In his own words: Greg Carr, management consultant

Northern Nevada Business Weekly: Tell us about your company.

Greg Carr: I started Carr & Associates, as a financial and management consulting firm in the early 1990s after doing a couple of successful start-ups. Our focus has been on small-to-medium sized companies who couldn't afford a full time senior executive with great credentials and experience. At its largest we had four partners and 23 employees. Now the formula has changed. I have agreements with some of the best business people in the country and as a need arises, I bring them in on a project basis.

NNBW: What role do you play in the company?

Carr: My title is managing director, but I do what needs to be done. So do my employees.

NNBW: How did you get into this profession?

Carr: I played football in college so was a physical education major. When it came time to graduate, I had dual majors in accounting and mathematics. I went to work for Arthur Andersen & Co. After a little over six years, I left Andersen and went to work as VP of finance for a Fortune 500 company. I spent a little over 10 years with large companies and got tired of it. At that point, I was invited to participate in a startup software company in Dallas and loved it. We met our exit strategy and I joined another startup in the wireless telecommunications industry in San Francisco. We again achieved our exit strategy. At that point it was time to become a consultant and help others in business. I was very fortunate to have great mentors during my career and part of my decision was based on my desire to provide mentoring to business people who want to learn. Carr & Associates has been very fulfilling personally. I expect that to continue.

NNBW: What is something no one knows about your job?

Carr: I am energized by people and love to be around them. My job is a great excuse to spend time with people and learn. Learning is very important, too!

NNBW: If you could have had any other profession what would it have been? Why wasn't it your first choice?

Carr: Probably teaching. It actually was my first choice. My minor was in history and I was going to teach high school history and coach football. Once I discovered business, I never looked back.

NNBW: What do you like to do when you're not working?

Carr: I seem to work a lot, but now that our kids are grown I spend time building plastic models. I rode a CanAm Spyder for awhile and loved that. Sharon and I are new to Nevada so we spend weekends exploring. We will get up in the morning and decide which direction to go and head out. It's more fun if you can have spontaneity.

NNBW: Have any advice for someone who wants to enter your profession?

Carr: A college education teaches the basics of your profession and how to think. My advice would be to get the professional credentials that you need, and more importantly, get as much varied experience as possible. The value of a consultant is their experience.

NNBW: If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why would you want it?

Carr: See into the future. I have been very lucky in my career in that we had the right business in the right place and at the right time. Think of what it would be like to know where the direction the business should go and be there at the same time the market arrived.

NNBW: What person, living or dead, would you most like to have dinner with, and why?

Carr: That is a tough question. History tends to glorify normal people who rise to the circumstances. I guess I would like to talk with Winston Churchill. Right man at the right time and the right circumstances. He was considered a failure until World War II started.

NNBW: What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Carr: Two things: "You have the intelligence and ability, but to be successful, you have to pay attention to the little things." And, "Be confident in yourself, but not impressed with yourself."

NNBW: What do you like most about your job? What do you like least?

Carr: The thing I like most is being creative and making a difference in a business and people's lives, the thing I like the least is collecting invoices (but I do it).

NNBW: What five words would most people use to describe you?

Carr: Loyalty, tenacity, fun, quick and supportive.