i was asked why i chose to start a business over 26 years ago. it had been a long time since anyone posed that question.

as i reflected backed, i realized that since i was a child i had grown up around great uncles that had owned their own businesses. during the summers when we went to visit my grandparents, i spent time working with them in each of their different business ventures. my grandfathers had started businesses when they were younger before they went on to their chosen jobs. So maybe somewhere in my DNA the desire to own an operate a business existed.

i can think of a number of different times during my career in education that thoughts of starting my own business surfaced. as i look back at many of the things i did in starting and developing programs for various institutions they were merely preparing me for taking the steps necessary to start my own business. at various times before leaving the university i had worked as a consultant for different types of institutions in both the public and private arenas another step in preparing me for making the decision to leave the university system.

the decision to finally leave the institution and start out on my own came as a result of funding for the programs i was working with was reduced greatly. i now had to decide what options wold be best for the program and for me. i reviewed the workload, the constant problems and the various level of cooperation or lack there of and the other stresses involved. i looked at what options were available for me and whether I had the desire to continue working for someone else. I did a personal force field analysis and after reviewing it and discussing it with some others, I made the decision to start my own business rather than seek another position within the institution or in any other institution or area.

i remember when i told my father and my uncles about my decision to go out and start my own business. the first thing they said was that I must have lost my mind for leaving a good job, a good career and not seeking another job within the university or another job in some other state in the area of education. they all reminded me that i was giving up a good position and losing retirement opportunities. they had grown up in an era in which they were taught to get a good education, get a good job and stay with it until they retire. So there view of me moving out to do something different was colored by their vision of the way life should be.

my grandfather on my father’s side, who had retired from the santa fe railroad asked why and what was i going to do. i told him and he simple gave me the following to always to do. first to keep God first in all that I do, to keep my faith at all-times and remember that through good time and bad always give thanks for His blessings and ask for wisdom in handling my business. he said to always maintain my values and my integrity in all things and at all-times. to always treat people with honor and respect the same way i wanted to be treated. to always do more than what was expected in everything that i did and to always give more than i received and ensure that i gave every job and project the very best i had to give. to always make sure that every person i came in contact with be treated as the most important person i had ever met. He said to always treat people as if they were him. thus treat everyone with utmost respect in every way.

thus with that basic advice i left the university an started my business with my first contract being in north dakota that lasted four years. Since that beginning now starting my 27 year in business i have learned many things and have had many different experiences. each day and each year being different from the past. there have been many, many people we have served in different forms of service, there have been great times, great ups, great lows and everything in-between. the main thing that has allowed me to continue is the advice of my grandfather and always maintaining a positive attitude and looking forward positively toward each new day and each new challenge.

make a choice today of what you want to do and take the step. it will be a great journey that gives you the opportunity to create your own world. Best of luck.

Lonnie G. Juarez, Jr. Ph.D.
President BusinessPOWER