Interland Design: Jake Cervilla

Jake Cervilla wanted to be a business owner since age 12. Now he is owner and CEO of Interland Design. In this episode, Jake remembers the business owners he looked up to throughout his career before making an acquisition only months before the COVID lockdown. Reflecting on entrepreneurial dreams, he says that being a business owner is harder than he expected, but that he wouldn't have it any other way.

Chapters

00:01:48     Early beginnings on the water

00:05:48     Teenage side jobs & mulch

00:07:03     University of Virginia

00:08:40     Financial advisory (a.k.a. sales) & consulting

00:13:28     Tepper MBA & entrepreneurial alternatives

00:17:18     Blacktail Capital

00:19:06     Interland Design & COVID

00:23:03     A new leader

00:25:12     Why house painting?

00:26:13     Reflections & words of wisdom

Some advice from Jake:

"Get those mentors... My two professors and a couple of my friends have been that kind of sounding board, safe group to talk to, because they've been there, they understand it, and like you said, the CEO section can be very, very lonely."

Resources:

interlanddesign.com

blacktailcapital.com

tepper.cmu.edu