The Goizueta Business School of Emory University hosted a Spring 2008 Entrepreneurial Leadership Event on Wednesday night, April 23, 2008 that featured:

• David Duncan, CEO of Paddywax, Inc. and President of The Atlanta Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
• S. Dee Davis, CEO of Digital Visual Display Technologies, Inc.
• Mike Landman, Founder and CEO of Ripple, Inc.
• Jeff Hilimire, Co-Founder and President of Engauge Digital (formerly Spunlogic)

The event drew a large (100+) and diverse crowd of mostly students and entrepreneurs.  When one panelist asked how many in the room were business owners, about half of the hands were raised.  The dialogue was frank and provided insights into the reasoning and drive that helped each entrepreneur endure the challenges that business owners face.

The best way to disseminate the information that the seasoned entrepreneurs shared is to list out some of my favorite highlights from the panel (paraphrased by me).  David Duncan did a great job of moderating, so most of the answers did not come from him.

What is your best entrepreneurial advice?
Dee Davis: You have to lead by example and take the pulse of the business frequently.
Mike Landman: It is easy to take on more risk when you are young because you have less to risk.
Jeff Hilimire: You have to be “all in” to start a business.  There is no pressure for you to give the business a 100% chance when it is only a hobby.

How do you recommend building a team?
Dee Davis: You need a relatively flat structure when the company is young.
Mike Landman: We use a lot of pre-hire testing and multiple interviews.
Jeff Hilimire: Promoting from within is the best practice. 

What is the best advice you have been given?
Dee Davis: “Energy and persistence conquer all things” – Ben Franklin
“Get out of your comfort zone!” – Bob Parsons
Mike Landman: “Fight through the brick walls that are everywhere.” - Randy Pausch (Carnegie Mellon Professor)
Jeff Hilimire: “Lead by example” and “Passion, Intelligence, and Hard Work are the three most important traits of an entrepreneur.”

What is the one thing that you wish you knew when you started your business?
Dee Davis: I am not the smartest guy in the room, so try to fill the room with smart guys.
Mike Landman: Marketing and managing cash flow.
Jeff Hilimire: How to hire the right person.

What is your best marketing advice?
Dee Davis: Think in different ways from your competitors.  Get out there and meet people.
Mike Landman: Pick a small enough niche to become an expert in that space.
Jeff Hilimire: Become a thought leader and host private events that show off this leadership.

How do you go about finding the best sales person for your team?
Dee Davis: Incent your sales people REALLY well.  Some may make more than the CEO.
Mike Landman: Be your company’s best salesperson.
Jeff Hilimire: Find someone with skills, but who you are also really comfortable with, as they will be representing you! 

Jeff also gave a plug to yours truly, which was an unexpected bonus…

Everyone who attended the event was highly engaged, and they seemed very appreciative of the wisdom that the panel imparted.

(Panelists: S. Dee Davis, Mike Landman, and Jeff Hilimire)

(Emory Entrepreneurship Event Audience)

After spending almost eight years with KnowledgeStorm, which was acquired by TechTarget (NASDAQ: TTGT) in November 2007 for $58 million, I finally decided to make the leap into the interactive agency world.  

Spunlogic president and CEO, Jeff Hilimire had been talking to me for years about how his organization was growing and would need someone to lead his business development and marketing teams.  Despite the emergence of Spunlogic as one of the premier interactive agencies in the Southeast and quite possibly the nation (doubling in size and revenue and making the Inc. 5000 list in 2007), it was clear that they could use my help responding to massive list of inquires from companies that want to work with Spunlogic, and frankly I was excited for a new challenge. 

In the tradition of the clichéd practice of a “Top 10 List”, I would like to share with the reasons that I chose to join the team at Spunlogic: 

1. Incredibly talented, brilliant, and creative people 
2. Phenomenal clients from some of the top brands in the world 
3. Prospective clients pursuing Spunlogic to do work 
4. World class behavioral research and user experience design 
5. Excellent balance between marketing and development 
6. Cutting edge projects that “push the envelope” 
7. Team environment with service focused colleagues 
8. Reputation as a classy organization that produces only top quality work 
9. Unparalleled flexibility to meet clients’ needs 
10. Fun atmosphere 

It is important to love what you do (if you do not, then I strongly advise you to make a change NOW).  I am very confident that I made a great decision to join the team at Spunlogic.  I look forward to sharing our successes with you over the coming years!