Inner Compass LLC

Inner Compass LLC

In 2001, Jeff Nerone looked for a greeting card that expressed his inner feelings. He discovered many cards from a woman’s point of view, but nothing from a man.  Later at a bookstore, he found sections on women’s issues and ethnic issues, but again nothing for men.

Then it hit him; he would fill that gap. He envisioned a greeting card line, Internet magazines, and an Internet talk radio show. And so began Inner Compass – a media company focused on helping men lead emotionally healthy lives.

After working nearly a year on a business plan in order to secure financing, Nerone found the SBDC on WEN portal and enrolled in the Entrepreneur Training Program and Business Plan Development class (ETP). Today he has a well-researched, complete business plan. ETP provided the motivation and the structure Nerone needed to stay focused and on track, allowing him to make his business concept real.

For Nerone a “golden nugget” from ETP was the One Minute Commercial (Elevator Pitch) that he developed during the class. It not only succinctly described his business, but also gave him an excellent networking tool.

Since graduating from ETP, Nerone has launched his Internet live radio talk show, now running on WMUR (at Marquette University), Tuesday nights from 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM. He also received honorable mention at the Elevator Pitch Olympics, part of the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium held on November 5-6, 2008 in Madison.  Nerone’s win received considerable press, including an article in the Wisconsin State Journal titled, “Jeff Nerone hits a nerve with the judges and the audience alike.”

Since then, he has drawn more interest from media and people interested in participating on his radio show. His Web site receives over 11,000 hits monthly. Recognizing the power of networking and media exposure, Nerone plans to enter several business plan competitions in 2009, and will continue to grow his business.

“My participation in ETP became part of my professional growth and made me stick to my vision.” – Jeff Nerone, Owner, Inner Compass LLC