As a young boy growing up on a farm in Clarkton, North Carolina, Earl Mathis was inspired to become an entrepreneur. While many kids would consider raising crops and farm animals to simply be tiresome and get caught up in the daily grind, Earl was learning self-empowerment and the importance of creating an economic foundation for leading the life that you desire. And that's exactly what he did... In 1998 he founded The Mathis Group consulting firm and is currently working in the area of Strategic Information Technology, combining marketing strategy and information technology to help firms achieve optimal corporate objectives. As a dedicated supporter to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Earl along with his partners in The Mathis Group, created an online store to bring HBCU merchandise right to your doorstep without having to travel to visit your alma mater. Despite the continual challenges and obstacles that come with "doing your own thing", Earl keeps plugging right along -- enjoying the successes along the way. Earl Mathis, NCA&T class of '79 is bringing da funk!

"...the key is that it's a continuous process. You've heard the saying that it's the journey not the destination. I believe that as well and am driven by challenges."

HBCU NETWORK:
So what was it like growing up on a farm?

EARL MATHIS:
Looking back, I would not trade it for anything. I had the opportunity to grow up in a nurturing environment, with my family and learned many valuable lessons early in life about growing things, the cycles of a farm seasons. We raised a number of crops, primarily tobacco and had a range of farm animals. My Mother and Father were self-employed and though it was not easy, the seeds of entrepreneurship were planted early. (LAUGHS) Pardon the pun...

HBCU NETWORK:
(LAUGHS) So how old were you when you learned this lesson about entrepreneurship?

EARL MATHIS:
I believe it was an ongoing lesson. I guess it started when I witnessed the first time we went to the tobacco market. I also understood the importance of self-empowerment. Though at the time, it was about having food for the table year round. Having a garden for vegetables year-round as well as the annual slaughter of livestock. I also learned the lessons of community partnerships.

HBCU NETWORK: Earl, I must tell you that you're the first entrepreneur we've interviewed who is an HBCU grad of the 70s! What was the Aggie life like at that time? EARL MATHIS: My time at North Carolina A&T from 1975 to 1979 reflected the music, political climate and other aspects of the 70's. Students today do the same things, but to a greater extreme. Most students lived on campus, no-coed dorms, some had cars, cafeteria food was "mush" and designer jeans, afros and double-knits ruled. Students focused much on their appearance -- no afro was unpicked and un-patted. Men wore their hair in cornrows - no ear rings. Students even ironed their jeans with creases and women students often changed clothing several times a day (LAUGHS). I remember my college days as the "funk" era of big bands like "Earth, Wind and Fire," "The Funkadelics" and "Ohio Players" and "Commodores." Marijuana and the savory fruity wines were popular. Of course, I did not partake of any. HBCU NETWORK: (LAUGHS) Why of course...we'll keep that on record in case you ever run for President. So did YOU wear an afro? EARL MATHIS: I had a small one compared to others at the time. HBCU NETWORK: Ok, so what was the one song that got everyone hyped up at your college parties? EARL MATHIS: I don't recall any specific songs at the moment, but the groups I mentioned earlier were strong. Also, along with the "funk" sound, there were the classic R&B as well as the forerunners of the 80's disco era. HBCU NETWORK: Tell us more about the political scene. EARL MATHIS: Politically, you had the post Viet-nam era. On campus, students did less protesting and focused more on establishing working the system, whether that meant getting more access to decision making on campus or improving living conditions. Also, there were some anti-Apartheid activities. I believe there was a surge of HBCU attendance during this period. The formula for success was to attend college and maintain a job or career with a major corporation for life. Many students were first generation college. Overall I believe the 70's focus was to leverage the gains of the 60's.

HBCU NETWORK:
What do you remember most about your experience at A&T?

EARL MATHIS:
That time was a good time overall. I guess it was the first time I really became exposed to people from all over the US as well as some internationals. The freshman years of friendships were memorable, the tiny dorm room (LAUGHS), the professors that inspired me and the personal growth and confidence I developed...

HBCU NETWORK:
Yes, I definitely have memories of the cramped spaces of the dorms...not fond memories, but memories nonetheless (LAUGHS)! So since graduation day 1979, what has your career path been?

EARL MATHIS:
I attended graduate school at Stanford University and obtained a MS in Electrical Engineering. I then left sunny California and headed to Poughkeepsie, NY where I joined IBM. The plan was to be with them for 4-5 years and then leave to join a smaller company or to start my own. That turned into 16 years with a number of assignments from mainframe engineer, manager, marketing manager with a couple temporary assignments in the US and Europe.

HBCU NETWORK:
Earl man, you almost made it to pension status! (LAUGHS) You must have been seriously ready to leave the corporate world...

EARL MATHIS:
Throughout my career at IBM, I was always in a mode of "leaving." I wanted the IBM experience to be one of learning from a very successful firm. I always felt I was not suited for the corporate environment. I've always been a maverick and a nonconformist. I remember the saying once I heard at IBM that "it's okay to be a wild duck, but even wild ducks fly in formation." Unfortunately even IBM changed and I needed to move on...

HBCU NETWORK:
What was it like working overseas?

EARL MATHIS:
The assignment overseas was one of my best jobs at IBM. I traveled from the Middle-East (Israel) to Turkey, the Mediterranean countries, central Europe to the Nordic region. It was a tremendous learning opportunity, mostly about people around the world. I would highly recommend it.

HBCU NETWORK: Tell us about The Mathis Group...what do you do and who do you do it for? EARL MATHIS: The Mathis Group (TMG) is a Web based integration firm specializing in e-commerce consulting, solutions and implementation services for small and medium sized organizations whose gross revenues range from $10 - 500 million. Our motto is "Insight to Innovation." We work with state/local governments, manufacturers, retailers, distribution firms and a host of others. Our current focus is the Business-2-Business segment and support for supplier integration in emarketplaces. We are an IBM Certified Advanced Business Partner in the Websphere Commerce Suite area. HBCU NETWORK: There seems to be a lot of growth in the B2B segment right now -- a lot of competition. Is there something about what you do at The Mathis Group that makes your company stand out among others? EARL MATHIS: Yes, there's a lot of discussion for B2B. Most solutions today are targeted toward the large corporation and are very costly. We focus on delivering those valued added services to organizations that don't want to spend several hundred thousand dollars. We are focused on leading edge technologies and have partnered with firms like IBM, Qwest, HP and others to deliver the best of breed technologies with the edge of customization that would be very costly if provided by others.

HBCU NETWORK:
So for your company, the key was to target the smaller corporations and provide cost effective solutions...

EARL MATHIS:
The key was to target small and medium sized organizations, sometimes in larger companies like Siemens and Bank of America where the decision making has shifted from the I/T guys to marketing managers.

HBCU NETWORK:
Well this certainly doesn't sound like a solo gig...how many people work for The Mathis Group?

EARL MATHIS:
We're 5 strong and have a number of partnerships to augment our resources depending on the opportunity. At IBM I became proficient in working between the technical team and customers. I learned that there are tremendous opportunities to learn how to deliver unique services once you can translate between the 2 camps.

HBCU NETWORK:
We like to ask our entrepreneurs about what their typical day is like...can you describe a typical day at The Mathis Group?

EARL MATHIS:
Morning review with staff of current or new opportunities. We discuss our client's needs, key actions we need to take to improve the relationship and resource allocation. We often make decisions jointly whether to pursue certain opportunities based on our engagement criteria. Then off to scheduled appointments or customer meetings/briefings. Typically there are other meetings to discuss strategy and to architect solutions for customer opportunities. I'm most effective personally when I can bring together people to discuss ideas and develop concepts and solutions.

HBCU NETWORK: I think that the HBCU Family would be really interested in hearing about PersonalBUY.com. Tell us about the website and why you created it?

EARL MATHIS:
Several years ago, I had the idea for a site that would offer HBCU merchandise. The Internet was the perfect vehicle to deliver information and opportunities for HBCU Alumni to buy merchandise given their diverse careers, locations and lifestyles. PersonalBUY.com launched in March 2000 as a result. PersonalBUY.com as it name suggests is about delivering products and services that reflect the personal choices we make in our lives.

HBCU NETWORK:
So, PersonalBUY offers more than HBCU merchandise?

EARL MATHIS:
Yes, HBCU's were our initial focus given our target African-American audience. We offer some Art as well as other organizational items for Greeks. Our goal is to expand the offerings to include products and services that reflect the full range of lifestyle choices for our target audience.

HBCU NETWORK:
What has been your greatest challenge since starting The Mathis Group?

EARL MATHIS:
Focus and patience is one of the greatest challenges. When you get started in a business, even though you have a business plan, the temptation to chase many opportunities can create some imbalance in your energies. I've learned that you have to work really hard to filter the distractions whether they be "wild goose chases" or sometimes people that come into your path to distract you.

HBCU NETWORK:
That's great advice...so now I must ask...what has been your greatest success since you started?

EARL MATHIS:
The greatest success has been learning the lessons and seeing the personal growth. From a client perspective, we've built a portfolio of customers and have developed relationships we see tremendous growth down the road.

HBCU NETWORK:
It's certainly a continuous and exciting process...

EARL MATHIS:
Yes, the key is that it's a continuous process. You've heard the saying that it's the journey not the destination. I believe that as well and am driven by challenges.

HBCU NETWORK:
So Earl, what's next? What are your future plans (either personally or professionally)?

EARL MATHIS:
Our future plans are to continue to expand both PersonalBUY.com as a known brand and extend our e-commerce services as well. We're working on a number of exciting partnerships in both segments of our business. Our goal is growth through partnerships. My goals are simple. To make a difference.

HBCU NETWORK:
Well, we wish you much success and appreciate you talking with us today!

EARL MATHIS:
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss my entrepreneurial life and The Mathis Group.

[The Mathis Group web site] [PersonalBUY.com]