Even as a young boy, Donald Smith, owner of Lucky Dog Television Productions, had an entrepreneurial spirit.

“I was always looking for ways to make money,” said Smith.

Growing up in a rural town in South Carolina, Smith’s early endeavors concentrated on farming. By the time he was a senior in high school, he had prepared himself to open his own business.

“I spent several years working part-time in the farm supply business,” said Smith. “I decided to open my own business when I graduated.”

Smith said telling his father that he did not want to go to college was one of the toughest moments of his life.