Kareem Cook: Being an Entrepreneur Requires an “Irrational, Illogical” Belief in Yourself

Fuqua alumnus Kareem Cook shares the principles that guided him on his entrepreneurial path.
His wellness company, Naturade, makes plant-based shakes. He is also managing director of Towerview Capital Management.
Cook spoke with Fuqua's Dean Bill Boulding as part of Fuqua's Distinguished Speakers Series.

Learn more about the series: https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/dss

#wellness #Entrepreneurship

00:00 Intro
01:17 Prep for Prep
7:40 First work experience after Duke undergrad
13:43 Why business school instead of choreography/music production?
16:00 What has given you the fearlessness to take challenging moments and turn them into positives?
22:46 How did you realize that you were an entrepreneur at heart?
25:00 Networking with old contacts plus cold calling people you've never met before.
32:03 Why have your ventures always focused on wellness?
33:57 How do you handle the hard moments when it seems like you've hit a wall?
39:10 How do you develop boldness and confidence?
44:16 Audience question: Can you cultivate key personal qualities for success?
46:33 Audience question: How do you navigate those inflection points when deciding to pursue an entrepreneuial path?
50:22 Audience question: What does the preparation process look like for you, for when those big business moments come?
57:30 Audience question: What do you read and consume each day to keep up with what's going on?