“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” ~ Lou Holtz
Name: Dane Short
Age: 28
What exactly do you do for a living?
I am the CEO of my family’s business, Meridane Design. We offer a line of Interactive Personal Empowerment Jewelry based around our Hidden Meaning Symbol. The symbol itself contains EVERY LETTER of the ALPHABET and EVERY NUMBER…hidden in plain sight.
What states do you represent?
Colorado & Texas
Did you go to college? Where?
Yes. I attended The University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV)
What did you study there?
Marketing
Why on earth did you choose this career path and how did you get involved in it?
Two years ago my mother was randomly ‘doodling’ and she stacked each letter of the phrase ‘LOVE IS ALL U NEED’ on top of one another and then added a peace sign on top. Shortly after having the ‘doodle’ cast as a ‘LOVE and PEACE’ pendant, my family and I ended up uncovering every letter and every number within it! Given what we had uncovered, we determined that this symbol could literally mean ANYTHING to ANYBODY at ANYTIME. This all happened during my last semester at UNLV where I had been writing business plans for all of my marketing classes. I decided to write a business plan for selling the symbol. Two years later we are on the verge of having a nationally recognized product!
What are your future plans for your career?
I intend to use the platform that Meridane creates to help other young entrepreneurs start their own businesses. I am very excited for the opportunity to share the knowledge I’ve gained bringing our product to market.
What are in love with about this profession? What are you not so in love with?
Most importantly, I LOVE working with my family. I also love hearing all of the empowering feedback that we receive from people who wear our symbol. Last week we received a picture of a lady who got it tattooed on her wrist!! It gives my family and I the motivation & confidence to move forward knowing that our symbol impacts so many people, from all walks of life, on such a personal level. I’m not so in love with keeping the books for the company. However, I just hired a bookkeeper so I’m able to focus on the things that I’m good at!
Give us an example of a day in the life of you doing what you do?
Being an entrepreneur is exciting! Every day is a new adventure. I usually wake up, workout and then dive into emails. We receive a lot of inquires about possible strategic partnerships and co-marketing opportunities. I then take care of any online orders that came in overnight. My afternoons are different every day. Most of the time I am exploring new ways to sell and market our product.
What steps do you recommend to someone who is planning to pursue this career?
If you have a product or service that you think will sell, the first step is to write a business plan. There are many online resources to assist you in doing this. After that, it is all about implementing the plan and getting the word out. Take it one day at a time.
What is the single-most important piece of advice you can offer a person pursuing this career?
Self-motivation is the key to success and will achieve powerful results. NEVER GIVE UP!
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
It is the same advice I would give to anyone pursuing my career. Self-motivation is the key to success and will achieve powerful results. NEVER GIVE UP!
What can we look forward to seeing from you next?
Right now we offer our Hidden Meaning Symbol in Sterling Silver and Gold. Within the next month it will be available in Pewter, Bronze and an array of acrylic colors!
What professional or community volunteer organizations are you currently a member of?
I am a part of the eWomen Network – Austin Chapter.
What’s a funny or significant memory from your college or high school days you are legally allowed to share?
My freshman year of college I was giving a speech to 100+ people on human development. In the middle of my speech I accidentally said ‘orgasms’ rather than ‘organisms’ – EVERYBODY caught it and started laughing, including myself. It was VERY difficult to finish the speech but I ended up getting through it. It taught me a lot about holding my composure while speaking in front of large groups.
What book are you reading right now?
I’m reading 2..
Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin
What’s playing in your MP3 player right now?
Fritz and the Tantrums – Pickin’ up the Pieces
Where can we stalk you online?
{ 2 comments }
Dane Short “attentendent,” college ie, didn’t graduate.
I graduated from UNLV in December 2008 with a degree in marketing.
Comments on this entry are closed.