“Tenacity”

“Never take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Don’t give up.”

“Determination”

“Stick with it”

It was a similar message said many different ways. No matter the industry, service, or product, according to speakers participating in Business Week 2013, the key to making it as an entrepreneur is stick-to-itiveness. Entrepreneurism was the Business Week theme this year. More than 30 start-up founders, business owners, and investors met with hundreds of students to share their wisdom and personal stories of starting out in the business world.

With our students engaged and taking full advantage of the opportunity, the question-and-answer portion often exceeded the allotted class times.

Jeremy Brandt, founder and C.E.O. for Fast Home Offer, 1-800-CashOffer, and WeBuyHouses.com, told students that, for entrepreneurs, determination is even more important than the idea. “There are millions of great ideas out there,” he said. “The idea is the easy part. Bringing the idea to market is much more difficult.” Brandt noted that new businesses should be prepared to make no revenue in the first year, which often keeps would-be entrepreneurs from fully executing on a marketable concept.

The founders of Barefoot Wine, the nation’s bestselling wine brand, noted that entrepreneurs must have “hustle.” In their presentation, Bonnie Harvey and Michael Houlihan told the packed audience that they built their brand by supporting worthy causes rather than paying for advertising. “We had no money but we had lots of wine,” said Harvey. “We found that when we donated wine to support charitable causes, those supporters started buying our wine in the stores. To this day, Barefoot hasn’t spent a dollar on paid advertising.” Watch highlights from the Barefoot Spirit presentation.

At the Executive Dinner event held March 20, real estate investment magnate John Goff told the evening’s attendees that hard work and determination were vital to his success. The Crescent Chairman and C.E.O. also advised the 100 or so students in attendance to step back and listen. “Listen hard,” Goff said. “Find those people you admire and learn from them. Young people are so often in action mode, but I recommend taking the time to observe and listen.”
Watch the highlights of the 2013 Executive Dinner with John Goff.

Business Week is an annual event at the UT Arlington College of Business, a full week set aside to connect our students with significant issues and opportunities in the marketplace. Each year, executives and industry experts visit the college during Business Week to participate in a dialogue centered on a particular theme or concept. For students, Business Week is an opportunity to meld theory with application. Executive speakers present during regularly scheduled undergraduate and graduate classes at the College of Business. Learn more about Business Week 2013 activities.