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ENTREPRENEURS
SUMMER 2010 l 21
“By far, the greatest reward is meeting so many wonderful and different people.” - Doug Buczak ’98 SM Goals are imperative to the success of a business, and both Buczak and Gosyne have clear objectives for their companies. “We have developed a positive relationship with clients over the past 15 years and want to maintain that high standard. Working to stay on top is much harder now than it was back then,” said Buczak of Absolute Sound’s long history. In a new economy, businesses are finding that the standard approach may not work as well as it used to. Stepping up personalized service and finding a renewed focus on providing value will aid companies in continuing to be relevant in a down economy. Gosyne aspires to turn her jewelry business into a legion of independent women business owners: “I’d like to have them have their own Pacifika Spirit and take control of their finances, self-confidence, and independence. Think ‘Mary Kay for jewelry.’” Entrepreneurs often ride a fine line between their personal and business lives, as noted by Buczak. “It’s a constant goal of mine to better balance my business and personal life. I have to learn not to work all the time,” he says. When the reputation of the business lies firmly in the lap of the owner, the stress of putting in 100% all the time can be draining. Entrepreneurs need to remember to take time for themselves and for their friends and families. Even one day off a week can be a source of renewal to face the next week’s challenges. Some business owners choose the path of self-employment to own their time. Gosyne enjoys the flexibility entrepreneurship offers as she and her husband build their dream home and make plans to start a family. Again, though, that balance between work and home can be a bit of a teeter-totter. Growing both a life and a company simultaneously challenges owners to choose where to spend their time, which can be a tough choice when more fun activities seem a bit easier than establishing a company. For me, my inspiration came from Doug Anderson and Charlie DiGaudio, two professors I had while at Medaille in the mid-‘90s. Anderson gave me my first C on a paper, challenging me to write as well as I could, not just to be better than my classmates. It was an eye-opener for a procrastinator who’d always been a natural writer. DiGaudio asked me to write my first résumé—for him. When I produced the final draft, he told me I should start a business. I did.
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“I’d like to have them havetheirownPacifika Spirit and take control of their finances, self-confidence, and independence. Think ‘Mary Kay for jewelry.’”
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- Lakshmi Gosyne’08 MSED
Amanda Collins ’96 CYS is the owner of The Grammar Doctors (www.grammardocs.com), a boutique marketing communications firm located in Phoenix, AZ., and working with clients around the globe to provide copywriting, copyediting, and résumé design.