The Entrepreneurial Mindset: A Conversation with Pat Patel & Paul Skarvinko ’05
The Champlain College community recently welcomed back alumnus Paul Skarvinko ‘05, for an engaging fireside chat about entrepreneurship. The conversation, guided by Pat Patel, Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Champlain, provided valuable insights into developing an entrepreneurial mindset and how it presents outside typical entrepreneurial paths.
Developing An Entrepreneurial Mindset: A?Step-by-Step Journey
One of the most important insights Skarvinko shared was that entrepreneurship isn’t about jumping from step one to step ten: “One of the interesting things about my career is that it’s like stairs. You don’t go from step 1 to 10, you go 1, 2, 3, 4…” slowly building the confidence, skills, and network needed to launch your own venture.
Entrepreneurship is often not a linear journey—how you react to the twists and turns plays a big role in your overall trajectory. Skarvinko and Patel both recalled times they found themselves back at step one and having to work their way back up: “Failure is part of every success story when it comes to an entrepreneur, whether you’re running a restaurant or building a massive tech company. For every success, there’s probably 10 or 20 failures,” Skarvinko shared.
Embracing Failure and Building Resilience
When asked what kept him going through setbacks, Skarvinko emphasized the importance of resilience. “You don’t wake up tomorrow and say, ‘I’m going to have resilience.’ You need to experience a lot to develop the resilience, the grit, the realization that tomorrow’s coming no matter what,” he explained. “Early on in your career, they’re harder to see. I’ve learned so much and continue to. Now I have better vision and the ability to see beyond the horizon and anticipate them.”
Gaining clarity in the face of hardship isn’t an easy task. However, according to Skarvino, it is a matter of perspective. Skarvinko’s advice included asking yourself: “Will this matter in two days? Will this matter in 10 days? Will this matter in 20 years?” Usually, he noted, “the setback won’t matter in six months.”
The Importance of 盛京棋牌 and Experience
Skarvinko credited Champlain’s emphasis on internships as crucial to his professional development. “It was the push towards internships that helped me tremendously. As well as just that getting out there, meeting people, and going to speaking events like this, that have shaped and propelled my career.” These real-world experiences helped him understand the world of work and build connections that would later prove valuable.
For current students and young alumni, Skarvinko recommended saying “yes” to opportunities early in their careers before becoming more selective later on.
Building a Professional Network
When asked how students should build their professional networks, Skarvinko suggested starting with classmates, professors, and internship connections. He emphasized that networking isn’t just about formal events but a genuine interest in meeting new people and learning from them.
“Raise your hand and say, ‘Hey, can I call you about this or ask you about this thing?’ Nine times out of 10, people are going to volunteer knowledge and experience because they feel comfortable talking about it, and people generally want others to be successful,” he shared.
Networking Advice from Paul Skarvinko ’05:
- Look for local events such as those through the Chamber of Commerce or regional Young Professional groups.
- Try to connect with the senior people at your first job post-graduation and continue to maintain those relationships.
- Building up your networking muscle takes practice. Practice talking to new people and getting more comfortable introducing yourself. Talk to the checkout person at the grocery store or the bartender, and have an actual conversation.?
Applying an Entrepreneurial Mindset Beyond Startups
Patel highlighted that the entrepreneurial mindset isn’t limited to starting a new business. It can be applied within existing organizations by approaching your job as your business. This means looking for opportunities for improvement and innovation within your current role. “You could approach that position with the entrepreneurial mindset. ‘What opportunities do I see in my job?’ This is what people expect me to do, but if I have the entrepreneurial mindset, I’m going to look for opportunities for improvement within the organization as a whole.”
The conversation between Paul Skarvinko and Pat Patel provided valuable perspectives on developing the entrepreneurial mindset—one that embraces challenges, seeks opportunities, builds resilience, and is always growing. Whether you are aspiring to launch your a new venture or pave your way within established organizations, the entrepreneurial mindset can help you succeed in today’s competitive and dynamic industries.
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