Paris Briscoe
Paris Briscoe studied chemical engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City. Paris, often described as a "serial entrepreneur," owns multiple businesses, from real estate with Dakota Equity Group to multimedia production with Baby Black Panda. His primary venture, Dakota International Incorporated, established in 1991, manufactures and sells industrial scrubbers—devices utilized in the foundry industry to eliminate gaseous pollutants from industrial exhaust streams.
The diversity of Paris' business interests and his various ventures are impressive, but what sets him apart is how he manages these enterprises. Well-traveled and exposed to diverse cultures, Paris integrates approaches from these cultures into his daily work and lifestyle, particularly embracing the European emphasis on experience over material possessions. Content with his acquisitions, he has no inclination to expand beyond the current scope of his business. This is not due to a lack of belief in expansion potential; rather, it stems from his desire to avoid overextension and savor what life offers beyond business and finances.
Paris' success can be attributed to numerous factors, but his exceptional ability to balance prudence with risk-taking stands out as the primary cause. Detail-oriented, he firmly values quality over quantity, believing in the limitless potential of determined individuals.
While most of his time is dedicated to Dakota International, Paris pursues his other businesses as passions, particularly his vinyl record venture and multimedia company. In these endeavors, profit is not the primary focus; instead, he is driven by the desire to nurture and develop his passion for music inherited from his father.
Paris imparts valuable advice to aspiring business owners, emphasizing awareness of their "hard hat", which refers to the different colors of hard hats worn by industrial workers. To differentiate from hourly employees, engineers typically wear white hard hats on a job site. Business owners should make a conscious effort to never let whatever color hard hat they are wearing make them feel above critique. It is important to recognize employees as the backbone of your business’ success. He advocates for considering input from team members to enhance business operations and cautions against overestimating and overextending themselves financially when launching a new business.
