Students flock to the Business & Entrepreneurship Department to learn the necessary skills to be an entrepreneur. After graduation, they put these skills into practice. Bridgette Taylor, a recent graduate, recently launched her brand Body Butter Heaven after taking the Entrepreneurship class with adjunct faculty David Cushing. In this interview she explains how a simple idea has become her full-time passion.

What degree did you earn from Columbia? When did you graduate?

I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Business and graduated Fall of 2015.

How did the business program at Columbia prepare you?

The business program helped advance my leadership skills, prepared me for adapting to new situations, and perfecting my creativity.

What was your most valuable Columbia experience?

My most valuable Columbia experience was starting my company Body Butter Heaven.

Were there any particular professors who  made a significant impact on you?

One professor that made the biggest impact was David Cushing, who did a remarkable job teaching Entrepreneurship. I always wanted to start my own business, but lacked the resources. I took full advantage of pitching my idea to be one of the selected micro-businesses. When my pitch was chosen I was overjoyed, but felt overwhelmed. I second guessed myself in how the business would take off. Mr. Cushing made it a point that this course was a learning experience and not just focusing on selling. He wanted his students to understand useful concepts in order to progress as an entrepreneur. I made mistakes during this course and Mr. Cushing was constantly helpful on keeping me on track. His passion for entrepreneurship inspired me in so many ways. So much in fact, I have taken the micro-business I pitched and turned it into my passion.

In what way did your Business degree help your career?

I’m in the development process of my career and I know that my business degree will help open doors that will produce a long lasting profession.

Do you have any advice for current Columbia students?

1. Network as much as possible. I understand hearing the phrase over and over can be frustrating but it’s true. Be open to networking within or outside your field.
2. Social media is an amazing tool to promote yourself or business, but be mindful of the content you publish publicly. You don’t want everything you work so hard for to be discredit in the eyes of a potential employer.
3. Don’t be too hard on yourself when mistakes are made. You learn something valuable from every mistake.