Today, I spoke to Colleen DeBaise, who is the small business editor at The Wall Street Journal, author of The Wall Street Journal. Complete Small Business Guidebook, and blogger at crackingcurry.com. In this interview, Colleen talks about the DNA of a successful small business, work/life balance for entrepreneurs, personal branding, and more.
Out of all the stories you’ve ever written, which was your favorite to cover and why?
It was actually a story about the New York City marathon, which I wrote shortly after the 9/11 attacks. I looked at how the city was counting on the November race – which is 26.2 miles long, and goes through every borough – to restore confidence and pump some much-needed dollars into the local economy. As a New Yorker (and, full disclosure, a marathon runner) the topic was extra special to me.
What do you believe is the DNA of a successful startup company? What do the founders need to do right in the beginning to make it successful long-term?
“My best advice: Don’t start a business unless you’re passionate about whatever it is that you’re selling.”
You’re going to need that motivation, drive and enthusiasm to get you through the start-up 
phase, when obstacles and naysayers are plenty. The best part of my job is interviewing super-successful entrepreneurs, who are now leading well-known or hugely profitable companies – and seeing their eyes STILL light up when they talk about their work. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.
Do you think entrepreneurs can have work/life balance? Is it even possible?
It’s a challenge, for sure, which is why I recommend putting good practices in place, such as setting strict work hours and taking guilt-free vacations. Work/life balance is difficult for any corporate workaholic, but it’s even tougher for business owners who 1) don’t have nice perks like sick time or vacation days and 2) worry that the business they’ve built will collapse in their absence. But keep in mind, if you work too hard or too long, you’ll get burnt out – and your bottom line will suffer. Striking work/life balance gets easier when you have dependable employees who can help run the business in your absence.
Should an entrepreneur build their personal brand as an expert in their field? Why or why not?
Running a business is all about building a brand. If an entrepreneur can market him- or herself as an expert in the field, that will only strengthen the image and credibility of the company. These day, consumers expect there to be a person or personality behind the 
business. And if building your personal brand can help give your small company an edge over a big faceless competitor, more power to you.
What career decisions have you made years ago that have helped you now?
I never in a million years thought I’d be a financial journalist. I’ve known since high school that I would be a journalist – but writing about business never crossed my mind. Especially as a girl, I was never exposed to the financial world, and knew little about how it operated. The older I got, the more that frustrated me. A decade ago, I saw that Dow Jones was hiring – and I jumped at the chance. I’ve loved learning about finance. It’s personally empowering. To think that I’m now an editor at the best business publication out there…well, that makes me very happy.
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Colleen DeBaise is small business editor at The Wall Street Journal. Prior to that, she held similar roles at BusinessWeek and SmartMoney. Colleen is the author of The Wall Street Journal. Complete Small Business Guidebook. She has been interviewed on television and radio, including MSNBC, Fox Business News, CNBC, CBS and NPR. Before covering small business, Colleen spent many years writing about white-collar crime as lead court reporter for Dow Jones Newswires. In 2005, she was the winner of the Newswomen’s Club of New York’s Front Page award for specialized writing. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Lawrence University. On the side, she also blogs about her passion for curry at crackingcurry.com.
