In Chapter 2 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview with host Erik Michielsen, social media expert and Carrot Creative president Mike Germano shares the big challenges starting a business with close friends. He notes how the hardest part is when personal things come up that force you to choose between being a business partner and a friend. It runs counter to focusing 100% on the business but Germano notes that friends all come first and that long-term it is best for everyone involved. Germano is co-founder and president of DUMBO, Brooklyn based new media agency Carrot Creative. Before Carrot Creative, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut. He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University.