BrownHEN / BrownHEN.org

Interview with John Andersen, Great Lakes Director, The Nature Conservancy

BrownHEN interviewed John Andersen, Brown '79, Great Lakes Director, The Nature Conservancy, Chicago, IL

1. John, you went from a large and highly respected real estate company to a leadership position is another widely respected organization—this one dealing with the environment. Please comment on the advantages and disadvantages such a career path. Is a leader at a not-for-profit organization significantly better prepared by working for a for-profit company first?

There are many similarities between non-profit and for-profit organizations, so one's skills and experiences can translate well. Of course, the rigor of market competition hones ones business skills, so I believe successful for-profit business leaders have much to offer the NGO community. These managers may have a level of credibility and contacts with the private sector that can aid the establishment of key partnerships to advance one's mission.

2. Please describe some of the entrepreneurial opportunities open to you in a fairly large organization. Can an entrepreneur feel at home in an established organization?

Absolutely. If one is afforded the opportunity to lead a dynamic business, it can grow in many new directions, supported by the resources of the larger organization. I often say the Land Group at LaSalle Partners (now Jones Lang LaSalle) was like a small dynamic tribe within the great nation of LaSalle. There we helped opened up new client sectors (e.g., government—privatization of military base housing), new services (including accelerated asset dispositions), and new markets, such as China.

At The Nature Conservancy, I lead a regional program focused on the Great Lakes with ties at scales that span local watersheds to the globe. We also are developing innovative conservation services/practices (e.g., aquatic invasive species program to address the top threat to freshwater biodiversity worldwide), growing the markets or geographies of engagement (e.g., throughout the great lakes and as far away as Mongolia), and initiating key new client/partner relationships (e.g., establishment of Notre Dame's new Center for Aquatic Conservation).

3. How do you encourage the people working for you to be entrepreneurial?

Ask them what we should do. Support their decisions. Work with them to set a challenging goal, debate strategic direction, and set them loose.

4. In your present position do you have many opportunities to get out in the field? Do you think such is necessary for an effective manager?

Yes. It helps one understand the business by engaging first hand in the landscape, with scientific experts and partners, and working with them to resolve problems and achieve tangible results. One of my favorite trips was in the Jack Pine forest of Michigan where I helped Dr. Ewert band Kirkland's Warblers on their migration back from the Bahamas. This recovery project is having success—bringing back North America's rarest songbird from the brink of extinction.

5. Paul Hawken has recently written a book arguing that people are now more concerned about social and environmental issues than they were a few years ago and are more willing to join groups addressing their concerns. Is this willingness consistent with your own experience? Do you have an explanation?

Today there is increased awareness of the challenges we face, in part due to the urgency of the threats. Recently climate change has gone from a topic in scientific literature to the front page of the Chicago Tribune every week. Thank goodness, because it will take a collective societal effort to correct some our past and present practices so that we can retain many of the important environmental services that for too long have been taken for granted, or simply not understood. 

6. You have been around Brown for a long time, in the beginning with your father, also a Brown graduate. Do you have concerns about this recent interest in entrepreneurship?

Dad, brother David, and I all attended Brown and we all cherish the experience. We all went into business, where we sought to provide solutions to compelling problems and serve. The entrepreneurial world affords opportunities for many to make a difference with their professional lives; I am so grateful to Barrett and his program, and to my Dad, for showing me this avenue. When at Brown, Barrett asked me to join him on a grant to create his advanced program by accessing Harvard case material. We can't have too much entrepreneurial spirit at Brown University, in business/organizational management, or the many other wonderful disciplines there.

7. What are the top five qualities you would ascribe to an entrepreneur / business leader?

• Creativity
• Resolve to persevere and solve problems
• Relationship development
• Strength in communications
• Insight / judgment

8. Would you speak about fear as a motivation or hindrance toward accomplishment? How has that played a factor in your path, if any?

Fear creates anxiety, which diminishes performance. One needs confidence, the willingness to face great challenges with resolve, to accept setbacks, learn, and move on. One also needs to adapt to change.

9. What is the latest insight (about life, work, play) that you picked up and would like to share with BrownHEN?

We are happiest when we are serving others and focused externally. It’s not a new insight, but one recently reinforced by a nice book that Matthew Ricard wrote, appropriately entitled, Happiness. I can think of few who exemplify this as well as Barrett, and all of us have benefited from his example.

10. Now that your football days are over, how do you keep physically active? Do you think keeping active is important?

Body-Mind-Spirit. Each nourishes the other. This morning I ran along Lake Michigan's shores and then took a quick swim in the lake to cool down; that's an important start to making my day a positive one and to me feeling good. Weekends find me biking and playing tennis with buddies; I find that comradeship and varied exercise are equally important. Sundays, I lift a few weights and row (on an erg) like I did at Brown, but lightly. My favorite time is in the wild, so once a year, and if I'm lucky more often, I go for hikes/ mountain climbs/ kayak trips with friends.

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© BrownHEN.org – 2007

Interview with David Durfee, CEO & Chief Scientist, Bay Computer Associates, Inc.

BrownHEN interviewed David Durfee, Brown '80, CEO & Chief Scientist, Bay Computer Associates, Inc., Cranston, RI.

1. David, why did you found your own engineering company rather than work for a large company?

My family has a retail hardware store that we all grew up working in. The environment there and the responsibility given to me allowed me to make significant change. After I graduated in engineering I went to work for a fortune 500 company. As you might guess, sometimes you felt like you were trying to turn a supertanker.

In one sense, I continue to work for large companies as my firm does contract design for large firms. While the Dilbert cartoon sometimes seem all too real in these situations, being a consultant allows us to control the aspects of the job that have been assigned to us without too many big company distractions.

Many of our other clients are startup companies and it is great to be "in on the ground floor" where you can make a significant contribution to the success of a company.

2. We read discouraging things about the future of U.S. industry. Do you believe a place will continue to exist for a company like yours?

People told us we were crazy to start a consulting firm in Rhode Island. When we started, we had to compete with larger firms that were located closer to the 128 tech loop. Now they tell us we are crazy to compete against India and China. It certainly is true that we are competing with overseas vendors.

We believe that customers will always value excellence. As with many vocations, there are large variations in productivity. What good is it to pay 1/3 the US hourly rate if it is taking you four times as long to get the job done? While our engineers may complain occasionally about the "high bar" that we have set, they are proud of our achievements.

3. You are noted for being a very successful teacher at Brown. Teaching must distract from your other work. Why do you do it?

I went to graduate school so I could be a professor. Well, I guess I spent too much time around professors and decided that the job wasn’t for me. The teaching part was always fun. Also, I think it is one way that I can “give back.” I remember sitting in engineering classes wondering, “what the hell is this guy talking about?" I work hard at giving real life engineering examples so that the students can see how important what we’re teaching will be to them.

It’s really great that I get to teach one course a year. I do have to say that I have little free time while I’m teaching but it’s only for one semester.

4. In your business, do you have to spend much time with legal or regulatory matters?

I suppose the answer is yes if the term “legal” applies to submitting and subverting patents. As far as regulatory goes, I think that is one thing that has made us successful. We have designed a number of devices that have been registered with the FDA. Our proven ability to comply with FDA (and European) regulations has been very helpful to our customers.

5. You father was well known in Rhode Island politics. Do you have thoughts of running for office?

I asked my dad a while ago why he got into politics with all the negatives about the job. His answer was very simple. He simply got angry over what he saw and decided to run for office himself. I’m certainly angry enough, I just don’t have the time between school, work, and family right now.

6. Do you worry about conflicts of interest in hiring Brown faculty members and recent graduates?

I worry about conflicts of interest all the time. Honesty and integrity are very important in addition to excellence in engineering. (It's even in the IEEE Code of Ethics!) Any dealings that my company or I have with the University are very public and usually involve me putting in extra hours “on the house.” (I’ve discovered that alumni are suckers for helping the University and I am no exception.)

7. How to you keep up with technological developments?

My wife laughs at me. When we go to the beach, I bring a book on data communications or motor control. Engineering is a craft. Like any craftsman, your vocation needs to be part of who you are and not just a 9 to 5 job for you to be successful

8. What is your vision of the future of Bay Computer Associates, Inc.?

The future vision hasn’t changed much in 17 years. We want to continue to do really interesting engineering designs and work with intelligent, hard working people. It tends to feed on itself. As you hire great people you do better engineering which results in more interesting work. Each year has brought bigger and more exciting engineering work to us.

9. What are the five qualities you would ascribe to a business leader / entrepreneur?

Work ethic, intelligence, experience, honesty, and integrity—there is no ranking. You need all of them.

10. Who are the three individuals who have influenced your development the most?

You’ve posed a very difficult question. So many people have influenced me. If I must list only three:

• My parents for my work ethic and interest in how things work.
• My wife. Without her influence I would have a tendency to treat the whole world (people included) as an engineering problem.
• Barrett Hazeltine for lessons on how to “pay it forward.”

11. Would you speak about fear as a motivation or hindrance toward accomplishment? How has that played a factor in your path, if any?

I guess fear of failure and a fear of losing customers could explain why we work so hard. I prefer to look at it as the desire to achieve excellence.

12. What is it like having a son at Brown?

My son seems to be enjoying Brown. He seldom calls (which I view as a positive thing). I never talked to him about being an engineer but that is what he decided to do. It is great to be able to relate directly to his experiences. In fact, he told me about this really great professor that runs up the aisle to shake the hand of students who give the right answer! (I’m told that Barrett now says, “Am I making sense?” instead of the, “Is everybody ok?” that I used to hear.)

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© BrownHEN.org – 2008

Interview with Naeem Zafar, Partner at Concordia Ventures

BrownHEN interviewed Naeem Zafar, Brown '81, Faculty at Haas Business School, University of California Berkeley, and Partner at Concordia Ventures, Cupertino, CA.

1. Naeem, you have had a highly respected career as a serial entrepreneur. You were CEO of six different companies, I believe. How are you finding being CEO of a consulting company, Concordia Ventures?

I worked at six startups and I was CEO of three of them. One went public and others went through various traumas and exits. Concordia is aimed at transferring my life experiences to other entrepreneurs. I am trying to bring several accomplished entrepreneurs from various disciplines to join me at Concordia where we can advice advise other entrepreneurs who are at the early stage of their learning curves. My work at Berkeley feeds directly into what I do at Concordia. It is liberating to be running Concordia. It is much less stressful than being the CEO of a venture-backed company, yet it is even more exciting and engaging. It is a tremendous learning opportunity as I meet the best and the brightest from all new technology areas. 

2. How can an entrepreneur gain the most benefit from a consultant?

Each consultant offers some area of expertise. As an entrepreneur you need to be able to listen to advice from various sources but you must have enough conviction of your own so that you can evaluate and select what works for you. All of us have our own life experiences. That is why entrepreneurship is not a cookie cutter recipe. It is our own journey but a consultant, once carefully selected, can accelerate our learning and reduce our risk in this journey.

3. The United States has a reputation for being especially entrepreneurial. Is this reputation deserved? If it is deserved, how can it be maintained? If it is not deserved, what should be done?

It is well deserved. There are four key factors that contribute to this and if we maintain these factors we will continue to have the edge and the well-deserved reputation.

a) No stigma of failure. Unlike most places in the world there is very little stigma associated with failure, In Silicon Valley there is no stigma. A failed entrepreneur is more valuable as she/he is not likely to make the same mistakes again – someone else has paid the tuition for his/her learning.

b) Access to capital. It is much easier to raise venture or angel capital in the U.S. than anyplace else. Partly because sharing risk as an investor is in the American psyche. This is how we grew this country ahead of Europe in the 20th century. There are many entrepreneurs who made it big and now are willing to invest to help see new technologies take hold. They understand technology and risk. They help with capital and advice. Our venture industry is the most evolved in the world.

c) The eco-system. The process to start a venture is much easier in America and especially in Silicon Valley. At a well-attended party any Saturday night you probably have all the people you need to start a company. From techies to experienced CEOs, to marketing experts to lawyers and accountants—all have strong networks; and within two degrees of separation one can assemble a team in no time. We take this for granted but it is very unique to us. The systems are set up to make it easy to start companies. The way we can grant stock options attracts a lot of talent.

d) Excellent Brain trust and access to markets. We are lucky that we have an excellent higher education system. Not only do we pour well-trained people into the workforce each year, we attract the best and brightest from all over the world. The U.S. also have the homogenous market of 300M people that is unlike anyplace in the world. If you can sell a product here it gives you the scale to be able to sell it anywhere in the world.

Obviously our immigration policies can put the kibosh on some of these factors. That can hamper our future growth. Changes in taxation can impact our venture capital activity and our ability to grant stock options. These stock options are the essential currency that drives millions to work 70 to 80 hours per week for years and break all the rules needed to achieve new breakthroughs.

4. I believe you arrived at Brown three days after coming to the United States. What was your biggest surprise about life in the United States?

We all grew up watching American TV and movies in Pakistan so much of what we see in the States does not shock us. Nevertheless it was surprising to see that America was not like NYC or the Wild West. People were simpler, happier, unpretentious, and welcoming. People were warm and willing to help. But perhaps the biggest surprise was to get used to people smiling and saying hello in the street for no reason at all. This was not normal to see for me. I was always trying to draw a deeper meaning into each hello and sometimes giving a more complete answer to each “hello, how are you” then was expected!

5. You teach entrepreneurship in the MBA program at Berkeley. A common piece of conventional wisdom is that entrepreneurs are born, not made. What aspects of entrepreneurship can be taught?

Many traits of what makes an entrepreneur are innate. But the method still needs to be learned. We teach about the method (the process) of starting businesses. We teach how to reduce your risk by doing your essential homework. How does an entrepreneur approach various aspects of business versus a professional in a corporation? The to-dos include a long list that starts with doing basic research on your idea, developing a scalable business model, hiring, financial planning, and thinking about exits. We arm the entrepreneur with this knowledge and our own experiences to help him/her be more successful with fewer hiccups.

6. Your companies have been in several different high technology fields and you have written scholarly articles about starting small businesses. You seem to have time to be involved in professional activities. What is your secret about learning new ideas quickly?

Asking a lot of insightful questions and listening well are essential to fast learning. You must also be very good about time management and selective consumption of information. If you are not careful you can drown in too much information. You must develop a technique to quickly compartmentalize and index information in order to be able to access the information that you gathered.

7. Do entrepreneurial opportunities still exist in electrical engineering / computer science fields?

Is this a trick question? Of course, we have not even scratched the surface yet. We are now in the field of EE and CS where we were in 1920 about automotives and aviation. You have seen nothing yet. We still think of computers as things like we looked at internal combustion engines in 1920s. Today we don’t talk much about engines but we deal with myriad things that use engines. The same thing will be true about computers. There will be hardly a discussion about computers. There will be convenience appliances, highly connected and consumers of information that will make our life easier, more connected and our work processes automated.

8. What are the top five qualities you would ascribe to an entrepreneur?

• Perseverance
• Clarity of objective
• Resourcefulness
• Strong desire to bend rules or make your own rules,
• Salesmanship at all levels.

I describe an entrepreneur as a person who is willing to pursue an opportunity with the resources that he/she does not currently control. This definition says a lot. It is about being persistent and finding ways to go around the walls that will come in front of you. Salesmanship comes in various ways. It is about selling your vision to other employees and team members, to selling your ideas to investors to selling your value proposition to customers.

9. Would you speak about fear as a motivation or hindrance toward accomplishment? How has that played a factor in your path, if any?

Fear can be a motivator or a hindrance – sometimes both, depending on your personality and the situation. My biggest fear is usually letting my investors down or the people whose livelihood depends on my decisions. The families of employees all depend on your actions and results of your decisions. But you must get over your fear, otherwise you will be paralyzed. This is when I seek out my mentors and get advice from people that I trust. You always get through it.

10. As you know, the entrepreneur’s path is filled with trials and errors, and also failures. What’s a valuable insight for entrepreneurs to keep in mind when they’re experiencing setbacks?

Analyze the situation. Post mortem is key. Figure out what did you do wrong or what you could have done differently. Talk to others and your mentors. Improve thyself. Stop feeling bad and get back in the game. Remember getting a gym membership is not enough to get fit or lose weight – you must participate in the game.

11. What is the latest insight (about life, work, play) that you picked up and would like to share with BrownHEN?

The latest insight is about getting intensely productive with your time. This is your most important asset. Constant email is a terrible thing to distract you and Instant Messaging (IM) is even worse. I want to automate things in my life and get control of my time so that I can use it to do things that excite me and are rewarding. Limiting distractions, limiting meaningless television, unnecessary meetings and conversations that are pointless must be limited and eventually eliminated. I am reading this book, Four Hour Work Week, which speaks to me and what I had been trying to do for the last couple of years.

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© BrownHEN.org – 2008

Interview with Kevin Mundt, President of Vestar Resources & Managing Director of Vestar Capital Partners

BrownHen interviewed Kevin Mundt, Brown ‘76, President of Vestar Resources & Managing Director of Vestar Capital Partners, Boston, MA.

1. Kevin, you were a highly respected consultant in a major firm. Do you recommend that a person interested in entrepreneurship spend some years with a consulting firm?

Not necessarily. I will say that a consulting career does provide incredibly steep learning curves. One can take advantage of the exposure one can acquire in a short time in various industries. So it’s an attractive career experience, but not a requisite for success as an entrepreneur.

2. When you were a consultant, you were well known for your writing. Do you recommend that aspiring entrepreneurs spend time writing articles or even books?

I don’t necessarily recommend that entrepreneurs write articles or books early in their careers although successful entrepreneurs usually have a long history of successes and failures, and thus have much to share in a book.

I co-authored a book, which involved three other colleagues—including one of the founders of Corporate Decisions—who possessed superior writing skills. I think I am one of the worst writers. For me, it was a way to codify our intellectual property and get our ideas to the marketplace. It turned out that book was a fairly effective marketing tool. 

3. You were one of the founders of Corporate Decisions, Inc., which was acquired by Marsh and McLennan. What are some key lessons that you learned from starting a company?

I learned innumerable lessons from co-founding Corporate Decisions, building it and running it for fourteen and a half years before selling it to M&M.

One, every startup is bankrupt, even if you just got $100M in financing. You still have to build and prove your products and services.

Two, you will face difficulties and challenges that will eclipse everything else; these are the ones you didn’t predict, could not have predicted. Even with a great education and great consulting experience, our resourcefulness was continually tested.

Another challenge that we faced as a professional services firm—first as a startup and later when we have grown—was finding the right people. We thought the hardest thing was finding new clients and hiring new help would be easy. It was the reverse; hiring great people was a real challenge for us.

4. Is there a right time to be an entrepreneur?

Yes, I believe there is a right time and place in one’s life to start take the entrepreneurial path. Starting a company will consume you. It takes a tremendous amount of emotional energy, intellectual energy, and incredible perseverance to see your way through hard times.

As an entrepreneur, you can never divorce yourself from asking the question, “Is this the right time for me?” Not just the right market or the existence of a demand, or a vacancy in the consumer space, etc. I co-founded a company when I was in my late twenties and single, and I was able to devote myself to building it and running. It was an incredible experience.

5. Do you miss the excitement of starting and running your own firm?

When you are starting something new, it is very exciting because it brings forth things you have yet to accomplish. I’ve co-founded and built a successful company before selling it. It was a fabulous experience. At my age, I don’t miss starting a new company because I really enjoy what I am doing now at Vestar, where I work with portfolio management companies, head up Vestar Resources (research branch), and advise management buy-outs in specialized large to middle upper markets.

My work taps into all my skills and experiences from 24 years in management consulting and the last 15 years in consumer product and retail. I started advising Vestar in 1992 when the firm was three years old. I got to know many of the partners, including Vestar’s founder Dan O’Connell, Brown ’72, whom I met on the freshman football field; so it was an easy transition when it was time for me to leave Marsh and McLennan.

6. As you know, the entrepreneur’s path is filled with trials and errors, and also failures. What’s a valuable insight for entrepreneurs to keep in mind when they’re experiencing setbacks?

As an entrepreneur, you should not lose sight of what your ultimate goal is and why you are in the business; you should not allow setbacks to derail you. You also need to have the courage to be honest and realistic about the situation that you are in. Recognize what is going on, what is causing your challenges, and develop a plan of action.

7. Would you speak about fear as a motivation or hindrance toward accomplishment / performance? How has that played a factor in your path, if any?

In my case, fear of failure was incredibly motivating for me. I was able to channel it into a motivation; I learned that from sports. I think many former athletes may recognize that little bit of nervous feeling—that little pit in one’s stomach. This pushes me along.

8. Currently, you are Managing Director at Vestar Capital Partners. Please discuss how your office interacts with the head office in New York.

Indeed New York is our headquarters, our deal center and the heartbeat of all activities. Our Boston office focuses on the private equity market and portfolio companies in five vertical areas: financial services, media, healthcare, consumer/retail and diversified manufacturers. Today’s technology facilitates our communication process; we work closely with our NYC colleagues and I am usually in New York two days a week.

9. Where do you see the entrepreneurial opportunities of the future?

I think it is an amazing time to be alive. There is an incredible atmosphere in the technology, medical and media sectors, to name a few. I think there is plenty of opportunity to be creative in every segment of every business.

10. While at Brown, you earned varsity letters in football and track, and you were also a four-time All-Ivy selection in track. You currently serve as the Chair of the Advisory Council on Athletics at Brown. What role do you see for athletics in undergraduate education?

Through football and track, I learned how to work closely with a group of individuals, share a common goal, and achieve success. We found ourselves in tough situations and learned to turn them around. We suffered a bitter defeat, losing to a team that we should have beaten. As an athlete, I suffered a lot of setbacks, which taught me humility. I learned that hard work might make you better. To be the best you have to work even harder. There is a correlation between effort, preparation and success. While I possess a tremendous respect for what I learned as an athlete at Brown and have applied that to experiences in the real world, I would add that many successful individuals were not athletes. I really enjoy chairing the Council on Athletics; for me, it is a wonderful way to give back to the school.

11. What is the latest insight (about life, work, play) that you have culled and would like to share with BrownHEN?

• Never stop learning. I am still learning that it is a wonderful gift that one should give to oneself.
• Always take your career seriously, but never take yourself seriously.
• Never settle for anything but excellence, surround yourself with the best.
• So much about life is about attitude, with the right attitude.

12. You have a son who is in the class of 2011 at Brown. Is he also involved in track or football?

My oldest son Trevor was very involved in football and lacrosse in high school, but he decided not to pursue sports at inter-collegiate level. I am not sure which path he wants to pursue, yet.

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© BrownHEN.org – 2008

 

Interview with Jerome Vascellero, Vice Chancellor – Brown University; Partner and Chief Administrative Officer of TPG Capital, L.P.

BrownHEN Interviewed Jerome C. Vascellaro, Brown '74, Vice Chancellor – Brown University; Partner and Chief Administrative Officer of TPG Capital, L.P., San Francisco, CA.

1. Jerome, people must ask you this all the time, but would you tell us why a person would leave a senior job at probably the most respected consulting firm in the world?

After 28 years at McKinsey, I’ve done everything I could do there. It was serendipity that I was offered an opportunity to move to San Francisco, which my wife Mary (Brown ’74) and I did almost two years ago.

2. You have an equally senior position on the Brown Corporation as Vice Chancellor. How do you think Brown can best prepare undergraduates for careers as entrepreneurs, managers, and consultants?

I believe strongly in the openness of our curriculum, our philosophy toward education, and the quality of the people. I am not a believer that we should design structured programs and make students adhere to them. In some ways, a Brown education is the perfect match for the breadth of experience and the quality of people that a new grad encounters at McKinsey.

3. What drives you to make such a major commitment to supporting Brown?

I am crazy. (Laugh!) Mary and I we love the school. We feel privileged that Brown has given us an opportunity to make a great difference.

4. Was being part of the Brown network important to you when you were in New York? How can a graduate / an entrepreneur make best use of the network?

I didn’t really use the Brown network so much while I lived in New York. I lived in London until I came back to the States in 1991. I was asked to serve on a committee for my 20th reunion. Then Frasier Lang asked me to join the board and run for the BAA president. This is how I got more involved with Brown.

My recommendation is to take a wide aperture. People tend to cast a very narrow net.

5. What entrepreneurial opportunities have been created by globalization?

Globalization opened up markets and networks, and create more opportunities where talents flow more easily. I think globalization has created more entrepreneurial efforts than more opportunities. More trade barriers have come down so there is more transparency and fluidity, and entrepreneurs have a larger canvas upon which they can paint.

6. You’ve worked with and advised many talented individuals, including many Brown students and alumni. What are the top five qualities you would ascribe to a business leader?

• An ability to empathize with people
• An understanding that leadership is about people’s needs and not your own.
• An understanding of how to leverage resources and talent
• An ability to paint the vision of the future
• An ability to delve into the details and make things happen

7. As you know, the entrepreneur’s path is filled with trials and errors, and also failures. What’s a valuable insight for entrepreneurs to keep in mind when they’re experiencing setbacks?

That one can learn a lot from setbacks.

8. Do you give ideas to your son, Matthew ('07), for his comic strip?

(Laugh!) No, I don’t. He moved to LA and is now involved in the TV business.

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© BrownHEN.org – 2008