“Successful entrepreneurs do not wait until the Muse kisses them and gives them a bright idea; they go to work!” – Peter Drucker
Our recent interview with Brad Ouderkirk reminded us that the founders of high-growth companies don’t take no for an answer. In the words of the late Peter Drucker, “they go to work!” Five years ago, Brad was a successful general contractor who hated the leaky gas cans he often had on his job sites. So he began building lots of wooden prototypes of spill-proof gas cans that would be safer and easier to use. After five years of innovation, Brad launched “SureCan.” He has never looked back!
Over the past two years Brad’s spill-proof SureCan has won numerous awards, including the “Most Innovative New Product Award” at the National Hardware and the Retailers Choice Award. He has national distribution in thousands of stores like Lowes, Ace Hardware, TruValue, and 300 stores in Utah. His advice to other entrepreneurs is to “keep swimming and ask your self is this impossible or just hard?” We hope you enjoy this interview with Brad Ouderkirk, a successful entrepreneur that had a bright idea and went to work!
We were inspired by the creative mojo we felt during our recent visit with Troy D’Ambrosio and Garrett Holm of the Lassonde Studios. Troy is the inspired Executive Director who worked with one of the University of Utah’s biggest benefactors, Pierre Lassonde, to create a special place where students, researchers, engineers and professors could come together to create new companies. Garrett is the young, determined undergrad that serves as Lassonde’s Company Launch Director.
Pierre Lassonde graduated with an MBA from the University of Utah in the early 70’s and became one of the most successful entrepreneurial leaders in the history of mining. He wanted to create an ecosystem for creative thinkers, a place where calculated risks would be celebrated and students pushed themselves to go beyond the obligation of earning great grades and degrees. Troy D’Ambrosio and the students at the U answered the call!
This interview with Troy and Garrett is inspiring on multiple levels. It’s obvious that Troy D’Ambrosio loves what he does and has built a place and a culture to do it well! As we listened to Troy, a successful entrepreneur, and Garrett, a spirited up and comer, it was obvious that everyone is respected and equal. There is no hierarchy at Lassonde, and everyone feels they can achieve anything if they want it bad enough!
Ten years ago, Rhonda Nicoloff became the president of A&K Railroad Materials, the leading supplier of new and used track materials in the United States. But Rhonda’s path to the top of A&K Railroad began in 1991 when she began her career at A&K as an entry level sales professional. She has never looked back!
A graduate of Indiana University, Rhonda has always had her feet firmly planted on the ground. She is quick to credit her success to her parents and the recruited mentors in her life. Yes, Rhonda is the president of a big company in a male dominated field. Yes, before that she was, perhaps, the most successful Vice President of Sales in the railroad supply industry. Yes, she even made time to raise a family and earn her MBA at Harvard.
Rhonda draws from a deep well, and her personal standards are very high. She is very intuitive and very determined. She is a humble, persuasive business leader who knows how to move others to take action. We hope you enjoy Rhonda’s unique story of success in an unlikely industry.