We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebecca Bergin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca, how do you think about risk?

There’s a quote from Spencer Johnson’s book Who Moved My Cheese? that completely changed my approach to taking risks. The book asks, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” For me, this simple question transformed the way I looked at risk. Rather than fearing the downside of risk, I learned to mitigate it and focus on the upside.

Mitigating the downside potential takes research and planning. You can put safety measures in place, so you know ahead of time when the risk is too great and it’s time to pull out. For example, setting a budget and sales goal up front allows you to measure your results and hold yourself accountable. Every opportunity has inherent risk, so taking risks is imperative for business success. You won’t grow unless you get out of your comfort zone and take risks. But there is a balance. You need to be smart and manage risk. This way, the roller coaster ride of entrepreneurship has more ups than downs.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Thoracent is small medical device company that began in 2017. Our customers are hospitals and doctors. Our goal is to provide our physicians with high-quality, innovative medical devices to effectively care for their patients. Right now, our most popular products are airway stents – these are devices that are implanted in the lungs to open damaged airway passages, allowing a patient to breathe more clearly. We have been growing quickly and are starting to distribute additional types of medical devices.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There are so many amazing things to do in the Los Angeles Area. For me, the Magic Castle in Hollywood tops the chart. I’m fairly reserved most of the time, but the Magic Castle brings out the fun. My husband and I (and now our daughter) have a 10-year tradition of watching the Holiday Boat Parade in Marina del Rey. We love the creativity and the community spirit. But my favorite place to take guests is the El Segundo Beach Café. It’s extremely unpretentious but has amazing food – and you can’t beat the view.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout-out all the front-line healthcare workers who put their own health at risk to help others. Also, my mentor-turned-friend Karen McGuire. She took a chance on me early in my career and boosted my confidence and knowledge. Professors Jason D’Mello and Charles Vance each pushed me beyond my comfort zone in the MBA program at Loyola Marymount University – and I’ll be forever grateful to them. Lastly, I think many incredible community groups deserve a huge shout-out. The support I received from community groups such as the Rotary Club, El Segundo Chamber of Commerce, and LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce allowed me to feel connected to my community and gave me opportunities for both career and personal growth.

Website: https://thoracent.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thoracent/

Image Credits
Mari Wolf Photography

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