photography by stephen elledge

It’s about 4:30 p.m. on a warm, late summer afternoon, and I am sitting on a conference call with four dynamic Austin-area entrepreneurs. Each participant carries with him a small business success story that is littered with challenges and achievements. 

Steve Schaffer, Doug Guller, Damon Neth and Trey Webb all own businesses in varying industries with different age and audience demographics, but they are joined together by Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Austin. 

As we speak, each member is teeming with insight into the local chapter and global organization.

Schaffer, who has been a member of EO Austin for more than seven years, describes EO, which was founded in 1987 by a group of 22 young entrepreneurs in Alexandria, Va., as a rich resource for growing entrepreneurs.

The global group is currently home to a network of 8,000 business owners in 40 countries, and acts as a parent to local chapters around the world. 

The Austin chapter, established in 1995, is comprised of 85 Austin-area business owners who have embraced the organization and used it as a catalyst for personal and professional growth.

“I’ve grown through both my EO Learning Forum and the broader network that EO has to offer,” said Schaffer, who owns Vertive, Inc., the parent company of Offers.com. “It’s been my mini board of directors. And through those relationships, we have been able to expand our net worth.”

A newly inducted EO Austin member, Neth has also felt the chapter’s impact on his business, even in his relatively short tenure.

“EO has been an important influence to my business so far,” said Neth, CEO and founder of Disc Nation and member of EO Austin for six months. “I’ve gotten more focus and the opportunity to step outside my business and not be consumed with the day-to-day activity.”

Guller, founder of Bikini Sports Bar & Grill and self-dubbed “The Bikini Man,” joined EO Austin four years ago, and attributes a big part of his company’s success to the influence of EO Austin and its programs.

“When I started with EO, I had one restaurant,” Guller said. “Over the next four years, I was able to grow to 15 restaurants. And I know that my EO Learning Forum group is directly tied to that success.”

The EO Learning Forums are often at the heart of the member experience, with their ability to get entrepreneurs in different industries together on a monthly basis to examine business challenges and solutions that are common in business ownership. 

And while continuing education comprises a large portion of the EO experience, as Neth explained, some of EO’s greatest value comes not from business tips or networking, but rather, from the opportunity to meet and share insight with men and women who are facing the same challenges and opportunities.

“Being in EO has made me break out of my shell,” Neth said. “I moved here five years ago, and our business is pretty demanding. Through EO, I’ve built relationships with other business owners who have helped me navigate through the struggles of separating personal, work and family life.” 

The influence can start at the workplace, but it often trickles into the home, as Webb, EO Austin member and co-founder of Ranch Road, explained.

“As an entrepreneur, your business ideas often come from within, and you tend to be very protective of them, at least initially,” Webb said. “I think from a personal level, EO helps you open up with people and develop a more personal relationship. It helps balance the whole circle of your life.”

Schaffer agrees with this assessment.

“Through the events and conversations I’ve had at EO events and with EO members, I’ve gained an understanding of three parts of my life: personal, family and business,” he said. “Sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of those three things.”

Webb also views other members as sharing a common bond and a desire to find like-minded peers. This evolution, he believes, can happen in your business or personal relationships, but in either instance, EO members are growth-based entrepreneurs who are determined to be the best.

“To some degree, the organization does attract a certain personality,” Webb said. “Although everyone varies in background, we come together to share the same vision of growth.”

And as the country continues to recover from a potent recession, all four business owners acknowledge the tenuous economic climate, but believe EO gives its members tools that may help stem the uncertainty, specifically for the Austin community. 

“Small business is the main catalyst for the economy,” Guller said. “We are in a recovery mode, and entrepreneurship keeps me going because we are the ones who are creating jobs, persevering and ensuring that we get over the hump.”

“Texas, in general, is a very pro-business climate,” Neth said. “I would say Austin is trying to preserve its uniqueness as it becomes a major city. And EO Austin is trying to maintain its uniqueness by working tirelessly to create memorable experiences for its members, which will benefit their growth, the growth of their businesses and the long-term development of Austin.”

The Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is a dynamic, global network of more than 8,000 business owners in 40 countries. Founded in 1987 by a group of young entrepreneurs, EO is the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn and grow from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life. Membership in one of EO’s 120 chapters is by invitation only; the average member is 41 years old with annual revenues of U.S. $17.3 million. For more information on EO, visit www.eonetwork.org, or call +1-703-519-6700. For more information on EO Austin, please visit www.eoaustin.com, or email admin@eoaustin.com.