Guest Speaker: Erik Hanberg

On April 2nd, 2012, our class had the pleasure of listening to a talk from Erik Hanberg.  He has worked in a graphic/web design firm called Mary Holste Design, is a somewhat newly established novelist, and was the founder of a theater company, The Horatio.  Erik's presentation was simple, but effective, as he gave us many things to think about including many tid-bits of advice and the many aspects of being an entrepreneur.  Fear is the one key point that he made that could potentially be the one thing that could hold back a person from achieving great things as an entrepreneur.  There is a lot to be said for taking risks, as Erik has continually done in his career, and if you don't take those risks, you may never realize your full potential.  There are a lot of things to take into consideration when taking the financial and career risks that are sometimes necessary when undertaking such an endeavor.  For example, in Erik's attempt to turn an existing space into a full theater, he didn't take all of the HVAC issues that ended up arising into consideration, so his financial plan for the business ended up being unmanageable.  The main advantage of being a self-employed entrepreneur is the freedom that comes with it.  Being able to sleep in on a Tuesday or take a nap in the middle of any day is quite a perk.  Although I agree that this freedom would be nice, I believe that some structure in life, especially in business, is also a very valuable thing to have.
Having worked at Costco since I was a senior in high school, I put a lot of value in stability.  Having a very well-paying job that offers great benefits and little to no risk of being let go is almost a requirement for me personally.  In my search for a job in the future as a software developer, I hope to find a home at a company that has some of these benefits as well.  Though I will most likely never take the types of paths that Erik has taken in his life, his way of thinking was very inspiring.  Being a musician, I hope to continue to release music and play concerts even after I have a new employer and the new lifestyle that comes with it.  I also enjoy creating tutorials on Youtube for people to learn effective ways to solve problems that I have determined how to solve.  Both of these things could potentially be monetized, and the stories that Erik told hold great knowledge about how to go about doing that well.  Being willing to fail and handle the emotional letdown is a huge risk, and is a very likely reality.  Networking and actually meeting people is also a very important step that will help fuel success as an entrepreneur.  Finally, staying motivated to do work is imperative, and reading books will fuel new ideas and ways of thinking.