Entrepreneur shares tricks of the trade for success

In an interactive hour-long presentation on Tuesday, business entrepreneur and author Beth Caldwell shared her "secrets to success" to an audience that filled Eisenberg Classroom Building's auditorium."Caldwell is a public relations consultant in Greentree, Pa., where she owns her own public relations firm and focuses in working with small business owners and entrepreneurs. Caldwell was recognized by Pittsburgh Magazine as one of Pittsburgh's "40 under 40 winners," Pittsburgh's most influential business leaders under 40-years-old. Caldwell's first book, "I Wish I'd Known That! Secrets to Success in Business from Women Who've Been There" will be released in April.

The theme of Tuesday's presentation was the ideas shared in her book. Although highly accomplished, Caldwell did not take the typical business approach for her achievements. Throughout the interactive hour-long presentation, Caldwell revealed her "secrets to success" while she gave encouraging testimony to the students about her adventure of becoming the thriving business woman she is today.

She spoke about how she was a single mother with a special needs child who found herself without work. She then became a social worker with no intent of becoming an entrepreneur, until she coincidently bought a magazine company with which she had previous business transactions. She shared how over the years, doors opened for her and enabled her with opportunities to be a publisher of several magazines, write a book and become a public relations consultant.

"I jumped into this without planning and without thinking, and I actually learned a lot of things," Caldwell said. "Things you don't learn in college that as a business owner, you don't learn until they happen to you."

Caldwell shared how she was inspired to write her first book, "I Wish I'd Known That! Secrets to Success in Business from Women Who've Been There," while reflecting about her past business mistakes as a young entrepreneur. She interviewed and compared over 200 companies in both the United States and Canada in order to compile the 13 key mistakes that all businesses make, which are the topics covered in her book.

"I learned that most business owners make the same mistakes and struggle with the same issues, whether they are a startup business with two employees or an established business with a team of 500," Caldwell said.

Caldwell gave insight from her own experience on business topics such as naming a company, borrowing start-up loans and leasing. She also gave her opinion about the troubled economy.

However, the point that Caldwell emphasized most was that it is important to never settle for less than what you want. Caldwell said that she was proof that there are avenues to be both successful and happy in starting your own business.

"Do not settle," Caldwell said. "Please have confidence and courage to do it on your own if you cannot find what you are looking for in a corporation."

Come the end of the presentation, Caldwell willingly took the time to address the questions that the students-primarily from seniors with anxious concerns for the future-may have had. One particular question that several students asked regarded gaining work experience for resumes.

"Be really creative," Caldwell advised. "Think back to all of your experience, no matter how little or silly they seem, because all of the volunteer, club and internship experience you have will add up."

Both Caldwell and the audience seemed to have an enjoyable time while at the presentation.

"I've spoken at other colleges before where students where kind of underwhelming," said Caldwell. "I was happy that the SRU students were very interactive and asked intelligent questions."

Several students said that they felt as though her knowledge and advice would help them as they pursue their careers.

Michele Wachenheimer, a 22-year-old senior psychology major, said that listening to Caldwell was both encouraging and inspiring.

"She gave a lot of real-life scenarios with what she has been through, which makes it feel like she connected and related with us students," Wachenheimer said. "I really liked how she said, 'Follow your intuition,' because everyone wants to hear that they should follow their dreams and it is inspiring to see that she followed hers and it actually worked out for her."

Matt Mongell, a 22-year-old marketing and business finance senior, was hoping that he could get some ideas to successfully start his own business after graduation. He said he felt as though her journey to success was interesting and provided recommendations for his future.

"I eventually want to start my own business after graduation," Mongell said. "I thought that it was unique the way that she followed her career path and didn't start with the typical business model."

Another 22-year-old marketing and business finance major, Ross Hornish, felt the same as Mongell.

"I was expecting more of a corporate person today, but to see someone who went out and set their own path gave me a lot of reinforcement," Hornish said. "I experienced a look at the modern and global business environment today.