2007 Entrepreneur Finalists
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Small-business entrepreneurs turn the gears of our local economy. They’re constantly on the move, taking risks, and pushing to stay ahead of the pack. So, what keeps them going? How do they prepare for the daily race and stay motivated to cross the finish line in first place?
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TwinWest asked our 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year and Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year finalists to share their strategies and techniques with us. Read on for the full text of their responses.
Back row, left to right: Entrepreneur of the Year finalists Jim Leslie, Midwave Corporation; Matt Meents, Reside, LLC; Eddie Ulrich, Fuzzy Duck Design. Front row, left to right: Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year finalists Richard (Dick) Brown, Voice Solutions, Inc.; Caroline Melberg, Melberg Marketing; David Throdahl, AVEX, LLC.
Scroll down to read all of our finalists' profiles and interviews, or click on a name above to jump to a specific finalist. An abbreviated version of these interviews appears in the May 2007 issue of TwinWest's magazine, Directions.
[Back to the 2007 Small Business Awards Luncheon page]
 | Jim Leslie
Midwave Corporation
Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist |
Jim is chairman and CEO of Midwave Corporation in Eden Prairie. The company was founded in 1999, and currently has 115 employees. Midwave Corporation is an information technology consulting firm that offers its clients both advisory and integration services. What is it about your line of work that keeps you pedaling forward every day? I love building businesses, and while I certainly enjoy the information technology industry, I think I could find the same fascination, intrigue, and satisfaction in almost any field. What I love about building businesses is studying a market, finding opportunities to differentiate, and motivating employees to pursue and achieve their potential. It is a very similar experience to raising children, watching them mature beyond your control, and standing back in amazement of who they have become.
What’s one essential part of your personal warm-up or cool-down routine for the day? Starting early is very important to me. I am up at 4:45 each morning. I typically work out five days a week, and am in the office by 6:45. Getting an early start allows me to get my thoughts together before others start asking for my time. It also allows me to be home for dinner with my family almost every evening, something I treasure.
Among Italian cyclists, it is an unwritten rule to eat pasta three hours before racing. Name one food and one beverage you rely on to keep you fueled. I am a coffee lover, so this would clearly be the drink I rely on. I don’t have any particular food dependencies, but I do like all of the bad stuff. My favorite foods are sweet, carb-rich, or both!
If there were a short motto or core belief printed on your team’s jerseys, what would it say? “Win with integrity.”
Have you or your company ever been forced to unexpectedly shift gears or recover from a crash? We certainly have faced adversity in the development of Midwave, not the least of which was founding the company on the eve of our industry’s worst downfall in history. I have taken two lessons from these experiences. First, take the long view, as you may have to take a step back to survive for another day; second, with determination, we can survive anything.
What advice would you give to a struggling entrepreneur who might be tempted to pull over and abandon the ride? Be clear on your dreams. Remember why you started the business in the first place. If the dream still inspires you, keep on fighting. Being an entrepreneur is not easy; if it were, everyone would do it. In the end, however, there are few experiences as rewarding as building a successful organization.
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 | Matt Meents
Reside, LLC
Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist |
Matt is CEO of Reside, LLC in Minneapolis. He and a business partner founded the company in 2001, and they currently employ 26 people. Reside, LLC provides to clients Web technology services that include strategy, interactive design, Web development, system integration, and on-demand customer relationship management.
What is it about your line of work that keeps you pedaling forward every day? It a combination of our GREAT employees and working with Web technology, which is changing everyday.
What’s one essential part of your personal warm-up or cool-down routine for the day? Cup of Joe and some rock 'n' roll!
Among Italian cyclists, it is an unwritten rule to eat pasta three hours before racing. Name one food and one beverage you rely on to keep you fueled. Nachos and coffee...but not in the same meal.
If there were a short motto or core belief printed on your team’s jerseys, what would it say? “Rockin”
Have you or your company ever been forced to unexpectedly shift gears or recover from a crash? I learned it is not the crash, but how you get back up and respond to it!
What advice would you give to a struggling entrepreneur who might be tempted to pull over and abandon the ride? Go listen to your clients, understand their needs, and refocus!
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 | Eddie Ulrich
Fuzzy Duck Design
Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist |
Eddie is president and CEO of Minnetonka-based Fuzzy Duck Design. Fuzzy Duck Design was founded in 1994, and has five employees. It is the creative division of Imagebay Inc., and provides logo development, illustration, print design, Web development and animation to its clients.
What is it about your line of work that keeps you pedaling forward every day? Variety! Each week brings new creative challenges for our team to solve, different types of people to work with, and new forms of communication for us to utilize. I guess you could say it’s the curves in the road that keep the journey fun and exciting!
What’s one essential part of your personal warm-up or cool-down routine for the day? Family dinner with my wife and four daughters. Everyone shares their highs and lows from the day. It helps me wind down and keep my perspective on what is truly important. They are my emotional pit crew.
Among Italian cyclists, it is an unwritten rule to eat pasta three hours before racing. Name one food and one beverage you rely on to keep you fueled. Cereal bars and green tea.
If there were a short motto or core belief printed on your team’s jerseys, what would it say?
“Fresh Ideas and Effective Images!”
Have you or your company ever been forced to unexpectedly shift gears or recover from a crash? When faced with a roadblock, I like to pull over and carefully consider my options before proceeding. It might cost me some time (or money) but choosing the right path increases my chances of crossing the finish line in one piece.
What advice would you give to a struggling entrepreneur who might be tempted to pull over and abandon the ride? Running your own business can be a challenging and bumpy road. But, if you just keep pedaling, remember how far you’ve come, appreciate where you currently are and keep your eye on the road, you will find it the most rewarding journey you’ve ever taken. And don’t be afraid to change course if you have to. Your business plan is a map, but you are the driver – trust your instincts.
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 | Richard (Dick) Brown
Voice Solutions, Inc.
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist |
Dick is president of Voice Solutions, Inc. in Plymouth. Dick and his wife, Sandra, founded the company in 2003, and employ six people. Voice Solutions, Inc. provides custom on-hold messaging and environmental business music with in-store messaging to its customers.
What is it about your line of work that keeps you pedaling forward every day? Voice Solutions is very similar to a cycling racing team as it is made up of athletes who are very competitive. I am fortunate to have good pace setters, and an outstanding support team that works together. This allows me to be the “Lance Armstrong” of the team, riding in the middle of the pack, only to leap forward to close the large deals.
What’s one essential part of your personal warm-up or cool-down routine for the day? In order to stay in shape and have energy for the business, I try to work out every day.
Among Italian cyclists, it is an unwritten rule to eat pasta three hours before racing. Name one food and one beverage you rely on to keep you fueled. I eat protein (either meat or a shake), and drink lots of water during the day, followed by a glass or two of wine at night.
If there were a short motto or core belief printed on your team’s jerseys, what would it say? “If everything’s under control, you’re going too slow.” (Mario Andretti)
Have you or your company ever been forced to unexpectedly shift gears or recover from a crash? We worked long and hard on one particular RFP (request for proposal), and the potential client decided not to move forward with the project. We did not view it as a waste of time – we learned a lot about our competition, as well as Voice Solution’s capabilities.
What advice would you give to a struggling entrepreneur who might be tempted to pull over and abandon the ride? First, ask, “Can the dog hunt?” Meaning, is your product or service viable in the marketplace? Do people need it? Is it priced fairly? What’s the competition? Then determine whether you can get the money, and whether the team can execute. If the answers are positive, then keep pedaling.
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 | Caroline Melberg
Melberg Marketing
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist |
Caroline is president and CEO of Melberg Marketing, Inc., in Wayzata. Caroline and her husband founded the company in 2006, and are its only employees. Melberg Marketing is a full-service virtual, integrated marketing firm dedicated to bringing blue-chip marketing experience to today’s small business owners. In January 2007, Melberg founded Small Business Mavericks, a division of Melberg Marketing.
What is it about your line of work that keeps you pedaling forward every day? The exciting changes happening in our industry around every turn, and the ability to help small business owners succeed and prosper every single day.
What’s one essential part of your personal warm-up or cool-down routine for the day? Goal setting is a crucial part of our core business philosophy. My warm-up each day consists of reviewing my plan for the day, and making sure my day's plan is aligned with our weekly, monthly and yearly goals. My cool-down is when I review my accomplishments for the day and plan the next day's activities.
Among Italian cyclists, it is an unwritten rule to eat pasta three hours before racing. Name one food and one beverage you rely on to keep you fueled. I opt for a good juicy steak before any major event, and water is my beverage of choice that keeps me refreshed and going all day long.
If there were a short motto or core belief printed on your team’s jerseys, what would it say? “Do It Now!”
Have you or your company ever been forced to unexpectedly shift gears or recover from a crash? You never know what surprise bumps or potholes you'll face along the ride, but I've learned that you can look at them as either disasters or opportunities. Every time we've had to switch gears, or pick ourselves up off the track, we've learned so much more from the experience than when everything was going "as planned." We've turned every surprise bump in the road into an opportunity to improve, change and grow.
What advice would you give to a struggling entrepreneur who might be tempted to pull over and abandon the ride? Never quit. Of all the traits an entrepreneur must possess, nothing is as valuable as persistence. Success is just around the next turn – but only if you never quit.
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 | David Throdahl
AVEX, LLC
Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalists |
David is CEO of AVEX LLC in St. Louis Park. David founded the company in 2003, and currently employs nine people. AVEX provides audio video equipment rental, creative services, event production, technical support, staffing solutions, system design/installation, and product sales to its customers.
What is it about your line of work that keeps you pedaling forward every day? In our line of work, we deal with some of the most important events in people’s lives. Being able to deliver comfort in a high stress situation, as it relates to the use of technology, provides a great deal of satisfaction.
What’s one absolutely essential part of your personal warm-up or cool-down routine for the day? As a warm-up, I almost always have a few moments in the morning with my family, which serves as a great motivator and reminder of why I put forth my best effort each day. And, of course, a cup of coffee for the drive to work is required. For a cool down, I spend an extra hour after closing time at my desk to look over my plans for the upcoming day, and make sure I’m prepared.
Among Italian cyclists, it is an unwritten rule to eat pasta three hours before racing. Name one food and one beverage you rely on to keep you fueled. Of course I already mentioned the morning coffee. Other than that, I’ve always been more of an “eat-to-live” person, so there isn’t a particular food that I rely on before our daily race. Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for me to suddenly feel hungry, look at my watch and realize it is 3 p.m. and I haven’t eaten lunch!
If there were a short motto or core belief printed on your team’s jerseys, what would it say? That’s a difficult question because we don’t have a tag line but we do have a deep philosophy about who we are and how we work – there are probably a dozen that I could mention. I guess if I had to define one overall theme that is important to me, it would be “operating with integrity.”
Have you or your company ever been forced to unexpectedly shift gears or recover from a crash? We have been very fortunate to never be in the position of recovering from what could be called a “crash.” I believe that is because we are very focused on process, planning, and redundancy in almost everything that we do. I launched the business with a very detailed business plan, and we have followed that road map very carefully. I’m also very cautious and conservative in how I approach decision making, and that has helped us avoid risky situations. As the person with his “hands on the handlebars,” I know my team and their families are counting on me to steer us carefully in the right direction, and I take that responsibility very seriously.
What advice would you give to a struggling entrepreneur who might be tempted to pull over and abandon the ride? There is a great deal of truth to perseverance eventually paying off. A great decision-making/problem-solving tool that my father taught me is to put things to paper. It helps to make the issues and the situation more tangible. In this person’s case, it should include a pro and con list that defines the reasons to consider abandoning the effort, and it should also include a dissection of each of the problems to find workable solutions. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve been able to follow the original roadmap of our business plan, but I would also encourage that person to revise or draft an entirely new business plan to chart a new course. That can often provide the clarity that is needed to make the right choice.
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