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- Alumni-Owned Businesses Spotlight: Fox Harbor Pub & Grill and Dead Red Sports Solutions
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Supporting and celebrating SNC alumni who are business owners and entrepreneurs.
Alumni-Owned Businesses Spotlight: Fox Harbor Pub & Grill and Dead Red Sports Solutions
Jesse Wotruba, Class of 1998
Major: Communication
“Dedication and drive are key players in my life, whether that is on the baseball field, managing any of my businesses, or running marathons. In everything I do, I strive to succeed and work toward whatever vision I have at the moment. St. Norbert College taught me that perseverance is a necessity to be successful in any situation. I learned how to work hard and be dedicated, which has helped me in all my businesses.
‘I am part of six different companies, the sole owner in some and part owner of others. These range from commercial real estate to a sports technology company. The two companies that I am most proud of are Fox Harbor Pub & Grill and Dead Red Sports Solutions. I am the founder of Fox Harbor Pub & Grill; eighteen years ago I created this successful business in an old historic hotel. Then, four years ago, I saw a need for an app for coaches to use to connect with their players. I got together with Title Town Tech to create this app called coachesEDG, which is currently used by baseball and softball teams across the United States.
“I learned many of the keys to business success during my time at St. Norbert College. Two of the most important are time management and independence. I was a full-time student at SNC while also balancing a job and being a college athlete. I learned that in order for me to succeed I needed to work hard and be dedicated to whatever I did. Academics didn’t come naturally to me, and I was not blessed with the size or speed that some of my baseball teammates were. But these struggles turned into strengths in my career and have helped me succeed as an entrepreneur. The entire St. Norbert College experience shaped me and had a huge impact on my life. My son is going to be a freshman at SNC in the fall and is also going to be on the baseball team, so he, too, will learn these life-altering skills. I am excited to be an SNC parent in the fall and experience all this from a different lens.
“I learned early on in my entrepreneurship that in order to be successful you need to invest in yourself and your business. Being an entrepreneur is not easy; there are peaks and valleys, wins and losses. It is difficult, and not everyone is built for it. It takes passion and constant dedication to your work. But there is also a huge amount of satisfaction when you are an entrepreneur, especially when you have a vision, work toward it and achieve it.
“In all my businesses, I focus on having continued growth and adapting to change. Just like in college, there are challenges, setbacks and successes, and there are lessons in all of them. Life is unpredictable: No one knows what is going to happen next, but surrounding yourself with smart, supportive people, and having a community, helps get you to the finish line.”
‘I am part of six different companies, the sole owner in some and part owner of others. These range from commercial real estate to a sports technology company. The two companies that I am most proud of are Fox Harbor Pub & Grill and Dead Red Sports Solutions. I am the founder of Fox Harbor Pub & Grill; eighteen years ago I created this successful business in an old historic hotel. Then, four years ago, I saw a need for an app for coaches to use to connect with their players. I got together with Title Town Tech to create this app called coachesEDG, which is currently used by baseball and softball teams across the United States.
“I learned many of the keys to business success during my time at St. Norbert College. Two of the most important are time management and independence. I was a full-time student at SNC while also balancing a job and being a college athlete. I learned that in order for me to succeed I needed to work hard and be dedicated to whatever I did. Academics didn’t come naturally to me, and I was not blessed with the size or speed that some of my baseball teammates were. But these struggles turned into strengths in my career and have helped me succeed as an entrepreneur. The entire St. Norbert College experience shaped me and had a huge impact on my life. My son is going to be a freshman at SNC in the fall and is also going to be on the baseball team, so he, too, will learn these life-altering skills. I am excited to be an SNC parent in the fall and experience all this from a different lens.
“I learned early on in my entrepreneurship that in order to be successful you need to invest in yourself and your business. Being an entrepreneur is not easy; there are peaks and valleys, wins and losses. It is difficult, and not everyone is built for it. It takes passion and constant dedication to your work. But there is also a huge amount of satisfaction when you are an entrepreneur, especially when you have a vision, work toward it and achieve it.
“In all my businesses, I focus on having continued growth and adapting to change. Just like in college, there are challenges, setbacks and successes, and there are lessons in all of them. Life is unpredictable: No one knows what is going to happen next, but surrounding yourself with smart, supportive people, and having a community, helps get you to the finish line.”
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