Twenty-seven year-old Andy Ajello is a young business owner with a unique niche.  A Southern California native who drew upon his family’s entrepreneurial spirit to overcome a difficult childhood, Andy founded Advanced E-Waste Solutions in order to reduce the illegal disposal of electronics into the environment.  The company guarantees that all customers are in compliance with new laws and that none of the electronics it handles end up in landfills.  In the last few years, Andy’s been busy – AES successfully recycled more than 100,000 pounds of E-Waste in 2006 alone!  I had the chance to chat with Andy this week, and here’s what he had to say:

Alex: What in your childhood inspired you to go into business for yourself?

Andy:  My father and grandfather were Sicilian, and in that community it’s common to have your own business. Also, my childhood wasn’t the easiest, and so instead of graduating from high school I went straight into college at 16.  These experiences showed me the importance of charting your own path, and sometimes going against the grain.

Alex:  E-Waste recycling sounds like fascinating and rewarding line of work, especially for those of us who are passionate about the environment.  How did you get started?

Andy:  I stumbled across a larger company in the field and started working for them.  I learned by observing how things were done.  I’d had a few jobs I didn’t really care about, and I loved that this work allowed me to make a difference.  One of my early experiences involved picking up old computers from a preschool so that the facility could have more room for the kids.  I noticed that unlike customers in other industries, the people I served were very positive and thankful for the work I was doing. The feeling that I was actually helping people and the environment encouraged me to go out on my own.

Alex:  What personality traits do you think are essential for succeeding in this particular field?

Andy:  Starting your own E-Waste recycling business requires that you be visionary and forward-thinking, because it’s a fairly new field that’s still being charted.  Like other types of entrepreneurs, you have to be a workaholic – wholly self-motivated and dedicated.  The industry is heavily regulated and involves a lot of license and permit applications, so you have to be detail-oriented.  Good people skills are also extremely important, as you’ll be addressing corporate types and generally, people who are a different age or on a different intellectual level.  You have to be able to relate to them accordingly.

I’ll be featuring more of my interview with Andy next week.  If you have questions for him, feel free to write in and I’ll make sure he gets them.