Think Entrepreneurship Is For You? Find Out What It Takes from Local Business Leaders

In a group, full of leaders and entrepreneurs, Dan Ryan spoke to Gwinnett Tech students of what it means to be an entrepreneur. Joining Dan on the Launch Point panel was Clyde Strickland, Keren Duclosel, Matthew Holtkamp, Mark Abrams, and Josh Pitre. The event was hosted by Gwinnett Tech’s Director of Career Experience, Darcie Johnson. Each business owner shared their struggles and triumphs of owning and running a small business. 

For Dan, the idea of being a business owner was always on the horizon, but it was not something that he actively sought until later in life. 

“My first venture in entrepreneurship was actually landscaping at the young age of 14,” Dan said at the Launch Pointe event. “Entrepreneurship has always been there, but I didn’t get clear that it was the direction I wanted to go until later in my automotive career.”

Clyde Strickland has a similar story. He always knew becoming an entrepreneur was what he was meant to do. After overcoming the challenge of growing up with illiterate parents, Clyde found success through entrepreneurship. Regardless of the challenges they faced, Clyde shared that his parents’ work ethic never dwindled, and it was because of them he had the tenacity in business that he did. 

“My entire life, I was always looking for something to do and create,” Clyde said when asked what was a defining factor of becoming an entrepreneur. “It didn’t matter what I did.”

It is no surprise why Clyde then became as successful as he did. Entrepreneurship was something he was destined for. In fact, the center where this very event was (virtually) held was named after him, the Clyde Strickland Center for Career Experience. Clyde has been an integral part of the Launch Pointe program, and he continues to be to this day.

For Keren Duclosel, and many others across the nation, entrepreneurship became something to simply make it by. Keren Duclosel is a survivor of Hurricane Katrina. She evacuated New Orleans, seeking safety in Atlanta. Since then, her goal is to never be placed in a situation of vulnerability like that again. 

When asked the same question as Clyde, Keren said, “I always wanted a side business, regardless if I had a full-time job because I never wanted to be in a situation where I couldn’t pay my bills or fend for myself.”

She is now the owner of Thrifting Atlanta, an online thrifting platform with 58,000 members. She wants to empower women with a platform to buy and sell new and used clothing.

Though becoming an entrepreneur has some perks, this group of business owners knows it also comes with a fair number of struggles. 

Josh Pitre, owner and founder of JP Signature Homes, understands that competition plays a large role in business.

“How I am going to be the one of choice?” Josh said. “I had to work harder. I had to go over and beyond for my clients and gain their trust.”

In fact, when asked what advice he would give for someone entering real estate, Josh reiterated a similar statement. 

“Go way above and beyond,” he said.

Josh was not the only entrepreneur that faced hurdles through his career. Similarly, Matthew Holtkamp, owner of Holtkamp Heating and Air, found building a client list to be a struggle when first developing his company. 

“Some of the first obstacles were: How do you get enough customers?” Matthew rhetorically asked as several other panelists nodded their head in agreement. 

Matthew decided to utilize the relationships that he developed through the years within his Catholic church to help grow the business, leaning on faith to help get the ball rolling. 

“You just have to really go out on faith and know that you can do it,” he said. 

Mark Abrams, owner of Aspen Information Systems, has worked ten years in his business. From that experience, he shared, “I think it’s critical to have advice from people who have done what you are trying to do.”

Nods soon followed Mark’s piece of advice as well. 

Josh and Keren even extended a similar piece of advice to competitors. 

“Treat your competition with respect,” Josh advised.  

Keren added. “Don’t be afraid of competitors. Be a step ahead.”

As the year mark of the pandemic has come and gone, it was only natural that the topic of coronavirus was brought up–specifically, what business looked like in the age of Covid-19. 

For Josh, being in the realty business, the pandemic and subsequent lock-down order came with its own set of new challenges. 

“No one wants to be around each other. No one wants people in their homes. What am I going to do?” He explained, candidly recounting his experience. “I took a day of pouting then I needed to dust myself off and figure out what we were going to do.”

Like most people around the world, Josh soon found himself living a virtual life. 

“We went very virtual,” he said. This looked like virtual house tours to reach customers as well as other virtual events.

Keren also utilized the social media and virtual aspect of her business as the pandemic struck. 

“I allowed local thrift and consignment stores to sell to my community via Facebook Live,” she explained. “All they needed to have were their cellphones and click the Go Live button, and they were able to sell to members of my community.”

As the pandemic became real, Clyde knew he had to work with his employees to address their fear of the unknown. Though the pandemic was serious and not simply based in fear, Clyde understood that a program must be put into place to help address what was going on, rather than allowing his business to halt due to fear of unknown. Clyde ended up accomplishing just that. 

Mark shared his account of the pandemic as well. He knew that many businesses enacted the same protocols that he did to protect employees and the business itself. However, he found another struggle attributed to Covid-19.  

“The biggest [challenge] is the mental challenge,” Mark shared. To which, many people–not just entrepreneurs–could understand. “Which is trying to figure out when it is coming to an end.”

“Being an essential business, Covid-19 has hit us less than other industries,” Dan explained after the event. “There have still been struggles and challenges, but we continued to adjust and remain flexible.”

With the undeniable struggles of owning a business, especially in the time of a global pandemic, there certainly are still triumphs and successes that ought to be celebrated.

Being a family owned business, Dan attributes the majority of Team Ryan Automotive’s success to the support of his wife. 

“Being on the same page, being on the same team as your significant other is going to be critical for any entrepreneurial endeavor,” he said. She has a big role in Operations at Team Ryan Automotive, and she has served in this role since the shop was born in 2015. 

A solid support system is a crucial component to succeeding in entrepreneurship, according to these business owners. 

“Surround yourself in the morning with people you love,” Josh advised, “because you will have lots of ups and downs in one day in real estate. Make sure you’re always leading with your heart.”

Keren credits her husband as a major support while she launched her new business. Matthew also recognized his wife as an integral part of the business, and he emphasized the importance of loving others while in business. 

“You have to love people,” he said, in terms of both a personal support system and employees. 

Dan highlighted the importance of making time for your support system, regardless of what is going on behind the scenes. Taking care of yourself and your family is a key to success.

“Understand there’s going to be high and lows,” Dan explained. “Take care of yourself. Be present with your family. Allow the time for yourself to recover both physically and mentally.”

Dan has also utilized various resources to push for Team Ryan Automotive’s success, including books. 

“Read books,” he said emphatically. “Never stop learning.”

Clyde attributed a portion of his success to the mentors he has garnered through the years. In fact, among those mentors was the one and only Truett Kathy. He also credited God in the work he has put into his business over the years. 

“God plants that dream in you,” Clyde said, referring to the dream of entrepreneurship. 

Keren urged the students to find passion in the business they seek. She understands the hardships of this line of career, so she knows that the outcome must be worth it. It must be a product of love. 

“It’s a lot of work,” she said. “Be sure that it’s something that already consumes you.”

For these entrepreneurs, though there were (and still are) struggles and challenges, all their businesses have ultimately been just that. They have been a product of love.