Adventures in Finding-Yourself-Land - My Entrepreneurship Story

Dear readers,

In my life, I have met many an entrepreneur. It's difficult to choose which one to discuss! I suppose I could start with the one story which has been there my entire life-- the story of my grandparents (and their parents, too!).

For my grandparents and great-grandparents, becoming an entrepreneur was not simply a desire. It was a necessity. See, the families of my great-grandparents had to emigrate to the United States from Ukraine (then a part of Russia) when Antisemitism began to fully disrupt the lives of them and their communities. In the late 1800s, far before Hilter's rise to power, pogroms and Antisemitic attacks existed, perpetrated by politicians using Jews as scapegoats or simply bands of soldiers who had nothing better to do. As there was then no proper Jewish state to move to, my ancestors chose to immigrate to the United States of America-- the Land of Opportunity.

However, the Land of Opporunity had its own issues. Whereas the Russian Empire had purposefully and actively sought to assimilate Jews into their society, America simply encouraged assimilation and mixing of cultures. As a result, many who immigrated to the US decided to abandon their faith in order to properly 'fit in.' This was not at all an unfounded idea. There were thousands of other people immigrating, all trying to make a living and vying for jobs. If you left early on Friday, or didn't show up to work on Saturday, you very likely to not have a job on Sunday.

This posed a large problem for Jews, because for 25 hours from sundown on Friday to an hour after sundown on Saturday, religious Jews could not work because it was the Sabbath.

Life was often difficult for religious Jews, but many were able to make it by pure luck. Many depended on factories and stores that were run by other Jews and would be able to take the Sabbath off. My great-grandparents followed suit, with my maternal great-grandfather running a department store; my grandmother's wedding dress was sold to a prospective buyer the day after she wore it (and modeled it!) to her wedding.

I have many stories of all the different companies and startups my grandparents attempted. The story of the powdered toothpaste business was always a favorite! However, the two that I grew up with have been Andler Packaging and my grandmother's vending machine business (before it closed a few years back).

My grandfather has been a part of the Family Business (Andler Packaging) for as long as I can remember! At 83, he still goes to work three times a week. Originally a recycler for glass bottles in the late 1800s (talk about being ahead of the times!), the company sprouted into Andler Bottle Co (see the photo below) before becoming Andler Packaging. Part of the whole reason for starting the business was to provide a place for any Jew who didn't want to work on the Sabbath to work (religious or not).

Me with the original Andler Bottle Co sign and sample bottles!

My grandmother, on the other hand, was never content with staying at home all day. My mom remembers having to get herself up and ready for school at age 6 because my grandmother was already at work! For at least 15 years, my grandmother ran a vending machine business, where she would fill vending machines with soda, chips, crackers, everything! I remember going downstairs to her basement... which was like a wonderland for any child. Any candy, chip, or soda was down there, ready to be stocked (or eaten by a few hungry grandchildren)! She would recruit us grandchildren to help her work in exchange for snacks or money; for many of us, it was our first 'real' job. I was too young to do much, but I remember helping put coins through a coin sorter and using a real dollar bill counter (you had to go through the stack and make sure they were all facing the right direction!). Unfortunately, a few years ago, the department store where my grandmother had vending machine deals with had to fold; shortly after, my grandmother decided it was time for her to retire and sell the machines.

Did I mention she makes a mean duck?

Alright, enough about my background! Why did I enroll into ENT3003? What do I want to get out of the class?

To be honest, I enrolled in ENT3003 as a requirement for my Innovation minor. However, that doesn't mean I don't want to be here! I'm actually really enjoying this class. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I'm loving it so far.

I'd really like to get ideas on how to start a successful business and learn how to really network so I can hopefully one day start up a historical costuming business. I also want to learn how to avoid common pitfalls and gain experience in a safe environment where there are people to help me get stronger and learn from my mistakes.

Cheers!