The Entrepreneurial Mindset Project Gary Schoeniger

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Project. Today I’m speaking with Rodney Walker.
 
This is truly an amazing story you won’t want to miss.
 
Raised on the south side of Chicago, Rodney was born to parents who both struggled with addiction. At the age of five, he was cast into the foster care system, where he was separated from his parents and siblings. As he put it, he felt like life was happening to him, that he had no control over his circumstances.
 
While the foster care system kept him in school, he struggled to keep pace, often finding himself in after school detention. Little did he know that exposure to entrepreneurship combined with a dedicated mentor would alter the course of his life.
 
Today, Rodney not only holds degrees from Morrehouse College, Harvard and Yale, he is also the author of several books and is now a sought-after speaker and entrepreneur.
 
So without any further ado, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Rodney Walker.

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the entrepreneurial mindset project. Today, I’m speaking with Jim Correll, an everyday entrepreneur who started an entrepreneurial mindset revolution that transformed his community.

At the age of 50, Jim was hired as an outside staff instructor to teach the Successful Entrepreneur Program at a small community college in Independence, Kansas.

At first, his efforts struggled to gain the attention of students who were otherwise focused on a degree. And because he was a non-academic outsider, he wasn't getting much support from faculty and staff.

Yet once he realized he needed to shift his focus from traditional business planning to the entrepreneurial mindset, things began to change as word soon began to spread.

Before long, Jim transformed an abandoned building into a thriving fab lab that soon became a hub of entrepreneurial activity. Soon, he was attracting not only degree-seeking students from the college but also everything from middle schoolers to mid-career adults, retirees, and everything in between. Some were starting businesses, some were reinventing their careers, and some were doing both.

This is a great story that demonstrates how one person can make a difference in their community by taking an entrepreneurial approach to grassroots economic development.

Most city government workers, even though they have a keen eye on business, simply stay where they are and do not venture outside their comfort zone. What would it take for them to unlock their hidden entrepreneurial leadership skills? In this episode, host Gary Schoeniger sits down with Rob Vigil, a retired government worker in the City of Albuquerque. He looks back on his unlikely journey of becoming an entrepreneurial leader within city government, who now encourages others to take action on their entrepreneurial aspirations. Rob shares strategies for overcoming the sphere of failure, the power of constant micro-experimentation, and appreciating the importance of your opinions. 

In this episode, Gary sits down with Joe Jaros, a remarkable entrepreneur who turned a pizza delivery job into a thriving career. Joe's journey is a testament to the transformative power of an entrepreneurial mindset, even in franchise ownership. Hailing from a working-class background in Cleveland, Ohio, Joe's story mirrors the essence of entrepreneurship: solving problems to empower oneself. They delve into crucial aspects of the mindset, from the significance of having a vision and reliability to continuous improvement. Joe emphasizes understanding the needs of both customers and employees. Tune in for a wealth of wisdom applicable to your job, life, or career. Join the conversation with Joe Jaros on this insightful episode!

Today, we're speaking with Susana Cabrera, who is one of the original entrepreneurs featured in the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program.
 
I originally interviewed Susana in 2010, when she was in the first few years of her entrepreneurial journey.
 
Today, I had the chance to catch up with her to revisit her journey and the life lessons she learned along the way.
 
One thing you can say is that she takes the concept of side hustle to a whole new level.
 
Susana built and sold Delicious Bites, a successful food product business—in her spare time—all while raising two children and holding down a full-time job as an executive in a Fortune 500 company!
 
In this episode, we talk about overcoming fear, building resilience, the importance of asking for help, and the power of a compelling goal.

Welcome to another episode of The Entrepreneurial Mindset Project.
 
Today, we're joined by Chad Porter, a young, inventive entrepreneur who is well on his way.
 
While studying biomedical engineering at Ohio State, he noticed that students were hauling fewer books around campus, which required a new type of backpack. All he needed was a prototype that would enable him to test his idea on his fellow students.
 
Once he scraped up the money to buy a sewing machine, he went to work, experimenting with designs. By the time he sold 200 backpacks, he knew he was onto something that had the potential to grow. All he needed was the money to make it happen.
 
Yet he quickly learned that venture capital investment was not readily available to young black entrepreneurs. He had to figure out how to make his business happen some other way.
 
Like most entrepreneurs, Chad’s story is full of challenges and setbacks, as well as unforeseen opportunities. What stood out to me was the combination of passion, optimism, and persistence that enabled him to find a different path.