New Member Spotlight: Justin Siegel

We catch up with the new EO Austin member and CEO of JNJ Mobile, Inc to learn more about his entrepreneurial journey.

How did you become an entrepreneur?

JS: Essentially, I became an entrepreneur by coming to the realization that I didn’t want to work for other people. Fortunately, my best friend shared the same opinion, and we came up with a great idea for a business we were passionate about.

Tell us about the toughest challenge you’ve overcome.

JS: There are so many challenges you face in building a business that it’s hard to point out one specific example of as being the toughest. However, the hardest challenge for me, and I believe for most entrepreneurs, boils down to managing your own psychology. As the founder and/or CEO, you are the power plant off which the whole company feeds. You go down for a minute and everything goes dark. It’s tough to bring your A game 24/7/365.

Who inspires you in life and in business?

JS: Warren Buffett is my inspiration. It’s not because he’s at the top of the Forbes list. It’s about his philosophy, which applies to life and business. He has a strong framework for how to make decisions. He’s also a brilliant communicator. And most importantly he loves his life!

Where do you see yourself in five years?

JS: Hopefully doing more of what I get to do now. I enjoy building businesses, mentoring entrepreneurs, and investing in companies where I think I can add value and success is likely. I’m also grateful for the work/life balance I’ve been able to achieve.

Can you share about commonplace misconception about your industry?

JS: People dramatically underestimate how difficult it is to build successful direct to consumer product for mobile phones. It’s one part good idea, and 99 parts execution.