In order for your interview to be posted on Magazine/News Placement Sites, kindly answer the mandatory questions listed below. We would also suggest answering the “Recommended” ones though. Please understand the more questions you answer, the better your interview will look. If you want your business to be successful, you will have to be prepared to be interviewed by serious newspapers and magazines. So consider this as a Media training exercise. The list of questions we are asking are the ones most Public Relations company uses to prepare you before scheduling an interview.
Please try and be honest and avoid “cliche” answers.
Also, make sure to send in a high resolution photo (preferably head-shot) with this interview. If you can send additional photos (of your company) it will help. You can also send a video of your company with the interview. Please understand that the more information you send, the better your interview will stand out from others.
Please note we reserve the final right on selecting which answers to publish as well as story angles to use. If you want to preview the interview before we post it, kindly let us know.
Mandatory Questions –
* Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
We are a Medical Practice in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. We specialize in evaluating and treating Substance Use Disorders, especially Opiate Use Disorder, aka Pain Pill Addiction. For this treatment, the life-saving medication Suboxone is prescribed. In addition, we provide Outpatient Psychiatric treatment to patients of all ages.
* Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
I have been a Physician for over 30 years. I am Board Certified in several specialized areas. My certifications are in the areas of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, General Adult Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. I spent thirteen years on my education after high school, including two years at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
* What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
* I have been committed to trying to help those with Opiate Use Disorder for over ten years and recently, the very restrictive government law was changed, allowing us to increase the number of patients we can treat with the medication Suboxone. For that reason, I am reaching out for new patients who want to seek help for their dependence on opiates.
* What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Do not give up.
Make sure you know your market.
Brand yourself to stand out from the competition.
* What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
1. Goals
2. Problem solving skills
3. Knowing when to ask for help.
* How many hours do you work a day on average?
It varies. As a doctor, I am actually on call for my patients 24 hrs a day.
* To what do you most attribute your success?
* How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
* Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
* What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
* Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
* Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Recommended Questions –
* How important have good employees been to your success?
Good employees are vital to the success of a business and bad employees can easily “sink the ship.” For that reason, bad employees should be terminated and replaced with good ones.
* How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
That is a very good question. Sometime, one can spend all of their money on an idea, until they have no money left. You must not let that happen.
* What motivates you?
As a Physician, I am motivated by the opportunity to make a positive difference in my patient’s lives. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to help others.
* What are your ideals?
I believe in treating everyone with kindness and respect at all times. I do not believe in judging others. I do not like gossip. I try to treat others like they want to be treated, within limits of course.
* How do you generate new ideas?
I actually get my best ideas in the shower. I do think of bad idea there too sometimes.
* How do you define success?
I am glad you asked me that. You know, Sigmund Freud, who is considered one of the fathers of modern psychiatry once said that there are two things that humans needs for happiness. They are Love and Work. I agree with that.
* How do you build a successful customer base?
It can be very difficult to even begin to figure out how to build your base of customers. The most important thing is to be able to first identify who your customers are. That is the key. Then, you need a plan to go out and bring them to your business.
* What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Like most entrepreneurs, being one’s own boss is very nice.
* What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
As a physician, I receive the most satisfaction from helping my patients.
* What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
I would guess that working for someone else is probably not a long term goal for most entrepreneurs.
* What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
* In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Optional Questions –
* If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
* How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
* What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
* How did you decide on the location for your business?
* Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
* If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?
* Who has been your greatest inspiration?
* What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
* What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
* How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
* What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
* What makes you happy?
* What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
* If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?