Episode 61 - Michael Ermann | Amber Book
In this episode, Brian has a beer with tenured Professor at Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture Design - Michael Ermann. Michael is also the founder of Amber Book - a review course to help anyone pass the architecture licensing course. The company has had over 16,000 enrollees and has licensed their materials to over 500 architecture firms.
Michael shares his incredible journey - from bootstrapping a business idea while maintaining a full time job, to hiring investment bankers to help sell what he had created.
If you only have 10 minutes:
2:00 - Learn about Michael and Amber Book
8:30 - Building the business as a full-time college professor and as a state employee only permitted to work 8 hours/week outside of teaching
12:00 - For the first 7 years, all growth was organic, no paid marketing. Also, the importance of hiring the best employees and leaving them alone to do their job.
17:15 - Michael’s entrepreneurial spirit
23:16 - Preparing for sale and then selling the company
35:00 - The feeling of seeing the money in the bank after settlement
38:45 - Whoever said money can’t buy happiness didn’t give away enough of it—the Michael and his wife decided to donate a bunch of the earnings from the sale of Amber Book.
Thanks for joining us on the show, Michael, it was a great episode! Cheers! 🍻
HAPPY ½ HOUR DRINKS:
Cape May White brewed by Cape May Brewing Co. - Brian gave it a 2.5 out of 5
Learn more about Michael or connect with him on LinkedIn
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