Serial Entrepeneur Brad Peterson

Do you ever wonder how some people come up with one great business idea after another? For Denver based serial entrepreneur Brad Peterson, new ideas don’t just come easy. They come right on time.

With jobless rates soaring across the country, Brad rode the recession’s silver lining to launch the brand new (and perfectly timed) iPhone application Audio Job Interview. With one download and a few good answers, potential employees get noticed by self-recording answers to common interview questions and then attaching the corresponding urls to their resumes. Confused? Scroll down and play the quick video below before reading on as Brad explains putting good ideas to use through even better execution.

Waiting to her Brad’s newest idea? Don’t worry, his next launch is only weeks away.

1. Your timing couldn’t be better. Which came first, the idea for Audio Job Interview or the recession?

Audio Job Interview, the timing was mostly fortuitous. Contrary to what one might believe the recession is not necessarily all good news for our product though. Sadly, we have found that a lot of job seekers have given up and are waiting on the sidelines to hopefully ride the recession out. We anticipate an upswing in the user downloads side once a recovery starts to feels tangible for beleaguered job seekers.

2. Who is the competition and what makes your application better?

Video interviewing is becoming more used and it’s just a matter of time before we see the technology niche-embraced in the mobile device realm. One of the shortcomings of video is that it’s not very candidate friendly. People are not always comfortable “on camera” and the effort required to make a video of acceptable quality is challenging. An Audio Interview is far easier to record, far more candidate friendly, and there is no chance for a “looks” bias to factor into the hiring equation, which HR departments must be very sensitive to.

3. What tips would you offer job seekers looking to make the most of Audio Job Interview? Any success stories?

Be confident, believe in the product and do not give up! One candidate re-applied to the same jobs she had been rejected for just weeks prior to trying Audio Job Interview. She re-applied but this time attached to her resume the URL link of her interview created on her iPhone. It got her two face to face interviews and both employers mentioned that they had never seen this technological platform used before. They were impressed and they appreciated the effort and originality.

4. What kind of feedback have you received post-launch?

Several venture capitalists have approached us to buy the technology and three rather large firms specializing in the staffing and hiring industry are interested in white labeling the product post-haste.

5. Audio Job Interview wasn’t your first entrepreneurial venture. Tell us about Wediting and any lessons learned.

Wediting, which I later sold to one of the editing artists who ran the company, specialized in outsourcing photography work flow and retouching for wedding photographers nationally. I learned that no matter how good an “idea” was or how marketable it appeared to be, at the end of the day it’s not what your business does but the people that run it that determine success. It’s best to think of businesses as people not ideas. I believe that any viable business can succeed so long as the right people are chosen to run it. Luckily, I was blessed to have such great people involved in this project.

6. Have you ever had a “real” job?

I was a construction laborer while I was in college. I enjoyed the physical labor but realized that no matter how hard I worked I was not in charge of my own destiny- I was simply earning a fair wage, not earning a living. Earning a living to me means balancing your life with work and enjoying what it is that puts bread on your table.

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

At times I have this naïve notion that I can’t fail so long as I try my hardest and surround myself with good people…which of course is a bit reckless and perhaps cocky. Any person who would ground me and remind that I can, and have many times, failed, would be both helpful and complementary. Luckily I have had girlfriends who were happy to do so!

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope that my life’s path allows me to continue pursuing creative entrepreneurial projects that inspire me to get out of bed in the morning and still pay my mortgages!

Brad’s Bio:

Bradford Peterson was once told by a business professor that all business idea’s had been thought of already- nothing is truly original. The professor said, “The difference, as to whether or not those idea’s came to be a success, had to do with people, not so much the ideas.” This resonated in Brad’s mind and became a cornerstone of belief in his pursuit of business endeavors. Rather than focusing on the idea behind a business concept, he chooses to place more emphasis on the people element. Business ideas are a dime a dozen, personnel who run the idea are not, he believes. To date Bradford has owned Forthright Auto Net, a classic car sales and marketing business, Wediting, an outsource workflow solution for wedding photographers, Imagetek, a youth sports photography company and two iPhone applications, Audio Job interview and iGiveway his latest app, which will hit the iTunes store within the month. When not surrounding himself with projects and people he considers to be smarter and more creative than himself, he enjoys kayaking, photography, fly-fishing, classic muscle cars, dating and yard work.

Want to connect with Brad? Follow him on Facebook!

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!