John F. Blais Forum
"Keep swinging!" Dr. John F. Blais Jr. told Nichols College business students on Tuesday, September 18th, in Daniels Auditorium. "The harder we work, the luckier we get. Never quit."
President Debra M. Townsleyintroduced Blais as a man of impeccable character, with a distinguished business career and a strong commitment to giving back to his community.
The renowned entrepreneur told students that "a sense of urgency" was built into his character. Born in the small town of Burlington, Mass., at age 19, he ran the family farm by day and went to Northeastern at night to earn his degree in mechanical engineering. "I had to work everyday and that work ethic stayed in my blood stream."
"When you have work to do on a farm, you can't put it off to another day," Blais said. "Sweet peas have a four day life after you pick them. So, you have to sell them right away. I had half the high school working for me, selling those sweet peas on every street corner in town. I don't every remember throwing one pea away."
Blais suggested that all business students be mandated to work in a perishable business for some period of time: "You can appreciate a sense of urgency when you have a product that is perishable."
After Blais became ill with pneumonia, he sold the family farming business but wasn't quite sure what to do for a career. One of his neighbors urged him to go down to Infrared Industries in Waltham, Mass. "When I went down there," he said, "I felt like a kid in the candy store. I love mechanical things, and the company made products with state-of-the-art mechanical devices."
Since Blais was still going to college at night, Infrared Industries hired him as an associate engineer. On his first day on the job, he was put in charge of a problem project and within 6 weeks, was able to successfully ship a completed order of 30,000 parts. The president of the company took notice, and Blais was given the next tough job. A year later, he co-founded and later sold Spectrum Systems, and eventually started his own company called Optical Filter Corp.
Between sharing his personal experiences, Blais gave students his seven C's for building a successful enterprise:
- Character: Your reputation is important for sales. Never compromise; your character is the most important thing you have.
- Caring: Display caring and concern for your fellow workers. Build an environment with camaraderie.
- Competence: Do what you promise. Solve the problems.
- Confidence: Believe; "I know I can do it." Experience and knowledge will help you build confidence.
- Completion: Commit yourself to on-time delivery.
- Competitiveness: Never compete on price. Know your competition.
- Connection: Get connected. Know the players in your field of your endeavor.
Blais Biography
Dr. Blais received an honorary Doctor of Science in Business Administration from Nichols College in 2006. He is the founder and president of BlaisCo, LLC of Framingham, Mass., a holding company specializing in high-technology firms, and an active partner in Capital Risk Management, Inc., a worldwide management consulting firm.
An entrepreneur and retired mechanical engineer, Dr. Blais is a longtime leader in the precision optics field, having led companies that developed optical and optical-interference technologies for military, medical, and commercial applications. He serves as a director/trustee on eight boards, is very active with philanthropic activities, and has generously supported cancer research. Dr. Blais and his wife, Shelly, are residents of Fort Meyers, Fla., in addition to Framingham, Mass.