Before she built what would become a billion-dollar company, Angie Hicks had to conquer one of her biggest fears: talking to strangers.
Weeks before graduating from DePauw University, she received an offer from a boutique consulting firm in Washington, D.C. with a starting salary of $40,000. But Oesterle didn't give up. "He said, 'If it doesn't work out, the worst thing that happens is you have a great essay for your business school application,'" Hicks adds.
Members were slow to join, but Hicks hustled to get the word out, from borrowing Oesterle's neighbor's holiday card mailing list to marching in local parades to promote the fledgling business.