Who knew that the little boy who'd started a newspaper or held a neighborhood carnival where he could sell his Quick Draw McGraw and other toys would be a financial marketing strategist and a top industry consultant? Well, actually Mark Weber, president/CEO of Weber Marketing Group, did-sort of.

"It's been a very fortuitous journey, full of twists and turns, and while I may not have known my exact career path, I always knew the entrepreneurial spirit was just part of my DNA," said Weber.

While making a living in Seattle in the restaurant industry selling food and doing marketing consulting and design for a financial service company, he saw an ad for an assistant vice president at a credit union. He made it down to the final two, and the position went to someone else.