By: Colins Peaks, Talon Staff
Thousands of students are studying business at Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College, but for most, the idea of starting their own business seems years, and a degree, away.
For Cam Thompson, the time is now.
As a 20-year-old TCC Student, Thompson has already begun two businesses; a branch of SmartFood Vending, and flying commercial drones. Both of which he has used the profits from to pay for his education and living expenses in college.
At the moment, Thompson’s longest running venture has been his service which takes pictures and videos using drones. It may seem in this day and age anybody can take a picture. But to fly and take the right one, it takes years of time mastering the artistic and aviary skills that go into a picture worth a contract.
Thompson said, “I started messing around with drones back in 2013 when my friend and I built one. Shortly after that the company DJI launched a commercial drone line and the industry boomed.”
With 2018 around the corner that will be five years of daily hands-on practice.
All the practice in the world still often leaves people lacking the ambition and vision to reap the benefits of it. Thompson luckily didn’t have to build this up on his own.
Thompson points to his experience speaking to Glenn Hutchens, who got an MBA and law degree from Harvard University before working on Bill Clinton’s administrative staff, as pivotal to developing his entrepreneurial outlook.
“His whole view was the technology was going to disrupt almost all industries and learning to do simple programming and how machines work could put you ahead of the change,” said Thompson.
Though school and work take up most of Thompson’s time, he still makes more to conceptualize his contribution to a better future.
Thompson said, “Yeah, I’ve got a lot on my plate but I just can’t help myself. I have a new programmed iPhone case I’ve been working on and I’ll wake up at night and have to fix whatever came to mind with it, so it’s never been work for me.”
