Winning entrepreneurs share optimistic spirit

SALT LAKE CITY — Optimism.

This enviable state of mind is always associated with traits like confidence, hopefulness, good cheer and even "buoyancy" — none of them moods that come to mind when considering the state of the economy the past several years.

But while optimism has been thin on the ground in the business world in general, it runs deep in the pool of men and women who are finalists for this year's Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards, which will be held June 2.

There's Larry Maxfield of Salt Lake City's Access Development, who expanded one business during the recession of the early 1990s and has done it again during the latest one.

Or there's AMP Security's Ryan Lee, who started a door-to-door pest-control business in the economic doldrums following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and launched AMP in 2007, just as the recession began to take hold. Despite that, his company has broken numerous industry sales records and now employs hundreds of people.

These people are expanding their companies. They're hiring. They're moving into markets that complement the areas in which they've already found success. How do they do it?

Optimism, said Ernst & Young managing partner David Jolley.

"Without fail, these entrepreneurs are eternal optimists, bringing energy to their organizations," Jolley said. "They also have a sense of vision and determination — they can see opportunities where the rest of us see barriers.

"One of the past Entrepreneur Of The Year recipients may have put it best when he said, 'When we see ourselves headed towards a brick wall, instead of slowing down, we accelerate in order to break through the wall.' "

The EOY awards saw 93 applicants this year, a record for the program in the Utah region. EOY program sponsors nominate many applicants for the awards, while some applicants hear of the awards and contact Ernst & Young themselves.

Winning an EOY award has become a sought-after symbol of success in Utah's entrepreneurial community. Past award recipients often nominate friends from Utah's tight-knit entrepreneurial community, while other businesses have been finalists for multiple years, hoping to reach the next level.

Those who do receive awards, Jolley said, have a proven track record of creativity, flexibility and sheer determination.