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.