You've heard all about Bucks County's biggest Movers & Shakers over the past couple of weeks, but now it's time to meet the Movers & Shakers BEHIND the Movers & Shakers! Three local judges completed rigorous scoring sheets for each applicant, which were then tabulated to uncover the Top 10. 

One of those judges was Chuck Hall. When it came to finding a passionate local business leader who is experienced in shaking things up, Chuck Hall was the guy. His impressive career includes over 25 years of management and leadership experience, heading up marketing development for a business incubator, running his own consultant firm, and founding a local business conference. In addition, he holds a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Find out more about 2013 Mover & Shaker judge, Chuck Hall:

BH: You have an impressive array of business activities in your portfolio! Tell us a little bit about what you do and how you got here.

CH: These days, I spend most of my time working with startup businesses through Bucks County business incubator Novotorium. Every business has challenges and most of what I do is to help business come up with solutions. That may be marketing, business strategy, improved operations, new technology, or connecting them with other people who can help. How I got here is a long and complicated story, but it started with growing up in a family business, getting a degree in journalism (Penn State), working in ministry and social services, working for big corporations like GE and Prudential, earning a masters in organizational dynamics (Penn), and starting my own business in 2007.

BH: What's a day in the life of Chuck Hall like?

CH: I can't sleep in, so every day begins early. I find I'm usually thinking about something that interests and motivates me as I'm waking up, and that's what gets me going. I'm rarely in any one place doing one thing on a given day, so it's hard to say typical. I work out of my house in Doylestown, attend lots of meetings, and travel to Novotorium in Langhorne multiple days each week. The common denominator is helping people move forward with their businesses. I find that exciting.

BH: Which career accomplishment are you most proud of?

CH: I grew up working in a family car repair business that was started by my parents Carl and Marian Hall. I saw how hard they worked and what it took to make a living for the family. For the first part of my professional life, I chose to work for large companies, but in 2007 I finally mustered the courage to start my own business. My proudest accomplishment was starting my own business(es) in 2007 and continuing to operate successfully today.

BH: What inspired you to launch SoMeBizLife? How has it strengthened your connection to the region?

CH: Part of my corporate experience was running sizable business conferences. As I developed my knowledge of social media, I felt a lot of the educational programs I was attending were not as good as I might have liked. Many were also expensive and in inconvenient locations. Bucks County and the surrounding areas have some of the smartest, nicest social media savvy people I've ever met. So I created SoMeBizLife Conferences —  a mashup of social media, social business, social life — as a way to bring local people together to share knowledge and build relationships locally. When I look around at my “social” and “business” friends I've met through SoMeBizLife I can't imagine what my life would be like without them.

BH: What's next?

CH: I'm almost ready to talk publicly about “what's next.” I can tell you that the phrase that keeps going through my head is “more than.” Together, we all have the potential to be “more than” we can be alone. And everyone wants “more than” they have now. What I'm working on will be “more than” I've ever done before. I can't wait to unveil it!

BH: Where's your favorite spot to work remotely from in Bucks?

CH: My favorite remote location was in Doylestown — Bucks County Coffee, which was then Saxby's, which was then House of Coffee, which is now closed. 🙁 I'm desperately seeking a new remote work location convenient to Doylestown.

BH: Any advice for the aspiring entrepreneur?

CH: Move fast. Make decisions and test things out. Get advice from others to expand your perspective. Make small bets and build on what works. Move away from what doesn't. Don't stick with a bad idea or wrong decision out of pride. You're going to have some failures, but learn, laugh and move on. If you're learning you will win.