Vital Interaction

Founded in 2009 by Lawson Boothe (’09) and Hugo Diaz (’09), Vital Interaction helps healthcare providers manage their patient communications through an automated system that combines text messaging, email and automated voice. It helps dramatically reduce appointment no-shows and follow-ups, increasing revenue in the process. On Friday, May 4, 2012, Austin American-Statesman published an interview with Lawson and Hugo, where they discussed their original business idea, how it shifted based on feedback from their customers, how they’re benefitting the healthcare industry today and their plans for growth.

GigFunder

The May 8th launch of Matt Pearson‘s (’11) new endeavor GigFunder didn’t go unnoticed by Hypebot, a blog focused on the intersection of the music business and technology. GigFunder uses a crowdfunding approach, but applies it solely to planning and funding musician tour dates, based on real demand from real fans. In the feature written by Hypebot‘s Clyde Smith, Matt discussed his decision to start a business based on something he loves, bootstrapping, and how he envisions giving music fans the chance to see their favorite musicians perform live in their town.

Congratulations to Lawson, Hugo and Matt for their early successes on their entrepreneurial journeys. We can’t wait to hear the next updates!

We find that when they are able to attend, these business owners bring critically valuable real-world insight and practicality to class discussions. Their experience both makes them valuable members of their class and concentrates their own learning experiences. Their own intent to improve their existing business means they are able to recognize and directly apply many classroom lessons to specific problems and obstacles that exist in their businesses.

We asked two of our alums to comment on their experiences as entrepreneurs who removed themselves from their businesses in order to attend Acton. They discussed why they applied to Acton, how they got their business ready for their absence, and what they got out of the experience once it was over.

The Alumni

Bryan Daigle ('11)

Bryan Daigle (’11) founded Long Tail Products, a turn-key Austin product development firm where he serves as Chief Inventor and takes products from concept, through manufacturing, and to market. Founded in early 2009, the company focuses on delivering high-quality niche products to customers. Some existing products include a headset adapter called Headset Buddy and an upscale bottle opener known as bottleBOSS. Bryan successfully based much of his original approach around concepts in Timothy Ferriss’ The 4-Hour Workweek and in 2010, he enrolled at Acton to further enhance, optimize and grow the company.

Brad Holden, DC ('12)

Recent Acton graduate Brad Holden, D.C. (’12) is a Doctor of Chiropractic and the Founder of HealthFirst Wellness Center in Austin, Texas. After running a multi-office practice for more than a decade in Michigan, he relocated his family and business to Texas. A couple of years ago he met Joe Price (’09), who told him about Acton. After reading up on it, Brad knew if he ever went back to school, Acton would be it. A few years later, Brad’s business was at a place where he thought it could grow to the next step and that Acton was worth his time away. Brad graduated with his class on April 28 and, at the time of this post, has just returned to his business to begin the process of applying what he has learned.

On going to Acton while I already had a business…

Bryan

I feel I got more out of Acton than anyone else did. While I went through the school year, I built a list of notes and cases that I felt had direct relevance to my business. I knew I’d want to re-read and review them after I had graduated. Once I did, I took a couple of months to travel and really study these topics and consider how they tied into my business. I built a list of 50 bullet points, prioritized them and began integrating and applying those lessons into my business, one by one.

Brad

In class discussions, I was able to flip through and draw upon real life mistakes and successes. I felt it engrained some of those lessons in me better in than in some of my peers who lacked that direct experience as a business owner. I built a list of some 50 key notes and lessons that apply directly to my business today, where I want to take it, and what I want to do in the future.

On prepping my business for my absence…

Bryan

Knowing that I wouldn’t have time to manage my business while I was enrolled at Acton, I had to automate and outsource as much as I could before the program began. It’s almost like you’re putting it in a box to sell it. That streamlining was about a two-month process. I fired bad customers and hired someone who I could trust to run my business in my absence. I told him that I didn’t care about business growth during that period, but I needed him to keep it successful. At the end of the year, he’d actually grown it a little, so that was a success.

Brad

I hired Peter Kirby, an Acton grad from 2011, to come into my business for three months and help organize it for my absence, to get processes in place. I’d recommend to any incoming Acton student who owns a business that they also hire an Acton graduate to help them ready it for their absence. While I was in school, my wife also stepped in to cover my role, which was key. You have to cover your position with someone you trust completely, someone who shares your priorities and incentives.

On checking in on my business during the school year…

Brad

You think ‘Well, surely I’ll have time to attend a staff meeting each week…’ But you just don’t. I had time for a quick update, but I really had to trust that the preparation and leadership I put in place. I devoted a little time to affirming that each week, and fortunately I had left my wife in charge, so this was easier to do that it would have been otherwise.

Bryan

I got it down so that the time commitment to my business was one hour per week. I got a weekly report and would review it and send back any needed comments or suggestions.

On the impact on my business after Acton…

Bryan

We grew our net revenue by 150% in the year after I graduated from Acton over the prior year. And I project further growth at the end of this fiscal year. We have always run a lean operation, but I’ve also increased our headcount from an equivalent of one and a half full-time employees to four full time employees. I’m continuing to Acton-ize my business, including a focus on building a great company culture that helps our employees develop personally and professionally. We began offering our employees sessions with a dream coach last fall and currently I’m mentoring two of my employees via Acton’s MyEJ curriculum.

Brad

I just finished Acton last week. I know I’ve changed, but I’m just beginning to see how I’ll apply what I’ve learned. I’m going back into my business right now and I’ll spend my first week working my receptionist’s position. I want to really learn the job, figure out where there’s an opportunity to make a process better, and improve my customers’ experiences. It’s just one of many things, but one that I’d never think, or be able, to do if I hadn’t stepped out of my business. I’ve also found that I’m already more deliberate with my communication and that while success is important to me, I’m more focused on creating plans and strategies that build success and rewards not just for me and my family, but also for my staff and others working with me.

On applying to Acton as a business owner…

Brad

I only considered Acton to begin with. My training was in health and wellness, and I hadn’t had any business instruction. I also knew that I couldn’t take two years off, especially if a good chunk of those years would be spent getting geared up for the corporate world. I wasn’t interested in that at all. Acton’s draw was the real world applicability, a focus that what would help me be a better business-person.

Bryan

I do honestly believe that I got the most out of Acton. Students who go through the program who already have a business running, or even a specific business plan in the back of their heads, have a much more tangible place to apply their lessons and observations. The program is demanding, so it is critical to make a note of these lessons and cases as you come across them, so that you can come back to them later.

Brad

If you want to change your direction completely or make big changes to your business, then you should go to Acton. If you already have what you want out of life and want to make a change or two, or learn a few things, then this isn’t the right place for you. It’s a rigorous program. But if you really want to learn about yourself and your business, so that you can really make a true change or shift, then you should do it.

More Questions? Let Us Know!

Do you have any other questions about becoming an Acton scholar after college graduation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below or feel free to contact us directly!

And learn what it’s like to go to Acton right out of undergrad or later in your career as a seasoned professional.

Today saw the graduation of 18 newly-minted Acton Scholars at an 11am ceremony on the Acton campus. Steven Tomlinson, Ted Beasley and Jeff Sandefer each spoke, providing poignant commentary, while Andy Vu (’12), Nick Catanese (’12), Jamie Matthews and Jack Long presented awards to teachers and graduates, respectively.

Please join us in congratulating each of these hard-working graduates, as we wish each the best in his or her own entrepreneurial journey. We know that each of them will do great things and help change the world. Great job, Acton Scholars!

Awards

Highest Rated Teacher: Jeff Sandefer

Case Teacher of the Year: Bill Jones

Student of the Year: Cory Older

Acton Scholar of the Year: Marcel Roehrs

Acton MBA Graduating Class of 2012

Nicholas A. Catanese
Kyle Davis
Treye Denton
Bryon Ellington
Pamela Harght
Bradley Holden
Thomas Hull
Charles Wesley Kimple
Cory Older
Chase Pattillo
Brad Retzloff
Marcel Roehrs
Evan Sekulic
Richard Ure
Evan Van Ness
Johann Voswinckel
Andrew Vu
Bryan Willows

In our seemingly never-ending newsfeeds, it’s easy to miss some great stories on entrepreneurship. Here are a few of our favorites over the last month. 

Was it character or context? And what does it mean for you? On April 17, NPR’s Planet Money team delved into the incentives of fraud and how framing a decision incorrectly can lead well-intentioned business leaders onto a slippery slope to illegal and unethical behavior. Exploring the story of Cincinnati’s Toby Groves, they heard firsthand how a good man and entrepreneur with a compelling personal aversion to fraud went on to not only to commit millions of dollars in bank fraud directly, but also involve others as well. Ultimately, his actions destroyed several businesses, eliminating about 100 jobs and upending many more lives. But experts interviewed argue that it isn’t a flaw in character that led Groves, and lead many other good people, to make bad choices. More commonly it’s a mistake in perception, at a key moment of decision, that prevents people from recognizing ethical or legal dilemmas even exist. And the perception that most of us have – that we could never make an unethical or unprincipled decision – may in fact increase the likelihood that we will. (NPR – Story begins at 3:33)

Along with South Dakota, our home state of Texas tops the list of states with the most favorable tax laws for entrepreneurs. On April 20, Portfolio highlighted results of a 2012 Business Tax Index conducted by the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council. South Dakota was ranked at the top of the list, followed by Texas, Nevada, Wyoming, Washington, Florida, Alaska, Alabama, Ohio and Colorado. The states (and district) offering the worst tax conditions for entrepreneurs were Iowa, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, and (at the very bottom of the list) our nation’s capital, the District of Columbia. (Portfolio)

Advances in 3D printing promise to completely reinvent the manufacturing industry – and “bring the business of making things back to rich countries.” A special section in the April 21 edition of The Economist is sure to be of interest to Acton grads, who wrestled in class with the difficult business decisions surrounding a 3D printing firm. A collection of articles identifies an emerging third industrial revolution while taking a close look at the advances in additive manufacturing – machines that can “print” three-dimensional prototypes and even finished products to order. Imagine downloading a new pair of Nikes or an engine part as easily as you would a best-selling novel or trending song. It’s closer than you think. (The Economist)

And in case you haven’t have heard, the Acton School of Business is reinventing business education. In a feature published in the Spring 2012 issue of Philanthropy magazine, The Philanthropy Roundtable discusses the history of the Acton MBA program and founder and master teacher Jeff Sandefer, as well as the innovative role Acton is taking in the future of business education. (Philanthropy)

Photo Credit: Marion Doss

Most of our students enroll at Acton with four to eight years of experience in the workforce. But there are many paths to entrepreneurship, and some of our most successful alumni are those who came to Acton later in their careers.

We find that they bring seasoned experience, practical wisdom and personal purpose to the classroom. And their contributions provide classmates with amazing opportunities for learning. Meanwhile, they themselves gain fresh ideas, insights and lessons that challenge their status quos, enhance their perspectives, and broaden their base of knowledge.

We asked three of our alums to comment on their experiences as older-than-average students and discuss their decisions to apply to Acton when they did.

The Alumni

Ed Melendez ('07)

Ed Melendez (’07) is a Client Relationship Executive for Lumeris, whose accountable healthcare delivery systems are a leading industry disrupter for healthcare accountability and quality (and help keep people out of the hospital whenever possible). Ed relocated to Austin from New Orleans in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, where his diverse experience had included founding a non-profit, serving as a sales director for a global telecommunications firm, managing a chain of coffee houses, and teaching kindergarten. Before starting Acton, he had developed a successful private consulting practice advising hospitals and social service organizations. Ed turned 40 halfway through Acton, when his classmates serenaded him with “Happy Birthday” before Customers class.

Gail Ow ('11)

Gail Ow (’11) works for Vida Capital as Director of Research and Analysis and helps to raise capital from high net worth individuals and create a sales and marketing strategy. Prior to Acton, she had left a career in technology to move into to the financial services industry and was doing due diligence for a small Austin-based private equity firm. There, a mentor advised her to take a look at Acton to advance her career. A single mother of two, Gail enrolled and two weeks after she graduated from Acton she celebrated her youngest daughter’s high school graduation.

Evan Spauldling ('11)

Evan Spaulding (’11) is currently a Virtual CFO and Strategic Consultant for a growing general contractor and a water infrastructure developer. Previously a full-time CFO for an Austin-based general contractor, Evan hadn’t been considering an MBA degree until he had a brief conversation with an Acton graduate, and he immediately recognized the benefits presented by an Acton education. Confirming his first impression through further research, Evan both started first semester and graduated from Acton at the age of 38.

On attending Acton later in your career…

Evan

I wasn’t growing personally in my career and needed to immerse myself in a rich learning environment. I viewed Acton as a dojo, where I could ground myself in business fundamentals and earn a black belt in entrepreneurship.

Ed

I knew that I really wanted to grow myself personally and professionally. I was making a good living by consulting, but I was also running myself ragged in the process. I wanted to see if it was possible to scale my business into something that would allow me to build up a good practice and balance it with the rest of my life, especially my family life.

Gail

Having a Master’s degree had been on my bucket list for years, but life has a knack for getting in the way. As a single parent, it was difficult to justify the time and expense. But I absolutely loved working in private equity, and saw an MBA as a means to get the finance education and credentials I needed to stay in the field. Acton worked like a charm!

On choosing Acton…

Ed

I had initially considered getting a Masters in Public Health, but decided that I wanted a more well-rounded degree. I began the application process to UT, but during my scan of Austin schools, I stumbled upon Acton and attended an information session. I was intrigued by the approach and impressed by the faculty members I met at that event. After some more research, I decided to take a risk and apply to Acton.

Gail

I specifically decided to attend Acton. The Acton MBA is highly respected by the private equity and money communities here in Austin, and it was my boss and mentor who shot me the link to the website.

Evan

I chose Acton after meeting an Acton alum, Adam Boyd (’08). Within the first three minutes of meeting him, Adam impressed me with his ability to ask the right questions and quickly probe to the root of an issue. I was immediately sold on Acton’s program.

On being one of the older students in the classroom…

Gail

There were handful of students in my class who were older than the norm, and I saw this as both a benefit and a drawback. The ‘elders’ had more experience to draw from during class discussions, but dang. I can only imagine what I could have accomplished in my life, had I attended Acton ten years earlier! I expect amazing things from all my peers in their lifetimes.

Evan

Embracing new beliefs was a challenge as an older student. Experience is a blessing and a curse. It allows you to weave your lessons into a real world experience, but also anchors you to those experiences. In the end, a fresh look was what I needed. My deepened perspective has helped me tremendously in serving my clients.

Ed

One of the good things about being a mature student at Acton is simply being able to draw on a deeper source of professional experiences and knowledge. The richness of diversity in the cohort meant that we all brought something to the group and that was broadly valued in the classroom.

On the impact of Life of Meaning…

Evan

The Life of Meaning course was a key determinant of my decision to attend Acton. Now, after the course, I’m more focused and patient in my entrepreneurial journey, more aware of how to balance family and work, and more intentional with my time.

Gail

I am probably one of the few for whom Life of Meaning didn’t enter into my decision to attend at all. But the course helped me wrestle with all the issues – and they seemed insurmountable – that I would face in my attempt to switch careers. It also helped me understand that I was on the right track in that effort.

Ed

The Life of Meaning curriculum was a key differentiator in business school programs, especially in 2006 when I was looking. I was attracted by the idea of working on improving my ability to learn in addition to learning the “mechanics” of business.

On the impact on my life today…

Gail

I nailed my switch to the financial services industry, and I am now working for an Austin Ventures company… I am working in a dream job. I’m getting to apply both my years of experience, and what I’ve learned from Acton.

Ed

I feel that Acton really rounded me out professionally. I was always a qualitative, “from the gut” sort of decision maker in business. This approach served me well in most of my career, but also led to some unnecessary mistakes as well. Now I have a whole host of additional tools to draw on and that has made me more confident and strategic in my work. I can now synthesize quantitative data with other pieces of data and that allows me to be a more expansive, strategic and creative thinker in my work.

Evan

My entrepreneurial awareness has greatly expanded. In a recent discussion with an enterprise software executive, I uncovered ten issues with his company after a 15-minute discussion and could think of clear, tangible actions to solve each one of them.

On what new students should know about Acton…

Evan

The rigor of the workload is no joke. The 100-hour workweeks were harder in my 30s than they would have been in my 20s.

Ed

There can be some challenges to an intense program like Acton for mature students. For one, we can be a little more settled in our routine than we might think going into a program like this. The rigor with which it immerses you in learning can be a shock. I also had a newborn son at the time, so I had to work hard to get my schoolwork done and still be available for my family. I benefited tremendously by learning how to be efficient with my time, but it definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Gail

Acton was by far, one of the best decisions of my life.  I highly recommend it to anyone who is willing to put in the time and energy to do the work.

More Questions? Let Us Know!

Do you have any other questions about becoming an Acton scholar after college graduation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below or feel free to contact us directly!

And learn what it’s like to go to Acton right out of undergrad or to attend Acton when you already own a business.