Friday is a good day to meet someone for coffee. And by spending a few dollars at a Blacksburg, Virginia, coffee shop, I did a small bit to help the struggling economy.
The person I met — Jim Flowers — is also doing his part to help companies and the wider economy.
Jim has been a consultant and executive for start-up and early-stage companies for nearly 40 years. He currently serves as the Director of VT KnowledgeWorks, a business acceleration program at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC) in Blacksburg.
Jim enjoys conversation, and we had a lively chat on an unseasonably warm morning. He recently published MOXIE and other fundamental entrepreneurial concepts, a short read that outlines four key ingredients to business success: magic, market, mentors and, yes, moxie. As Jims says, start with moxie.
I haven’t read the book, but Arthur Scharff has and was quoted at Jim’s blog:
“I’ve worked with thousands of business people over the past 40 years, but I have seen only a few successful entrepreneurs. I have, however, seen many who, had they read Jim’s book first, might have saved themselves a lot of time, money and heartache.”
You can check it out here. I definitely think the world could use a little moxie right about now.
Neil Sagebiel 