Amazon FBA, Mobile Fuel and Security At Your Fingertips on CoFounders Podcast
Chirag T. Patel
Co-Founder
Amazon Take Action! and Startup Development Institute
My name is Chirag T. Patel and I was born in Drumright, Oklahoma. When I turned 3 years old I moved to a small city in Georgia called Milledgeville. My mother was born in New Zealand and my father was born in India. In 1979 my father came to America to pursue a new life and the American Dream. My mother also moved to America during the same time who was brought here by my grandfather to pursue a better life for my mother and her sisters and brothers. During this time my parents had not met yet. My parents were like many immigrant families that came to America who had a dollar and the dream, well more like $10 for my dad.
Being the first generation of Indians who immigrated to the US they did not know anything or anyone. Through word of mouth my father and mother were introduced and like the Indian culture they were married within a week in a arranged marriage. Today all that has changed, believe me, I am married and she didn’t say yes until three years later, but that’s another story!
Not knowing how my parents were going to survive, make money, raise a family and get a piece of the American pie. They went straight to work at a small independent motel making minimum wage. Then everything changed– I was born! Not knowing how they would survive and raise a family on minimum wage they took a leap of faith. From the money they saved and getting a loan they moved 926 miles from Cushing, OK to Milledgeville, GA and bought a small motel called Royal Inn on the not-so-great part of town.
Now my parents didn’t know anything about ROI, PnLs, customer service, or managing a motel. They didn’t go to college for this. All they knew was working hard and HUSTLE! They knew if you worked hard at something then results will follow. But little did they know, they instantly became entrepreneurs!
For the first few years business was slow, but knowing there was no turning back they had to make it happen by any means necessary. So the next thing they did was the greatest entrepreneurial idea that my parents ever came up with. To their credit probably the best idea they ever had! They decided to build a liquor store within the motel! You heard right, a drive through/walk in liquor store. So now customers can buy their favorite drink and rent a room without ever drinking and driving!
Business went up ten fold! Now people could come and buy liquor which in turn was free marketing to the motel. This move brought a lot of business to the motel and we were renting rooms left and right. Or I guess you can say we were in the business of preventing drinking and driving!
My sister and I grew up at the Royal Inn, it was the place we called home. We played, ate, slept and slumber partied with our friends. Yes, our friends always asked why we lived in a motel since they all lived in normal houses, but it was all we knew and growing up everyday was a adventure.
From the time I was 12 years old I started helping my parents operate the motel and the liquor store. Well, I didn’t have much of a choice because (1.) I lived in the motel and (2.) my parents made me! So even before I was a teenager the entrepreneur spirit was instilled in me.
When I turned 18 I was more than ready to get out of Milledgeville. Although I think it’s the greatest city in the world! I was ready for bigger and better things. I moved to Atlanta and attended Georgia State University. Throughout Middle School, High School and College I knew I wanted to own my own business so I just needed to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. To make a long story short I became a Headhunter and worked both sides of the industry including the agency and corporate side. Then in 2008 I started my own recruitment and real estate company which was profitable for a few months then the economy crashed and took everything down with it.
From attempting to start my own business I learned a lot about myself and the incredible amount of work, hustle, and focus it takes to be successful. The other thing I learned was PASSION. No matter what type of business you start weather brick or mortar or online you will need passion to get you through. I needed to find something that I love doing for the rest of my life and monetize it! That is why I am starting this podcast/blog. I want to give back my experiences and share with you success stories of others on how to be a well rounded entrepreneur and provide you with the best content on the internet!
Topics to Discuss:
My Story | Amazon FBA | Entrepreneurship
Web Site / Linkedin / Social Media Links:
Website www.onthegrindradio.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/onthegrindctp
Twitter https://twitter.com/onthegrindctp
Facebook www.facebook.com/onthegrindctp
Terrance Berry
District Manager for Greater Atlanta Region
MOBILE FUEL
District Manager-Greater Atlanta Region at Mobile Fuel.me Personal Trainer/Spiritual Advisor & Entrepreneur
Brief Description of Product or Service:
Gasoline Delivered
Mobile Fuel delivers gasoline directly into your vehicle at home, while you are at work and when you are on the go.
Topics to Discuss:
Fuel Company: MOBILE FUEL
How Mobile Fuel Gasoline Service Works:
1 – Sign Up
It’s only $20.00 per month plus the gasoline you purchase on a as needed basis. Low gasoline prices, no delivery charges, no contracts and absolutely no drama.
2 – Schedule Service
Schedule a home, office or on the go delivery. Mobile Fuel operates 24 hours a day in most cities in North America. Never go to a gas station again.
3 – Gasoline is Delivered
Mobile Fuel comes to your location, fill up your vehicles and performs a 32 point safety check. When filled, a confirmation email is sent and your card on file is charged.
Web Site / Linkedin / Social Media Links:
https://mobilefuel.me
https://twitter.com/mobile_fuel
https://www.instagram.com/mobilefuel
https://www.facebook.com/mobilefueldelivery
https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrance-berry-731509173
Dave Tompkins
CoFounder
Hawque
30+ years of national and international (12 countries across 5 continents) experience in recruiting, leading and scaling high performance teams. Successfully executed all major C-level positions: President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, VP of Sales, and VP of Professional Services. Delivered successful results raising capital and executing both buy-side and sell-side M&A processes. Creative innovator who is skilled at bringing to market and monetizing new products, programs, and events.
Now for the current journey!
HAWQUE’s mission is to make communities and businesses safer by being the bridge between customers in need of security and highly trained professionals scheduled in advance or available on demand.
My two Founding Partners and I have devoted multiple years of ‘sweat equity’ into HAWQUE, and we are launching our technology platform and app in May, 2018, with an initial focus on Metro Atlanta. From there, we are determined to enable a safe and secure nation and beyond. We are a solid team of entrepreneurs and operators with deep technology, start-up, security, corporate, law enforcement and military experience.
Brief Description of Product or Service:
Security At Your Fingertips – Hawque develops technology that creates safer communities by connecting elite security professionals to this in need, around the world.
Topics to Discuss:
What Hawque is doing in Atlanta, the Southeast, and soon the US and beyond to create a safer world courtesy of technology.
Elite security services and empowerment.
Web Site / Linkedin / Social Media Links:
www.hawque.com
https://www.facebook.com/hawque17
https://twitter.com/Hawque2017
https://www.instagram.com/hawque17
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-tompkins-47058530
CoFounders Podcast
Conversations with Co-Founders & Start-Ups
Show Host:
Rich Casanova, Chief Visionary Officer
Pro Business Channel
Rich Casanova began his broadcasting career in California’s central valley at KSKS-FM. While in California he also ran a successful entertainment company whose staff and crew entertained over 100,000 people. After moving to Atlanta and selling his entertainment company, Casanova ventured into publishing as the Publisher and Franchise Owner of Coffee News, headquartered in Bangor, ME.
Later became the Founder and CCO, Chief Connection Officer, of an online platform where local business professionals register to receive a free list of the top 100 networking events in metro Atlanta.
With a name like Casanova and his gregarious personality, Rich was a natural as a music radio DJ. “I got the radio bug early in my career and often thought how great it would be if there was an opportunity to participate in a talk radio format with a pro-business perspective interviewing thought leaders from the local business community.” Thus was born the Pro Business Channel where Rich is the CoFounder and Chief Visionary Officer.
Connect with Rich:
Website: www.RichCasanova.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richcasanova
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichCasanovaCom
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RichCasanovaCom
StartUp Grind: https://www.startupgrind.com/u/mvushz
View recent episodes visit: www.CoFoundersPodcast.com
Submit a guest request visit: www.OnAirGuest.com
To view more photos from this show visit:
www.ProBusinessPictures.com
(Click on the show photo album)
Show Production & Engineering Intern Team:
Nick Rodriguez, Audio Engineer