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When I Grow Up . . . What these entrepreneurs wanted to be when they were young

By Talicia A. Flint

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ann S. Price, 39, CEO and presidentof Motek, a supply chain execution software firm in Beverly Hills,California
I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. When I was 13, I realizedthe lady I babysat for was playing cards with three other women whoall had children. I offered to watch all the kids in one house andsave them baby-sitting dollars in return for more money. Whileother girls [worked both] Friday and Saturday nights, I made in onenight what they made in one week. My specialty has always beennegotiating win-win situations.

David Woo, 39, CEO and president ofThe Amanda Company, a developer of voice pro-cessing systems basedin San Juan Capistrano, California
On the freeway [en route to my mother's work], we regularlypassed a large structure that was shaped like a sphere. I wasfascinated by it. When I mentioned to my mom that I wanted to workin that building, her response was, "Well then, you have to goto college and become a scientist." From that moment on, mygoal was to become a scientist.

Jennifer Carey, 37, president andCEO of JLC Environmental Consultants Inc. in New YorkCity
I was about 8 years old when I sent away for my first"ecology" package in the mail. The kit contained oldecology stickers and binoculars and other things [used to] observenature. I liked the outdoors and was often in the stream, down atthe end of the block, checking out the wildlife, like crayfish, andcatching them and bringing them home. I often joke that I wanted tobe "Jennifer Cousteau."


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