He earned a masters in business and a doctorate in law at
UCLA.
He became an officer in the United States Army, started a
company and served as chief executive officer at several
others.
Then he went on to win one of today’s most popular TV
shows, and last Friday he came back to speak to current Bruins.
Kelly Perdew, recent winner of Donald Trump’s “The
Apprentice,” was one of several speakers at the 20th annual
Entrepreneurs Conference, hosted by the UCLA Entrepreneurs
Association at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Conference events included numerous small seminars on a variety
of topics, from prospects in nanotechnology and the business of
homeland security to entrepreneurship in education and
opportunities in real estate.
The day-long event also featured several in-depth workshops
focusing on important issues in business and entrepreneurship.
One of these workshops was titled “Presenting Yourself:
Communication and Leadership Skills,” directed by Eric
Cazenave, facilitator of Corporate Scenes. The workshop sought to
instruct participants in the finer points of public
communications.
Cazenave brought up such points as the importance of eye
contact, breathing and body language when communicating with
others.
He also emphasized the need for “active listening”
in the business world. “Making a conscious effort to truly
take in what a person is saying to you, rather than thinking of
what you’re going to say later,” Cazenave said,
regarding his advice.
He led participants through an exercise where they stood on a
stage and told an anecdotal story while he coached them.
The objective was to try to communicate in a way that conveyed
enthusiasm and interest in both the subject and the listener.
As Cazenave said, it is vital for businessmen, especially
entrepreneurs, to be able to speak effectively and make a good
impression on others.
The conference seminars were smaller sessions moderated by a
group of panelists, many of them former students at Anderson.
Discussion at one such seminar focused on various legal and
social issues involved with doing business in China.
“A lot of times you don’t even know that
you’re doing something illegal,” said panelist Frances
Chou of the YF Chou Prof corporation, a small legal firm based in
Los Angeles. Chou emphasized the importance of being sufficiently
informed of local legal practices when doing business overseas.
Another seminar discussed emerging opportunities with electronic
entertainment platforms.
The numerous new personal entertainment devices, including the
Apple iPod, Sony PlayStation Portable and Microsoft Xbox 360, now
appearing on the market create numerous potential for innovative
entrepreneurship, panelists said.
A theme of this seminar ““ and indeed of the entire
conference ““ was the importance of good entrepreneurship in
the business world.
Panelist Steve Shannon, creator of the now renowned Macromedia
Dreamweaver HTML editor, said that when he was developing his
product, Microsoft had a virtual monopoly on his field.
“Microsoft was a giant at that time, but entrepreneurs can
still get in if they offer a better product,” Shannon
said.
Throughout the conference, participants filled Korn Convocation
Hall to hear keynote speakers including Perdew, Scott Ingraham,
founder and general manager of Rent.com, Malcolm Bricklin, founder
and CEO of Visionary Vehicles, and Dan Gordon, founder and director
of operations of Gordon Biersch Beers.
Events at the conference also sought to intertwine some humor
with the serious discussion.
In his communications workshop, Cazenave led participants
through a series of breathing and acting exercises as a way of
evoking the necessary emotion in their voices.
He drew an analogy to basketball’s Michael Jordan’s
signature pose, and a boxer in the ready stance, to emphasize the
importance of being flexible, poised and “ready to
move.”
“You have to focus your energy out (with the
audience),” Cazenave said.
Keynote speaker Gordon, in his “advice” to the
budding entrepreneurs, said to remember to “only drink Gordon
Biersch beer,” a pronouncement that was met with accepting
applause.
Gordon also offered some more serious advice, saying that
“real-world experience is critical before you start a
business.”
Gordon, who worked at a brewery after graduating from college
and before studying for his MBA, recommended this course to
aspiring businessmen.
“An MBA is worthless unless you’ve already
worked,” he said, adding that most business schools do not
even accept candidates without work experience. Gordon also praised
the organization of the conference, which also included a small
career fair.
Participant Eric Huang, a computer science doctoral student,
said the conference was “very informative,” praising
the many real-life experiences that were presented.
Huang, who plans to apply to Anderson’s graduate program,
said he has several start-up projects in the works to which he
plans to apply the things he’s learned at the conference.
Huang added that he plans on attending the 21st Entrepreneurs
Conference when it is held next year.