Deltasig July 09 - Delta Sigma Pi

sq. ft., then another couple of employees, and within threemonths, we were in a 10,000 sq. ft. warehouse. Four years later,we now have over 30 employees and are in 30,000 sq. ft., andstill growing.Q: What was your main career?A: After graduating in 1995, I spent nine years in the entertainmentindustry in Los Angeles, working my way up the ranks ofa film and television production company, eventually becominga producer and screenwriter on my own. I sold some film andtelevision projects (none of which have ever been produced),and wrote some film finance business plans (including one formogul Quincy Jones).Q: How did you prepare yourself to be an entrepreneur?A: My concentration in college was in entrepreneurial management,which provided an overall approach to the world ofbeing an entrepreneur, but book learning only goes so far.A majority of the entertainment industry is made up of smallproduction companies and independent workers, so it is a veryentrepreneurial world at its heart. It provided great hands-onexperience in tenacious multi-tasking at the forefront of somethingwhere one’s actions have direct impact.Q: To what do you attribute the success of the company?A: I think there are a number of factors that have combinedtogether to breed success. The power of the internet and abilityto get products into the hands of people who are looking forthem cannot be underestimated. Certainly, being first tomarket with a unique idea was critical.That factor also led to agreat amount of PR, and that was part of the initialstrategy—especially in a lowmarginindustry where mostforms of advertising cannotprovide a good ROI. Whilethe Transportation SecurityAdministration’s 3-1-1 ruledefinitely provided a newfocus on travel sizes, we hadbeen rapidly growing prior tothat, across many differentmarket segments. We alsofollowed the mantra toalways test things beforediving in, enabling us tomitigate risk. Another greatbuilding block to our successwas to have a collection offriends, family (and Fraternitybrothers) who became “sanitycheckers”or sounding-boardsfor ideas, operational issues,or anything where it was helpful to talk things through withsomeone.Q: What advice would you give to fellow Deltasigs lookingto become entrepreneurs?A: Surround yourself with people who can help fill in theblanks, provide advice, and take charge of certain aspects, asyou won’t have time to do it all with the appropriate focus.Q: How has Deltasig helped you in your career?A: The Fraternity was an incredible way to establish a trustedpeer group of business-minded individuals, many of whom arestill some of my closest friends 14 years after graduatingcollege. Personally, one of the lessons we had at our chapterwas to “use your resources”where we were given seeminglyimpossible pieces of information to find (pre-internet).Learning to really think outside the box to solve problems andfind solutions has been a lesson that has stuck with me, andhelped to shape how I approach situations in life and inbusiness. ▲www.minimus.bizReference your membership in Delta Sigma Pi forspecial rates on wholesale purchases, customized kits withyour brand, or purchases intended for charitable support(homeless giveaways, military care packages, etc.).For individual retail purchases, please use the couponcode DELTASIG for 5% off your orderswhen you visit www.minimus.biz.Brother Shraterlives in Tujunga,Calif., with his wife,22-month-olddaughter andanother soon on theway! In his free time,Paul enjoys spendingtime with his familyand playingbasketball.JULY 2009/THE DELTASIG OF DELTA SIGMA PI 21