In 1995, a year after the Pavloskis founded World Link, they were competing against more than 50 other companies offering similar discount international phone services. How did they stay competitive? “We would only increase our business if we could do so exponentially.” Sticking to the philosophy of keeping it simple, the Pavloskis grew their business to over 225,000 telecom customers and 1,000 sales agents. For example, many competitors offered various payment options, while World Link only accepted credit cards, the most preferred method of payment. In addition, World Link targeted areas outside metro Tokyo and Osaka. Through their network of sales agents, World Link was able to penetrate small cities and towns across the country without spending huge amounts on advertising. Pavloski (Brad) emphasized the importance of dependability. “We were able to negotiate the best rates from Japanese carriers because we always paid our bills on time.” He also noted the impact that media attention can have, which is why he pushed for World Link to be the sole company featured on a CNN discount telecommunications industry newscast in 1995. Pavloski’s interview aired numerous times throughout the world over a span of a couple days. The use of new technology has been a key to the Pavloskis’ success. Internet, software and marketing technologies were incorporated into their business as they became available in Japan, helping to keep costs down and increasing their ability to reach more customers. They continue to take advantage of these same tools in their new real estate business in the U.S. Although their business in Japan was very successful, there were countless challenges. Pavloski (Brad) commented that when they started World Link, his young age and youthful appearance was a major hurdle when trying to do business in Japan. “It didn’t take too long before we just stopped trying to integrate ourselves. It was impossible, we were going to be foreigners no matter what we did.” “You can’t be intimidated as an entrepreneur. Just make up your mind and go after something. If you fail, you go back and try again. Many people will discourage you from going out on your own. Those same people may retire after 40 years of the daily grind and get a $35 watch from their company as a thank you.” World Link not only managed to avoid failure, the company was a huge success. World Link was featured in almost every major publication in Japan and was featured on CNN, CNN Headline News and CNN Asian Business News. When World Link was sold to a Japanese company earlier this year, only two of its original 50 competitors remained. While continuing to run World Link in Japan, the Pavloskis began developing waterfront property in 2003. Their developments now include over 6.5 miles of waterfront property and 1,500 acres on Castle Rock Lake near the Wisconsin Dells. Although they are two completely different industries, Pavloski says the two businesses are built on the same premise. “Figure out what people want and start marketing it…the customers/buyers will find you.” “We were fortunate to receive our educations at UW-Madison. It opened our eyes to new ideas and gave us the opportunity to integrate with students/professors from not only the U.S. but the entire world. The University drives its students to succeed; it was a springboard for us to see the entire world as a marketplace. We encourage all students to get out of their backyards and explore the world and all of its business opportunities.” The web address for the Pavloski’s real estate development company is www.castlerocklake.com