CEO Stories: Lessons learned

NOW WHAT

In his latest book, Now What, Morgan describes himself as "a geek at heart" who loves "problem solving"--whether it's figuring out what it takes to get a racecar running right, prototyping software, or devising solutions for customers' needs. Those skills showed themselves early, when his father, who owned a hardware store, sent teenage Charles on his first business trip, from rural Arkansas, to Andersen Windows, in Philadelphia. Charles convinced the Andersen engineers that he had found a better way to assemble the company’s signature product.

LIFE AFTER ACXIOM

Despite having founded data and marketing company Acxiom (after being a top systems analyst at IBM), Morgan was pushed out by the machinations of an investor turned board member. Not one to spend his time idle, Morgan, who had already invested in First Orion, turned his attention to the tech startup. He admits that despite having had experience starting a business that it's "easy to forget how difficult it can be and all the challenges one has to overcome as a small company."

LESSONS LEARNED

In 2008, Morgan faced a big decision when First Orion was just about out of money: invest more or fold? He says he learned never to operate from fear, because doing so only leads to bad decisions. He says he trusted his gut, and that trust has paid off: First Orion’s signature app, PrivacyStar has blocked billions of scam calls. Another key lesson learned, according to Morgan: Never burn your bridges.