladwell says in his book, “The Tipping Point,” you have to spend something like 100,000 hours doing something in order to be a master at it.

What are your current successes and obstacles?

Surprisingly, the first thing that pops into mind in terms of current success is that I am still struggling and pursu

ing what I set off to do a year ago. The biggest requirement for success is that you continue until you succeed. It is a scary thought when you feel like you are deep within a tunnel and the light seems so far off in the distance. Persevere.

My current obstacles are many. The thing I’m struggling most with at the moment is the question of how to bring more local customer to my store, RAD, and how to get the community involved with it. Between adapting and doing whatever it takes to survive as a retail store, I also want to build up my own clothing brand ‘enansi’.

What is the most useful tip you have for entrepreneurs starting out?

For the young entrepreneurs, there really is no one tip that will show you the way. There are a lot of bumps in the road for you to figure out on your own. The more you figure out, the better you are at wh

at you do. With that said, always carry a positive/undefeated attitude. Take every difficulty as something to overcome and grow stronger from. You are young and that is your advantage. Spend the time and enjoy the process of being an entrepreneur because that ultimately is what will turn you into a successful person. It’s the process. It’s the mentality. You might not see immediate results, but as you move along, those who want to succeed or have succeeded, will gravitate towards you. It’s like the law of attraction.

Peter has a lot of experience, he’s been running his store for  over a year now through a recession no less. Visit him on Prospect St. if you’re in the La Jolla area. Or reach out:

Store:     1298 Prospect St (suite 1P)
La Jolla CA, 92037

Website: Enasni

Twitter: Peter Zhang Enasni Clothing

Facebook: RAD Designers

Work Your Way Up Blog(link) is centered around the entrepreneurial dream of creating a company and “working your way up”, it provides inspiration through each video post centered around helping you start you day off right and pursuing your dream lifestyle, using “entrepreneurship as a vehicle to create a lifestyle you are truly passionate about”

Patrick Sargent(twitter) author of the video blog searches through videos bringing you the best motivational content on the web. As a filmmaker he has a passion for quality videos and this website allows him to find you the best in created content while showcasing his own portfolio of work.

Subscribe to his newsletter and receive his videos through your email, each email in your inbox represents and opportunity to be motivated to greatness, my favorite blog post (link) is an emotional video about running. Each time I visit the blog there is a new video pushing me to create better content, more ambitious goals and dreams, as well as contribute to the community around me.

What do you hope to achieve with your blog?

Through my blog I hope to inspire people to do great things, including myself. I’ve found that when searching for inspirational content I come across so many amazing people and stories that truly help me to realize what is possible. I’ve found that I do my most amazing work when I am most inspired. My ultimate hope is that whenever I post a blog post that someone will wake up in the morning, see it in there inbox, click it, watch it and by the end be either smiling, laughing or crying, maybe even all at once. In turn hopefully whatever they just saw inspires and motivates them to achieve something great!

How does your blog represent what you stand for?

I know that I feel the best when I am surrounded by friends and family, having a great time with everything I do, laughing a lot and living life to the absolute fullest. I’ve tried to build a lifestyle where I can do this often and supplement my income while doing it. Have I made it there? NO. Am I on my way? YES. Anyone who’s ever visited my blog knows that this is the environment that’s created on it.

How will you grow it in the future?

I know for sure that the blog needs some changes, definitely a new name, new layout, maybe a variety of videos and articles. To be completely honest I have to take some time to figure out how to mold the blog into everything else I’m doing, and hopefully the start of the new film will give me some insight into how to do that.

What do you foresee for Work Your Way Up Productions?

Obviously Work Your Way Up Productions is an entity through which I create my films, but it’s much more than that. Work Your Way Up Productions will always be a symbol of my ambition to Work My Way Up in life and create films based on topics I’m passionate about. I foresee “Work Your Way Up Productions Presents a film by Patrick Sargent” appearing at the beginning of each film I make to represent where I started and where I’ve come. I see nothing but growth in the future.

What are you doing now to further your brand and build a presence online and offline?

To further build my brand I’m focusing on what I’m passionate about and finding ways to create projects that truly represent who I am as a person. I’m very excited to start my next film because I know it does this. Both offline and online I’m working to build a brand which focuses on having fun while achieving great things. To further the process I’m working to create a presence online through all vehicles possible. I feel that being authentic both offline and online will be essential to my success.

Visit his blog, twitter or check out his film.

Business Background -

Mike Thoene has been helping friends and family with the whole gamut of computer problems, he is A+ certified and has never let me down. I switched to Mac and he is still helping me when I get frustrated with a programming or firmware issue. He just started a blog a little while back and he has been typing his heart out about helpful suggestions that will make your user experience better, our computers should be our friends not our headaches.

Listing his skills would take forever and you probably wouldn’t know what half of the stuff meant, I just know that whenever my computer was “sick” he could fix it. This post is more of a testimonial and interview but I suppose that is ok if someone happens to find Mike or his start-up tips useful.

He started a computer repair service that changes the game while offering many of the favorite amenities. He doesn’t charge and upfront fee like Geek Squad, and this one differentiation has him driving all over, but raking in profits! He makes in-home visits to “sick” computers spreading covering a wide area around Naperville, IL curing many computer-based headaches. He offers online consulting to attempt to help people outside of his range.

Start-Up Questions

What lead you to start your own company?

I couldn’t really find a job that was right for me, I looked for months and everything was solely purposed on sales and retail, definitely not what I wanted to be doing my whole life. Even companies like GeekSquad ended up wanting someone who was more of a salesperson than someone who actually knew how to get the job done right, and that really upset me. So after repairing computers and networks for so many years without it being a true form of income I decided to start FixIt and make a place for myself in the world.

What’s different about Fixit Repair that makes it so successful?

I am not sure if this is different, but I have read some stories online about some companies taking weeks to get a simple repair job like adding a hard drive, I have been told that I “deliver like Dominoes”, meaning I will get it done and get it back to you in the smallest amount of turnover possible, usually finishing a job overnight or even same-day. Also on that same idea, if I was to get a call at around noon, I’d try to be at your door by 1:00. Most places would never dream of doing that, but I know what kind of services I would like, so I try to give that to everyone I can. “Treat others how you would like to be treated” -Mom

What is the best marketing outlet you’ve found?

Well, I have been keeping my business relatively local which has kept my gas costs and travel low, and I would have to say the best outlet would be my neighborhoods monthly newsletter. Seems strange, but it’s extremely cheap and probably 70% of my calls are from people saying “I saw your name in the Pathfinder and..” it’s really nice to hear those type of statements, it really makes it feel like I am getting my monies worth. The Internet has gotten me a few calls but in the end I would say local friendly advertising has helped out a lot.

What other services are you going to add to continue on your current growth path?

What are you goals for the company? I would love to take GeekSquad out of everybody’s minds and be the only group that is needed for computer repair, obviously that is going to be an extremely tough goal, but it would be amazing to have something like that. I just feel that companies like that aren’t truly helping the customer like they should be; they are in some pseudo-monopolistic mindset. Other than that I would just love to have a more steady flow of clients, I find myself at certain times having little work and that gets quite frustrating, I just need to keep working and keep moving forward no matter what happens, and that shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish.

Would you say you found what you love or there are more ventures for you in the future?

I love doing this work, it’s satisfying and at some times extremely difficult. It definitely makes you think about what you are doing, because you don’t want to hurt the clients computer, and you have an obligation to get it done right the first time. It’s rewarding getting that “Thank you, you are a genius” testimonial, and honestly I would do this work forever if I could get those types of reviews forever.

Contact Mike! Fixit Repair: 630-3631738