Business speakers get extreme

Arel Moodie shares business advice and creative exercises to the audience in the Student Union ballroom. Photographer: Mike Kelly

UNLV was the first stop this year for the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour, which visits 25 schools all over the nation over a period of two months. The event brings together the country’s top young entrepreneurs to inspire students to think creatively.

The event discussion was lead by host and published writer Arel Moodie. Moodie started the session by dividing the audience into two teams and making them scream and clap as loudly as they could.

“If you want to be successful, you have to stretch your comfort zone,” he explained.

The first keynote speaker was Rahim Fazal, a dot-com millionaire. Fazal’s journey from McDonald’s worker to a millionaire caught the attention of students. Fazal earned a Master of Business Arts degree just after completing high school.

“You’ve got to be a bit crazy to become successful,” he said.

That attitude drove him to sell his first business for $1.5 million, when he was still in high school.

“The true entrepreneur is a doer not a dreamer,” Fazal said, concluding his session.

Luke Burgis, founder of Fit Fuel, spoke of the freedom of owning your own business.

Burgis discussed the five ingredients that pushed him to quit his job as an investment banker at Wall Street and pursue his dream of establishing his own company: passion, curiosity, sense of humor, thick skin and discipline.

“Enjoy the process, not the outcome,” he said, explaining the hardships he went through before being successful.

Moodie held an interactive discussion called “Idea Creation,” which put attendees into groups to bring up problems that could hamper a business from growing.

“Don’t look for an opportunity, look for a problem and the solution to it is your opportunity.”

The group chose the team with a best solution to its problem as the winner, by showing the degree of their appreciation with applause. The session facilitated socialization among the audience.

Moodie talked about growing up poor and the hurdles he jumped to become “America’s Top Young Speaker.”

The event culminated with a question-and-answer session featuring the keynote speakers and two more young entrepreneurs: DJ Allen and Sean Galusha, both successful businessmen and UNLV graduates.

“All entrepreneurs are marketers,” Allen told the audience, stressing the importance of reaching clients in new ways.

Galusha said the best way to start any business is through the Internet. After graduating four months ago, Galusha started an Internet networking Web site designed to increase communication between students and their professors.

Galusha also expressed his belief that outsourcing is a fundamental principle to success in any business.

“The extreme entrepreneurship tour is extremely helpful to students,” said Tyler Medeiros, a finance student at UNLV who serves as an accountability partner throughout the tour.

Janet Runge from the center for entrepreneurship at UNLV said the event was part of efforts UNLV has taken to pave a pathway for young and aspiring entrepreneurs. She added, “We are very happy seeing the response and will surely invite the Extreme Entrepreneurship tour even next year.”