The 1989 Inc. 500

Family in Business None

What's Changed "What mattered back then was ego. It was driving me just to win the race. Now, I read everything I can get my hands on to learn about business."

Lose Sleep Over Wondering when the racing fad will fade

Workweek 50 hours

Last Vacation September '88, to Florida and Hawaii. "My first vacation in six years."

Use a PC? Yes, a laptop

What's Next Opening a nightclub/restaurant in New York City

Footnote

"I took theology, philosophy, Greek, and Latin for 12 years; I didn't know The Wall Street Journal from a third-grade catechism. And today I hooked up my laptop into CompuServe so I could check my stock quotes. If someone had told me a few years ago that I'd be checking a few hundred thousand dollars of stock prices, I would have said you're crazy."

#125: ANDREW DOPPELT
National Investigative Services Corp.
Corporate and financial investigator

Growing Up

Mother Homemaker

Father Owned manufacturing company

Hometown Highland Park, Ill.

Education J.D.

Jobs IRS special agent; father's company

Getting Here

"Having come from a big bureaucracy and having worked for my father, I didn't want to put myself back in the position of being subordinate. The best way to avoid that was to be my own boss."

My Company, My Self

Inspiration "There are certain measurements you can use to tell whether your company is becoming a force: being invited to give speeches in places you've never heard of; getting clients you never tried to develop but who've heard of you."

Family in Business None

What's Changed "I don't do any investigations anymore. I'm strictly sales, marketing, and administration -- where I think my talents lie."

Lose Sleep Over Raising money

Workweek 60 to 70 hours

Last Vacation "Can't remember."

Use a PC? No

What's Next In process of merging with Laventhol & Horwath. Also talking with Hollywood producers about TV show based on the investigation business

Footnote

"I like the idea of a merger -- it's going to give us a million dollars of referrals every year and a lot of money to finance growth. Plus I end up becoming a partner in an international firm."

#151: SHEILA WEST
Archery Center International Inc.
Distributor of archery products

Growing Up

Mother Secretary

Father Professor

Hometown Jacksonville, Fla.

Education 30 hours of college

Jobs Inspirational speaker for homemakers; homemaker

Getting Here

"I was at the 'empty vision' time of my life -- I'd been a homemaker for 18 years, my children were teenagers. I'd shot competitive archery in high school and my husband was a hunter, so he suggested buying a compound-bow store as a stepping-stone."

My Company, My Self

Inspiration Helping other entrepreneurs: "It stimulates me to stretch more."

Family in Business Husband, cofounder; son-in-law, purchasing agent; daughter, director of marketing

What's Changed "At first it was hard to accept I was a CEO. I mean, CEOs are people who run major companies. But I decided CEO stands for catch every obstacle and create endless opportunities, and I said OK, that's me."

Lose Sleep Over Profitability

Workweek 60 to 70 hours

Last Vacation Hawaii last fall -- the first since starting ACI

Use a PC? Laptop on the road

What's Next A new company for business and personal development and seminar workshops

Footnote

"My mother raised me by herself, and she was working, so I'm a survivalist. I didn't let stumbling blocks get in my way. I learned how to cook, how to be a wife, how to be a parent, so I figured, why can't I learn how to sell archery equipment?"

#184: CAROL RUSSELL
Russell Personnel Services Inc.
Provides full-time and temporary personnel

Growing Up

Mother TV makeup artist

Father Stage manager with the Minsky Brothers burlesque show

Hometown Manhattan

Education High school. "I never finished Hunter College."

Jobs Worked way up through temporary-services industry, starting as file clerk

Getting Here

"I became a junior partner at an employment firm -- you have all the work and none of the say. I just decided the time had come to push off on my own."

My Company, My Self

Inspiration Reading everything -- from biographies to religion