Very Short Interview Number 1

The entrepreneur that I interviewed was Joseph Palermo, who has been running a very successful, fresh, and local farmer's market in my hometown of Delray Beach, Florida. The farmer's market has been in operation since 1988, called, "The Boys Farmer's Market".

Below is the transcript of our initial, introductory interview.

• What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
• "First off, I would say that you have to take risks. I know everybody takes that but it's true. There's a lot of jobs where you'll know what the outcome will be, but being an entrepreneur is having a vision to see an ability for opportunity and growth in risks, and remainin confident. Another important thing with being an entrepreneur is that you'll have to work with a lot of people and it's critical that you don't burn bridges in your initial stages."
• What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneurship course?
• "Honestly, I have never taken an entrepreneurship course, so I wouldn't know what to say to that. But I guess in an entrepreneurship class, you should be encourages to think outside of the box and be vocal about your opinions, even if they don't necessarily agree with your textbook or what the professor says. No successful entrepreneur followed the rules from the textbook."
• What do you wish had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?
• "I wish that schools took out the time for a class in personal finance, why your credit score is important, the basic layouts of a mortgage. You know, real-life money related issues that everyone will face in the future. It's confusing and overwhelming to try to handle that all on your own."

In my reflection of this interview, I was surprised by Mr. Palermo's last answer regarding how schools should teach about matters in personal finance management. I agree with his opinion regarding that because, although we learn about accounting, finance, marketing, in intense coursework through our majors in order to graduate, one of life's biggest obstacles is managing your own money and financial responsibilities effectively and smartly.