Successful entrepreneurs have achieved something great. Many would like to tell their story and help those on a similar journey. If you are interviewing one, there are plenty of great questions you can ask.

What Inspired You?

In most countries, it’s far easier to get a stable and comfortable job. It requires a lot of inspiration for someone to work so hard and risk so much. Asking the entrepreneur what inspires them is a great question. It’ll help humanize them and each answer is completely unique. In turn, it might inspire you or other listeners.

Question: How have you changed your priorities since you first started?

How someone perceives success is very important. Once again, it’ll be different from person-to-person. Usually, early entrepreneurs will focus on self-sufficency. For example, many will have jobs on the side that they’ll want to quit so they can focus on their passion. Later on, it might be growing the business to a certain size or releasing some sort of product. Often life priorities like marriage or children will come into the picture.

Seeing how someone successful sets their priorities and goals can affect you greatly.

Question: Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently?

This question might provoke some deep thoughts in an entrepreneur. Reflecting on your life can be hard but fun at the same time.

A common answer is not to work as hard. They might feel they should have woken up to “smell the roses” more often. As they say, life is very short and putting off your kids milestones or vacations is often regrettable.

Sometimes, selling out is considered a mistake. Famous entrepreneurs like Ted Turner have regretted their sales, even though it made them billions.

Question: What challenges have you overcome?

The story of an entrepreneur is often a series of overcoming challenges. Some will be larger than others. You’ll often find some overlap with your own life. Whether a life situation or marketing issue, you can develop ideas to get out of it.

Question: How did you select your first employees?

They say your first employees are often critical. They can make or break your business since your company is so young. Hear their story. Having an eye for talent is a great choice to have.

Interviewing an entrepreneur is a great opportunity. Asking the right questions is key to taking the most from the experience.