This interview with Robin D. Richards, chief of the CareerArc Group, which connects employers with job seekers, was conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant.
Q. Were you an entrepreneur as a kid?
A. Yes. I grew up just north of Detroit. We were low-middle class, and we lived in a very diverse neighborhood — ethnically, religiously, economically. At a very early age, I kept noticing who lived in the big houses, and what their families did. The first thing that struck me was education. All the people who did well had a good education, so I became the first person in my family to go to college. The second thing I observed is that these people owned their own businesses. So at a really young age I said, I’m going to get a college education and own my own business.
Q. How young?
