Interview Report
Mitsuko Nakajima
Rodney MacGregor
BUS-1177-C03 Entrepreneurship
February 14, 2014
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Different motivations and reasons make a person become an entrepreneur; to seize an
opportunity, attain a goal, have the ‘power’ to lead, fulfill economic necessities, generate and
possess money, etc. Whatever the reason might be, starting a business will—for the most
part—be a long, rigorous process, and possibilities of failing cannot be discarded. Cheryl
Meheden, owner of Urban Grocer, opened her business—a grocery store—on the landmark
of London Road Tin Tin building, to provide specialty, commodity, innovative, and creative
products to local grocers. Although she faced adversities to reach her goal, several factors
need to be highlighted since it helped her to become the successful entrepreneur she is today:
be passionate for what you do (and work because you are passionate, not for money or status),
have a positive attitude, accept failure as an impulse to reach your goal, be organized, have
integrity, reliability and responsibility, and be a team builder.
While it is likely that many people work to make a profit—and having a good salary is
satisfactory—working for money, in the long-run, will leave you with a sense of emptiness,
and your commitment to work will be diverted. This is why many successful entrepreneurs
emphasize in working because you are passionate about it, not for the assets you gain or the
status you win. Being an entrepreneur is not becoming rich; it is the business of becoming the
best. Cheryl has given emphasis to this, proving that passion comes first—cash will come
along. As an entrepreneur, she demonstrates that there is no motive in working for money:
you do not have the energy, you do not care enough to make your business work, and
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therefore, profits will never be what you expect. When working for money, you might be
‘okay’; however, you will never be great or satisfied. Question yourself: how is an
entrepreneur be likely to overcome hard times that occur certainly in the business if he/she
has no passion/interest? The answer is simple: there is no way problems will be overcome
because it is the passion that gives you the power and fuel to drive toward success.
One of the common characteristics of a successful entrepreneur is the positive attitude.
Being a hard worker, determined, committed, perseverant, and initiative are keys to success
in the world of entrepreneurs. Cheryl says: “You have to stick with it and work very hard! Be
prepared to work long hours…and also to lose everything and still work very hard”. In order
to succeed in the world of business, you have to have an attitude of “I can”; that is very
essential and crucial. Anyone can complain when situations do not turn out the way we want
to. Cheryl, who started her business alone with no help, could have simply started
complaining because the situation was tough, or abandon her goal (of establishing her
grocery store) when things did not work accordingly to her plan; however, she knew that
would not get her anywhere because that would turn her into an apathetic and miserable
person. Instead, her attitude of “I can” pushed her to take her to stand where she is today.
And this is not only in the business world; life is also about having the attitude that one can
accomplish anything if he/she is determined and committed to do so. Even the smallest task
of completing an assignment for school is having a positive attitude of “I can do this. I will
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finish it. I will do it.” It is very hard, sometimes, to fail and have the impulse to start again.
As humans, we tend to complain as soon as obstacles appear in the way. But all of these are
ideas in our mind that keep us from flourishing. Every human has the capacity to achieve
anything they want to, and often, this thought is what makes someone successful; in fact,
regardless of the results, success is already accomplished when you have this attitude.
Organization is another quality that builds successful entrepreneurs. Having plans,
balancing work time and personal and familiar time, and managing money and time wisely
are keys to success, and we achieve all of these through organization. For example, I can
have all of the money I want; however, if I don’t organize my plans (wisely), I will likely be
failing to invest/use my money correctly, thus losing more money than my profit. Cheryl
greatly emphasizes in the idea that we have to know how to plan. She says: “You cannot be
successful without organizing or planning”.
No person has ever been successful through dishonesty, unethical and immoral
behaviors. There is no denial that in the short-run, they might have accomplished something;
however, in the long-run, failing is awaiting them. Cheryl is a great example of an ethical,
responsible, honest, and moral person. You do not realize these characteristics just by looking
at her, but through the prosperous venture she owns: loyal employees, faithful clients, good
profit, and stability (in the venture). By having an honest, loyal and ethical character, she
gains workers who are totally committed and engaged in their work who provide an
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excellent—rather than ordinary—performance; she builds solid relationship. Also, she is
gaining customers’ support by being socially responsible—being ethical and moral to society
and environment—and by providing customers what they want to give total satisfaction.
Then, by having loyal customers, profit is made because consumers will be willing to
purchase her products. All of these will add up in helping the organization achieve its goals
and missions, having positive business results.
There is no person in the history that has achieved success overnight. Success is often a
long process that requires time, positive attitude, organization, integrity and responsibility.
Cheryl Meheden, having a successful business, teaches and inspires many people that if she
succeeded, then anyone can too. It just takes the combination of certain factors and the will to
do it to reach any goal you trace. In summary, it is just as Colin Powell says: “There are no
secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
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Works Cited
Colin Powell. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved February 14, 2014, from
BrainyQuote.com
Web
site:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/colinpowel121363.html
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Stephenson, James. "25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs."
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