Alumni Spotlight - Eric Smith

Entrepreneur Eric Smith always had a passion for bicycling. It took several Everett Community College classes for Eric to learn how to turn that passion into a career.

Growing up in Everett, Eric held part-time jobs while attending Everett High School and then EvCC. The arrangement allowed him to get a degree at his own pace without accumulating student loans or debt.

At EvCC, business, marketing and communications classes taught Eric how to start and operate his business. After graduating from EvCC, Eric obtained a business loan, met with suppliers, and prepared to open his shop.

Today, Eric is the owner and operator of Bayside Bikes in downtown Everett, a full-service shop that offers sales, repairs, and rentals. And he's a college graduate.

Update February 2018: Bayside Bikes has been open for three years, and Eric recently renewed his lease in downtown Everett for another three years. The business is growing new customers by word of mouth. This month, the business started offering basic bicycle repair classes. 

Why did you choose EvCC? 
I chose to attend EvCC because of it’s close proximity to me. I grew up in Everett and had part-time jobs while attending Everett High School. I was able to keep working at those jobs while taking classes at EvCC. This arrangement allowed me to get my degree at my own pace and not accumulate any student loans or dept. 

Do you think your time at EvCC helped you pursue your current career? How?
My time at EvCC helped me pursue my chosen career because I was able to look in to different options. I’ve always had a passion for riding bikes but for a long time I wasn’t sure if it would be my career. During my time at EvCC I looked into different careers and was able to take a class that gave me an idea what that job might be like and if it was right for me. Once I felt ready to open my own bike shop I took business and marketing classes to help prepare me for the business operations side of it. The bicycle part came naturally. 

What did you do after you left or graduated from EvCC?
Once I had completed my degree I focused on starting up my business. This was the most stressful part of the process. I had to secure a location, get a business loan, meet with suppliers and crunch a lot of numbers. With the help and support of my family and friends I had a bike shop up and running in a few short months. 

Was there anyone during your time at EvCC who acted as a mentor for you? If so, please tell me about that relationship and why it was valuable.
I took a couple of communication classes instructed by Jo-Ann Sickles, not only did the curriculum help me with working with others but I feel Jo-Ann helped me open up a bit. I typically showed up to class, did my work and didn’t go out of my way to get to know other students. In Jo-Ann’s classes I felt more comfortable to be myself, joke around and speak in front of the class without being nervous. This was because the class was structured around constantly working with different people in small groups to complete an assignment. This way you got to know everyone in the class instead of just the person you sat next to. Those experiences are helping me today when a new customer comes in the door! 

What words of advice would you give to current EvCC students?
Advice I would give to current EvCC students is to not be afraid to take your time. It’s okay to take a class or two at a time while working or just figuring out what you’d like to do in life. Take a variety of classes and see what’s out there. Keep it fun, add a class that you might not normally take. Most of all just keep at it! I’m a great example of someone who took their time and finally got their degree, and I’m glad I did.

Any other information you would like to provide.
Like the Bayside Bikes Facebook page  to stay up to date on what we have going on!

Alumni ad published 5/25/2015