Jonathan Swanson, co-Founder of Thumbtack

Listen in as Jonathan Swanson of internet startup Thumbtack talks to Nina Beckhardt about extreme rock climbing and shirtless co-founders. (scroll down to watch the video)

And, yes, you may have already guessed this lucky boy just came back from the Olympics!

Check out the Thumbtack website, blog, or follow them on Twitter!

Thank you to Nina Beckhardt for being this week’s video correspondent:)

Steve Monas, Serial Entrepreneur and Author of Shoestring Venture

What do you do when you get a song stuck in your head? For serial entrepreneur and Shoestring Venture author Steve Monas, the answer is simple. Move to Hawaii.

Originally from the Ukraine, Steve and his family escaped religious oppression in the late 70’s, starting a new life in sunny San Diego. Not long after, the 8 year-old kid with a stuttering problem (who, incidentally, barely spoke English) could be found selling his wares on the streets of La Jolla. Undeterred by cultural and social obstacles that defined much of his early life, Steve went on to found and successfully run a multitude of businesses after his ambitious first days street vending in California.

There was the girls’ surf/skate/snow line “Lucky Girl”, a variety of internet-based businesses, books and websites on internet dating, and the recently published Shoestring Venture – The Startup Bible, co-authored with Richard Hooker, an in-depth resource guide for anyone on a budget brave enough to start a venture of their own. By cramming all the resources accumulated over his past decades in business, Steve is doing his best to satisfy one of his passions – helping other entrepreneurs.

In the time since I interviewed Steve just a couple weeks ago, he added another new business to his ever-growing entrepreneurial plate, a taxi service on the island of Kauai. Which brings us back to Hawaii and that song…..

1.  You moved to Hawaii recently on a whim. Does that describe the way you have lived your life to this point?

I wish. Yes, I did pick an island and just moved. I wanted to do something different. It all started with a song by Ziggy Marley (Beach in Hawaii), then I saw the movie Benjamin Button, where he says:

“#8. For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

I believe in all these things. I looked at my life, realized that I had nothing holding me in a certain place. My book Shoestring Venture: The Startup Bible is being referenced at Rutgers Business University, and has amazing 5 star reviews on Amazon as being the most detailed and best business book that you will ever need. I am helping people, finally! Now I need to follow my own advice and work anywhere in the world (for now places that have a Costco). I love the island of Kauai. Everything has worked out well so far, and I am meeting some of the most interesting people that shine the Aloha spirit.

2.  Why do you love helping other entrepreneurs? Wouldn’t life be easier with a little less competition?

It wouldn’t be as fun….Entrepreneurs are the innovators of the world. Without them, we, as humanity would not move ahead. I am happy that my purpose in life is to inspire others to be their best and produce their passion. There is nothing like seeing someone create something that makes people’s lives easier or more enjoyable.

3.  Which venture were you most passionate about in the start-up phase? Which has given you the most lasting satisfaction?

I loved everything that I had tried. Whether it was writing a business plan about a coffeehouse / juicebar when I was 16 to having girls in the surf / skate / snow market get stoked on the Lucky Girl clothing that I had created. The satisfaction is getting praise for your product or service. The lasting satisfaction is knowing that even if it didn’t succeed, at least you tried, picked yourself up, dusted yourself off, learned from any mistakes, and start all over trying something new.

*This reminds me of a joke….Two kids get placed into two separate rooms both with a big pile of shit right in the middle. After 3 hours, the door gets opened to the first kid, and he is crying. The guy that opened the door asked the kid why he was crying? The kid answered that he was left for several hours with a big pile of shit. Next the guy opened the door to the other kid, and couldn’t see him anywhere. All of a sudden, a head pops out from the middle of the pile of shit, and the guy asked him “What are you doing in the pile of shit”, the kid answers “With all this shit, there has to be a horsy around here somewhere…” —being an optimist or resilient, is also a lasting satifisfaction, not everyone will hit a successful product or service on the first try.

4.  Did your early childhood in the Ukraine affect the type of business person you have become?

I think that I was too young and living in a communist country. I was 5 years old when I moved to San Diego from Odessa, Ukraine. The year was 1979, and we had to be invited, we couldn’t just leave. The agreement between the US and Russia, was to help move Jews (from repression) to the United States. My dad was a Professor of Physics at the University of Odessa, and my mom was doing accounting for the railroad. It was not easy to get a Visa out, but after three years, we finally did.

5.  Describe your first entrepreneurial experience and how it shaped your future.

Before my first entrepreneurial experience, I was playing around with my first computer, a Commodore 64. There was a limited amount of things that you could do with this 64K computer. I did have a Lemonade stand game. Then I put theory into practice, by selling lemonade. How American from an Émigré! That’s where the journey of success started and there is no destination…it is a blast!

6.  What do you enjoy most about owning your own business?

What don’t I? Its just fun doing, creating, and evolving an idea until it becomes real. And if you can make a living doing something that you are passionate about, even better! The other thing, is hearing people praise your product. That’s huge.

7. Describe the person who would best complement both your life and your business.

I am not sure if I want someone who complements my business. I would rather be with someone who is passionate about doing whatever they enjoy doing. I live my life, she lives hers, and when we are together, it’s just magic. We are best friends. When we are not working, we enjoy doing similar things, by not even thinking about it. To much to ask for? Perhaps…It takes two to tango and compromise.

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Enjoying my entire family (wife, kids, parents, sister, etc.) and doing something different. I am not even going to speculate on what type of business or if I will be running for an office (or in an office), it’s not as fun. And the journey continues….

Steve’s Bio:

Steve Monas is a serial entrepreneur currently living in Koloa, Hawaii (The Garden Island of Kauai), where he enjoys an active lifestyle and is working on various Web projects. Having just launched ScourEvents.com, he has just started a film and fitness video startup that has just introduced its first DVDs on the market.

Want to connect with Steve? Email him, follow him on Twitter and Facebook…or just buy the book!

Colin Wright, Founder of Colin is my Name and Exile Lifestyle

Don’t let the open gates fool you, Colin Wright is in exile. OK, so not a torturous one. More of a self-imposed exile that currently includes sunning himself in Buenos Aires and eating empanadas, while still enjoying a full income from Colin is My Name, his growing sustainable design business.

Taking along only the essentials (MacBook Pro, boxer shorts, and a sense of adventure), Colin took his business on the road this year in a social experiment he calls the “Exile lifestyle”, detailed on his blog of the same name. Every four months, readers will vote on a destination country where Colin will live and work until…well, until he comes back. By focusing only on the 20% of work projects that generate 80% of his income, Colin has reduced his work week to a mere ten hours, leaving the rest of his days open for new experiences and chance encounters, in whichever locale his readers see fit.

During my interview with Colin, I had to kick myself for being too lazy and technology-averse to set up a Skype account so we could speak “face to face”. By phone, I expected to hear the voice of a semi-cocky, fair-skinned white kid having his first international experience while making more money than I deem any 24 year-old to be worth. Instead, I was connected to the gravelly voice of a young man whose Brady Bunch baby-face may have already gained the perspective that only a few rough nights in a strange country, or maybe even a little food poisoning, can give you.

Either way, I am certain the exile experience will be that of a lifetime, and the gates back home will remain wide open for Colin’s return. Until then, baby-face, you may want to stick with Peanut Butter.

1.  What do you wish most for your “Exile lifestyle”? To achieve a specific goal (i.e. writing a book), or to have some intangible experience or enlightenment?

The main reason I decided to move forward with the Exile Lifestyle project is that I realized I had lots of experience with books and education and business and technology and so on, but little or no experience traveling, seeing the world and meeting people who have had radically different life experiences than I have. I guess you could say I’m looking for enlightenment, but really I see it as an investment in myself in that each new experience makes me a better person and more capable of dealing with the unexpected. To have a nice big group of engaged readers and a book deal at some point would be excellent, but the thing I’m really setting my sites on right now is becoming a better person in a lot of different ways.

2.  You are allowing blog readers to vote where you move every four months. What destination you will go, regardless?

I will go wherever my readers vote for me to go, with a few caveats. First, there are some countries I wouldn’t be able to get in to (think North Korea). Second, there are countries where civil conflicts or wars are going on (Afghanistan, Congo, etc). I’m game for living in any country in the world, so long as I won’t be putting myself in an unreasonably unsafe situation or fighting for months just to enter the country. Maybe someday I’ll have the experience and justification to visit those kinds of places, but for right now I’ll stick with new experiences that don’t involve wearing body armor.

3.  Do your corporate clients have any problem not getting “real” face time?

‘Real’ face time is such a vague term these days; I can always hop online and do a Skype video chat with my clients, but if you’re asking can they meet up with me in person? No, in person is difficult now that I’m out of the country. They generally don’t seem to mind, though, and in fact most think what I’m doing is pretty cool and have given me their full support (continuing to pass a steady stream of work my way, checking out the blog, voting on where I should go, etc). I have great clients

4.  What did you bring that you can’t live without? What did you forget?

I brought my Macbook Pro, without which I wouldn’t be able to do much serious design and development work. I’ve got a satchel that I use as my day bag which carries my camera, iPod, netbook, Moleskines, etc, though I could honestly do without everything I brought except for the Macbook Pro. I (fortunately) didn’t forget anything, so far as I can tell, though I miss my iPhone quite a bit (sigh).

5.  Is there anything you miss about the US, and what image of Americans do you hope to leave behind?

Peanut butter! There doesn’t seem to be peanut butter anywhere in this whole country, and though I’ve never been a big peanut butter fan, the fact that I can’t have it makes me crave it.

I’m hoping to leave a kinder, more thoughtful image of Americans in my wake, because a lot of people here have a few not-so-nice or not-very-accurate ideas about people from the States (the girls are easy, the guys are either gun enthusiasts or gay, the people live lifestyles like they see on Friends…oh yes, Friends is still very popular here).

6.  You said you have remained friends with all of your ex-girlfriends, and even had a break-up party with your last.  Have you never really been in love, or are you just a nice guy?

I’ve never seen the point of becoming enemies with someone, and especially someone that I really, really like. I’ve been fortunate enough to have some really intelligent, creative, beautiful and talented women in my life, and I certainly don’t take that for granted, or want them out of my life just because the nature of our relationship changes. It’s hard to say about love, because the term has really ceased to mean a whole lot anymore (you LOVE that cake and you LOVE all your friends and you LOVE this and that and on and on), so I’d say that I just try to enjoy each relationship for what it is and not what I or society thinks it should be (which really seems to take a lot of the pressure off, let me tell you!).

7.  Describe the person who would best complement both your life and your business.

Let’s see, she would be someone who is ambitious, motivated, passionate, intelligent, creative, capable, open-minded and charismatic. She’d take care of herself mentally and physically and is looking for the same kind of person as me; a person who would supplement and amplify my life, not someone who will BE my life. There’s got to be a big tolerance (and enthusiasm for) the sporadic and random, and if she has a good sense of style, I’m sold.

8.  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

By then I hope to have a few bestsellers still on the shelves (virtual or physical) and to have whatever businesses I’m running at that point automated and making lots of money. I’ll have a handful of projects to work on (I’d really like to destroy the current American education system and replace it with something much better and cheaper) and hopefully still taking quite a bit of time to travel. I’ll likely still be seeking out novel experiences and doing things that most people will think are crazy. I’d hate to lose that.

Colin’s Bio:

Born in Northern California and raised in central Missouri, Colin Wright moved to LA after completing a dual-emphasis degree in Graphic Design and Illustration and shortly thereafter started a sustainability-focused design studio, Colin Is My Name. After a year and a half of success with small and large clients alike, Colin decided to take his business on the road, working from and living in a new country every 4 months through his new business venture, Exile Lifestyle, a blog and media company focused on lifestyle design, minimalism, sustainability and mobility.

Colin is currently living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the readers of Exile Lifestyle are currently voting on what country he’ll move to next.

He’d love to be your friend on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!

Stacy Robin, Founder of the Degania Group

I generally think of business consultants the way I think about used car salesmen.  Thanks to 33 year-old Stacy Robin, Founder of the Degania Group, I now have a better outlook.  After all, how could I not trust a former child game-show participant, Miss Teen New Jersey contestant, and founder of a Detroit prison debate team?

Growing up in New York and New Jersey, Stacy was your typical super-intelligent, media-hopping, child genius.  She graduated high school at 16, and by 17 was working with inmates of the Detroit prison system, tutoring inmates for their GEDs and coordinating the aforementioned debate program between the prison system and the University of Michigan.  After completing her undergrad, she went on to a Masters program at USC studying Communication before completing her MBA at Pepperdine where she then taught business classes and became Director of IT.  Along the way, she also worked for tech startups on the West Coast, and finally Xerox, specializing in corporate training.

By 2003 Stacy was ready to start a business of her own in the form of the Degania Group.  After a circumstantial slow start (Stacy moved back home to care for her ailing grandmother for a year until she died), the company was officially moved to NY, where Stacy is also an adjunct professor at NYU teaching intensive classes focused on starting and maintaining a business.  A natural problem-solver, she is creating “packages” starting at only $100 to demystify and make tangible the give and take of the business consultant relationship.

If you are looking for a business consultant, I can say this about Stacy:  She’s nice, she’s smart, and I trust her.

In fact, I’d probably even buy a car from her if she asked me.

1. The Degania Group assists businesses solve problems (and build on strengths) to become more profitable. What do you offer that is different from all the other business consultants out there?

Well, I have great stories about working in prison – and I can also fix their plumbing…

Seriously…First, I’m not just analyzing a client’s issues and making recommendations that are not actionable/can’t be implemented. I’m helping to implement the strategies and solutions. Second, my background can best be described as “abnormal” – it involves traditional and very untraditional education and experiences. More than just another set of eyes, I see situations and opportunities differently than many people. Third, while some would argue otherwise – I really don’t need to be seen as a know it all. I’m happy to say “I don’t know” – but can generally find the person who does know.

2. You say you love fixing problems. What is the biggest problem you’ve had to overcome in your own business?

There were two: The first is common to my type of personality – the delegation issue. What “busy work” could I delegate without the business losing the personality I brought to the table? The second was balancing my commitment to helping my family and friends with the work I needed to do for my business. It’s another typical personality problem – being able to say “no.” [And now that Apple has a bigger market share and more products are web-based, it's not as difficult to find business software for a Mac...]

3. Both personally and professionally, you have amassed a broad range of experiences. Which of these have helped you grow the most as an entrepreneur?

My upbringing. From an early age my mom allowed me – and encouraged me – to make my own decisions. Whether she agreed with them or not, she supported me. As an entrepreneur you need to be able to make decisions – and take responsibility for them. When you make bad decisions, you need to be able to learn from it – and move on. You can’t beat yourself up every time you realize you should have chosen differently.

4. We spoke for a long time over the phone, but I figured out your IQ in the first 5 minutes. Do you think men are intimidated by your intelligence?
Some, I’m sure. The others simply think they’re actually smarter than I am. [Just kidding!] Actually, I see this more with others who think they compete with The Degania Group (men and women.) I might be talking to someone they want to meet or impress – and they immediately try to find ways to slight me (“I’ve been working for 40 years, how much experience do YOU have?”) First of all, there’s enough business out there for everyone. Second, there’s a greater likelihood of my working with you on a project than competing with you.

5. What plans, if any, do you have to expand The Degania Group in the future?
Currently, The Degania Group provides services in 4 key areas: strategy development and implementation, business plan services, evaluating investments and potential investments and corporate training. There is expansion occurring immediately (this Summer/early Fall) in how are services are provided. I’m creating consulting “packages” – projects that have a clearly defined scope – but have a set price and deliverables – making them more easily understood and “tangible” to potential clients scared off by the concept (and potential costs) of “consulting.”

6. You say you average 80 hour work weeks. Do you ever miss not being the boss?
Not at all!

7. Describe the ideal person who would complement both your life and your business.
That’s difficult. I’ve found very different types of people/personalities to suit me. Generally, they’re all dynamic, charismatic, passionate and confident (but not obnoxiously cocky) – and appreciate that about me as well. I don’t need a “yes” person or a cheerleader, rather someone I can trust to be honest with me. The absolute ideal person would know how to tempt me to put down my work – and know when I really need the break – but would also understand when I needed to focus on my business (and wouldn’t be offended by it.)

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

At the computer! (Or whatever we are using those days for all of the technology tools available.) Professionally, in much of the same place: I love the things I’m doing – helping business owners, teaching, mentoring and training. Personally, I hope to have more time to volunteer with the non-profits I support. Ideally, I’ll also be raising a few children.

Stacy’s Bio:
These days, you’ll find Stacy Robin in a business suit, advising business owners, teaching entrepreneurs or speaking on topics including negotiation, communication, marketing, alliances, new ventures and business culture. After-hours, you’ll find her volunteering her time for non-profit organizations, practicing her plumbing skills while renovating her home, playing with her tech toys or aggressively cheering for the New Jersey Devils. Before her return to the East Coast in 2003, Stacy ran programs for inmates in the Detroit prison system, taught third graders, trekked the Midwest on a geology expedition and was at the epicenter of the tech craze (and crash) in California.

In between her adventures, Stacy earned BA in Language and Communication from the University of Michigan, an MA in Communication Management from the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California and an MBA in Business Management from Pepperdine University. While earning her MA, Stacy spent time in Paris, Prague, London and Geneva studying multinational corporations. Additionally, she completed certification in Dispute Resolution from the Pepperdine University School of Law. While in the program, Stacy mediated litigated disputes in the Santa Monica, California courts, boasting a 90% settlement rate.

Want to connect with Stacy?  Follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

Craig Wolfe, Founder of Celebriducks

Still waiting for Snoop Dogg to mail you close-ups of his cornrows?  Craig Wolfe isn’t.  In fact, the 56 year-old Founder of CelebriDucks received photos of just about every angle of the rapper, insuring his namesake rubber duck was the perfect likeness.  Right down to his famous braids.

Craig went through college like many kids, not really knowing what he wanted to do in life.  Then, after falling in love with a vintage Mickey Mouse animation still, he started the company “Name That Toon” in 1986, buying and selling animation art.  Sales of commercial animation artwork by big names like Coca-Cola  and Budweiser followed, but before long, Craig was working on his next big idea.

Starting with Betty Boop in 1998, and with Craig’s daughter doing all of the original artwork, he began creating his new line of famous duckies under the company name “CelebriDucks”.  The real push forward happened in 2002 with the Alan Iverson duck (complete with tattoos), beginning a long and profitable relationship with the world of professional sports.

Never star-struck, Craig routinely turns down invitations to celebrity events, award shows, and even to the Playboy Mansion.  Personally, I think visiting the grotto would be awesome.  Especially if it was filled with little Snoops.

1. Your CelebriDucks are made with incredible detail.  What steps are involved in the manufacturing process from idea to package?

We start with a number of conceptual drawings to capture the look we are going for.  Then once approved, we move to the sculpting phase.  Once we make revisions there we are ready to make our first wax mold.  From there we go to pre-production metal molds leading to the final production molds plus spray mask molds for painting.  Then we are finally able to begin production which takes about another week.  All told it can take us up to six weeks to two months minimum with each new style.  We have spent up to six months and longer on some of them!

2. What is the permission/licensing process like to use celebrity images, and how long does it usually take?

That can really vary.  I don’t think it’s ever taken less than a month or two, and sometimes it has taken us up to ten years.  It’s quite a process to say the least which is probably why no-one else does what we do.

3. Have you ever walked away from a design because the celebrity involved was too difficult to negotiate with?

It’s more rare, but it has happened.  I don’t think it would be appropriate to mention names, but we have left some deals on the table.  Most of the times it was just that we were unable to come to a financial agreement suitable to both parties.  But there has been a very few times that it just too difficult working with the client.  But that really is rare.

4. Do you take baths?  If so, who do you take with you?

You know, honestly, I’m a shower person.  I kind of like the quickness factor.  But I always keep one of our Pink Flamingos in the bathroom for that Kitsch effect.

5. You have certainly carved out your own niche in the world.  As a child, what did you dream of growing up to be?

I always knew I wanted to make rubber ducks of celebrities.  OK, seriously, people thought I might become a lawyer, but I lacked any interest or real talent for it actually.  I graduated college having no idea whatsoever as to what I would be doing.  If I didn’t feel passion for something I couldn’t move forward.  But when I saw my first original hand-drawn Mickey Mouse drawing, I was captivated and soon thereafter started my animation company.

6. What do you like best about owning your own business?

Oh God, everything.  I love the freedom and the creativity of it all.  I love choosing to work with wonderful people and having totally flexible hours.  You couldn’t put me in a cubicle at this point, not that I haven’t worked in one.  But I’ve really come to deeply value the joy of doing something I really love and creating a brand from scratch.

7. Describe the ideal person who would complement both your life and your business.

Hmm….well on a practical level, I feel I’m working with people who absolutely complement what I do and I really appreciate having the opportunity to have them in my life.  I think as far as a female companion, it would defnitely be someone who “got” me.  You know, enjoyed the whimsical and creative nature of what I do.  See, I love to create….first it was the animation artwork, then the ducks, and I’m also working in my spare time on an album as I have a studio in my house.  So anyone I would spend time with would have to appreciate these kinds of things.  And ideally, myself being a Buddhist, they would have to have just a bit of an interest in things other than money, business, etc.  But most important, they would have to love chocolate!

8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

My dream would see CelebriDucks established as a major brand with or without my running it.  I would definitely see my album being finished.  And I like to think there would be more than enough money to help do some good in the world through helping to support non-profit organizations that I want to do more for.  And ideally, I would also be perhaps a little wiser.

Craig’s Bio

Craig Wolfe grew up in Millburn, N.J. and later graduated from Hobart William Smith Colleges in upstate New York.  Over the years, his company Name That Toon, became the largest publisher of advertising/animation art having established the first ever animation art lines for Coca-Cola, Anheiser Busch, M&M/Mars, Pillsbury, Nike, etc.  Over time, he developed CelebriDucks as a side project, creating rubber ducks of those he felt were some of the greatest icons of film, music, history, and sports. Eventually he sold off the animation and the company became all ducks!

At this point, Craig has produced CelebriDucks for the NBA, Major League Baseball, the NHL, NASCAR, NCAA collegiate mascots as well as  famous people such as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, The Blues Brothers, KISS, Barack Obama, etc.  To date he has created over 200 CelebriDucks and pioneered a whole new collectible.  Celebriducks have been voted one of the top 100 gifts by Entertainment Weekly, featured on The Tonight Show and CBS Evening Magazine, and featured in hundreds of magazines and newspapers, and on television shows around the world.

Want to connect with Craig?  Follow him on Twitter or email him!

Divya Gugnani, CEO of Behind the Burner

Normally when I interview entrepreneurs I take lots of notes.  With Divya Gugnani, Founder and CEO of Behind the Burner, I finally gave up and just wrote down the word “enthusiasm”.  The fast-talking 32 year-old Harvard MBA grad (turned chef turned entrepreneur) is enthusiastic about life, business, and most importantly, her love of cooking.

The daughter of immigrant parents on Long Island, Divya acquired her first skills (and passion for food) from the family’s live-in chef.  Although her parents themselves did not cook, they often entertained, and a life-long culinary passion was born.

Aside from having a passion for food, Divya was also on track for a career in finance. While studying government economics at Cornell University, Divya took a cooking class, and at this point her dual interests in cooking and finance became parallel paths.  After graduating from Cornell, she went on to work for Goldman Sachs as an investment banking analyst, but made time to attend the French Culinary Institute in NY. In the corporate world, she went on to become a technology venture capitalist, while at the same time working for free in restaurant kitchens and doing catering jobs, gaining real life experience as a culinary expert.  Somewhere in the midst of cooking, advising startups, her involvement on multiple boards, and working in a VC firm, she managed to earn her MBA from Harvard.

Now running Behind the Burner, launched in November of 2008, Divya continues to feed her passions for both business and all things culinary.  The initial success of the website (featuring tips, tricks, and techniques from your favorite chefs) is a true testament to the power of enthusiasm.

1.  Please give us a quick introduction to Behind the Burner, what it offers, and how it differs from other cooking sites.

Behind the Burner has a network of over 250 culinary experts, particularly celebrity chefs who share their best tips, tricks and techniques in the form of short videos, articles and blogs. We also offer deals on the tools and ingredients experts recommend.

2.  You describe your mother as an intellectual “renaissance woman” who discouraged you from learning to cook.  What do you know about the experience of creating meals that she doesn’t?

My mom has a tremendous intellectual curiosity to learn about art, literature and gardening. She always felt being in the kitchen and cooking was a waste of time. It has taken her years to realize and respect that my intellectual curiosity spans to all things culinary. Searing, sautéing, shaking up cocktails and pouring wine, is both my high and my relaxation in life.

3.  As Americans we are becoming more frugal and eating out less, but our taste for good food hasn’t changed.  Do you credit the current economy for some of your early success?

I think our model works in any economy. Currently people are dining out less so they are cooking and entertaining more at home hence the desire to learn our tips, tricks and techniques. In a robust economy people dine out and enjoy nightlife more so, we still play to their voyeuristic desire to know what is going on behind the scenes at the hottest eateries, lounges and clubs.

4.  You earned your culinary dues working various kitchen roles, often without pay.  For someone just starting out, how important would you say is it to learn all aspects of a business or trade from the ground level up?

Today my role at Behind the Burner involves culinary, strategic, technology, financial, marketing and legal expertise. I developed and honed these skills as well as the most important—teamwork—in kitchens, board meetings, classrooms and at home.  The best thing to do is be a sponge, learn everything you can from everyone around you. You never know when it will be useful.

5.  Behind The Burner recently partnered with NBC to broadcast a cable show in the New York area.  What is it all about and where can we see it?

Behind the Burner segments air on NBC New York Nonstop, which can be seen in 5.7 million households in the NY Metro area: NY, NJ, CT and Long Island. For channel listings click here.

6.  I was surprised to hear your targeted demographic is ages 18-38.  What does BTB offer that is appealing to this relatively young, and often unmarried, group?

A vast majority of the culinary media, particularly food content, is written and produced with women in their 40s in mind. These women are often focused on getting dinner on the table for their families. In recent years, particularly with the rise of food competition TV shows and increasing presence of chefs as celebrities rather than laborers, a younger demographic of both men and women have become interested in the entire culinary spectrum from food and nutrition to wine and cocktails. We specifically cater to this group since they are hungry for more content, information and inspiration.

7.  Describe the ideal person who would complement both your life and your business.

Honest. Generous. Ambitious. Supportive.

And the kicker is…able to deal with a hyperactive adventurous workaholic who loves to eat:)

8.  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Working, hopefully, not as hard as I’m working now but having just as much as passion as I have for my business and life today.

Divya’s Bio:

Divya Gugnani acquired a taste for her future in culinary arts while building a career in finance. In addition to a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, Divya holds a degree from the French Culinary Institute, where she discovered her inner chef. Divya started her career at Goldman Sachs and then worked at Investcorp International and Millennium Technology Ventures. Most recently, as a venture capitalist and Principal at Firstmark Capital, Divya provided companies with strategic and operational guidance to achieve their visions. Divya has also catered and worked in restaurant kitchens while managing her corporate boardroom responsibilities. With the creation of Behind the Burner, Divya blends her long-time passion for culinary arts with her expertise in business.

Divya currently advises several startups and established brands with board level roles. She appears on MSNBC: Your Business and NBC New York Nonstop. She has also been a guest on FOX & Friends and has been featured in Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Deal, Crains, Eat. Drink. Better, and several other publications.

Want to connect with Divya? Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter here and here!