When assessing the current landscape of entrepreneurship in the United States, one thing is certain, now more than ever:  you’re never too old, or too young, to start your own business.

When it comes to the latter end of that point, the administrators of Pittsburgh-based Propel Schools are keenly aware of this.   And while Propel has a well-earned reputation for changing the way that the academic experience is presented to students in the Pittsburgh area,  for the past few years, Propel has gone above and beyond when it comes to supporting the growth and development of the entrepreneurial spirit in these students as well.

Since 2013, Propel has proudly presented its Student Business Plan Competition, in which middle and high school students from Propel’s 10 Pittsburgh-area schools work with area entrepreneurs and business leaders to develop business plans, researching and learning every facet of what it takes to start and run a business venture.

Recently, Propel concluded its third annual Student Business Plan Competition,which saw nine student-run businesses compete for a $1,000 prize, money earmarked for laying the groundwork for turning the students’ winning idea into a reality.

On today’s edition of The Raja Show, we welcome the winning team, Propel Homestead Innovators, comprised of  Propel Homestead seventh-grade students Nekiya Washington-Butler and Velton Kenney, onto the show to discuss their winning business idea, as well as the research and work that they put into developing the winning plan.  Plus, we welcome their Project Coordinator, Shaunika Robinson, as well as Pittsburgh entrepreneur Josh Cotherman, Founder of The Cotherman Group, and Propel Board Member who developed the idea of the Student Business Plan Competition.

You won’t want to miss what our students, as well as their mentors, have to say about what it takes to craft a winning plan, and the work they’ll need to do to make that plan a successful reality!

-Also, for the majority of U.S. taxpayers, be they individual or businesses, Tax Day, April 15, has come and gone.   While this day has spawned many a headache (or, if you’re receiving a refund, a sigh of relief), there’s one question you should be asking yourself right now….

What do I do now to get ready for next year?

According to accountant Dave Wilke of Wilke and Associates CPA, it’s a question that not enough people ask.  But proper planning NOW will make things a LOT easier come next year’s tax time.

On today’s episode, Dave takes a break from catching his breath after the tax season rush to check in with The Raja Show to discuss the things that business owners and individuals should be doing right now to ensure things will go smoothly for them (….and for accountants like Dave and his staff) when April 15, 2016 rolls around.    From effective record keeping strategies to a look at what new Federal and State tax laws may be coming down the road, there is no doubt that one of the best accountants in the business will have you covered.

Gamechanger:   How Netflix Co-Founder Mitch Lowe’s Idea That Just Wouldn’t Die Changed the Way We Watch Television and Movies

What does the name “Video Droid” mean to you?

If you’re like, well, pretty much everybody outside of the State of California, the answer is going to probably be, “not much.”.   And those California residents will probably chalk the fledgling retail video rental chain to the relic bin of businesses of days gone by.

But for the man who ran Video Droid, both as its CEO, and for over 13,000 hours, as the person who physically manned many of its locations, the name means so much more.

Video Droid was initially envisioned to be something different, namely, a series of video rental machines.  But with video rental stores seemingly on every corner at the time, there was no real need in the marketplace for something different.   So Mitch Lowe, sensing that he couldn’t beat the competition, joined the competition.

Until, that is, the market was ready for a change.   Then, it was time to try to beat the competition again.   This time, he did.

While “on the ground” in the Video Droid stores, Mitch Lowe talked with to his customers, listened to their needs, and saw where the video rental industry was headed.

The road for the future of the video rental industry took shape for Mitch at a trade show in 1997.   There, Mitch chatted up a gentleman by the name of Mark Randolph, who had been the cofounder of MicroWarehouse, a computer mail order company.    What if, they hypothesized, the idea of mail order was applied to movie rental?

The idea seemed to have merit.  And Randolph had tapped into a former boss of his, Reed Hastings, to provide initial seed capital.

The company, which had been dubbed Netflix, was born.   And the way we view entertainment would change forever.

Neflix had changed the game, offering a variety of options for customers in need of the latest titles,  What started as a 30-employee company specializing in just over 900 DVD’s for rent by mail online has sprawled to over two billion DVD’s being distributed to over 50 million customers, and counting, worldwide. And as even THIS model has become out of fashion, Netflix has stayed ahead of the curve by offering digital streaming options for its customer base to view their favorites online.  Among these options for online viewing are a number of original shows and movies produced exclusively for Neflix customers, including award-winning, critically acclaimed programming such as “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.”

And none of that would have been possible without the mind behind “Video Droid”, Mitch Lowe.

Since leaving Netflix in 2003, Mitch Lowe actually, in a way, returned to his Video Droid roots, as CEO of Redbox, a McDonald’s-owned video rental kiosk system that can commonly be found in tens of thousands of locations throughout the country.  After moving on from Redbox in 2011, Mitch Lowe has continued to keep the entrepreneurial fires burning through his involvement other companies, like Quarterly.com and Medbox.

On this edition of “The Raja Show”, Mitch Lowe joins Raja to discuss his remarkable entrepreneurial career, and the importance of having a vision for success, and sticking with the vision with laser focus until a company becomes successful.

Suffice to say, this show will be well worth tearing yourself away from binge-watching your favorite show on Netflix (a practice that Mitch does NOT endorse, by the way) to give us a listen.

Looking Ahead: A Special Event To Remember A Special Business Leader

Maybe you remember him as the Founding Director of the Entrepreneurial Studies Program at Duquesne University. 

Or maybe you remember him for his 13-plus year stint as host of The American Entrepreneur Radio Program, a weekly-turned-daily radio hub where entrepreneurs (and wanna-be entrepreneurs) could come together to share the highs, the lows, and the lessons learned from the entrepreneurial experience.

(One such listener appreciated his mission so much that he decided to carry on The American Entrepreneur’s legacy with his own radio show, one you probably read about, and listen to, on a weekly basis.)

For those who remember the impact that Ron Morris had on those that knew him, and for those who weren’t familiar with his exhaustive career, this Sunday’s edition of “The Raja Show” is a must-listen.  Raja welcomes Ron’s wife Karen, along with his children, Jaxon and Lexi, into the studio to discuss Ron’s remarkable life, and the legacy he has left to others since his passing in June of 2012.

It’s a chance for people who worked with Ron in his many companies, learned from him at Duquesne, listened to him on the radio, heard him play rhythm guitar for the Aboriginals, or simply just knew him, to come together to honor a man whose mission in life was the same message he brought to others on his radio show:   following the dreams that are 100% in your hands.

The event is free to the public, and all are welcome.  There will be a giveaway of many of Ron’s personal items, including selections from his exhaustive personal library, as well as promotional items from the radio show and the many companies and organizations with which he was involved.

While the event is free, donations are welcome, and will go to support the Morris E-Ward, an award in Ron’s name presented annually by one of Ron’s good friends, Jerry Cozewith, Director of Entrepreneuring Youth.  The award is given to a young entrepreneur in the Western Pennsylvania area who has demonstrated the knack to go above and beyond in pursuit of his or her dream, a trait that would have made Ron immensely proud.

You won’t want to miss a second of this great discussion with Karen, Jaxon and Lexi Morris.