March 11, 2014
Jeff Hall
- Year of graduation and concentration: 1988, Bachelor of General Studies
- First job: While an undergraduate student, I worked part-time as a waiter at the Gandy Dancer restaurant, and continued on after graduation while I bootstrapped the founding of a market research consultancy.
- Current job: Founder and CEO, Second To None. Over the span of 25 years we have become a leading independent customer experience research firm, based in Ann Arbor, serving brands across North America. Visit: www.second-to-none.com
Advice to current UM students
As an 18-year old born and raised in a small, fairly rural mid-Michigan town, I recall being incredibly struck by the culture, diversity, creativity and sense of a deeper, broader world view a place like UM offers. I believe that those who are fortunate enough to attend Michigan are given a unique gift, not just academically, but especially through the scope and variety of wide-ranging opportunities outside of the classroom – student organizations, internships, the arts, athletics, etc. In the course of the four years or so you will be at Michigan, you owe it to yourself to both explore and become immersed in the breadth and depth of life and learning experiences this place has to offer. Ann Arbor and the university environment are special, in that this is a safe and accepting place where you can pursue your ideas, interests and dreams within a supportive community.
Biggest challenge you have faced in the workforce
As our firm transitioned from a start-up phase into a period of beginning to integrate a more intentional framework of systems and processes for how the business is run and managed, one of the most significant challenges was that of figuring out how we could maintain a values-based, purposeful culture while growing in a steady manner. For me, ensuring we could remain genuine and authentic in how we worked with one another, and with our clients, became more and more important. The path we’ve taken hasn’t always been easy, and we are certainly an organization that has learned along the way. In having surrounded myself with thoughtful, caring, driven and incredibly smart individuals, we’ve collectively built an organization and culture of workplace excellence and work/life balance for which we are all proud.
Being an entrepreneur is an extremely difficult occupation. Give that, what characteristics about yourself do you think make you a unique and successful entrepreneur
In starting my firm soon after graduation, I was probably a bit naïve as to what I was undertaking, as I never saw it as an endeavor associated with risk or the possibility of failure. I simply knew in my heart that what I wanted to create would, in fact, work out for the best. In reflecting on the characteristics I’ve drawn upon over the course of our growth and maturity as a firm, I’ve always found value in these qualities: being aware of your intuitive nature, listening, communicating clearly , empowering others to make decisions knowing they will be supported, opening oneself to new ideas, setting a standard of excellence, giving generously and living one’s life honestly.