A Conversation with Tom Breitling
Q: You give back to your community, mentoring a group of kids at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy and developing a program for young entrepreneurs at the University of San Diego, as two examples. Has that always been important to you, and why?
Tom Breitling: You have to find that one thing that you love to do, and that is what I hope to bring to the Agassi kids and the entrepreneurs at USD. I want to expose them to many different career choices in the hopes that they will find their passion. Exposure is everything. Thanks to my dad, I was introduced to many different options as a young person. He was a pilot for Northwest Airlines and I flew around the world with him, learning about the travel business and different cultures. In addition, my dad discussed many sports and career choices with me to help me find my true calling. When you love what you do, you do it better and are more successful. Being exposed to numerous possibilities at a young age helps people find their passion earlier in life and get a leg up on the competition.
Q: What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs on the way up?
Tom Breitling: I would explain to them the power of dreaming big. Don’t stop at owning a corner coffee shop, dream of being the next Starbucks. Find a great business that works for you, one that you think can make a difference in the marketplace. Then, build a team of people that bring strengths to the table that make your weaknesses disappear. For example, every business needs someone with great math skills. I am not that guy, but Tim is a mathematical whiz. Together, we were able to build financial models for our business, find businesses that were profitable, and always look to make our services better. We jokingly call Tim “Howard Hughes,” because he often works on mathematical models alone in his office and doesn’t want to be bothered by people, while I am a people person who makes an acquaintance every time I ride in an elevator. Finally, I would tell young entrepreneurs not to be afraid to take well-calculated risks. If you hesitate to take risks, you’ll be much better working for somebody rather than leading a team of people in your own business.
Q: What’s next for you?
Tom Breitling: Stay tuned—I can’t give you details now, but I can guarantee that it will be bigger than anything we have done before.