The stories surrounding why and how people start their own businesses are always fascinating and never cease to amaze me. The story of one of my C200 friends Hannah Kain and the incarnation of her global supply chain company, ALOM, is no exception.
First, here’s a little background Hannah shared with me.
“My dad was a concentration camp survivor who started with nothing and no family in a foreign country after World War II. He had several small businesses that I helped him run. At the age of 12, I was in charge of the books and still remember the staid CPA showing up with his stinking cigar, only to find out he had been corresponding with me, a 12-year-old girl,” she told me.
Surprisingly, her introduction to the business world started eight years earlier.
“My first brush as an entrepreneur, however, was at the age of four. My brother and I dug up primroses in the forest and sold them in the neighborhood. Talk about low cost of goods,” Hannah said.
It was at this very early age that Hannah started dreaming of her own company. It continued through her teenage years into her career with larger corporations. In fact, she started her business after she was offered the CEO position at a company she helped build. But she had issues with that company’s business practices and realized it was time to take the leap and build something of her own.
Hannah founded ALOM in 1997 and realized something better than her dreams. A commitment to customers and quality is at the heart of ALOM’s culture. Their mission is to grow each of their customers’ businesses by simplifying the supply chain and turning it into a competitive advantage. With 15 offices around the world and a combined million square feet in global printing facilities, ALOM provides procurement, inventory, assembly, fulfillment, IT integration and operations services for Fortune 100 clients, such as Ford Motor Company.
Hannah’s story has similarities to my friend's.
Back in1989, he decided to take the leap. The company he was working for disagreed with his growth strategies that were mandatory given a terrible economic downturn, triggered by what was then called the “savings and loan crisis.” It came to a standoff. He got furious. Quit. Cashed in his $16,000 IRA and started his company. He was so motivated to be a success. He had never felt so energized (and scare) in his entire life. For him , failure was not an option.
He circled back with Hannah and asked her for any other business advice from her past that would be interesting to share, and she came back with a “funny story” from her childhood.
“My brother was a Boy Scout and was obligated to sell lottery tickets, but he only sold two. It was a family disgrace, and my dad was extremely upset. So, I decided to bail him out, and at the age of seven, I sold 700. But he won the prize! What a lesson. What a lesson, I thought at the time. I did the work, he got the honor,” Hannah told me with a smile. ”Of course, I was glad to do it, since we were very close. But over time, I have come to appreciate that the biggest gift is to help others succeed, and it is not so important who gets the honor.”
In working with people who have founded their own companies, it’s common to hear that the spark of entrepreneurship started at an early age. It’s also common to hear that entrepreneurs reach their own tipping point, often recognizing that their vision has diverged from their current company and that it’s time to see their own ideas through.
Looking back, it felt like the momentum to break free and start my own company had been building for years. The market timing for him , quite honestly, couldn’t have been worse. But the opportunity and his motivation aligned. His gut said “do it" He took that leap. He haven’t looked back.
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