The study guide for "Winning The Healthcare Battle" at Biosite with Chairman and CEO Kim Blickenstaff, President and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Ken Buechler and Senior Vice President for Biosite Discovery Dr. Gunars Valkirs in San Diego, as seen on Small Business School the series on PBS-member stations in the USA and the Voice of America around the world. The best little show on television about the American spirit.

The Case Study Guide

updated: May 2007

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listening is better than talking

In the beginning Kim was nervous
about going public.

Listen To Your Mentors

The single most important factor in your life is who you hang around with. Successful people know this and successful business owners seek out people who are ahead of them in the game. Kim, Ken and Gunars have had each other for decades but they have also had the same core group of mentors since the late 80s.

WATCH TELEVISION THAT TEACHES

Key Ideas of this episode

1.		Change An Industry
2.		Do What You Know
3.		Leave The Nest
4.		Raise Money The Old Way
5.		Listen To Your Mentors
6.		Hire Your Replacement
7.		Treat Every Person AS An Equal
8.		Stop And Think
9.		Give To Add
10.		Keep Working Even When You're Rich

Topic for Discussion: What did the mentor advise?

Answer: They told the Biosite founders that they were sitting on an idea that was powerful enough to be duplicated. The mentors pushed the team to take the company public so there would be enough cash to invest in the research and development that produced today's number one selling product.

You think about it: Who are your mentors? When was the last time you took a problem to a mentor? When did you last take action on the advice of a mentor? Do you need some new mentors?

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