Inspired Entrepreneurship

HCOB: But you didn’t have any experience in furniture design, did you? Mercer : No, I didn’t. In the beginning, that expertise came from the subcontract manufacturers I was working with. I now work with a product designer in-house, but back then it was just the manufacturers themselves. We now have a whole suite of chairs and office accessories we’ve selected based on sales demand insights from Jungle Scout — we use our tool to decide which products to target for which markets, arrange manufacturing and off we go. HCOB: How did your time at Harbert prepare you for all this entrepreneurial success? Mercer : My time at Auburn really gave me some great ideas, some great boundaries, some great insights into business. I graduated with a degree in supply chain management, so that education is incredibly applicable to what I do now — making products, moving products internationally, working with different customs across different borders. That back- ground was incredible. And my professors are the ones that I really give all the credit to, especially Joe Hanna and Brian and Marcia Gibson. I immediately liked the way they spoke about their topics, their excitement, their ability to tie what we were learning in the classroom to the real world. And the Auburn Creed played a role as well.

HCOB: How so?

Liz Mercer and her husband, Greg, believe in giving back — and in the Auburn Creed. “ It gets under your skin and becomes part of you. My favorite line is ‘ I believe in work, hard work. ’ I mean, if you're not working hard, what are you doing? ”

Mercer : The Creed was everywhere — at football games, in the classroom — it wasn’t just words. It gets under your skin and becomes part of you. My favorite line is “I believe in work hard work.” I mean, if you're not working hard, what are you doing? HCOB: In closing, what advice would you give students and young professionals looking to go the entrepreneur- ship route? Mercer : Give it a shot, give it a try. People will tell you not to, but if you just believe in yourself, people will believe in you in return. So, believe in yourself first and the rest will come.