Darren Smith is the originator/owner of Wake Forest Awards & Engraving. He is an energetic entrepreneur with great ideas for the future and it always looking for ways to stay on top. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVe0VtTaEwEMonthly Archives: December 2010
Cohort interview with Mark Peurifoy
Mark Peurifoy is a senior industrial designer brand specialist for B/E Aerospace in Winston-Salem, NC. He has his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and his Masters Degree of Industrial Design from NC State University. He lives in Winston-Salem with his wife and three year old daughter.
Mark is interested in learning about how he can operate the design part of his business in an entrepreneurial fashion. I found it fascinating about how many similarities there were between the business he is in (designing airplane interiors) and the business I am in (the grocery business) even though the businesses are quite different on the surface. When we design stores, we go through a similar process as his company does. The concern for the customer is evident in each business. Mark reflects the airlines’ brand identities in the aircraft interiors that he designs as we also reflect our brand identity when we design stores.
6 Great Interviews with 6 Great Entrepreneurs
I interviewed six entrepreneurs, each for a specific reason that will help me understand facets of my own entrepreneurial journey. I wanted to talk to entrepreneurs that had started in totally different industries, but had the dream to create their own business. I wanted to interview both large and small innovative companies. All in all, this was a fascinating process that allowed me to develop many new contacts and connections in the Winston-Salem, NC community.
If I were to sum up my learnings, it would come down to three words “Follow your dreams”. Everything else seems to take care of itself.
Interview of Kathy Bumgardner, Owner/Operator of Strategies Unlimited, Inc.
Mrs. Bumgardner is currently owner/operator of Strategies Unlimited, Inc a company who offers staff development to school systems across the United States. Kathy has taught in all grades from Kindergarten to eighth grade as well as is certified in grades Kindergarten through twelfth grade. To help tap into her creative side, Kathy sings, plays a little guitar and entertains with a band called Images.
1. Please tell me a little bit about how you got started with Strategies Unlimited, LLC.
I was Curriculum Director for a school system in North Carolina which, when I took the position, was in the bottom 5% of schools in regards to state test scores. In the course of five years, the school went from being one of the lowest performing districts in the state to the district with the second highest scores in the state. It was not my plan to start my own company; it was something that just happened. One day I stepped out of the office and when I came back in, my secretary said some men with suits on were in my office waiting on me. I had no idea who they were; I just thought they were some type of curriculum salespeople. It was when I walked in and introduced myself, that I found out they were from Guilford County Schools. They were wondering if I could come in and see what they could do as a district to improve test scores. That is how it all started. The accomplishment of helping to move the district from a low position to a high position got larger districts attention. I gained credibility. This credibility led to the creation of Strategies Unlimited, Inc.
2. Tell me about Strategies Unlimited, Inc. For ex.: How many employees do you have? Is all of your material of your design or do you simply tweak some of the information that you learn? How many hours do you average working each week? Gross annual revenue?
Well, other than myself, I have one official employee, my husband. I also subcontract with a couple of people to create materials and my daughter who presents sometimes with me. Though these are who I consider my employees, there are others who are critical to my success. For example, I have an organizer who helps organize the back of my vehicle. I do all of my work out of the back of my SUV. I have to have things organized so I can pull what I need when I need it. I have to cart around projectors, laptops, and back up machines. I have to have things to make manipulatives with as well as the manipulatives themselves. One key thing that makes my life easier is surrounding myself with people that help compensate for my shortcomings.
As far as the material goes, I create some of the material myself and some of the material, I modify from others. I just create material for the need at hand.
I work all of the time literally. I get no time off because there is only one of me and a lot of work to be done. When I get home from working with a school system, I still have to constantly look online on the department of public instruction website, etc. to look for things that will be changing and try to figure out how I am going to work with the changes. It is a never ending job but I love it.
How much money do I make? Well let’s just say that I have more money than I have ever dreamed of having.