Josh Friedman, Founder & VP Marketing—Eleven Wireless
How would you define what it is to be an entrepreneur?
An entrepreneur is a person willing to go against the system, take inordinate risk and must believe in themselves enough to get through very hard times.
How did you get started as an entrepreneur? What in life prepared you most?
Both of my parents were successful entrepreneurs, which was probably the best training. Nothing formal, but growing up with instability and understanding risk was very helpful. Being comfortable with risk, or at least not afraid of it, is a necessary trait for entrepreneurs. My first hands-on entrepreneurial experience was during college when I ran a painting franchise for two years. Experiencing the freedom and risk in running a business was exciting and clearly my path.
Given the OEN Entrepreneur Awards "rebel" or "renegade" theme, describe how you faced up to and overcame the challenges you faced as an entrepreneur? Can you provide examples?
In building Eleven Wireless, especially as the first business I founded, almost everyone we encountered told us it couldn't be done, that the industry would be taken over by large companies and that I was too young and inexperienced to build and run a company. Almost seven years later, we are the leader in our space, continuing close to 100% growth each year and successful by all measures. Now, I am building a new business, Better World Media Network, and beginning to see the same patterns.
What advice do you have for to someone who wants to be an entrepreneur?
Dig deep and be sure it is a path you are ready to lead down. There are few things more difficult and potentially rewarding in life than building a business from scratch. Find people that can help fill in your weaknesses, whether employees or advisors, and look to them to provide understanding of things you may not know.