Oskar Hallig – EforAll Berkshire County

Oskar has been a mentor for EforAll Berkshire County since 2020. Being an entrepreneur, he owns a retail shop in Great Barrington, MA, and an event planning business; he knows the hardships of entrepreneurship and how important it is to have support during the entrepreneurial journey. He first heard of EforAll when he went to a Pitch Contest to support a friend pitching his business idea. 

What made you want to become a mentor?

As much as it is to help somebody else, I feel like it helps me as much as it helps or more than it helps anybody else. I know some mistakes I’ve made in the past as an entrepreneur, and I think if I’d had somebody who would have said, “hey, maybe there is a better way to think about it,” it would be very helpful. But honestly, I love being around people who have new ideas, it’s very exciting to help people bring something to the next step and hopefully help them a little bit along the way,  and meeting the other mentors is great. EforAll is a very strong community where people stay close. 

Can you give us some examples of the kinds of startups you have mentored with us?

I worked with an arts consulting company, which was interesting because she knew what she wanted to do. It was just a matter of putting things down and helping her with her business plan and budget. The previous time I mentored a yard game company, he was starting from zero with just an idea,  so it was completely the opposite. This year I’m working with an entrepreneur who’s got a hair salon business that she’s trying to grow from where it is now to the next level.

What is your favorite part of being an EforAll mentor?

I love the interaction and meeting people, both mentees and other mentors. Being around creative people and trying to move themselves and the community forward is a great experience. It’s very interesting because it has become like this big community. It’s amazing to see the amount of creativity and hard work around here.

What do you think makes EforAll special? 

That energy, being part of an organization that encourages growth from those expecting to learn and those wishing to give information. You realize that often those roles are reversed as they should be and that everybody is learning all the time

What advice would you have for entrepreneurs?

 Just do it!! Try it, maybe it will work. You’ll never know until you try it! 

Interested in becoming a mentor? Learn more here.