When you look at the odds facing new businesses, it’s hard to imagine why anyone would shoulder the risk of starting a company.
Entrepreneurs work absurdly long hours, and forget about traditional weekends or vacations—heck, forget about lunch hours. The paychecks are often sporadic. In fact, many entrepreneurs don’t pay themselves a dime during their first year or two in business.
They wager practically every ounce of physical, mental and emotional energy they have—not to mention their life savings—on something that has no assurance of success.
So why do they do it? Thinking Bigger Business decided to ask. We contacted five local entrepreneurs. Some of them have been in business for decades, and some of them are just starting out. They’ve all stared the risk of business ownership right in the face and decided, yes, this is worth it.
We asked them: Why did you become an entrepreneur?
John McDonald
Founder, President // Boulevard Brewing Co.
Brewer of fine ales and lagers, distributed in 25 states and the District of Columbia
Kansas City, Mo.
It was really because I believed in the product that I wanted to make. I’ve always been entrepreneurial. I went to art school, and I was a cabinet maker for 15 years. This was really just a continuation of that—making something. I’m product-oriented. I like to make something.
When we started, our idea was to make really great beer and sell it locally. We say, primarily, our business is being a local brewer. We grew that to a regional market, and now we’re looking nationally and even internationally.
To me, it’s about reputation. You just want people to say that the brewery is doing the right thing, they make a good product, they treat their employees well. That doesn’t guarantee they’re going to drink your beer, but it gives
you a shot at making them your customers.
The whole idea—and it’s been our mantra here—is the idea of continual improvement. You never say that what you’re making today is the best you can you do. Always try to do something better.
When I started the company, I was scared to death. I just said to myself, “Don’t look over your shoulder, just keep running down the road.” I’m still scared to death, and I’m still running down the road.
Emily Voth
Owner // Indigo Wild
Producer of all-natural bath, beauty and cleaning products
Kansas City, Mo.
I became an entrepreneur partly because I wanted to have a good time every day, to come to work every day and wear what I want and say what I want and listen to what I want. We’ve been programmed to think that work can’t be fun.
My mom was big into perfume and aromatics, and I started researching aromatherapy. And that led me to researching cosmetics and their ingredients, and I suddenly realized how many chemicals were in those products. So I started making a few all-natural things in my kitchen for myself and friends. I realized, gosh, maybe I could sell this stuff.
I started selling my products at the Barstow organic farmer’s market and gave myself six months to start the business and get it going. I thought that if it didn’t work after six months,
I’d go back and get a real job.
I sold out at that very first farmer’s market.
Today, we are in 3,000 stores nationwide. We sell internationally as well—in Great Britain, Ireland, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand.
If you’ve got an idea for a business, get off your bum and do it. You can spend so much time getting an idea to 110 percent, and if you’d just gotten it done, you wouldn’t have missed the opportunity.
Barbara King
Owner // Great Getaways
Vacation planning company
Leawood
I think it was what we would call a midlife crisis. I wanted to do something I really loved. So I looked at old resumes that I had put together over the years, and I realized that every time it asked for hobbies or avocations, I had put travel. Mind you, I didn’t know anything about it. But I knew it was a passion.
My focus was strictly on vacations, and that’s still true today. I love vacations, and if I’m going to spend a lot of time on something, I want to do something I like.
I had a huge learning curve on the back end of my business. Part of me does not regret that because the cool thing is that I didn’t know what I couldn’t do. Meaning I would try things that maybe more traditional travel agencies wouldn’t. I kept focusing on vacations, and it worked.
The first year, I think our volume was something like $300,000. Today our volume is in seven figures—and the higher seven figures. It’s all vacation travel.
I think, to be an entrepreneur, you have to be OK with losing sight of the shore. What I mean is, if you always have to see where you’re going and have all the answers before you go there, entrepreneurship probably would not be a good choice. A lot of entrepreneurship is having faith in yourself, that you’re willing to trust the process and that you’re going to get where you want to go.
Barbara King
Owner // Great Getaways
Vacation planning company
Leawood
I think it was what we would call a midlife crisis. I wanted to do something I really loved. So I looked at old resumes that I had put together over the years, and I realized that every time it asked for hobbies or avocations, I had put travel. Mind you, I didn’t know anything about it. But I knew it was a passion.
My focus was strictly on vacations, and that’s still true today. I love vacations, and if I’m going to spend a lot of time on something, I want to do something I like.
I had a huge learning curve on the back end of my business. Part of me does not regret that because the cool thing is that I didn’t know what I couldn’t do. Meaning I would try things that maybe more traditional travel agencies wouldn’t. I kept focusing on vacations, and it worked.
The first year, I think our volume was something like $300,000. Today our volume is in seven figures—and the higher seven figures. It’s all vacation travel.
I think, to be an entrepreneur, you have to be OK with losing sight of the shore. What I mean is, if you always have to see where you’re going and have all the answers before you go there, entrepreneurship probably would not be a good choice. A lot of entrepreneurship is having faith in yourself, that you’re willing to trust the process and that you’re going to get where you want to go.
Carrie Royce
CEO // Prodigy Arcade
Online game platform that
teaches kids about programming
Kansas City, Mo.
Prodigy Arcade creates educational games that motivate kids to learn the building blocks of computer programming. Unlike the solutions that are out there today for teaching kids programming – online tutorials and “game-like” apps – our products take their cue from entertainment games. We focus on engaging kids to learn via fun adventure gameplay. That makes the learning process more playful to them, with longer lasting appeal. In other words, kids don’t get bored or frustrated or lose interest too fast.
The idea came to me while watching my 7-year-old son play an endless array of entertainment games. He was learning history, science, math and more without realizing it. Over dinner, I’d be hit with these crazy random facts he’d picked up by trying to win badges and coins.
I pitched the idea for Prodigy Arcade at a Startup Weekend event in Kansas City last year, and even though our Sunday presentation and demo were super awkward (the four judges were pretty annoyed by our format), they evidently saw past it to Prodigy Arcade’s value proposition and projections. My team took first place.
After that little adventure, I went back to work at my prior startup, Red Nova Labs. But the idea for launching a product-oriented startup with a “greater purpose” kept nudging me. So I left Red Nova Labs earlier this spring. Of course, it was tough to leave behind my team, cushy income, milestones, causes and the beautiful building renovation that I worked so hard on. In fact, it took a year to make the decision. The scariest part of jumping off the cliff, I knew, would be keeping myself motivated on my own—especially when I’m kicked, which is standard for entrepreneurs.
Nonetheless, it was the right course for me; I’ve only looked back a couple of times nostalgically. I fit startups, and they fit me—particularly when the opportunity is unquestionable. I like hard work, and my lifestyle isn’t really that flashy. Sure, I have the same responsibilities as other domesticated grown-ups: mortgage to pay, hosiery to buy, kids to feed. But I don’t mind driving my old car or wearing last year’s shoes while I’m starting. I’ve had enough “working-rich” friends to know that keeping up appearances is more trouble than it’s worth. My idea of showing off success is having the freedom to choose my own path, whether
I live in a mansion or a yurt.
For others considering the leap, I’d suggest proceeding with caution. Get as much due diligence and product development done as you can in your free hours, while you have a nice safe salary and health insurance. Plan carefully to make your resources last beyond that. Start meeting people now, not just in Kansas City’s entrepreneurial environment but also in your prospective industry. And stock up your liquor cabinet.
