My path from corporate professional to entrepreneur has been shaped by curiosity, adaptability, and a passion for helping others. It all began after graduating from college, when I joined IBM to sell computers to the federal government in Washington, D.C. At IBM, I was trained to professionally sell by understanding a fundamental truth: people buy products to meet their needs. Success comes from showing how your product does this better than anyone else. While IBM was an incredible company and I enjoyed my 18-year tenure there, I always had an entrepreneurial spirit. In 1982, I took early retirement, moved to Orlando, Florida, and began searching for the perfect business to buy.
Keeping an Open Mind
My first lesson as a business buyer was the importance of keeping an open mind. At the time, I was passionate about muscle cars, fast boats, and motorcycles and assumed I’d find a business in one of these areas. I contacted a business broker and shared my interests. The very next day, while driving in Orlando, the broker called to discuss a potential opportunity. To my surprise, it wasn’t in any of my chosen categories—it was a pillow manufacturing business.
Initially skeptical, I quickly shifted my mindset. As a trained salesman, I thought about the market. Orlando is a hub for tourism, with hotels on nearly every corner—and hotels need pillows. This realization piqued my interest, so I gave the broker the green light to share more details.
The business had several promising aspects: the owner, a British engineer, wasn’t a natural salesman, and his South American wife was eager to return home, signaling strong motivation to sell. Additionally, the business held a DuPont fiber franchise, which resonated with me because I’d recently purchased a top-of-the-line DuPont Qualafill pillow. While I didn’t know much about pillows, I saw the sales potential with the abundance of hotels in the area and decided to visit the business.
The Pillow Business Success
By that afternoon, I purchased the pillow manufacturing business. Within a year, I designed a proprietary bed pillow for Walt Disney World, earning a Sole Source contract. This success was both financially rewarding and deeply fulfilling, yet I still held on to my dream of owning a car lot.
From Pillows to Cars
After selling the pillow business, I launched an upscale pre-owned automobile dealership. It was a dream come true to attend car auctions and handpick inventory. However, I quickly learned that the car business wasn’t easy—understanding what customers wanted to buy, rather than just following my own preferences, was a valuable but tough lesson. The car business turned out to be a financial loss, but it taught me resilience and the importance of adaptability.
The Key Takeaway
The most valuable insight from my journey was learned during my first business purchase: keep an open mind. Your dream business may not look like what you initially imagine, but with the right perspective, opportunities can reveal incredible potential. If you’re looking for your dream business in Florida, I can help you find it. Let’s explore the possibilities together. Call me at (727) 513-0222 or schedule a call here.
