Very Short Interview, Part 2
The entrepreneur I interviewed for my first short interview months ago, was Nabil Shaker. Mr. Shaker is owner of a seafood restaurant and bar as well as his own real estate company, partnered with his brother. His restaurant is in Tampa and personally I love the food, my family and I go all the time! Snappers has been open for over 20 years, which is very impressive in the food industry. Looking back at our first interview, I am very pleased to read the answers he provided for me again. The questions asked were great and I do not regret asking them at all as his answers were filled with wisdom. I have a great impression on that interview, however, knowing what I know now there are a few more questions I would like to ask. Since my entrepreneur resides in Tampa and I am in Gainesville, I had to call him asking my questions like I did for the first interview.
Heres a deeper look into the interview:
Jessica: "I just have a few questions for you, answer however you like. Here's the first question Mr. Shaker. I know you mentioned to me before that being an entrepreneur and in charge of your own business and work, you have no days off. You are constantly working and not simply clocking in then out on a 9-5 schedule. Would you say that that lifestyle is a drawback?
Shaker: "Well let me tell you something. Being in charge of your own life in every aspect is something great and something that not every person gets to experience. I am lucky for sure but I cannot begin to tell you how many days I just wished I could clock out and go home and not worry about work or get called back in because something happened in the kitchen or people or fighting or we need more beer. I just want to go home and actually be home and have weekends off to spend time with my family and relax. But, I could never see myself working for anyone else. I like to do as I please not what people tell me and I get to create something of my own.
Jessica: "Wow, what a great answer! Yes, owning your own business can be quite tiring I can only imagine. So when do you plan to retire and what is your exit strategy? When do you plan to stop working and what will you do with all your businesses?
Shaker: "Good question. Well I have worked for 25 years but I am not planning on retiring soon. I'm waiting for my kids to be done with school and get their degrees so one of them can come back and take over the family business. I don't want some other random guy to buy my business that I worked so hard to mold into my own. It's something I did to leave for my kids. I want them to have opportunities that my brother and I did not have. I want to leave a part of me for them and my grandkids.
Jessica: "Ok, one last question. How do you feel about college? I know in the USA especially, today it is almost expected for everyone to have more than a high school diploma. People are more competitive now but I see a lot of kids in college who are not happy with what they are studying but their distracted by money or society or parental views. Do you think having a college degree is important, or a necessity today?
Shaker: "Well I never finished college. I went then realized it wasn't what I wanted but you have to remember that was a different time than now, than today. Back then people with high school degrees were equipped to work and looked at as assets. Now with the rise of education and competition, I believe that having a degree most certainly puts you in an advantage than the other candidate who may not have one. Now, studying something that you do not like at all is not the best idea. Passion drives success. If this is about you thinking about dropping out - don't. University teaches you so much and challenges you on several levels that you may not even realize, mentally, physically, socially, psychologically, and more.
Reflection:
My second interview with Mr. Shaker was very good and honestly what I needed to hear especially with exams coming up. This class has taught me how to approach people a lot more and how to pitch myself into being someone that is more appealing than another candidate. I knew a lot more about entrepreneurship than I did during the first interview hands down. And after talking to Mr. Shaker a second time I could tell he knew that I have improved and blossomed as a student as I had more to bring to the table and could keep up with his conversation more.
Hey!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you had such a successful time interviewing your entrepreneur. He sounds like a great guy. I think it is really good hearing about an entrepreneur who really likes what he does. It makes me feel like someday I could be an entrepreneur too. My biggest fear about pursuing my product because of the crazy hours I would have to work, but Mr. Shaker made it sound like it is worth it anyways!
Overall, great job!
Unfortunately I was not able to do this assignment, but here is the link to my blog: http://ckm-ent3003.blogspot.com/
Hey Jessica, I really enjoyed reading your post! I think you have a really good grasp on what needs to be accomplished in order to succeed in your field of work. The entrepreneur you interviewed seems to be very intelligent and a good influence on you. Following the footsteps of someone who has faced hardship and succeeded is important. I would really appreciate it if you would take a look at my blog post here! http://ethan2you.blogspot.com/2016/04/very-short-interview-no-2.html
ReplyDeleteI think the most remarkable thing that I notice about your entrepreneurs how on if you was about not just to experiences with the business, but the relation to becky has the family in particular his children and how you want them through and make those relationships better as they take over the family business.
ReplyDeleteI like the answers provided as they were very straightforward and honest. This entrepreneur has managed a successful business so they're well versed on what works and what doesn't work which is very commendable. I find that business owners are very direct and they like to waste no time, which is more of a prudent approach and one that is often confused or misconstrued for rudeness. The interview was very insightful and I liked the questions and answers. You did a very good job. Good luck with the rest of the semester, it's almost over. If you would like to read my blog post you can find it here: http://ruben-s-castro.blogspot.com/2016/04/very-short-interview-part-2.html
ReplyDeleteHey Coofta, this was a very insightful interview with some great questions and fantastic key points! I think that you really hit the nail on the head with this one! Your got the home run! Your idea is great and the answers you provided were honest, descriptive and very straight forward. Great Post!
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http://nahelabugattas.blogspot.com/2016/04/google-gold.html