A Rewarding First Experience

As my ISM journey continues, I have gotten more successful in building my connection list with professionals in the DFW area. However, because social entrepreneurship is such a specific area of study, I have started to realize that finding entrepreneurs in this space is difficult. Despite this challenge, I was able to conduct my first interview this week with Mr. Joshua Meek of Meek Industries. It was my first dive into the professional world, and after an almost two-hour conversation, I was pleased to see how much I had learned about the field. I was able to get many of my previous questions about entrepreneurship and investment holding companies answered. I learned about the importance of maintaining discipline and taking risks in a field where failure is inevitable. I was able to gain a deeper understanding as to how diversification, marketing, and scaling all build a competitive advantage over other companies working in the same area. It was also so interesting to understand his perspective on the differentiating factors between a conventional entrepreneur and a social entrepreneur, specifically in the nonprofit space. He discussed that there is no true right path to take and that what you want to pursue in this field is completely dependent on your goals and life mission. Next week, I have an interview scheduled with Ms. Tammy Meinershagen, Executive Director of the Frisco Association for the Arts nonprofit. I am beyond excited to learn more about the nonprofit space and her mission of advancing the arts in our community.