By: Sean Luster, Graduate Assistant —
Boise State University’s chapter of Net Impact, the student organization that works to make the world a better place socially and environmentally, hosted a “Student Fireside” event featuring Michael Bloom, CEO of Reflok, Inc. Bloom gave a short presentation about Reflok, a company in the HVAC industry that is pioneering innovative products for its customers, followed by a Q&A session.
Bloom, a San Francisco resident and frequent Boise commuter, detailed his experiences working with different companies throughout his career and shared some of the wisdom he gained through those experiences. Starting in the banking industry in the late 1980s and working in various industries, Bloom recognizes key takeaways for being successful with any business. He emphasized the importance of being able to communicate with others and finding a consensus in tough situations. He also noted that successful businesses are built on creating scalable and replicable processes, not necessarily just on individual talents.
“It was great to gain business wisdom from someone who has been involved in companies doing business in many different industries,” stated Sean Patton, a Boise State University Career Track MBA Student and Net Impact member. “I appreciated how he was able to demonstrate how his wisdom could apply to any business, especially stressing the importance of being decisive.”
The Q&A session allowed audience members to ask more in-depth questions about some of Bloom’s ideas and experiences. Bloom highlighted the importance of understanding the fundamentals of any business (accounting, documenting, HR, etc.) and working hard to improve the overall business. Afterward, a handful of students joined Bloom for even more conversation and wisdom building over pizza.