Meet Rodney Hu | entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rodney Hu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rodney, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
1. What was your thought process behind starting your own business? from a young age I’ve always had big goals for myself, including owning and
operating my own business. Knowing that through the success of my businesses I could take control of my own destiny and reap the rewards.

2. Do you have a budget? How do you think about your personal finances, and how do you make lifestyle and spending decisions?
I do proactively budget my money towards most things. Early on I had to make a lot of personal financial sacrifices. I learned that when you are the leader you are the last to one that gets to eat, so in turn I lived very frugal lifestyle but I knew that If I wanted this bad enough it would be worth it.

3. Risk Taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life / career?
I am notoriously known as a “risk seeker”. I believe that “big risk equals big reward”! I would not be where I am today in my life or career without taking the risks I’ve taken thus far.

4. Where are you from and how did you background and upbringing impact who you are today?
I am an Arizona native with a humble background. Growing up in an underprivileged household truly shaped my work ethic and made me appreciative and grateful for the success that I have found.

5. What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?
The most important factor behind my success is staffing my businesses with strong and motivated team members that support myself, and my vision. Through portraying the message and securing the passion behind our brands we ensure the success of them.

6. What value or principle matters most to you? why?
Everyone is equal, it doesn’t matter if you are the janitor or the CEO you deserve the same attention and opportunities as the next person. I have found some of my most essential an driven team members in the least likeliest of places.

7. Work life balance: how has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?
In the beginning of my career, I had no work life balance. I put all my time and money into ensuring the success of my career. Over time I met my wife and had children, now my family is comes first! I have created a work environment filled with capable team members which allows me to spend quality time with my family.

8. What’s the end goal? Where do you want to be professionally by the end of your career?
This is a tough question for me since I don’t necessarily know what the end goal is, but I would like to own a professional sports team someday. At the end of my career, I hope to be viewed as a community leader that supported my fellow entrepreneurs and team members to help in the growth of arts, culture, and companionship within our community and within ourselves.

9. Tell us about a book you’ve read and why you like it/ what impact it had on you.
“Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
Hill Explains in his book that you can achieve anything you conceive and believe, through thought which is an incredibly powerful tool. Hill states that you must focus on what you want to achieve and strengthen your resolve by having what he calls a “definiteness of purpose”. Think and Grow Rich has taught me that it is essential to persist in the face of obstacles that are bound to impede your growth along the way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
my positive attitude and vision sets me apart from others. I am most proud of my family, personally and professionally. The entrepreneurial path is not trekked often so creating that avenue was not easy, but by having a “definiteness of purpose” I have overcome obstacles.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This depends on the season. Life is about experiences and what is happening now. so for instance, this past basketball season the Suns were in the play offs “HUGE deal”, so I would treat my friend to a basketball game at the Suns stadium, and maybe some drinks at Yucca Tap Room.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Kathy my wife, My kids Ethan and Sophia, my partners Sean Downing and Nic Peterson, and my team at All Eyes.

Website: Alleyesventures.com

Instagram: @yuccataproom

Facebook: Yucca Tap Room