So you want to be an entrepreneur? You’re going to need: the self-belief and confidence to go for it, the drive to continue working for it, and the patience to keep your pedal to the metal - even when it gets difficult and slow and you’re not sure it’s going to work out. 

This comes from Rise Architecture’s inspiring and incredibly driven Principal, Jeff Akerman. Jeff was always raised with a mindset that seeks success, not simply success in making money, but success in making a difference. Dive into his Entrepreneur Story with us and we’re sure you’ll pick up more than a few bits of inspiration and wisdom.

What are three things every entrepreneur should know?

Patience is the first, and possibly the most important, thing that Jeff believes every entrepreneur will need on their journey. A lot of times when people try something or start a new venture they wish and expect to see results right away, however, nothing happens overnight. You will more than likely have to try, fail, and try again many times over as an entrepreneur. 

Drive is the next thing that Jeff mentioned as being formative of a successful entrepreneur. If you want to be successful and run a sustainable business that’s in it for the long haul, you absolutely must have drive. A mentality where you can do almost anything and you will finish everything that you start acts as the fuel to your entrepreneurial fire. 

Self-motivation, similar to drive, is also incredibly necessary for a successful entrepreneur. Someone once shared their view with Jeff on the downsides of self-motivation: sometimes you push yourself too hard or do things you shouldn’t do. However, having confidence and motivation that comes from within will instill you with the motivation needed to get things done. 

What problem does your business solve and who are its customers?

Jeff described himself as a “mixed bag of tricks” when answering this question. His base business, Rise Architecture, began over a decade ago in his basement as an architecture business. They have now expanded to 16 states, as well as Canada, and have a team of about 50 people with 3 offices - one in New York, one in New Jersey, and one in Florida. 

They do anything from apartment renovations to large-scale ground-up construction projects. Their largest current project is a mini-city based in Florida with 1300 units and 900,000 square feet of commercial space! 

Jeff’s business has also recently segued into development as well as opened a few sister companies that they are vertically integrating into. From inspection businesses to expeditating businesses to their base offerings, Rise Architecture solves the problem of fragmented architectural and construction services by offering comprehensive solutions for a diverse range of projects.

What inspired you to become an Entrepreneur?

Jeff’s transition from an employee with a normal 9-5 into entrepreneurship happened quite naturally and almost by itself, according to him. He’s asked himself and his sister, a psychologist, this question a few times. Jeff has recently come to the conclusion that a lot of it comes from how he was brought up. 

There was always pressure to succeed but in more than a monetary sense. “Succeeding” also included having the ability to believe in yourself and show the world you can do it in a sense - regardless of what’s going on around you. Even when others think Jeff’s crazy, the drive and the belief that he can do something to change the world is what keeps him going.

Knowing what you know now, how would you have spent a million dollars when you first started your business?

With the knowledge that he has now, Jeff would have spent a lot more money on public relations when he first started his business. This is because it took a very long time for his business to get where they are today - hence why patience has been so important for him as an entrepreneur. 

The simple fact is that it takes time to get your name out there. Had he had more money, he could’ve spent it on public relations and simply gotten himself, his business, and his services in the minds and hands of his target audience sooner.

What is your proudest accomplishment as an Entrepreneur?

For this question, Jeff shared a little bit of his own background with us for context by stating that he’s a religious Jew. He went on to state that people of the religious Jewish faith pride themselves on supporting their community. One of the things he’s done or doing that makes Jeff the most proud is taking part in projects that are creating low-income housing. 

His team has told investors to keep costs down for this very reason. Even though they could make more money, it’s more important for him to ensure that their projects are affordable. Another point of pride for Jeff is the fact that his business has designed 95 religious institutions throughout the country, meaning that they are able to influence the Jewish nation.

Jeff mentioned what an absolute privilege it is to be involved in that. 

What big goals are you looking to achieve?

Jeff’s main goal is simple: to make a difference. He spent some time figuring out how to answer this question and if he could answer it differently but, as cliche as it is, the truth is that his main goal is to make a difference by doing exactly what they’re doing. 

One of the things that they try very hard to do at Rise Architecture is create a business where everybody feels at home. Some of their staff members have been with them for 14 years and Jeff finds it absolutely amazing that we can provide that for them - a space where they want to stay and grow. 

What he would love to do is to be able to provide money, business, and opportunity for as many people as he possibly can.

Are you an entrepreneur providing money, business, and/ or opportunities for others? Do you have a team that you treat like family? A product or service that you hope to make a difference with? We’d love to learn about it here on Entrepreneur Stories. Get in touch with us today to share your entrepreneurial journey.