I recently interviewed Rafferty Pendery as part of a series of articles I'm doing on young entrepreneurs.

Mr. Pendery is the CEO and founder of two successful, fast growing companies. In 2006 he started 98th Street Clothing Company and in 2007 he started Studio98, a web design and development company. In previous articles, I've explored his two very successful businesses. In this article I want to find out how Mr. Pendery spends his time when he's not wearing his CEO hat.

Q: "Mr. Pendery when you're able to get away from the office for a while, what do you like to do to relax and unwind?"

A: "I actually have many other interests besides my business ventures. I play the drums, fly small aircraft, crew for hot air balloons, go skydiving and recently I've been doing a lot of scuba diving. I'm also actively working on projects for my application to the Explorer's Club."

Q: "I've heard of the Explorer's Club. It's a very prestigious organization. Tell me more about this organization.

A: "I've wanted to be a member of the Explorer's Club since I was a little kid. A lot of the heroes I had growing up were members of this organization. The Explorer's Club is a professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore. The mission of the club is to encourage scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space. To qualify for membership you must carry out or assist in field science expeditions to study unknown or little known destinations or phenomena in order to gain knowledge for humankind. You have to get out there and actually get your hands dirty working in one or more documented scientific expeditions."

Q: "Why aren't you satisfied to just be a tourist and take the cruises and guided tours?"

A: "Being a tourist has never appealed to me. I'm not the kind of guy who likes to stand on the sidelines and watch. I prefer to actively participate in whatever activity I'm pursuing. I guess that's why I could never be satisfied working for someone else. I like to create my own game and be an active participant in that game."

Q: "What kind of field research have you done so far?"

A: "Recently I was part of an official NASA exploration. I was the crew chief for a hot air balloon team. My team's mission was to test the feasibility of doing thermo graphic imaging from a lighter than air craft. We spent long hours crisscrossing the Mojave Desert in Southern California. The data we collected in this mission will be used by NASA for further research on finding life on Mars if it does exist. Besides leading the air balloon team, I was asked to design the commemorative patch that will be given to all the people who participated in this mission. It was extremely gratifying to participate in this country's efforts to secure a foothold on other planets for the benefit of all mankind."

This desire to create their own game and roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty making their dreams come true is a trait I found in many of the young entrepreneurs I've interviewed for this series.

In my next interview with Mr. Pendery I'm going to delve deeper into his unique business model that he has used to great success in both his businesses.