In 1987, at the age of 24, J. Barrett Hawkins was living the aspiring entrepreneur’s dream. After failing miserably with his first three business ventures, Hawkins finally found a niche. His chain of retail clothing stores, Just Sweats, had grown from one location to 22 with annual revenues of $10 million in just three years. With numerous franchise requests, the company was on the threshold of a national expansion.
Like many people who start their own business, Hawkins developed a profou more...
