Move over, Henry Winkler. Emerson College has a new poster child! At just 27 years old, alumna Morgan First, ’06, is an entrepreneurial rock star. She launched MAP Boston, a guidebook planner company, when she was still in college and is now taking the wine world by storm with her latest venture, Second Glass. The spunky redhead sat down with HC Emerson to share her story and offer her tips for success.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for MAP (Motion Affair Planner) Boston, and how did you turn it into a real business?
A: The summer before my senior year, I went abroad and was using a Let’s Go guide everywhere I went. I wished I had one for Boston and realized that the only guidebooks were for tourists. I started thinking of how I could create a local guide to Boston, but also make it a planner since I knew students wouldn’t just carry around a guidebook. That fall, I took Karl Baehr’s entrepreneurship class, and he suggested I submit my idea for MAP Boston as my class project. By December, I had a team of Emerson students helping me with it. Pretty soon, all I could think about was the business! I realized I could graduate early, and when I went home for break, I asked my dad if he would be willing to put the money he was going to spend on tuition towards my company. My dad is awesome, so he said yes, and when I went back in January, I officially launched MAP Boston.
Q: How did you market it?
A: At first, the bookstores wouldn’t even sell it. But I stalked Barnes & Noble until they agreed to carry it, and I sent my friends into bookstores to move MAP into the “featured” section of the store. I also used every press connection I could. I reached out to a lot of people I didn’t know and told them what I was doing. Not everyone responded, but a lot did.
Q: You’re clearly really passionate about the city. What are some cool places in Boston that students should check out?
A: If you haven’t been to The Other Side Cafe, you should definitely go. The Jamaica Pond in Jamaica Plain is awesome, Bobby from Boston is an amazing vintage store, and the South End Open Market (SOWA) is a really cool outdoor market where artists sell their work. People think Boston doesn’t have an art scene. They do, you just have to search for it.
Q: When and why did you decide to leave MAP Boston and start your latest project, Second Glass?
A: By 2008, everything was becoming much more mobile, and the next logical step was to develop an iPhone app, but I knew that would also mean an entirely new customer base. I was ready to move on, and then I met Tyler (Balliet) at a group for young Boston entrepreneurs. He told me about Second Glass, and I was really excited about what he was doing with it. I started to help him with marketing, advising, and throwing events. I loved it, and in October of 2008, he invited me to be his co-founder and really kick the project into gear.
Q: What makes Second Glass unique?
A: The Second Glass is really the first company of its kind where we teach people about wine in an unpretentious, non-stuffy way. We have an online magazine, weekly newsletter, and throw this awesome event called the Wine Riot in Boston, LA, and now, New York. At Second Glass, you’re not going to learn the difference between a 1951 and 1952 Bordeaux, but we will tell you where to get awesome wine for less than $20.
Q: What’s your managing style like?
A: I’m very team-oriented. Everyone on the team has to get along, speak up, and be willing to share their ideas. I could hire one employee instead of four and make a lot more money, but I think it’s really important to have a group of different people contributing to the business.
Q: Who was your favorite teacher at Emerson?
A: I have two—Karl Baehr and Lauren Shaw. Karl Baehr is one of those teachers who’s tough and will challenge you, but he also wants to be your friend and is really personable. Lauren Shaw is crazy but awesome! She’s a teacher, but she also creates her own photography and video projects, and it’s really inspirational to see a woman who is so passionate about what she’s doing.
Q: Looking back, what was your biggest misconception as a college student?
A: I thought that people who had jobs had all the answers. They don’t. They just have bosses and know other people who can answer their questions. You don’t need to know all the answers to be successful. It’s just a matter of figuring out who to ask.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
A: Probably running another company! I have lots of silly ideas for companies. Some of them are sillier than others. The only thing about starting a company is that it takes a lot of capital.
Q: What is the best piece of advice someone’s ever given you?
A: Don’t be afraid to ask questions and reach out to people. You don’t have to stalk people, but if there’s someone you idolize, tell them why you idolize them, and ask for an informational interview. You’ll be surprised that most people will be flattered and will generally want to help you!