Risk taking was something I had to do from the very start. Growing up in Northern Maine without much to call my own or a safety net to fall back on, I had both the desire to make something of myself, and more importantly, the NEED to do it.

1. MAVERICKS &
MARGARITAS
learning from risk takers
a presentation by
DENISE KENISTON

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
SO WHAT QUALIFIES A RISK TAKER,
& WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL ONE?
Risk taking was something I had to
do from the very start. Growing up
in Northern Maine without much to
call my own or a safety net to fall
back on, I had both the desire to
make something of myself, and more
importantly, the NEED to do it.
RISK TAKING WAS A NECCESITY,
NOT A LUXURY

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
KEEPING YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE
As time went on I learned that not
all things work out the way you want
them to. Success takes effort and hard
work. High School Basketball showed
me that I could rally a group of people
and lead them to success.
BEING A GOOD LEADER
CAME NATURALLY

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
STEPPING STONES TO SUCCESS
After getting scholarships and
grants, I went to college, earned my
education, and made good use of it.
My first job, for $12K/year, lead me
across the country and to the desk
of a professional news anchor. This
provided financial stability and a bit
of notoriety, but was just the start of
my journey as a business woman.
FIND OPPORTUNITIES
& SEIZE THEM

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
TAKING LEAPS OF FAITH
One of the riskier decisions I’ve made
was to leave my job as an anchor
and build my own business. People
said I was crazy, but in 2000 I took a
leap of faith and created Keniston &
Company. The risk paid off, and lead
to partnerships with media giants like
Adelphia and Comcast Cable as well
as my own TV series, Treasure Hunt.

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
MAKE THE MOST OF THE REWARDS
Despite the success of Keniston &
Company, I again decided to move on to
greener pastures. In 2007, I sold Keniston
& Company, took the knowledge and
experience I’d gained from it, and started
a new business that I’m still managing and
growing today: Web4Retail.
NEVER SETTLE FOR LESS
& ALWAYS STRIVE FOR BETTER

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
CHARACTERTISTICS OF A GOOD ENTREPRENEUR
TENACITY
When failure happens, and it WILL, pull
yourself up and start again. You have
to be able to live with uncertainty and
push through obstacles for years on end.
Entrepreneurs who can avoid saying uncle
have a better chance of finding their market
and outlasting their inevitable mistakes.
PASSION
Excitement and belief gets you through the
hard times. It’s commonly assumed that
successful entrepreneurs are driven by
money. But most will tell you they’re fueled
by a passion for their product or service, by
the opportunity to solve a problem, or to
make life easier, better, or cheaper.

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
TOLERANCE OF
AMBIGUITY
You need to have the ability to withstand
the fear of uncertainty and potential
failure. It all boils down to being able to
successfully manage your fear. This is
where the ultimate entrepreneurial test
takes place: the mental battlefield.
VISION
You need to be able to spot an opportunity
and imagine something where others
haven’t. Entrepreneurs have a curiosity
that identifies overlooked niches and puts
them at the forefront of innovation and
emerging fields. They imagine another
world and have the ability to communicate
that vision effectively to others.
CHARACTERTISTICS OF A GOOD ENTREPRENEUR

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
CONFIDENCE
Self-confidence is a key entrepreneurial
trait. You have to be completely
sure that your product or service is
something the world needs and that you
can deliver it to overcome the naysayers,
who will always deride what the
majority has yet to validate.
FLEXIBILITY
Business survival, like that of the species,
depends on adaptation. Your final product
or service likely won’t look anything like
what you started with. Flexibility that
allows you to respond to changing
tastes and market conditions is essential.
CHARACTERTISTICS OF A GOOD ENTREPRENEUR

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
RULE BREAKING
Entrepreneurs exist to defy conventional wisdom. A survey last year from
the University of California, Berkeley, found that among incorporated
entrepreneurs, a combination of “smarts” and “aggressive, illicit, risk-
taking activities” is a characteristic mix. This often shows up in youth as
reckless or rebellious behavior. That description would certainly hold true
for some of the most famous entrepreneurs of recent years.
CHARACTERTISTICS OF A GOOD ENTREPRENEUR

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
MAKING PEOPLE BELIEVE IN YOU
For most risk-taking entrepenuers,
having help from others goes a long
way. But how do you find the right
people, form a reliable team, and keep
them believing in you and your ideas?
A few things that go a long way are
good communication skills to help
people understand and share your
vision, and self-confidence, which can
in-turn inspire confidence in your team.

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MAVERICKS & MARGARITAS learning from risk takers
STAYING HUNGRY
One of the most important things for any
entrepreneur to remember is that you
should never find yourself saying that you’ve
finished what you started, or that your work
is done. It should never be done, because
there’s always a way to improve upon it or
make it better. You should have an innate
desire to push yourself for no other reason
than because you can.
NEVER LOSE THE DRIVE
THAT GOT YOU WHERE YOU ARE