This month we asked entrepreneurs from the Blackstone LaunchPad at the University of Montana to share with us why they wanted to START SOMETHING of their own.
Walker Milhoan is the founder of RanchLogs–a software and service company that focuses on sustainable beef production and improved rangelands through proper grazing management.
Tell us what motivated you to want to start your own business.
I have always been very independent and excelled at jobs that have provided me with a lot of freedom. Also, I don't have a four- year college degree and I most likely never will. I have a certificate degree from Texas Christian University in Ranch Management, but not a bachelors. This is what has really steered me down the entrepreneurial path because I know that It would be very hard for me to enter the job market and land a high-paying job without that piece of paper. So, I have decided to try and make money by building my own business.
Who are your biggest influencers? Were your parents entrepreneurial?
My biggest influencers are the old grey-haired ranchers that I have known and worked for. These guys are the most down-to-earth, most genuine, hardest workers I have ever known and many of them have been close mentors to me. The best piece of advice I have ever received was given to me by an old cowboss by the name of Mike Redmond, “Son, never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut.” I have lived by these words ever since.
The second part of this question is yes, my parents are very entrepreneurial and have worked for themselves for as long as I can remember.
Share with us the biggest lesson you've learned so far.
If you’re going to go into business with a friend, make sure you outline every single detail of the business, both good and bad, before entering into a partnership. Another huge lesson I learned in my mid-twenties was to never, and I mean NEVER, ask a favor of someone that you can't repay. If you do ask a favor of someone, repay it in full, and in a very timely fashion.
What has been your most rewarding accomplishment (brag away!)
My most rewarding (and ongoing) accomplishment is trying to be the very best husband that I can be to the most wonderful wife in the world. Second, is being the best father I can possibly be to my three amazing children. Lastly, graduating from TCU Ranch Management was a turning point in my life that really got my butt in gear!
Some say that starting a business is like having a baby. What does that mean to you?
Well, I have never had a baby…I am raising a few, but I have never had one. I could see why some people would say this but I think that having children is much easier than starting a business because a lot of people have children but not a lot of people have a business. I think starting a business requires a whole new level of detail and precision.
***
About the Author
October 2014's theme start something is brought to you by
Headwaters | Blackstone
To learn about sponsoring a Mamalode theme contact: info@mamalode.com