Chase Harmer has been an entrepreneur since the age of 19. He started building technology almost 8 years ago, and is now the Founder & CEO of PayCertify, a globally connected FinTech marketplace that makes it easy to pay and get paid.
What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?
When I was 19, I got a track scholarship to Cal Poly. I was the fastest guy out there. But when I came home for Thanksgiving and played a pickup football game, I messed up my knee pretty badly. Since I couldn’t run, I lost my scholarship.
I could’ve stayed in school, but I realized that without sports, I didn’t want to be there. I felt like there were so many opportunities out in the world that I was eager to take advantage of. But most jobs required a college degree. So I got into door-to-door sales for companies like AT&T and Comcast. I thrived. From there, I jumped into credit card processing and managed to start my own business. I’ve been at it for 22 years now.
How do you define success?
Selling for over $10B. We were recently valued at $280M, so I don’t think it’s unrealistic for us to sell for $10B by 2023.
If you could start over, what would you do differently?
I would’ve taken the time to learn more before diving in. I’m an action-oriented person, which is a blessing and a curse. It means that I get a lot done, I move quickly, and I’m afraid to chase what I want. But it also means that I don’t wait to have all the answers. Sometimes, it would’ve been helpful to get more information before making a decision.