Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62203
I maintain that learning about business through hands-on experience is one of the best ways to obtain engaged in troubleshooting and managing operations. How did these experiences shape the rest of your career? I started working with Enterprise when I was 16, helping out in rental branches, dealing with customers, and generally lending a hand—which is how I really learned the business. Those early years provided some of my most valuable educa- tional experiences. In the rental branches you get to really understand the importance of customers and employees, which is why the majority of our employees also start their careers in this way. The fact that I learned the business from the ground up also gives me a shared experience with our employees. I know what it's like to work in a rental office and to serve customers on a day-to-day basis. build my own successful career by working just as hard as any- one else in our company; and it was important to me to pave my own path. My father built the foundation of our business, and I was able to start with that foundation and grow Enterprise into an international company. But I have only been able to do so because of the values he instilled in me and the way he built this company from the beginning. The for- mal business schooling I received at the University of Denver helped, too. Your father, Jack Taylor, is a member of the so-called "greatest generation" that lived through the Depres sion and fought in World War II. What are the challenges and opportunities you faced in following in his footsteps? My father grew up during a very different time, and his expe- riences have had a significant effect on me. He served as a naval fighter pilot during World War II, and he translated many of the lessons he learned in the Navy into his business philosophy. He taught me about the importance of hard work and of staying true to your values. He also taught me about maintaining your values in the business world, and his princi- ples are a guiding force for our company today. As far as following in his footsteps, I was determined to You earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration at the University of Denver, and I've heard you were totally focused on your business education. What skills did you gain from your education that you still use today, and what are the skills you think you should have learned, but didn't? Well, I did win the intramural doubles tennis tournament in college, so I wouldn't say that I was solely focused on my business education! I obtained a great education at the 18 BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2003 University of Denver, and it laid the groundwork for the busi- ness knowledge I have today. My time in Denver gave me the vital basics needed to succeed in the business world. In addition to lessons that students learn in the classroom, I maintain that learning about business through hands-on experience is one of the best ways to obtain a business educa- tion. It seems to me that students today have more opportu- nities than ever to gain real-world experience through intern- ships and projects. I was fortunate in that I was able to gain this experience and learn many business lessons from my father. Through my early experiences at Enterprise I was able to see firsthand the importance of customer service and employee development. Every position I've held at Enterprise has played a part in my development as a businessperson. What advice would you offer today's business schools as they seek to prepare the next generation of business leaders? If you were teaching a management course, what lessons would you want students to learn? If I were teaching a management course, I would want my students to take away several lessons. First, running a busi- ness is a marathon, not a 100-yard dash. At Enterprise, we