Most people who appear on Shark Tank and make a deal walk away empty-handed. That was not the case for WCU alumni Garrett Ozar.
Ozar is a co-founder of Eterneva, a company that transforms deceased people’s ashes into diamonds. He recently returned to WCU to share how he created a successful business and secured an investment from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank.
Ozar chose WCU for its entrepreneurship program and to play baseball.
“From an early age, I always wanted to create my own business,” said Ozar during his talk. “I loved inventing as a kid, but we never called it entrepreneurship back then.”
Although Ozar is now highly successful, he began his presentation by highlighting his struggles early on.
“There were multiple failures,” Ozar said.
Early in his career, Ozar launched a business that failed. He then worked in sales to pay off debt before trying to start another business, which also failed.
After his second business failure, Ozar returned to sales and faced a pivotal decision, to accept a vice president role at a startup or a sales representative position at BigCommerce.
“Taking the job as a sales representative is one of the reasons I made it here,” said Ozar. “My whole entire job was meeting with founders and entrepreneurs and asking them what made their business run.”
With Eterneva, Ozar aimed to help families preserve the memory of loved ones who had passed away.
“There are two deaths in this world: when the person dies and when they are forgotten,” said Ozar. “We are allowing someone to live on through their legacy in their family for longer through these diamonds.”
Ozar shared advice with WCU students, offering insights and principles that guided his entrepreneurial journey.
The first piece of advice Ozar gave was about the compound effect—the idea that small, consistent actions can yield significant rewards over time. He emphasized the importance of persistence and dedication.
“Don’t focus on rewards in the beginning,” said Ozar. “Focus on the process.”
Ozar also discussed different types of entrepreneurs; the artist, the visionary and the manager. He explained that only a few people embody all three traits, so most entrepreneurs must collaborate with others to build a balanced and successful team.
Ozar credited much of his success to WCU and its entrepreneurship program, noting that he continues to apply lessons learned during his time as a student.
“Any chance that I have to give back to Western Carolina I will take,” Ozar said.
