Very Short Interview No. 1

Dr. John Meena is a UF Alumnus who is President and CEO of Spring Valley Produce, Inc. and its subsidiaries that specializes in sales and distribution of a multitude of fruit and vegetable items sourced globally and distributed to major retail and large wholesale companies throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

I interviewed Dr. Meena because I have always been interested in what drives individuals to decide to venture off to make their name in the world. What makes individuals like himself look beyond what is in front of them.

He is in California, so I was unable to interview him personally, but he was willing to take questions and answer them honestly for me for my class. I am truly grateful for his time and consideration.

Me: 
Dr. Meena, what was it in you that convinced you to make the decision to pursue your own business?

Dr. Meena:
Having prepared my career for working in a large corporate organization, the impetus to pursue my own business was both surprising to me but a natural progressive process.  At the time, I was 24 and working as a regional manager for Dole in Dallas.  I visioned my 5 year plan to be a Vice President for them and all was going well.  Additionally they offered me a position in Florida at a newly acquired citrus company as head of sales and marketing with the understanding that a VP would happen within a 6 month period?  However, I would have to learn the long term Export Manager and VP of Sales positions who was part of the acquired company and a friend. After I grasped his position, I was to terminate him.  I wasn't comfortable with that.  At the same time, one of my Dole customers was in California and short story, I asked him about leads he could assist me with in California   At Dole, I was seeing people getting overlooked for promotions and didn't want to be ten years into Dole and running into that personally.  Also, I believed there was a better financial opportunity in California.  This customer hired me and while a small company it was extremely successful and I had a great six years with the organization and was well compensated.  He passed away after battling cancer for a few years.  I was at a crossroad because his wife was the owner and while I was President, it had become apparent that her intentions were to promote family and eventually terminate me.  At 30 years old, realizing my career was more valuable, I had to try my own or find something else.  Therefore, I opened my company in 1992 and we have grown since that time.  In short, a path leading to necessity and timing along with opportunity were the reasons more than a true conviction.

Me:
In your opinion, what should my expectations be for this entrepreneurship course?

Dr. Meena: 

Expect to learn to think as an entrepreneur but in a manner that fits also when serving a large

company.  The skills of an entrepreneur can be well applied as an associate and officer of a large organization. Also, compile the skillset from this because it will assist if ever your desire to be an entrepreneur exceeds your employed position or as in my case, necessity meets opportunity.
 
Me: 
In your own wise words, what does it mean to be an entrepreneur? 

Dr. Meena: 
To take a skillset to business, apply capital and risk, create something requiring customers/clients, and from that client base create a profitable revenue stream.
 
Me:
With what you know today, what do you think students should learn in an entrepreneur course?
 

Dr. Meena: 

I think distribution is one of the most make or break factors in successful ventures.  Whatever the entity is based on, many can produce a good idea or product but never trained on executing the distribution side of the model to generate and maximize revenue.  The other side is how to measure risk, especially the ability to measure risk of being undercapitalized which usually occurs in the time between a venture beginning and the collection of revenue.

  

      Me:    

      If you can go back in time when you were a proud University of Florida student, knowing what you have experienced today, what do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?  

Dr. Meena: 

I felt well prepared.  I think a legal business course would be great ( and maybe they have that now).  There are so many legal factors in so many aspects of successful business ownership that some course focused on that could be extremely helpful in raising awareness. 

I enjoyed the insight Dr. Meena provided as to his own path to entrepreneurship. He left college to work for a well respected company known worldwide and only aspired to become a VP within five years. In order to reach that goal, there were obstacles put in place that he did not agree with and decided he needed a change. He doesn't regret the time he spent with those companies, in fact his interview reflected that the skillset learned in this class can give us an opportunity to hone them within a large organization. I truly was inspired by his wanting to make a change at a time of necessity and was successful in the process.