Industry: Catering 
Company Size: 8 people
In Business: 6 years 
This week, TrueNYC travels down to Miami and meets with entrepreneurs from Bal Harbour to South Beach. It is only fitting that our first interview is with Shai Tertner, who founded his first catering company in NYC and most recently launched a Miami version called Shiraz FL. Shai is very honest about what it is like to be an entrepreneur and how he successfully grew his business.
Industry: School Admissions 
Company Size: 6 people
In Business: 7 years
In 1999, Katherine Cohen founded Ivywise, a company focused on assisting students in applying to schools. After previously working in admissions at Yale, she saw that most students who applied did not know how to present themselves well and she knew she could help them. While working in her apartment the first year, she landed an article in Vogue magazine about her company and received 500 calls the next month. They currently service 200 students per year from nursery school to graduate school. This week, Katherine discusses the development of her company and is candid about important lessons she has learned.
Industry: Magazine Publishing 
Company Size: 4 people
In Business: 4 years
Robert Levin is the founder of The New York Enterprise Report, a magazine that focuses on small to midsized businesses in the metro area. Each issue features "thousands of dollars" worth of expertise on how to be a successful entrepreneur and best of all, it is free. This week, Robert discusses what it is like to run a magazine and gives advice to others who want to follow in his footsteps. 
View Interview Video
Sign up for a Free Subscription of The New York Enterprise Report
Industry: Retail Facilities 
Company Size: 10 people
In Business: 14 years
1
4 years ago, when the Mafia was still running the trash business in NYC, James Fitzgerald started ChainStar USA with his very first hotel client. He was 27. His office was his briefcase and a beeper. Cell phones were too expensive of a luxury back then. Now he has a staff of 10 and each year they grow slowly but steadily.
Since 1991 the business has grown to manage over 3,000 locations in all 50 states including Canada and Puerto Rico.
While the Mafia no longer runs the trash industry in NY, and the business has become routine and devoid of any physical threats aside from the occasional paper cut, like any business, it is never easy. Recently, they evolved from solely managing trash services to now managing and coordinating a wide range of retail property maintenance and facilities services. James gives us a behind the scences look of how he expanded his company and some of the difficulties he faces being an entrepreneur. View Interview Video
Sponsored By: 
.
Are you an entrepreneur with an interesting story to tell? 
Have you gained valuable experience over the years that can help other entrepreneurs turn their ideas into a reality?
If you are located in New York City and wanted to be seen on our TV Show and website submit an email.
• Include a brief description of your company and why you should be featured. Please leave a daytime phone number for one of our producers to contact you.
If you want to be on the TV show, email: Interview Me.
If you are located outside New York City you can share your experiences on starting and managing a company.
• Topics can be anything you choose. You can make it personal, give advice, tell a story, give an example of something you did, and so forth. Please send us an email with the topic and we will provide you with a link to submit your article on the website.
Tell us your story, email: Submit An Article.
Industry: Motorcycle Training 
Company Size: 30 people
In Business: 7 years 
Diane Howells is energetic, passionate, and driven towards success. She took her first motorcycle lesson in 1997 and has never looked back. Soon after, Ben & Jerry funded her documentary on women motorcycle riders. While studying to become a motorcycle instructor, she learned that she could start an instructional school with the same training. So in 1999 she took the risk and opened her own school with one location and three employees. It has now grown to include five locations with a total of 30 employees.
In the process of growing and streamlining her business, she also developed a customized software.
Like many serial entrepreneurs, she realized how this software can help other businesses and recenly launched e-office-online.com. In her interview, she discusses how creating a mission statement turned things around for her business and the one important thing that every business owner should have. View Interview Video
Industry: Out-of-Home (Outdoor Advertising) 
Company Size: 12 people
In Business: 3 years
Sergio Fernandez De Cordova and Seth Lippert founded Fuel Outdoor three years ago and began competing in the Out-of-Home outdoor advertising market. This is a true David and Goliath story as they successfully broke into an industry dominated by giants such as Viacom and Clear Channel. In the first, year they raised seven figures and recently just closed a second round of financing to allow them to build permanent structures in Time Square and expand beyond New York. They began with three locations their first year and now have 55 locations and are still growing. They have brilliant advice on how to start and run a business. View Interview Video
We have been busy lining up many interesting entrepreneurs for this season's shows. Our first interview of 2006 can be viewed on TrueNYC next Tuesday. This month we will start posting the interviews on our new blog in hopes to get feedback and comments from our viewers. In addition, all of the first season interviews will be posted on the blog for your convenience.
Industry: Travel
Company Size: 3 People
In Business: 15 years
Phyllis Stoller left her career as a corporate banker to follow her passion for travel. She founded The Women’s Travel Club in 1992 because she felt that women's needs were not being met by the travel industry. The company now has a membership of 900 women and plans up to 30 trips each year. This week, she shares with us her experience and advice on running a successful company for the past 15 years
Industry: Special Education
Company Size: 60 People (Independent contractors)
In Business: 5 years 
This week, I interviewed Emily Levy, founder of EBL Coaching, a company that specializes in tutoring students with learning disabilities. After working in the finance industry for two years, she rediscovered her passion. In 2001, she began tutoring students part-time and now runs EBL Coaching and employs 60 tutors. Emily explains why making mistakes have been so important to her success, how she takes advantage of moment to moment opportunities, and how she turned her passion into a growing business.
