Peter Rex Speaks With Busch School Students

By Jack Murray

Peter Rex, CEO of Makerise, a company that provides businesses resources to be successful in the increasingly competitive markets, spoke to around 500 students in the Della Ratta Auditorium in Maloney Hall on Tuesday, September 17th. 

“Going broke was one of the best things that has ever happened to me.” This is just one of the examples that Peter Rex gave about how he has learned from his failures while speaking Tuesday afternoon at the Busch School of Business’s CEO Lecture Series. 

Rex, a Georgetown University and Harvard Law School alumnus, shared his stories that helped shape his shape where he is now; many of which happened while at Georgetown and Harvard. Over the course of his 75-minute lecture, Rex spoke of some of his most stressful life moments and what he has come to learn through each moment. 

After each story, a sea of amazed faces surfaced from corner to corner of Della Ratta. One story, in particular, caught the attention of the Busch School students.

When facing a difficult financial situation, Rex could have filed for bankruptcy which would have alleviated much of the stress of the situation, but rather than take an easier way out, Rex chose not to file for bankruptcy and negotiated deals with investors. Doing so allowed him to keep his credibility and was a true testament to his work ethic; the most important tool for an entrepreneur, Rex noted.

Rex’s work ethic has made him widely trusted in the entrepreneurial world. This same work ethic has helped Makerise gain many well-known and trusted investors. 

Rex also shared many lessons with Busch School students regarding faith and family.

Each week, despite working six full days a week, he takes his wife and each of his three kids out on individual dates. Doing so allows him to detach from his work to spend quality time with loved ones. 

Regarding faith, Rex recommended that every aspiring entrepreneur read the Gospel for inspiration. The Gospel highlights the core values that every entrepreneur should aspire to live by.  

Rex loosely tied all of his stories together with the motif of how important it is to keep on working hard when things get tough. If there is one practice that every professional should implement in their life, it’s to keep moving forward with a positive mentality when situations become difficult.