WOW.. a busy day for sure. In the morning I spent over an hour getting to hear an inspiring entrepreneurial story from Phil Hoffman, CEO and President of Alphagraphics in Chandler. At first, I thought, big deal, a copy shop on a larger scale, just like Kinko's... wait, what happened to Kinko's? FED-EX happened. Anyway, I digress. Phil offered a wealth of information on starting a business, what it takes to succeed and how he has managed to create an impressive group of businesses that work very well together. With family members involved in the business, Phil has a great story.
In the afternoon, I had the pleasure of meeting James and Jeannette Duffield of Western Air International in Gilbert. What an amazing husband and wife team. Over 40 years of a successful marriage and a string of business successes that today's entrepreneurs can only dream of. A strong believer in the wisdom of Warren Buffet, James shared his insight and knowledge of what it takes to be successful in life and in business. Both love sharing their expertise and their life experiences and both opened their doors wide open for me to see what has made them so hugely successful, not just in their various business ventures but in their marriage, in the community and in the world. Tomorrow, I get to meet a friend of the Duffields, Dave Thompson of Diversified Energy. More tomorrow.
