Taylor Sanford
- Founder and President
- Self Employed - Utah Roundnet and Premier Spike
School Information
School: University of Utah
College Major: Business
Years at College Works: 2010
Career Information
Working For: Self Employed – Utah Roundnet and Premier Spike
Title: Founder and President
Industry: Sports
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
I created Utah Roundnet to organize roundnet (aka Spikeball) tournaments for fun back in 2018. By 2021 I had quit my day job and have turned this into my full time job. Last year I started a new venture to design and manufacture a new piece of roundnet equipment, called Premier Spike, to compete against the monopoly that is Spikeball. We are the first legitimate competitors to them, creating a premium product as opposed to the handful of other companies that just create knock-offs. Funny enough, I’ve actually become friends with Grant Laughlin through roundnet, and discovered that he was also a College Works Painting intern.
What Has Been Your Proudest Accomplishment Post-CWP?Quitting my day job to run roundnet/Spikeball tournaments full-time. My “work” day consists of hanging out at a park surrounded by dozens/hundreds of friends on a Saturday.
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
College Works Painting taught me how to manage various parts of a business from budgeting, marketing, sales, and managing employees.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
I’ve always been a little entrepreneurial, and had my hands in little projects here and there. After College Works Painting, I worked at a marketing agency working with lots of different clients in all sorts of industries. But as I tried to figure out what I wanted to do for the rest of my career, I realized I couldn’t just follow in the typical “sales path.” If I could figure out how to be a painting contractor as a 20 year old with no experience, I could figure out how to run a business doing something I actually enjoy doing for the rest of my life.
What do you want to tell your clients about what it meant to work with them and how it has helped you get to where you are today?
I do not remember their name at this point (it was from 2010), but it was an older lady who literally just needed the trim around her garage painted. Such a minimal project, but even from that I became really close with her; even seeing her at the grocery store and her coming up to give me a hug. Again, just a small interaction that meant a lot to her.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
Relationships are everything. You can’t just go through life looking out for #1. Value each relationship and encounter you have with someone, because you never know what might happen down the line and treating someone with respect can pay dividends, as opposed to getting a little bit ahead short term but tarnishing opportunities in the future.
How have the friendships and networks you built during CW affected you?
For a few years after College Works Painting I would hang out with some of my closer College Works Painting intern friends, but as many friendships fizzle out, so did they. But, one connection I actually have made post-College Works Painting was a random friend that I discovered was also a College Works Painting intern from Texas.
If you had to come up with a one line slogan for CW, what would it be?
Where you learn to succeed.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
Work hard to have fun. Know what your goals are so that you can accomplish them, and be willing to put in overtime to reach them. Things will not always be as easy as you might hope for, but reaching your goals will always be worth it.
Many college students struggle to choose between an internship specific to their target industry or doing CW. What advice would you give them on this subject if they wanted to enter your career field?
You are not learning how to be a painting contractor, you’re learning how to succeed. College Works Painting teaches lessons from accounting, managing, sales/marketing, problem solving, setting goals, and working as a team. I can not imagine any career that would not benefit from some/most of those skills.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
If you’re going to pursue something, you have to go all in. Either do it or don’t, but if you sit yourself on the fence it’s just going to cost you time/money without the payoff.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
All the team activities, but specifically go-karting. We went to a legit go-kart place where we did time trials for pole position and everything. I was either 1st or 2nd on the pole, so front row regardless, alongside the regional manager, Gavin. We battled the hell out of that course, at one point he even nudged me over the railing so i had two wheels in the air before popping back down. I can’t remember if I was able to come back and win after that, but regardless, all the team activities were so great.
Last words of wisdom?
I feel like I have said a lot in all the answers haha.