David Serey

Right out of college, I was interviewed and hired by a 2-person start-up company. The background of the two entrepreneurs included sales and editorial. I provided a knowledge of graphic design, publishing production, print purchasing, and a hunger for rapid learning. Although young and now also one of the principals, my greatest contribution was being a fast study. I worked quickly to fill in the knowledge gaps necessary to make the start-up become viable. I spent my weekends talking to business professionals and researching business and labor laws in the public library. I identified and studied and filled in areas that were not covered by the capabilities of the other two principals. The three of us pooled our knowledge and energy to develop publication and marketing plans. No one initially had titles, but as we added employees, I was given the titles of General Manager and Executive Vice President. As the company grew and relocated to Arizona, our domestic and international sales grew by 50% to 100% annually for a decade. When one of the original principals left, we created a board of directors and invited a few local business executives to provide additional viewpoints. We owned, managed, published and marketed the most productive copyrights in liturgical music. We built a custom office, studio, auditorium, and warehouse for our 100 employees. We continued healthy growth, but at a slower rate. I realized I had worked intensely for two decades. It was time for a new direction. I so missed the intensity and high-performance culture that comes with starting a company. I took my profit-sharing, and with my wife Jody -- a talented and already successful freelance writer/author -- we started SereyJones Publishers. Jody and I are a well matched team. She being the master of written story telling and me with deep experience in the design, technology, and business of publishing.