Latest / AccessCo Leaders Career Conversations / Staying True to Your Path
Transcript
- speaker-0: welcome to AccessCo Leaders. I'm Ilyne Deliquinia. Today we're joined by Dan Renn Reninger. He is the manager of digital marketing operations at Vici Media, and he's also the owner of Seguro Real Estate Holdings. welcome to our students from New Hope Solbury. Thanks for being here. Let's jump right in. Renn, in one or two sentences, tell us what is Vici Media and what are you doing there as the manager of digital marketing operations? speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-2: Yeah, speaker-3: Vici basically is a marketing digital speaker-2: YouTube media based online marketing agency that puts online ads in front of customers. speaker-1: So all your online speaker-3: ads that you see on the sides of websites speaker-2: Thanks. speaker-3: and in front of YouTube videos and all that good stuff. Our company is the one placing those videos for half of other and speaker-1: bah speaker-2: customers. speaker-3: here I help do the operations but I also manage a team of seven people as well. speaker-0: Awesome. And that is a new promotion for you in the recent this past year. So we're excited for you. Congratulations. speaker-1: Thank you. speaker-0: Awesome. All right, Renn, where did you grow up and where are you based now? speaker-2: Yes, grew up in a small town called Shwangsa. speaker-3: guessville, Pennsylvania. speaker-1: About speaker-3: a little over an hour outside of Philadelphia. if you're actually go another about twenty speaker-2: You're going towards King of Prussia, that direction. 20 to 30 minutes past. speaker-3: King of Prussia speaker-1: Going that way. and right now speaker-3: No, I live in speaker-2: in speaker-3: Phoenix, Arizona. speaker-0: And then for our students, just as a reminder, Phoenix, Arizona is way on the West Coast. So he's in a different time zone. So again, thank you, Renn, for jumping in on our East Coast time and in the morning. all right, Renn. When when you were in middle school and high school, what were what were you spending your time doing? What kept you busy? speaker-2: Yeah, say my two were playing sports and then. speaker-3: of it I'm saying big things after school and also working part time. speaker-1: As well. So in middle school speaker-3: playing a lot of track and field and soccer and basketball. speaker-1: Basketball. speaker-3: And then as I went to high school I dropped those and I started playing golf. That's where I picked up. Played that on speaker-1: a new sport and I put that on the speaker-3: junior junior varsity level and then the varsity level as well. speaker-1: And then speaker-3: during that time I was actually working at the local YMCA part time. Busy speaker-1: So keep in speaker-3: between school, after school activities and then also working part time. speaker-1: As well. speaker-0: Renn, you were moving and grooving, as I like to say. So you kept busy. All right, one more, one more question before we hand it off to the students. Let's see. what was something that you struggled with early on that later became an advantage for you, whether that was personally or in your professional positions? speaker-2: I was f***ing relieved. speaker-3: say relationships with people and just understanding that and the diagram always changing on speaker-2: and make sense of how it's all just depending on. speaker-3: different circumstances and situations and just really understanding that people speaker-1: you know. speaker-3: really are the key of everything in terms of workers speaker-2: It's a friendship or a co-work. speaker-3: or a boss or anything like that. Everything speaker-1: you know speaker-3: has a time and place and everyone is different and just learning how to navigate different speaker-2: Those speaker-3: situations and just different people, will really give you an advantage in any situation. speaker-0: I do have to ask one more question because I just thought about it before we hop over to students. Now, when we introduced you, you are working with Vici Media, but you also own your own company. You mentioned that you do a lot with different people. Do you see yourself having to make adjustments by working with the company with Vici Media, but also running your own company? Tell us a little bit about that. speaker-2: Yeah, what? speaker-3: Definitely have learned a lot through, my career at Vici, but then also starting my own company. Company is a real estate holding company and basically what that is is we real estate and we rent it back out. So we're speaker-1: Five we're speaker-3: actually looking into speaker-2: to transition. speaker-3: fixing and flipping properties as well within that. So speaker-1: So speaker-3: you have to be very firm and be very much a leader in that situation and learning, the different aspects. Learn speaker-2: managing here and you learn speaker-3: how to, manage and learn and how to direct people and different situations like that, it just really translates well to both sides. speaker-0: Awesome. Awesome. Again, moving and grooving, keeping busy right there. Always. so as I said earlier, we are gonna start off with Anna. What's your first question for Renn? speaker-4: I was wondering, for your career, did you always have a set idea or did you kind of dabble in a bunch of things and then finally discover what you were interested in? speaker-2: Yeah, I think at a young age I knew speaker-3: wanted to do something business related, in a business field speaker-2: success. speaker-3: compared to maybe doing healthcare or something like that. I was always business speaker-2: drawn to. speaker-3: things, I always thought it was so interesting and so cool. speaker-1: But speaker-3: You could start a business and then do whatever you want with it from there. But yeah, so I knew at a young age that I wanted speaker-2: wanted to do business. speaker-3: and then ironically as I was going through high school, I was applying to colleges speaker-2: school and stuff I was trying to speaker-3: and to the business school colleges. And got rejected to all the business schools that I applied to originally and then so I kinda had to take little detour right there. That's speaker-1: and that, you speaker-3: adversity, I went to community college. I went to Montgomery County Community College and in the irony of the situation I ended speaker-1: and speaker-3: up going to Temple and Temple ended up giving me grant school speaker-2: money to go to their school. speaker-3: that three speaker-1: So weird like speaker-3: sixty circle in the moment of you know them originally rejecting me and then you know than giving me money to go to their college. speaker-1: But I always speaker-3: I wanted to do something in the business field and just learn more about it. I definitely did not always know I wanted to do advertising. speaker-2: But. speaker-3: After learning, you know, all these companies spend billions and trillions of dollars in the advertising space. speaker-2: huge sector. speaker-3: business and just business basically it's like services needed for businesses just speaker-1: And speaker-3: kind of fell into place there and now I love so speaker-2: this. speaker-3: much that you know I've grown with this company for for so long and find it so interesting. speaker-0: Right on. speaker-4: Yeah. But then the business field. Yeah. Was it like I've always wanted to start my own business and you know, in careers and all everyone's always like there's the people that go into like certain fields and then there's the entrepreneurs and I've always considered being a becoming an entrepreneur. Is it what you expected starting your own business? Like how does it compare from what you expected on how to start their business, how it all panned out and then how it is now? Like speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-2: it. speaker-3: Yes, I would say definitely a hundred percent do it, right? It's well worth it. It is so everything that you see about the struggles of running and operating a business are a hundred percent. speaker-1: True. speaker-3: Chances are like everyone starting out will speaker-2: more. speaker-3: face any kind of issue, probably anything and everything. You speaker-1: as late I speaker-3: have to push through it and just find the solution are out there. speaker-2: on you but have to push the answer. speaker-3: If it's not on the internet, maybe another person has gone through something similar. speaker-2: person. We can talk with them. speaker-1: it is speaker-3: well worth it in the end because once you get over all the and all speaker-1: Humpson. speaker-3: the highs and the lows very speaker-2: It's very speaker-3: fun and if you enjoy speaker-2: Enjoy. speaker-3: being the one in in the captain chair and calling the shots and rolling rolling it's very rewarding in the speaker-2: the show out the speaker-1: it's speaker-2: end and a hundred percent speaker-1: recommend it. my advice is speaker-3: For you on that is whatever your idea is. speaker-2: This just your speaker-1: Do it. speaker-2: hardest customer or your first sale. It's a out. speaker-3: thing to do is to get your first but once you go from there it begins to you know unfold in front of you and and start to speaker-4: I see. speaker-0: Right. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Renn, you're hopping in there already doing some mentoring with Anna, which we will have some time at the end too. So think about some more questions there, Anna. Great, great questions. But I love that you focused on, Renn, that you were rejected from like all the things that you wanted to do, but you started building that resiliency early on. And it kind of I we see how that's happening. how that shows up again as you build your own business and while you're growing and with the company. thank you for sharing that. speaker-3: Very rarely does everything go according to plan. speaker-1: So you always gotta, speaker-3: Keep pushing along and and pushing through. speaker-0: best part is when it all makes sense later on, right? We're like exactly I see why that happened. speaker-1: Yes. speaker-0: All right, let's hop over to Albert. What's your first question for Renn? speaker-5: So my first question is like, what did you like learn early in your career that you still use like to this present day? Like one lesson, one like mentorship, something that? speaker-1: Good question. speaker-2: Question. What else? speaker-3: to tell what I the people team is to put or quantity speaker-2: Produce quality work over speaker-3: work. Even if working speaker-1: So you know you're working speaker-2: schoolwork or speaker-3: for somebody or no even just doing your own thing, right? speaker-2: It's better to produce a quote than go through speaker-3: quality piece of work to through something really fast and turn it in and then it's full of mistakes and it's speaker-2: or errors not correct right at the end it is beneficial to your speaker-3: the day is more self in the team or a company or you know basically almost any aspect of life is to speaker-2: is just take your time, move slower, reduce quality, and then from there speaker-3: produce something of and submit it because it will it will speaker-1: it will speaker-3: weigh heavier compared to submitting something quicker that's not full of speaker-2: Where's speaker-3: and it's just not as good. So do you think you have to move as fast speaker-2: very rare to move fast. speaker-3: or produce something as fast as you think you do. speaker-1: So speaker-3: I always tell my team down a little bit. Your bill gives a quality piece speaker-2: It's slow. Give me your best foot forward. Give me a quality. speaker-3: of work and chances are you know that will save me time you I'm and just produce something better than something produced quicker. speaker-0: That's awesome. Albert, do you find yourself having to speed through projects? speaker-5: me personally I try to like spread it out like throughout like multiple days. So I find myself very like even on some days, but it happens sometimes where I have to like speed through or I procrastinate, but most of the time I'm very spread out. speaker-1: Good. speaker-0: One yeah. speaker-5: Yeah. One other question I wanted to ask is based on your experience of working in business and being an entrepreneur, where would you find or like look for a business idea that could like work in like today's trends? speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-3: So for example, me doing real estate, right? Reinventing speaker-1: that is speaker-2: not real that speaker-3: the wheel that business has been around basically speaker-1: For who knows how long. I'd imagine thousands. speaker-3: of years at this point, right? A good business does not need to reinvent the wheel. Of course, you know, you'll have those businesses speaker-2: This is that. speaker-3: create all these brand new things. speaker-1: But I think a previous speaker-3: conversation that I think I was with Ilyne was interested in doing you know freight trucking and hauling and stuff like that. speaker-1: That speaker-3: Not most glamorous business or sector of business, right? But incredibly important and incredibly lucrative money. speaker-2: so much in it. speaker-1: So some money that flows. speaker-3: Sectors of business that have a lot of go through if you can just take up speaker-2: through it already. 1 % or 2 % of speaker-3: Of the billion dollars in that sector with speaker-2: You're business? speaker-3: you are gonna do A okay, and then chances are a big player in that business will or the come out and buy you speaker-2: business sector will want to go out. speaker-3: so you're no longer a thorn in their side. Pay speaker-1: And they will speaker-3: you a lot of money to stop or basically give them your customer. So speaker-1: So speaker-3: I would think don't think about it. speaker-2: too hard. speaker-3: Look at the things that you are interested in, things that you are actually interested speaker-2: it in. Naturally find interest. speaker-3: in and are fascinated. speaker-1: Well and speaker-2: Just learn. speaker-3: about it, look into it and just look out how these businesses and speaker-2: how it started. speaker-3: chances are speaker-1: Yeah, for speaker-3: an example of using trucking and freighting, chances are a lot of these businesses with one guy and then grew, you know, from one truck to speaker-2: start with the truck. speaker-1: And so the speaker-3: fifty or five hundred or whatever how big these fleets are nowadays. But just starting at one is usually where a lot of people started speaker-2: Just speaker-3: out. speaker-5: Mm. All right. Perfect. Thank you so much. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: So Renn, while we're talking about starting businesses, can you share with our students a little bit about some of the fun, smaller businesses that you did, like your shoes? Yeah. speaker-3: Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-3: Before I did real, speaker-2: Stay. speaker-3: if you guys are familiar, probably five years ago now, six years ago now, Yeezy's speaker-1: when y speaker-3: were really popular and Jordans and all the sneakers and stuff, Scott speaker-2: super hype Travis. speaker-3: sneakers and things like that. Me and my friends would go outs Saturday morning speaker-2: to sneaker store mornings and wait in line to get shoes. speaker-3: and buy as many basically limited shoes that we speaker-1: And speaker-3: I would be the one that would basically sell the shoes off and then I would give all my friends fifty percent of profit for every shoe and inventory that they brought me. So starting off with that, super speaker-2: Yes. speaker-3: easy, super small. Just speaker-1: it's just all about speaker-3: finding a customer basically and from there speaker-2: Custom in speaker-1: And then speaker-3: all the money that I earned through that first business, I used all my customers there. I kept going. speaker-2: to pay off college loans and then from there going with it and grew it. speaker-1: I think I ended up speaker-3: up having almost fifteen speaker-2: And the fifth... speaker-3: people that was in a group chat where it'd be like, hey, this is speaker-2: Sure. speaker-3: coming out this day. If you get me this shoe, whatever we make on it, here's money for it. But from there, I ended up being able to buy my first business and rolling ever second property getting ready to roll. So start speaker-2: house for my real estate. Since then we have another. Right here so. Are now small. speaker-3: to to get big. speaker-0: Guys, if you're not already inspired, I see some big smiles there, Anna. how fun it is from flipping shoes, growing a team to now you might be, you know, flipping houses. So like you said, Renn, you start off small and you're you just keep growing. All right, Edwin. Let's let's hop over to Edwin. What's your first question for for Renn? speaker-1: Okay, my first question is what subjects or skills should a high school student focus on if they are interested in persuan pursuing a career in the digital media? speaker-2: Yeah, so. speaker-3: What skills? So speaker-1: So speaker-2: Two big import. speaker-3: Skills, I would say. speaker-2: One is computer proficient. speaker-3: I'm not talking about just being able to type and send emails. It's understanding pretty complex dashboards speaker-2: It comes... speaker-3: and understanding complex platforms. speaker-2: for watching. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-3: And a good way to get practice is through Google. Google offers all these free searches. speaker-2: this on that is Google certificates and programs and stuff that's completely user. speaker-3: free to any user and it will give you a into basically our world because it you are using things that we use for Google job so one advantage into understanding the field but it gives you an advantage because you know exactly speaker-2: look in the world, the director, and our view of the huge range into just a little bit more two years. speaker-1: that will give you speaker-3: the products and systems that we use as well. So it's almost a double whim. speaker-1: And then speaker-2: Korea. speaker-3: As well, if you put that on a resume, that is a fantastic speaker-2: taskbook for any future employers or just gives you sense. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-3: Huge benefit in this. speaker-1: And then speaker-3: Another speaker-2: another good skill to have. speaker-3: is networking as well. A lot of it is just knowing the right people in the field. Someone speaker-1: so speaker-3: that's just already in the field it can mentor you and help you along the way as well, I would say. speaker-0: Great question, Edwin. All right, guys, we have enough time for another round of questions. So let's hop over hop back over to Anna. What's your next question for Renn? speaker-1: Well speaker-4: Can you explain to me how your real estate company works and maybe give me a scenario and where you would fit in and how you deal with the company and 'cause you're the CEO, right? speaker-2: Yeah, so I... On the intro at the moment, I do everything in... speaker-3: Anything. So for example, last week I did a a showing or a tour of the property that we have. And just last night I was doing the of speaker-1: And then the accounting. speaker-3: September for the property as well. So I do anything and everything. speaker-4: Where is the property? speaker-2: So it's in Tempe, Arizona speaker-3: It's on Tempe. It's located basically speaker-1: Town Lake. speaker-3: right side outside of Arizona State University in Tempe. So But yeah, I do anything and everything between sales, marketing, accounting, showings, everything right now. Just a one man band doing wearing all the hats of everything right now. speaker-1: Then speaker-3: Of course, when I do renovations and stuff like that. So the properties that we buy. The speaker-1: are not three. speaker-3: prettiest properties, they're always a little outdated and just need a little bit of speaker-1: TLC. speaker-3: so I'm the ones that have the connections with contractors and all those. speaker-2: Peace. speaker-1: Yeah and take them. speaker-3: construction people to help them redo the property and and make them all nice and pretty. So a little bit of everything for the company here. speaker-0: So what we're hearing is that you continue to hustle, Renn, between being the one man show, learning and doing all the things that you need to do. I'm sorry, Anna, go ahead. What was your follow up question? speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-4: I was just curious if you you ever do any of hand of the hands on work or do you plan on doing any of the hands on work little things? speaker-2: of speaker-5: Yes. speaker-3: I I do the small stuff. I do like the smaller stuff in terms of like painting and fixing like handyman. speaker-1: like basically being the speaker-3: Like a couple of months ago I had to go to the property and unclog the dishwasher. So you know, speaker-1: yeah. speaker-3: I'm not the one the big thing is you don't really ever want to touch water or speaker-2: electricity. speaker-3: if you're not licensed or anything like that because that's how you ruin your house real quick. But all of the smaller kind of cosmetic stuff in the handyman. I'm over there with a pair of pliers or So I definitely do all the smaller hands-on stuff, but in terms of the serious work needed, I always delegate that out to a professional. speaker-0: Wise, wise information there. let's go to Albert. What's your next question for Renn? speaker-5: I just wanted to ask, if I would start my own business in high school, would you say is the estimate time I would have to put in each day, each week, each month? And would and do you think AI would help simplify it or shorten the time you have to put in every day? speaker-2: Yeah, I'll answer your question. speaker-1: question speaker-3: With speaker-1: and I'll go from there. speaker-2: What do you have in speaker-3: And then I make maybe go speaker-2: Little more in depth there. speaker-5: I'm not like definitely something like in like the niche section. I feel like I would definitely like want to start like like an idea that's has been used before and I feel like it could go big, but I'd rather start off like a bit slower in a niche section, maybe something specified like in the H vac, something like that. speaker-2: Yeah, I am huge. speaker-3: Huge advocates for trade based stuff. I think it's incredibly important. I use the trades all the time and good trade work is always needed and you speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-3: know, specifically in Arizona, right? I know that one time, speaker-1: I need one time. speaker-3: but there's approximately millions of houses in the area, right? A lot of people have no idea speaker-1: And speaker-3: how to fix, you know, an HVAC system or anything like that, so it is always needed. But speaker-1: But yeah. speaker-3: Yeah, so I think, if you want to start smoking low roll speaker-2: So you're going to slow down. speaker-3: probably less hours are needed. speaker-1: But speaker-3: So for example, I ebb and flow when I put a lot of time and effort into my business. So speaker-1: So speaker-3: typically, if I'm finding new tenants and new people who go into a unit, I have to do more time and more effort. speaker-2: hours per week into it. speaker-3: But then also when I have a tenant place and everything's rolling smoothly, there's a lot less work needed for my business per se. speaker-1: But speaker-3: If you were to use, ten hours, fifteen hours towards speaker-2: 40 tours per week, 50 tours per week, tour. speaker-3: an idea and putting it genuinely towards a business, I think that would Compound very quickly for you in terms of just input it and being able to speaker-2: work, what to produce product. speaker-1: that is speaker-3: Is a long day if you're going to school and then also putting an additional two to three hours per week from we could always use the weekends, you know, do a good chunk of that. But speaker-1: But speaker-2: Yeah, I... I... speaker-3: AI is always good. I think a lot of people think that AI will solve all their issues and do all their work for you. I don't think that's the case right now. I think it's a great help simplify things. It's good to simplify what speaker-2: That's a great tool to help simplify tasks that you're doing. speaker-3: you're doing to outsource a whole business to an AI chat or an AI. speaker-2: AI prompt. speaker-3: I don't speaker-1: I speaker-3: know if that's really realistic at the moment, but use AI to help you do the things that you're working on and give you answers and clarity of of certain things. I think that will be a huge advantage to you as you're setting up and getting rolling. speaker-5: Perfect. Thank you so much. speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-0: All right. Edwin, let's come to you for your next question. speaker-1: can you share a example of a difficult situation that you had had at the work and how do you handle it? speaker-2: Yeah, would say. There's two. speaker-3: You with my job here, the difficult things that we're always having to deal with. One is volume of work. Always speaker-1: we are all speaker-3: working hard. There's always something to do. speaker-1: Plate is always full. So speaker-3: a good thing that I always like to do is to delegate what speaker-2: out speaker-3: I was able to be delegated out and then also do the work that I'm able speaker-2: So do, to do. And then number two is probably how to fire. speaker-3: having to hire people. We've recently had to let somebody go. speaker-1: He has no. speaker-3: It's never fun when you have to let people go, but you have to as a speaker-2: to look at it as a speaker-3: whole they're typically very good people, they're great people, but typically just not a good fit for the role or for the company. speaker-2: they're in company. speaker-3: So you speaker-1: yeah. speaker-3: always have to be the bad guy in that situation and and have to give someone bad news, but sometimes speaker-1: time speaker-3: it's just, better for the company as a whole and you just have to have to speaker-1: So speaker-3: working hard and just being upfront and honest with people are probably, the two things that are are hard to do sometimes, but they're definitely needed to be done in a business, especially as a manager as well. speaker-0: Great question, Edwin. And I think with your response, Renn, that is applicable to any type of business, right? People are always going to be the best part and the most challenging part. And I think you described that, described that really well there. Thank you. let's hop over to Miss Reeder. What question do you have for Renn? speaker-4: I so my question is about when you were rejected from the business schools that you were applying to, I feel like a lot of people would then panic and just shift their goals and just decide like, okay, I'll just major in something else or I'll just pursue a completely different dream. So how did you decide to continue on your path of business? And like was that hard for you to decide to do that or not? speaker-2: being young and naive at 18 years old really didn't even really kind of change the past. I'm truly speaker-3: Years ago, I it truly I don't think my mind changing task. it was just something that I was speaker-2: interested in. speaker-1: And speaker-2: I just didn't really see myself doing anything else. speaker-3: couldn't see doing anything else. And I also didn't speaker-2: No what else to do. speaker-3: to be honest as well. So I just stayed, basically stayed on that path and looked at alternate things. speaker-2: alternate routes about it. speaker-1: And you know. speaker-3: Course you see from other people and advice from my parents and just speaker-2: friends. speaker-3: other people as well, just being like, take this, do this and speaker-2: Brown. speaker-3: then, you know, this is another way to get there. but basically just taking the advice of others were was probably the big piece of it that helped me stay speaker-1: On that route. speaker-3: but then also being young and not knowing anything else what else to do also probably helped as well. speaker-0: Well, we're talking about your experience going from the community college to university that you, originally applied for and everything. What was that transition like? if can you tell us what did it feel like when you did you have friends that went to university, that got accepted, that, received scholarships right out of high school? Tell us what that experience was like. speaker-2: Yeah, so have my good friend, speaker-3: So say media group speaker-1: two speaker-2: two of us. speaker-3: ended up going community college and then everyone else ended up going to big universities like Temple or Penn States or Pittsburgh or you know any other schools speaker-2: art. speaker-3: out there. So it speaker-1: So speaker-3: was to speaker-2: was nice. speaker-3: see kind of the comparison as well, to see the difference of life between a large university and also going t to community college. Turns out is basically all the same. speaker-2: Your first two years, there's not much speaker-3: much difference between it. speaker-1: D speaker-3: Big difference was is they get to live on their own and not live with their parents and walk back home. But that is big difference I would say in terms of is speaker-2: parents are at home but the only school speaker-1: Stop. speaker-3: their classes are about three times as expensive compared to the same classes we took at community college. speaker-1: And speaker-3: When you're going through it, it's speaker-2: It's so speaker-3: it's not fun 'cause you see all your friends having all this fun and and having a blast living on their own. But in hindsight and looking down further down the path, you know, community college is a fantastic and classes for a fraction of the price. So it all worked out in the end too. speaker-0: I love that encouragement. If there's one other thing that you would have encouraged you in that time frame, what what what would you have liked to have heard in that my friends are going to college? But I do have another friend with me in community college. Like, yeah, what what will you would you have liked to have heard? speaker-2: Sure, it's speaker-3: You know, if I wish I would have understood that basically there's no like I didn't know during the time that the classes are exactly the same as regular college as well. If someone would have laid out that, you know, this class is this much, this class is this much at this school, you know, which one would you rather choose? you know, I probably would have chosen community college, speaker-2: other choose the community routes speaker-3: but speaker-2: Yeah. You partnered up with your. What schools you. speaker-3: Also someone told me that if you advisor at community college and told them what they wanted to get into, literally tell you what classes to take that will a hundred percent transfer over as well. So connecting with their advisors is a huge help as well. speaker-0: That's awesome, Renn. I'm I love that you are encouraging maybe some of our students that might be listening to say that might just be their choice, right? It's not less than to start off at community college. And it's not always just the finance part. Maybe you need to stay near your family for whatever logistical reasons. but you're right, between the the cost per class and then also that practice of like, hey, this is your time to figure out what it's like to build a professional rapport and communication, that confidence to speak to professor or your counselor to say, hey, this is where I eventually want to go. Help me draw that path. Right. So you're in community college, you're getting that practice, you build that muscle. And oftentimes with community college, they have agreements with certain universities, right? To say, if I go through this program, you are, you know, you're first in line to get you know, reviewed and accepted to these universities. So I think it's a great thing. And I'm so glad I forgot that part of your story, Renn. So Yeah. speaker-3: Yeah, and it's always there's you meet so many different people in different aspects of life as well. I was very fortunate where all I had to do was focused on school speaker-2: school. speaker-3: and classes at the time, but I couldn't tell you how many people I met where, they had kids at a young age and still wanting to continue their education or they speaker-1: know. speaker-3: have family. speaker-2: to support their family. speaker-3: So they're working full time but then also going to class in their time days on after work and stuff. So speaker-1: So, speaker-3: it's always cool to see all the different people on different paths and Everyone just moving towards the same goal in the end. speaker-0: Isn't it great that we get to have these conversations and share with our students that you can be successful in different routes to getting there? So thanks, Renn. We're gonna spend a few minutes here with each of our students, getting to know our students a little bit more. And Renn, this is your opportunity to go ahead and pour into them. as we went through the questions, you already did a little bit of mentoring, but I know you've got so much more wisdom in you to share with them. So let's go back to Anna. Anna, go this is your opportunity to practice your introduction. So let Renn know what grade you're in, what you're interested in, and what interests you have after after high school. speaker-4: Hello, my name is Anna I am a freshman and my interests are literally everywhere. That's why I was asking earlier if you had an idea or not, because I I really love music, I love arts, I love languages, I love math and like engineering. Like I'm I'm literally everywhere. Tech is cool. So I was just I really not that I have to figure out what I wanna do now, but it would really be helpful if I could figure out and start narrowing things down. Do you have any ideas? speaker-2: Yeah, similar. speaker-3: to what I told Albert as well, find the things that speaker-2: you are naturally drawn to. speaker-3: you know, things that you're naturally good at as well is always a bonus. But the things that you naturally find interesting and the things that you your life fulfill it speaker-2: like, or create a comment and enjoyment. speaker-3: won't feel so much like work, but just things that you actually those things that you just named are very much needed things in the world. And speaker-2: and speaker-3: something that you can find an interest in and that you speaker-2: Like is always great. You named about. There down to about two that will be in the right. speaker-3: So five or six different things. If you throw that will put you in the direction and going that way, but so speaker-2: All those are so. speaker-3: important. I think they're great. So you know, over the next few years do the things that you are not and find interest. speaker-2: years, the thin naturally drawn to and dressed speaker-1: Try to speaker-2: What kind of there. speaker-1: And speaker-3: That will give you all the answers and clarity that you want all different speaker-2: I mean about speaker-3: fields. speaker-4: Thank you. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Renn, can you share a little bit with Anna because she has so many interests? have you I know that you kind of do some things on the side. Obviously, you started your business, but have you met anybody or do you work with anyone who is in their profession, right? They're doing their things. They went to school, they're doing their things, but they also are like still playing in the local orchestra or they are still painting. Can you share a little bit about how you can invest the time and the interest that you have and still continue to do the things that you're passionate about? speaker-2: Yeah. speaker-3: percent actually one of the girls at work has a like store so speaker-1: So speaker-3: that's kind of her thing it doesn't you know it doesn't produce thousands of sales but speaker-2: per week or per month. speaker-3: it's something that she's genuinely interested in pieces speaker-2: and she likes to crochet pieces. speaker-1: And you also speaker-3: people find them interesting and she gets to make every order basically from scratch or from when the order is placed so people are always doing stuff on the side speaker-1: So people on the side and speaker-3: No, what I like to tell people it's always good to have three different kinds of hobbies. One good speaker-2: One that's speaker-3: for making money, one that is good for social, like meeting people and hanging out with people, and then one that's just something that you're genuinely interested in. So you can find one that overs one speaker-2: with us. speaker-3: another, that's always great, but having those three are used speaker-2: are huge. speaker-3: to having a fun time outside of work as well. speaker-0: Anna, I see the wheels turning. Are you trying to answer those three buckets? speaker-4: Mm, yeah. I'm thinking about it. speaker-0: Does that help you with when she speaker-4: Music and languages are pretty overlapping. Yeah. Yes, definitely. Thank you. speaker-0: So with music, what do you like? are you an instrumentalist? Are you vocalist? And then what languages are you learning? speaker-4: So I play the cello. I've been playing for a little over ten years now. I do like to sing for fun. I I would do the musical, but I play sports. and then the languages, I'm learning Chinese and French in school. So Chinese outside of school. and actually recently I just came from Japan, so I was learning Japanese. Right. so I I wanna learn eight languages, which is insane and very hard, especially with schoolwork and all. So but going to Japan definitely helped with my Japanese and learning French in school and then outside I'm doing Chinese. So I'm getting all the immersion and trying to do my best to excel in all all of them. And then I hope to start my other languages that I wanna learn. So But I'm just not sure what I should do with them or what I want to do with them. speaker-3: Very fun. I was just in Japan myself. I was just there about a month ago. So speaker-1: So is speaker-3: always cool to see. I could not imagine having to learn Japanese. It's incredibly difficult and so different from English. So props to you. speaker-4: Since I'm wearing Chinese, some of the characters are the same. So or a majority of the characters are the same. So it definitely helps, yeah. speaker-0: final prompt for you, Rand, with Anna, with her interest in languages, where do you in your career, right, in business and in marketing, can somebody like Anna who wants to learn eight different languages, is that an advantage? Are there opportunities in your world for somebody like Anna? speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-2: think that's huge. speaker-3: were to look at a lot of job applications, bilingual is always an added, right? It always said speaker-2: added pro- it's not required speaker-1: But it's speaker-3: an added bonus. So if you could ever go to a job interview or to an employer and be, hey, I speak Chinese, if this company does a lot of business with China or has factories or production in China, you were speaker-1: If you speaker-3: the liaison person between the American company and the Chinese side of it, that would be a huge speaker-2: between the American and United States. Huge. speaker-3: beneficial to you and the company. And I'm sure they would you know One greatly appreciated speaker-2: Appreciate it, but too... speaker-3: very niche thing, especially in America. speaker-2: America speaker-3: Many people can speak Chinese and good English at the same time. So any kind of bilingual thing that you can put on a resume is speaker-2: is. speaker-3: fantastic and gives you a huge advantage for sure. Our company does Spanish. We a little bit of work in Spanish like markets in Spanish countries, speaker-2: in the market and trade. speaker-3: but anyone that does has any kind of bilingual definitely gets a little bit longer look on a resume. speaker-1: You know, speaker-3: A better chance of an inter in an interview for sure. speaker-0: I love that, Renn. A longer look. That's important when you start applying for jobs. Thank you for sharing that, Anna. We'll continue to hear more about your different interests. Awesome. Let's move over to Albert. Your opportunity to introduce yourself to R to Renn. speaker-5: Yep. hello. So my name is Albert I'm a ninth grader freshman at New Hope Solebury High School. I have a background in Poland, so I speak Polish fluently at home and I can also speak English fluently. And I'm studying Spanish in school. My interest definitely is in the section of like entrepreneurial, like business, finance, definitely stuff in that like area. Even stuff to do with the stock market. I'm very interested in that stuff. And one question I would definitely have is like what do you what's your thoughts about like getting an internship in high school and do you think that'll like like lead you in a better path of like where you want to go with your career? speaker-1: Yeah. So I didn't speaker-2: 100%. speaker-3: So I didn't have any internships in high school, but I worked part time a little bit speaker-2: time so different in a sense speaker-3: of kind of working in speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-3: the internship environment compared to just clocking in and working part time. speaker-1: But speaker-2: 100%. speaker-1: it will give you speaker-2: two organizations. speaker-3: AC really speaker-2: One is speaker-3: one, if you even like that job or the field or or that company per se. But then two, it will give you an insights of you'll be able to connect with coworkers and other people in that business and that will show you what life after high school or college may look like with a company like that. So I think it's a hundred percent a great and speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-3: if you're able to land one just looking for one as well, you know, I think it's a great thing to do. speaker-1: And speaker-3: All the interests that you may pass it, being in ninth grade, it's still you may it's very and if you just keep learning more just looking speaker-2: young if people learn it and just speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-3: and reading about it and stuff like that, it will just give you better insight of one order speaker-2: how that feels. speaker-3: that operates, but then two if it's actually something that you wanna jump into post high school life. So definitely just keep going with your interest and the things that interest you and you'll definitely More clarity as you go along high school as well. speaker-5: Perfect, thank you so much. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Albert, you shared earlier that you might have an interest in the trades, right? Like HVAC. How did you come up with that interest? And then also have this interest in finance and the stock market. what are your influences? Or I used to always ask him, like, is this in a in a show? Did I miss a movie? You know, where like the young people are picking up these interests. Tell us a little bit about that, Albert. Like, how did you come up with these? speaker-5: so I definitely started because my my dad he has his own couple businesses. So I kind of just got exposed to that at a young age. And with that, like I got interested in like finance business and where led me to like HVAC and stuff in that section was definitely like definitely going down to the niche section where I could like build something new. There's more ideas, there's more opportunities there. speaker-2: That's great. speaker-3: Yeah. my advice to you speaker-1: is speaker-3: I don't have much advice about stock speaker-2: Don't have... ...stop. speaker-3: stuff like that. I am not a stock professional sense speaker-2: in any speaker-3: and deal with anyone in that, but I deal with people in the trades. speaker-1: And reflect speaker-3: You know, when I look on my life as well, if I didn't do the college business route, I think I would have done the trade route. I would have learned a trade. But learning, still in that business would be still inside me, right? So learning a trade, doing the trade, but then also then kind of leveling up and starting or being the owner of the trade company, I think is fantastic. And it's just there is never not a demand for it. And it's I think it's just a great opportunity. Of the two mixings that you're s leaning towards that speaker-2: But now you see. speaker-3: you love business but then also have an interest in the trades, I think owning your own trade company would be a fantastic, speaker-1: And speaker-3: really practical business idea for you. speaker-0: love that. Yeah. So Albert, on that, just because we've had a lot of conversations through the years with people who have experience in the trades and then my own experience with my network and then also having served in the military, often people pick up the trades and have somebody else pay for it. Right. So there are internships where you get to learn the trade and a union or something will they'll pay for that or the military. And then when you're done with your time, then you start your business, right? And it looked just like Renn. Inside of him, he was always going to not just flip shoes. He was going to build a team to help him flip these shoes and then continue to grow. So I think it's amazing that you have an interest. Just learn it a little bit so you have that that legitimacy and then build the business, just as Renn said. So Albert, again, we're excited to hear more about where your interests land in this in this school year. speaker-5: Yep, definitely. Thank you so much. speaker-0: Right on. Okay. We're coming for you, Edwin. Your opportunity to share a little bit about who you are with Renn so he can do some mentoring. speaker-1: my name is Edwin. I'm from Mexico. I speak Eng English and Spanish. I'm most interested in the science field more than in the business, but I like to learn like a a lot about different careers. I'm in eleventh grade by the way, sorry. speaker-3: Yeah, science is always great. I don't know much about science field and the healthcare field, but speaker-1: I know. speaker-3: it is incredibly important and speaker-1: And speaker-3: definitely a huge, huge sector. And then especially in the Philadelphia area. There's a handful of pharmaceutical companies and science tech companies like that that are always, I'm sure, looking for internships or just looking for people as well. So definitely for speaker-2: in the right area for that. speaker-1: And speaker-3: Anything pharmaceutical based is always fantastic as well. speaker-0: Thank you. Edwin, I know you mentioned that you're interested in science. And I also have a note that you might have some interest in healthcare, right? So is there a particular direction you're you're thinking like nursing or as Renn even mentioned, pharmaceuticals are really big in Philadelphia or becoming a doctor. any any interest so far? speaker-1: So I'm most interested in either biology or like chemistry. speaker-0: Biology and chemistry. What what made you interested in those subjects? speaker-1: Okay, so this comes like from ninth grade. So I was most interested in math when I was like in ninth grade, but then my science teacher in ninth grade like made me love science. She's she speaks both Spanish and English, so she understands something when I speak Spanish because it's difficult to speak English for me sometimes. So she helped me a lot and it made me love sciences and also my biology teacher she was so nice I love that class speaker-0: Awesome. All right. So Edwin, first of all, your English is awesome. You're speaking very clearly. We totally understand you. And then also, let's give your teachers a shout out. Who was the science teacher and the biology teacher? speaker-1: So my science teacher w she's not longer in this school. She was I think Dr. Ryan, that was her name. Like and my biology teacher was Miss Lever. speaker-0: Awesome. speaker-5: I'm going. speaker-0: Miss Reeder, doesn't it just touch your heart that these educators are making such an impact on the students that they would like it truly helps direct their next steps in life? speaker-4: Yes, it really does. it doesn't surprise me knowing those two teachers that that he mentioned. they're both really amazing educators, but we have we're so lucky here. We have so many great teachers who really do touch these students well beyond the subject area that they're teaching. so I know that those two teachers are going to love to to hear that shout out. speaker-0: Awesome. Awesome. Renn, while we're on this subject, looking back through your academic career, can you is there a particular teacher or a moment that made a difference for you in making decisions in your in your life? speaker-2: I don't know if it's particular teachers. speaker-3: per se, but definitely coaches and definitely mentors outside of school outside. So with my sports speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-2: in sport. speaker-3: and things like that, I would say speaker-1: That was speaker-2: more that stuck with me more in that team aspect and that speaker-3: That kind of sport aspect that's where a lot of were at the time. I loved after school. speaker-2: My interest is where full sports but working speaker-1: we're speaker-3: with coaches and just working in that environment speaker-2: with a team of speaker-3: definitely was more impactful for me, I would say. speaker-0: Excellent. And now that we've heard from all three of our students and some of their interests, and for you to emphasize how important it is to have that experience being on a on a team in sports, how how do you see that reflected in your everyday work right now? Like having that experience working with a team? speaker-2: Yeah, never knew it since speaker-3: Team things are incredibly important. But everything you do is basically team based. Of course you'll have some individual work, but at the end of the day you're working as a team, collaborating and working towards the same goal. So being able to work speaker-2: on a team and work well with others. speaker-3: is incredibly important, you know, in the high school level, but then also as you go into college and then also into the field of of work. So speaker-2: working from there. speaker-3: working speaker-1: work. speaker-3: with people and team based things are incredibly important skill to have in like a life speaker-2: more. speaker-1: Go to have. speaker-0: What is the best thing about working on a team? And what is the most challenging thing working with a team? Yeah. speaker-3: A better I would say collaboration of working with one another. I think when you have a couple minds working on something, you think of things that other people will think of things that you didn't think of that are definitely better than what you had in mind and will be more beneficial. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-2: and two. speaker-3: Always the reward at the end and just that feeling of cleaning putting speaker-1: Completing and put speaker-3: out of quality speaker-2: product. speaker-1: and then speaker-3: And the disadvantages of a team typically is if you're of other people's always speaker-2: the extra speaker-3: fun, but speaker-1: Never a lot of fun but speaker-3: sometimes has to be done in in a group setting where the work has to be done and you have to be the person to to help out there. So lots of pros and cons of working in a team, but I always find that there's a lot more pros than than cons for sure. speaker-0: That's right. And one more question or just the discussion around working with teams. I think as you get older and as you have new jobs, you start to realize more of the things that you like or don't like, right? So there are some people who like to work by themselves and that's okay. And then there's other people like myself who like to work with a team. tell us a little bit about how you've discovered that about yourself. Like, do you like to work on your own or with a team? And if you work with other people, you can tell, like, no. You definitely need to work with more people or I can see why you like working from home on your own. speaker-3: a hundred percent. So I can give you two good examples of that. So one I would say I enjoy more in a team setting. Some days more some days I also just wanna be, left alone and and doing my own thing at the same time. But more times than not I've loved working in team. Kinda to piggyback off. speaker-2: in a team setting and what you said when we hire for certain roles, we're looking for better fit in a team setting or better fit for speaker-3: people that are a better thing, but then also are someone that's better working solo and alone. Because not all roles in a company someone to work on. So in the highest we're always looking for people that would speaker-2: All roles require someone to work on a team. The hiring sense fits speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-2: better roles better. In resumes and that as well. speaker-3: If it's more collaborative and more solo, we look for that that kind of person when we interview them as well. So both sides speaker-1: both speaker-3: of the spectrum are definitely needed in the world speaker-2: business. speaker-3: at the same time. speaker-0: Excellent, excellent. So that's a pro tip. Our students listen up. you're not applying for these grown-up jobs just yet, but just keep in the back of your mind. and I know Renn has done a lot of interviews and you know, going through he we've worked with him before with our young adults. So I I know some of this information, but as you start to think about, when I start applying for jobs, think about do you want to work with a team? Is this a job that is that I would like to be in, right? I'm gonna be working with a lot of people, or is this more on your own? Right. I would struggle if if I didn't have friends at work. So you gotta know know that about yourself. so as we start to wind down here, I'd love to hear again from our students. Anna, let's come to you. What resonated with you the most in our conversation with Renn? speaker-4: I really was interested in the real estate section because my dad is a contractor. That was cool to hear so he has his own business and he renovates houses and sells them. and then also owns a couple plots and then rents them out. And it was just cool to see how you have your own business and you're hoping to almost kinda do what he does. He does it a lot more on himself. Are you planning on like making this a bigger Company or it's sticking more solo? speaker-3: Or I was definitely making it bigger. speaker-1: Definitely. speaker-2: slowly rolling it. speaker-3: know, the global property is always a little slow, but definitely want to grow it into something bigger bigger and then hopefully one day larger than life. speaker-2: I like speaker-3: But definitely speaker-1: definitely. speaker-3: just slow and steady and and continuing to grow it. My interests I'm just speaker-2: As for my speaker-1: And speaker-3: trying to grow and speaker-2: it speaker-3: scale it efficiently as grow. speaker-0: That's awesome, Anna. Good job. Thank you. And Albert. Albert, we're coming to you. Can you share a little something that made the future feel more possible hearing from Renn today? speaker-5: definitely kinda not his like completely struggle, but like how he had to get like rejected from all these business schools and then he went to community college, but then like realizing that like it just the same class is cheaper. I feel like it definitely shows how there's gonna be many bumps in the road, but like in the end it'll like you'll definitely find something you like truly love and you're passionate about. speaker-1: Yep. speaker-3: Good advice that I got along the way is if you keep knocking on a door, the door will eventually open for you. So, you know, there may be closed doors and locked doors along the way, but if you keep on knocking, one will open speaker-1: Well well. speaker-3: for you. speaker-0: That's right. We just need that one door. All right. Okay, Edwin. What is one piece of advice that you heard today from Renn that's gonna stick with you? speaker-1: I think a little bit like the one that like was rejected from different universities, but then he realized that it was like the same as community college because I'm thinking like on all that because like next year I'll be applying two colleges and all that stuff. So I'm thinking like which one should I apply because you know all that stuff and I'm kinda scared. Because I feel that my academics are not that strong compared to other people. So yeah. speaker-3: Yeah. No community college is fantastic. Don't ever be afraid. Also, don't be afraid to apply. You never know could happen. I've same sense too. speaker-0: encouragement look at you Renn continuing to make an impact on our young people here and yeah Edwin I I think you're doing fantastic stay encouraged and there's also there's always different paths so continue to listen and ask the questions and then you know what what parts of our conversations apply to your life you're doing great all three of you guys are we're wrapping up here so Renn I just wanted to thank you again for sharing your time on the West Coast and your experience with us as always. Before we go, what's the website for Vici Media? speaker-3: Yeah. Thank you for having me. Love speaker-2: I mean they always love speaker-3: doing it. doing these with you guys. It's always so much fun. speaker-2: Vicimediainc.com. speaker-3: Is our website for our company. speaker-0: All right. Well thank you, Renn. And for our students, take what resonated with you and keep exploring what feels possible for you. This is Access Co Leaders. We'll see you next time.