JL AudioFor this mission, I chose to interview Lucio Proni, co-founder of JL Audio. JL Audio is a consumer/professional audio manufacturer located in Miramar, Florida that produces speakers for boats, cars and home audio systems. Lucio Proni is an engineer and co-founder of the company with his high school friend Jim Birch. In the mid-1970s, while on summer vacation from the University of Florida, Lucio and Jim decided to play around with component speakers and ended up building home speakers for pleasure. They worked in a garage at Lucio's house and showed some of their speakers to their friends and others. Later, a few of them even bought some, so they built a few more to sell at the flea market. Lucio's early success inspired him to start a speaking business so he could make a living from his work. In 1975, he joined his colleague and friend Jim Birch and founded JL Audio; their company name being an amalgamation of the first letters of their names. They didn't really start their business with a solid business plan, rather their beginnings were marked by a lot of trial and error. At first, they tried to sell JL Audio products to local audio stores. They had some success doing this as a few local stores were interested in selling their home speaker systems and kits. In 1977, business became scarce and they encountered financial difficulties. In tough times like this, it was Jims' business skills, Lucio's quality of work and their combined tenacity that got them through it all. As a child, Lucio received valuable advice from his father; he said that "if you're not willing to put your whole heart into something, then don't bother doing it." This philosophical work...... middle of paper...... believe it myself. You must be very proud to have recently received a visit from Florida Governor Rick Scott to congratulate you on your success and thank you for your contributions to Florida's economy. You are undeniable proof that the American dream is not only real, but alive and well in this country. Self-made men, built through hard work and perseverance, exist and it pays off in the end. Honestly, it's refreshing to find honest men who have made great strides in an industry without resorting to tricks or traps. If I learned anything from this interview, it's that if you really strive for success and are passionate enough about something to keep fighting when things get tough, you can actually make it happen. This interview was not only educational, it was also very inspiring. Thank you for your time.