Learn to delegate. As entrepreneurs, we tend to do things by ourselves because we’re control freaks, and we like to be involved in every step of the process. While that’s important in the beginning, it’s equally as important to bring people on and to be able to delegate those tasks. This allows you to focus on things that are going to continue to grow the company.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Kille.
Chris Kille is a serial entrepreneur and investor based in Charlotte, NC. He is currently the CEO of Payment Pilot, a financial technology and payment processing firm and Elevate Outsourcing, a global outsourcing firm specializing in elite level Virtual Assistants. Chris has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs scale their business with the help of virtual assistants.
He got his start in entrepreneurship at an early age, starting his first company while still in college. Since then, he has founded or been involved with over a dozen businesses spanning a wide range of industries including technology, marketing, and finance.
When he’s not working on his businesses, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and their three dogs. He also enjoys golfing, traveling to new places and experiencing unique cuisines.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
Growing up, I liked to talk. More specifically, I liked to argue. I would challenge almost everything that was presented to me. I liked to see arguments from both sides, and I often created discussions from nothing. As you might imagine, this put me in situations where I was labeled as a troublemaker or a defiant, when all I was trying to do was to understand what was being told from multiple points of view.
I liked to argue so much that I was always told I’d become a lawyer. As I went through college, becoming a lawyer was something I was interested in; however, I wasn’t a massive fan of reading so that thought quickly dissipated. Instead, I decided to focus on business.
Both of my parents are entrepreneurs, and they own multiple businesses. Some were successful, some were not. Therefore, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. When I graduated from college, I got my first job at a large software company and found out right away that questioning procedures in an office setting was not the best way to move up the ladder or to keep your job. After several unsuccessful job experiences, I decided that perhaps it was best if I go out on my own. It was the best decision I have ever made, and I haven’t looked back. I have since started multiple businesses across different industries and been fortunate enough to exit all of them for profit.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I’m not sure where I heard this from but I use it a lot. It’s also something that keeps me on track personally and professionally. The quote is “It’s okay until it’s not.” What that means to me is that oftentimes, others, including myself, will overlook small mistakes and inconveniences over and over again until they become a big deal. For example, in one of my recent companies, we had a Sales Manager who would constantly skip steps on the SOP to make his job easier. Due to its low impact level, the mistake was uncorrected for several months even though it was brought to his attention, until we started to lose customers. I overlooked something minor that needed to be addressed, which eventually cost us business — so it was okay until it’s not. The impact from skipping those steps could’ve been lessened had it just been confronted and corrected in time.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Absolutely. The film that comes to mind immediately is Boiler Room starring Giovanni Ribisi. It’s a great story line with lots of excitement but is ultimately a redemption story. There are a lot of sales knowledge nuggets sprinkled throughout, and I like it especially because not only does it show the journey of someone with an entrepreneurial spirit going from rags to riches, but also having a strong conviction of what’s right and wrong and right always wins in the end.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
There are a lot of people out there who have plenty of ideas, and you get to hear about them in almost any congregational setting. However, the difference between successful people and dreamers is execution — this is where 99% of people fall short. This could happen for a number of reasons but I’d say the biggest one is fear. Many people are afraid to take that action step because they’re afraid of failing, being judged, or being told it is a bad idea. Consequently, they don’t take action at all, and the idea will never come to fruition. Overcoming the challenge by taking action is the first step you can do. Action creates momentum, momentum creates small wins, small wins turn into big wins, and big wins ultimately turn into a successful business.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there are very few instances nowadays where someone has a truly original idea. There’s an episode of South Park called the Simpsons Already Did It, and the overall theme of that episode was no matter what idea they tried to come up with, the Simpsons had already done it. I feel like that translates to the real world because there are very few original ideas left and most ideas have already been taken by other people. I believe many businesses are born from improving upon ideas that already exist. When someone dismisses the idea simply because someone else had already thought of it, it is, in my opinion, an excuse to continue procrastinating and not take action.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
In my experience, it’s a simple, yet involved process. When you first get an idea, you should write it down or find a way to document it to maintain the integrity of the idea. Once you have the idea, you should research it and find out how many people are doing it, how they are doing it, and, most importantly, are they making money and is there a need in the marketplace for a similar product.
The first thing before any action plan is making sure the idea will be profitable. The second step is to determine your execution plans — this is the time when you’ll begin looking into a patent, and then manufacturers, retailers, or partners to distribute the product or service. Once you have a game plan, I recommend separating the action items into categories and tackling them one by one. If you have a team already, you can delegate things easier that way. When you start tackling a big project like starting a business, there are a lot of moving pieces and a lot of things to be done. It can be very overwhelming if you look at it as a whole; but by breaking them into categories, you simplify every moving component and allow yourself to find weaknesses along the way.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
Number one, learn to delegate. As entrepreneurs, we tend to do things by ourselves because we’re control freaks, and we like to be involved in every step of the process. While that’s important in the beginning, it’s equally as important to bring people on and to be able to delegate those tasks. This allows you to focus on things that are going to continue to grow the company.
Number two, which goes hand in hand with the first one, is hire slow and fire fast. Great talents are very hard to come by. During the interview process, people will exaggerate their abilities and have their cute faces on, so make sure you take your time. If you do bring somebody on and start to notice red flags, you have to move on to the next one because one, replacing somebody after they’ve been integrated is very expensive. Two, you want to make sure that the person doesn’t bring down the culture.
Number three, which ties together with the first two, is no one will care about your business as much as you. Remember that and don’t be discouraged. Again, as entrepreneurs, our business is our baby. We’re going to care about it on every level and, unfortunately, most people aren’t going to have that same type of passion like you do. That’s not a bad thing, but I see entrepreneurs get jammed up from time to time because they assume everyone is as passionate as they are.
Number four, you may not be as important to your business as you think. When you have a strong team in place and you are able to delegate a lot of the day to day, even the advanced activities necessary to scale your business can be performed without you. It’s kind of a weird feeling. Case in point, I got injured a couple of years ago and had to miss several months of work. Not only did my business not suffer, it actually improved while I was gone.
Number five, it’s lonely at the top, but only if you make it that way. What I mean by this is whenever possible, lift people up and bring them with you. It’s called an abundance mindset. When you’re able to lift others up and bring them along for the journey, it makes success that much sweeter.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
As the first few steps, I would write them down. I would then perform market research to see if that product is available, who’s manufacturing it or providing the service, are they making money, and is there a market share to be had.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
It’s my strong opinion that when you enter something you’re unfamiliar with, you should hire a coach or locate an expert who has been there before. There is almost always a cost to this, but it is completely worth it because hiring a coach/mentor is going to compress time for you, meaning you will have the ability to learn from their mistakes before you make them yourself. This will get you from an idea to execution much faster as they already know where the landmines are and how to avoid them. Hiring an expert to help you every step of the way will save you an incredible amount of time. Time is money so if you find the right one, it’s worth its weight in gold.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
This is an interesting topic. Bootstrapping versus looking for venture capital is about balancing speed and control. This is another area where I see entrepreneurs struggle. If you’re going to bootstrap, you’re more than likely to have less money than you would if you go venture capital. This means slower growth since you might be doing this on your own with all of the capital coming out of your pocket. However, you will maintain full control, which is very important for some people.
Venture capital, on the other hand, gets access to cash and people who have a high business acumen that can compress time for you. The drawback is that you may give up some control of your company. I find that entrepreneurs can be very stubborn when it comes to giving up control. These are definitely two things you should consider when deciding whether you want to bootstrap or obtain capital from somewhere else.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I’ve found that the more success we have, the more visibility we get. As you gain market share, you become impossible to ignore, and this allows you to influence the way things are done. Influence and visibility are critical factors in improving the overall integrity of the market. The bad actors in any industry are forced to change poor policy or risk being exposed.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would love to see more of an initiative for young entrepreneurs, especially when we’re starting to find out that a 4-year degree may not be as useful as practical life experiences when it comes to finding a higher paying or rewarding career. College is not for everyone and I would love to see initiatives taken to incentivize the youth to start acting and executing their ideas. There is no shortage of ideas coming from them, and we should encourage creativity and independence because who knows what could come from them.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would love to spend time with Alex and Leila Hormozi. I found out about them about a year ago, and the knowledge they made readily available for everyone at no charge is astounding. Their desire to help entrepreneurs is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Their instagram accounts are a must follow! Plus, they have a trending Instagram hashtag #neverskipdessert, and that is right up my alley. I love sweets.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
It’s okay to be yourself. Own who you are. It took me a while to realize I didn’t have to be someone else in order for my business to be successful. I didn’t have to have everything perfect and polished before I presented my business — and myself — to the world. Instead, I needed to own who I am and truly be myself. Being myself allowed me to attract people who were like me — the right people for my business. It’s important to realize that if you’re not yourself, if you’re presenting an “image” or “ideal” to your audience, you’ll attract the wrong people.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sarah Williams.
Sarah Williams is the CEO and Founder of two 7-figure businesses, Framed by Sarah and Launch Your Box, where Sarah has worked with thousands of subscription box owners and those wanting to start a subscription box, providing in-depth training that takes them through each step of starting, launching, and growing their business. She is also the host of Launch Your Box, which launched this past fall. The podcast has already been downloaded over 100k times, is in the top 1% of podcasts globally,and in the top 20 entrepreneurship podcasts in the U.S. Connect with her on Facebook @subboxwithsarah.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
As a middle child, I always struggled to figure out where I fit in. My brother was the oldest and my sister was the baby, but what was I? Those feelings of “where do I fit?” shaped a lot of my childhood and beyond. I knew I wanted to be my own person, to have my own “thing,” but I didn’t know what that was. I just knew I wanted it to be something different than what anyone else was doing. I wanted to be unique.
Those feelings from childhood — of trying to find my place and make something my own — carried through to adulthood. Figuring out where I fit in as a kid turned into figuring out where I fit in as an adult. Finally, I realized I didn’t have to fit in. I could create my own identity and people would fit in with me.
As women, I think so many of us share this struggle. Finding our place in the world is hard and finding those people to walk that path with you can be difficult, too.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Something I say often is, “I don’t have a fear of failure. I have a fear of ‘What if I don’t try?’”
I am not afraid to fail. I never have been, even as a child. What I fear is not taking a chance, not giving something a shot because then I would be left wondering about what could have been.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I wouldn’t say there was one particular book or film that had an impact on me. I am drawn to real stories about real people. This means I tend to watch documentaries and read biographies and autobiographies. I enjoy learning about people’s cultures and backgrounds and the impact they had on what people were able to achieve.
Going back to my childhood search for my own place and my own “thing,” I am inspired by reading or watching stories about other people whose journey led them to discover their own way of doing something.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
People often come to me with an unformed idea for a subscription box. They want to jump right in to talking about packaging and shipping costs and how to price their subscription box before they have an idea of what the business is truly going to be.
This is why the first step I take prospective subscription box owners through is my 6 in 60 Workshop. This is where they flesh out possible scenarios, figure out who their ideal customer is and what problem they are solving for this person.
It is inside this workshop that we take an idea and turn it into an actual plan for what the first six months of the subscription box actually look like. Without taking the time to first lay the idea out and see it on a bigger scale, it is impossible to plan.
It starts with an idea which is translated into a plan that can then be transformed into a business.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
I would tell them it’s not necessary to invent something in order to have a business. You can have a business — in this case a subscription box — that’s similar to someone else’s. It’s up to you to determine what makes your subscription box unique. What would connect an audience to you instead of someone else who is offering something similar?
I would make it clear that there is room for you. There is room for everyone to have their slice of the pie because you cannot possibly reach and touch everyone in your market.
Instead of worrying about whether someone else has a subscription box like yours — they very likely do — concentrate on taking your idea and truly making it your own. Focus on finding YOUR place within that market.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands?
When someone wants to start a subscription box business, they go through my 6 in 60 workshop to get very clear on who their ideal customer is and what problem they are solving for that person. During the workshop, participants plan out six months’ worth of boxes. The next challenge a potential subscription box owner faces is taking that plan and turning it into a legitimate business.
Once they know what they want to see in the subscription box, they need to think about where to get those products. There are three main choices:
Buying products directly from a third party wholesaler.
Sourcing products directly from a manufacturer without the involvement of a wholesaler. These manufacturers can be in the country or overseas.
Hiring a manufacturer to make their original design. This manufacturer can be in the country or overseas.
When a subscription box owner is just starting out, working with a wholesaler is the easiest way to procure products. However, that additional layer means a smaller profit margin. That is why, as subscription box owners become more experienced, many will move onto sourcing directly from the manufacturer. It is very common for subscription box owners to design their own products and work directly with a manufacturer to produce original goods for them. This allows subscription box owners to create a truly unique experience for their subscribers, providing them with one-of-a-kind items designed and produced just for them.
Subscription boxes are then sold from an owner’s website and shipped directly to the subscriber.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
It’s okay to be yourself. Own who you are.
It took me a while to realize I didn’t have to be someone else in order for my business to be successful. I didn’t have to have everything perfect and polished before I presented my business — and myself — to the world. Instead, I needed to own who I am and truly be myself. Being myself allowed me to attract people who were like me — the right people for my business. It’s important to realize that if you’re not yourself, if you’re presenting an “image” or “ideal” to your audience, you’ll attract the wrong people.
2. Not all followers are good followers.
Inside my subscription box membership, we talk a lot about building an audience. After all, it’s not possible to successfully launch a subscription box if no one knows it exists. However, it’s important to attract the right audience, not just any audience. Amassing a large number of followers is largely a vanity metric.
A large number of followers isn’t necessary to have a successful business. I have a multi-million dollar business and happen to have a relatively small number of followers. But my followers are the right ones for my business. My followers are buyers.
3. Hire help before you think you need it.
I remember being a solopreneur, feeling like I couldn’t afford to hire help — even though I needed it — because I wasn’t yet paying myself a regular paycheck. When I finally did hire my first employee, not only was I able to pay her a steady paycheck, I was able to pay myself steadily for the first time. How? Hiring someone to help me allowed me to more than double my capacity.
I teach my members to hire before they need it and before they even know the job title they’re filling. Hiring allows them to move their business further faster than trying to go it alone.
4. Stop and celebrate the wins.
As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to focus on “the next thing” that needs to be done or the next goal that I’m working to reach. It’s so important to take the time to reflect and celebrate the victories along the way. Giving myself that moment, when I remember to do so, is a gift.
I teach my members to celebrate the small wins along the road to starting, launching, and growing their subscription box businesses. There will be setbacks and there will be hard days, but taking the time to celebrate when things go right helps motivate you to continue moving forward.
5. Surround yourself with people who see greatness in you.
It’s so important to have people who support and believe in me. It’s equally important that some of these people be outside my circle of family and friends. I have found incredible value in having people who know and understand the challenges that come with entrepreneurship in my corner. People from whom I can learn and who can relate to me and whatever may be happening in my business.
I have a group of “biz besties,” women who are all creative business owners. We get together a couple of times a year to talk business, share our experiences, and yes, have a lot of fun. I belong to Masterminds where I am able to learn and grow alongside some truly amazing people. And I know, if I’m trying to solve a problem or facing a challenge in my business, help and support is only a call or text away!
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to introduce. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
I would suggest they first spend a good amount of time researching their ideal customer. Who is that person? Where do they hang out online? What do they buy? What does this person do in their everyday life? At home? For work? For fun?
Then take what you’ve learned about your ideal customer and create a plan for your subscription box. Once you have your 6-month plan sketched out, it’s time to research the market. Find out what’s already out there that is similar to the subscription box you’re planning and subscribe to them. When you receive those boxes, take time to reflect on how you feel about them? What do you actually get for what you’ve paid for the subscription box? Your goal in researching and subscribing to similar boxes is to get a solid understanding of what is out there in the market and how you can be different.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
It is certainly possible to start a subscription box business without going through a training course or joining a membership such as mine. However, seeking out training from experts in the field can save tremendous amounts of time and money.
Inside Launch Your Box, my coaching membership, prospective subscription box owners have access to trainings that guide them through starting, launching, and growing their subscription boxes. They receive training from experts on everything from tech to marketing to product sourcing and so much more. Can someone figure it out on their own? Yes. Do I recommend it? I don’t.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
You certainly can seek out investors to start a subscription box business. However, it is also very possible to bootstrap your business and be profitable from the first month.
If you follow the steps I teach and spend time building an audience and working through the process step by step, it is more than possible to build a subscription box business with only a small investment of your own. In fact, this is what I recommend.
Having investors might allow you to get there faster initially, but you will be less profitable in the long run. Bootstrapping also allows you to avoid being indebted to or having to answer to anyone. You’ll have greater long-term growth potential and greater satisfaction knowing you did it on your own.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Inside my membership and through the free content I share with my audience, I give women the courage to start their own businesses. They discover they have the ability to earn an extra income, replace an income, or for some, earn an income for the first time. I concentrate on removing barriers for women inside the male-dominated subscription box industry.
Women are buyers and women know what they want. I give women the tools and confidence to be successful not only in business but also to experience inner growth.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
The idea of community over competition.
In a world where we could all be considered each other’s competition, I subscribe to the idea that we can all go further faster together instead of competing against each other. I am building this community of businesses that continue to work together for the common good, removing the mindset that “I’m always competing against someone else,” and replacing it with the idea that “rising tides lift all boats.”
Inside my membership, we cheer each other on, share resources, and lift each other up. Every day, we prove the value of community — that you can get there faster together than you can on your own.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Marcus Lemonis from the CNBC reality show The Profit.
On this show, Marcus goes into failing small businesses, invests his own money, and turns the business around. He combines being an incredibly smart businessman with the sensitivity needed to deal with people who are struggling with their businesses. He’s not afraid to dish out tough love when needed to help people see the path toward business success.
There is an episode of The Profit I reference inside my membership. In this episode, Marcus was working with a Christmas-themed business that had a subscription box. He made a comment to the business owner about the physical box acting as a billboard for the business as it travels across the country.
I would love the opportunity to sit down and talk business with Marcus.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Tarek Nazzal Of Nazzal Brothers On How to Effectively Leverage The Power of Digital Marketing, PPC, & Email to Dramatically Increase Sales
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Always willing to learn: As we say, knowledge is power. In my experience, having the will to learn current and new concepts that are introduced in the digital marketing industry is beyond important. Technology is advancing rapidly so continuing to self-educate is a must.
Marketing a product or service today is easier than ever before in history. Using platforms like Facebook ads or Google ads, a company can market their product directly to people who perfectly fit the ideal client demographic, at a very low cost. Digital Marketing tools, Pay per Click ads, and email marketing can help a company dramatically increase sales. At the same time, many companies that just start exploring with digital marketing tools often see disappointing results.
In this interview series called “How to Effectively Leverage The Power of Digital Marketing, PPC, & Email to Dramatically Increase Sales”, we are talking to marketers, advertisers, brand consultants, & digital marketing gurus who can share practical ideas from their experience about how to effectively leverage the power of digital marketing, PPC, & email.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tarek Nazzal.
Tarek Nazzal is an entrepreneur that has been in the digital marketing industry over the past 4 years. He is currently the Founder & CEO of Nazzal Brothers, Inc., a full-service digital marketing agency focusing on web design and development, branding, social media marketing, search engine optimization, and search engine marketing. He currently resides in California and operates the marketing agency on a day-to-day basis.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
A little about myself, I was born in the USA and raised in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia to be specific. After graduating high school in 2012, I decided to take a gap year and pursue my soccer career. I was fortunate enough to have had the luxury of travelling to Spain and the United Kingdom to further my soccer career, which I am forever grateful for. However, in 2016 I decided to take a big step of moving to California to pursue my soccer career as well my education. During my time at California State University, San Bernardino (I was still deciding on what to pursue), I started an online personal training business. I believe this was the first step that allowed me to make the decision of shifting into the digital marketing industry. This is where I had to be creative because I was a one man show; from operations, demonstrating training lessons, and most importantly, continuing to market my services through social media, website, and posting articles on a weekly basis.
Throughout my experience in the online personal training business, I started generating a lot of interest in the digital marketing industry. I learned that everything is marketing. No matter how great your business can be, if you do not have the right marketing strategy, it will be difficult to scale and further grow your business. Therefore, I ended up graduating in BA in Administration, Concertation in Marketing at CSUSB.
Upon graduation, since I had a great understanding of digital marketing principles, I decided to start up a digital marketing agency. Three years later, here I am continuing to do what I love, which is helping businesses establish a strong presence to generate awareness and increase revenue. I had the luxury of working in various sectors ranging from finance, beauty, hospitality, roofing, medical, and transportation.
I continue to strive helping clients because my job is to ensure they have the right tools and resources to grow their business.
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
Where do I start on this one lol. During my time when I was operating my online personal training business, I was literally writing articles daily and was receiving no traffic whatsoever on my website. There had to be something wrong that I never understood. I came to find out about something called “Search Engine Optimization”. I had no knowledge of SEO and the principles that needed to be applied; from title tags, mete-descriptions, using the right keyword, website speed, image optimization etc. I had realized that all of my time writing all these articles were worthless because I had no implementation of these SEO strategies.
However, I completely believe in failure because that is when you learn. I started to self-educate myself about all the different SEO strategies; from technical, on-page, and off-page, and how they can be implemented to generate traffic and improve domain authority.
Now, mistakes are part of the process and part of life. No matter how good you are, you will always make mistakes. Mistakes do not define who we are but knowing how to overcome these mistakes is exactly what makes us stronger individuals. Therefore, failure in my point of view is a positive if you know how to use it the right way.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
No doubt, my parents are my biggest supporters. Everything I have done in life was because of their support. No words can describe their support, but I will forever be grateful because they gave me a life and everything I asked for; from having the best education and allowing me to pursue my dreams of having a soccer career. Parents are the ones who believe in you when nobody else does. They always see the light in you which always keep you going and moving. Everything I do in life is dedicated to my parents.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
We as a company strive to provide the best services to our clients. We focus on integrity and trust, and it will always remain this way. The transparency we have with our clients is one of the most important elements to our growth. My job is to ensure that clients are being provided with the best tools to further grow their businesses. Most importantly, we always under promise and over deliver. This is how I operate the business because happy and satisfied clients will ultimately add tremendous value to my business in the future.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
The three character traits that I believe were extremely helpful are Self-Confidence, Self-Discipline, and Competitive.
Self-Confidence: I cannot stress how important this characteristic is. Whenever someone starts a business, there is always someone who doubts you. The most critical character trait is to never ever doubt yourself. If you doubt yourself, you already lost. It can be difficult to regain confidence, but one of the best ways to do that is by preparation. The one who knows what and how to do something, will always feel a lot more confident. I can personally say this from experience.
Self-Discipline: Anyone can start a business, but the most important question to ask yourself, is how consistent can you be? It takes discipline and effort to wake up early in the morning, perhaps cold call for 2 hours, sleepless nights to make sure you are doing everything in your power to keep the business running. I do believe this is what makes or breaks someone’s business, which is the consistency to keep going when you are tired and exhausted.
Competitive: As an athlete, competitiveness is in my nature. I always set targets and ask myself, “How can I do better”. This can be tiring because sometimes enough is not enough and always want more. This is a very good attribute in my opinion because this itself is a motivation that can take your business to the next level. It is important to set goals because that is how the bar is raised; whether personally or professionally.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Were always working on new and exciting projects! As a full-service marketing agency, we work with companies in various industries, and apply similar marketing principles for each.
However, every industry has a different marketing strategy, so when we work with a company in an industry that we have minimal experience in, we always challenge ourselves to provide the best value and services. Every project we attain, its always a learning experience because every client’s needs are different. As I mentioned, we focus on trust and integrity and will always provide the best of our services to our clients to ensure their satisfaction.
Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main questions of our interview. As we mentioned in the beginning, sometimes companies that just start exploring with digital marketing tools like PPC campaigns often see disappointing results. In your opinion, what are a few of the biggest mistakes companies make when they first start out with digital marketing? If you can, please share an example for each.
Digital marketing consists of various activities, from search engine optimization, search engine marketing, and social media marketing.
Search Engine Optimization: It varies on the company. Some small businesses do not have a great amount of knowledge on how SEO works, therefore implementation strategies are not applied correctly. It is critical for companies to optimize their websites using SEO strategies, such as using specific keywords, image optimization, title tags, and meta-descriptions. These elements are a small part of SEO.
Search Engine Marketing: This consists of Google and other related search engines using PPC ads. It is vital to have the right digital marketing strategy and understanding the purpose of the ads being created. The most important element is to set a campaign objective or goal. Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of the ad?” This is where many people fail. If you do not have the right strategy, PPC ads can be extremely expensive, depending on the industry.
PPC ads come in various forms; such as Search, Display, Video, and Shopping. Each form consists of a different goal. For example, Search is used to generate leads, whilst Display is more towards building brand awareness.
Social Media Marketing: This is probably the most common form of marketing. This is the easiest to do because its inexpensive. As always, it is important to know what the purpose of the ad is. Just because this is cost effective, it does not mean you will achieve the projected results.
However, it takes lots of testing to find the “right” ad that works and converts. This is where “Split Testing” comes into play. It is critical to test two different ads at the same time to see what works and what doesn’t.
If you could break down a very successful digital marketing campaign into a “blueprint”, what would that blueprint look like? Please share some stories or examples of your ideas.
A digital marketing campaign should be clear and precise. There are several stages in a campaign that should be considered. Here is an example of a Google PPC Campaign:
Campaign objective: This is the most important aspect of the campaign because this dictates the next steps. What is the goal? To Drive traffic? Generate leads? Create brand awareness? However, in this example, we will focus on generating leads for a roofing company in Southlake, TX.
Campaign type: As for the campaign type when generating leads, the most common would be “Search Ads”. The purpose of using this campaign type because we are basing the ad on keywords that are being searched. The search being made is based on something specific because the user is looking for something in this present moment.
Keywords: The search being made is based on a specific keyword. For this reason, keywords should be selected and chosen carefully for a campaign to be successful. By using our example of a roofing company, some of the keywords we can use are roofing company in southlake, southlake roofing contractor, best roofing contractor in southlake, roof repair southlake, and roof replacement southlake.
Match type: There are 4 different match types: Broad Match, Modified Broad Match, Phrase Match, and Exact Match. Each one of these match types allows the keyword to have some sort of flexibility. For example, if a user is searching for a roofing company in Southlake, TX, an Exact Match of a keyword would be “roofing company in southlake, tx”. Therefore, the Search Ad should be displayed to the user. However, several factors affect the placement of the A, such as the Quality Score.
Location: It is important to understand the location of your potential customers because if this is not carefully taken into consideration, PPC ads can get expensive depending on the industry. For example, if a roofing company in southlake would like to display the ads in specific areas such as Colleyville, Dallas, and Westlake, then the location targeting should focus on these areas only.
Extensions: These are literally extensions that are part of the placement Search Ad. A few extensions are Sitelink, Call, Location, and Offer extensions. If there is one thing I learned is to create as many extensions as possible because it increases the size of the placement Search Ad and takes most of the space. In our example, by using the Call extension for the roofing company, we will add the companys’ phone number, and by using the Sitelink Extension, we can encourage potential customers to view a few of our roofing projects done in the past on our website.
Landing page: A landing page is a single web page that is accessed via a hyperlink displayed in the Search Ad. The structure of a landing page should be clear, keywords used above should be scattered throughout the web page content, sample of projects, testimonials from previous clients, and most importantly, it must have a Call-to-Action that acts as a lead capture. This allows potential customers to input their contact information. This is referred to as a lead.
Optimization: In marketing, optimization plays a massive role in making the most of the campaign. This includes tweaking the number of keywords, adding/removing extensions, changing the keyword match types, and perhaps improving the landing page.
Let’s talk about Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC) for a bit. In your opinion which PPC platform produces the best results to increase sales?
Honestly, it really depends on the industry. Also, it varies whether it’s a B2B or B2C. For a B2B company, LinkedIn Ads could potentially be of great use because it targets specific professionals in an industry. For a B2C company, Facebook Ads is a very cost-effective method to build greater brand awareness, but Google Ads can be used to generate short-term sales, specifically using Search Ads. However, as stated before, it can be very expensive depending on the industry.
Can you please share 3 things that you need to know to run a highly successful PPC campaign?
There are many things that someone should know how to run a highly successful PPC campaign.
PPC Principles: Depending on the PPC chosen (whether its Facebook, Google, or LinkedIn ads), it is very important to understand the different features and how they can be used in the most effective way possible.
Setting Objectives: Setting an objective/goal is crucial to run a successful campaign. It is important to map out all the features described above in detail. Brainstorming and noting every step of the process will give you a clear idea on the direction of the campaign.
Experience: The only way to experience is through trial and error. It is always best to start with small budgets for testing purposes. It takes consistency and effort to achieve best results for any PPC campaign.
Let’s now talk about email marketing for a bit. In your opinion, what are the 3 things that you need to know to run a highly successful email marketing campaign that increases sales?
Email marketing is one of the many digital marketing strategies that can reap major benefits for any company. Here are 3 things needed to run a highly successful email marketing campaign:
Targeted email list: It is crucial to know who the targeted audience is. However, it really depends on many factors, whether this is for a B2B or B2C company. For a B2B email marketing campaign, identifying the target market is needed because you are reaching out to potential customers who may have interest in doing business with you. On the other hand, a B2C email marketing campaign can be dedicated to customers who have been purchasing your products or services in the past. Therefore, past customers are easier to convert, but it takes consistency and effort to make this possible.
Follow ups: I cannot stress how important this factor is. As we say, timing is everything. Continually following up keeps your company in the mind of the customers so when they decide to make a purchase, your company is the first one that comes to mind. The moment emails are sent distantly apart, they eventually turn into cold leads, which then becomes 10x harder.
Visually appealing templates: A visually appealing email template will automatically allow customers to behave and react differently. In addition, the email template should be well-structured, allowing potential customers to navigate easily through the different CTAs.
What are the other digital marketing tools that you are passionate about? If you can, can you share with our readers what they are and how to best leverage them?
As a marketing agency, when we develop a full marketing plan for clients, we always include every marketing tool to ensure maximum exposure. For example, redesigning their website to promote maximum visibility and reduce bounce rates, optimizing their Google My Business profile as well as all their social media accounts, having the write content marketing strategy (Blogs) to generate more traffic, and most importantly, integrating SEO techniques to improve their websites’ search engine rankings.
Here is the main question of our series. Can you please tell us the 5 things you need to create a highly successful career as a digital marketer? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Understanding digital marketing principles: It is vital to learn every piece of vocabulary in digital marketing to have a grasp understanding of current and future trends. This is a great start. For example, understanding concepts such as website design and development (WordPress etc), social media marketing (Campaign types), search engine optimization (technical, on-site, and off-site SEO), and PPC ads (Search, Display campaign types as well as keyword targeting).
Always willing to learn: As we say, knowledge is power. In my experience, having the will to learn current and new concepts that are introduced in the digital marketing industry is beyond important. Technology is advancing rapidly so continuing to self-educate is a must.
Networking: I cannot stress how important this is because this does not only expand your knowledge, but also creates business opportunities and future collaboration between professionals in the digital world.
Communication skills: As a digital marketer, knowing how to deliver messages across various platforms and being able to share compelling stories is essential. Most importantly, how can a message captivate and tap into customer emotions. This can differentiate between a good and a great marketer.
Data analysis: The only way to measure campaigns and view their success is by understanding the various measuring tools, such as Google Analytics. This allows you to track website traffic activity and locate the source of traffic. This helps marketers focus on factors that promote website growth and increase sales.
What books, podcasts, videos or other resources do you use to sharpen your marketing skills?
The internet has all the information someone needs. It is free and easy to obtain. I personally read a lot of blogs and complete various certifications to keep up with current trends. Every year I manage to complete all Google Ad Certifications, as well as HubSpot Certifications that focuses on all digital marketing activities (Content Marketing, Digital Advertising, Digital Marketing, Inbound Marketing).
Thank you for all of that. We are nearly done. Here is our final ‘meaty’ question. You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would like to start a movement that would allow people to feel more confident and pursue their dreams. People fear change, but sometimes change is all what someone needs to reach their full potential. It takes courage to step out of their comfort zone, but I do believe everyone should do something that scares them because this is how we learn and continue to make our lives way more interesting. We only have one life, so better make sure to try everything because this could not only lead to more opportunities, but happiness and fulfillment as well.
How can our readers further follow your work?
Visit our website as we continue to make updates. You can also follow us on LinkedIn.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!
Cash is king: In a fast growing environment, I always make sure I have at least 12 months of cash available, so I am never in a situation where I need to take drastic decisions.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Pascal Lorne CEO & Founder Gojob.
A serial tech entrepreneur and French native, Pascal Lorne graduated in engineering from the University of Konstanz in Germany and also has an MBA from the EM Lyon Business School. He began his career at Renault, accompanying Carlos Ghosn, then Director of Operations for Renault in Turkey, to launch Renault in Brazil.
By the age of 25, Pascal Lorne co-founded Ismap, a start-up which he later sold to Benefon, a Nokia subsidiary. Pascal subsequently founded Miyowa, the first startup based on a system for sending and receiving emails on mobile phones which became Microsoft’s official supplier for the development of all mobile applications.
Between 2007 and 2011, Miyowa became a Facebook partner, developing all mobile applications for Facebook and Twitter based in the US? After selling Miyowa to the US company Synchronoss, specialising in address book synchronisation, Pascal returned to France.
In 2013, he founded one of the first social networks for teenagers, Let.com. This was followed by Gojob in 2015, a digital disrupter in temporary recruitment with social impact and a mission to build a more inclusive labour market, which focuses his passion in the fight against discrimination in hiring and full employment.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
In 2005, after I sold my previous start-up, I didn’t work for three years and realised that having no job was dragging me away from society. One day, my kids came back from school and asked “Dad, but what do you do as a job?” And when I replied “Nothing, I just retired”, I felt like a disappointment in their eyes and less valued. Having a job, is essential to our self-respect. That’s when I decided to create a platform to simplify access to jobs for all.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
I believe we are entering a new era where more and more people want to drive their life themselves and want to have a purpose. The great resignation is a very good example of what is happening. People don’t want to work only to make their boss richer anymore. They want to take their own destiny in their hands. We empower people with more job opportunities. They can decide when, where and in which conditions they work.
They can choose.
Many platforms do this for white collar workers, but we are the only ones to do it for manual temporary workers. We developed a smart AI algorithm that matches millions of job offers with people to give workers a picture of what opportunities are best for them in just seconds.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Initially, I was so confident of finding workers jobs 24/7 that I guaranteed they would
be paid for full time hours every month regardless of how many hours they actually worked. I slowly realized that it was not a sustainable business model, as customers need flexibility to meet the peaks and troughs of demand.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
Tom Fisher, a previous CTO at eBay, has recently joined as one of our board members. He had — and still has — a significant impact on Gojob. He helped us to find some of our investors. But he also challenges a lot of our product marketing and technical architecture to ensure it will be globally scalable.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
In most cases, when you are engaged to achieve a transformation, the goal is to have a positive impact.
Our mission is to provide a job and opportunity to progress to all those who want to work.
What’s disruptive is that Gojob has banished resumes to speed up hiring. By developing the first Artificial Intelligence laboratory ‘Gojob AI Lab’ fully dedicated to human resources and employment issues, Gojob disrupts the temporary employment sector.
This disruptive approach, launched last December, uses next generation machine and deep learning algorithms to better serve both workers and employers equally.
So, for me, disrupting is always good.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
Hire the best people : It took three years to build a strong Executive team.. The company really started to take off once I had a dream team around me.
Cash is king: In a fast growing environment, I always make sure I have at least 12 months of cash available, so I am never in a situation where I need to take drastic decisions.
Stay agile: Most of our very successful new product lines are very agile before we scale them. As an example, we developed a Gojob Wallet called “My Cash” in less than a week with no-code. Now 40% of our Gojobbers are using it every month and we only started to develop it with serious coding 24 months after launch.
Get our hands dirty: Everyone at Gojob stays very operational with boots on the ground. For example, every week, everyone including myself, takes 30 minutes to call Gojobbers to ask about their working life, and product experience.
See big: At Gojob, we believe it’s never achieved. So every quarter we set new objectives and ask everyone to target at least 30% above objective, to remain in a “see big” mindset.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
We hope that Gojob will never stop growing and shaking things up! We aim to do this by intensifying our R&D in Artificial Intelligence, opening new offices, particularly in the US, where we want to consolidate our international deployment. We want to spread our mission that work is fundamental to human dignity, and recruit more and more people internally and externally. I want to change the world of work through high-level technology with a tangible societal impact which allows everyone not only to find a job, but to find the right one.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
The book that inspires me the most is probably the “Tao te King” from Lao Tseu. I am not particularly Buddhist, but this reading inspires me to make a lot of wise decisions when it comes to life crises, in private, or in business.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“When there’s a doubt, there is no doubt”. I believe humans are extraordinary intuitive. When it comes to personal life decisions such as buying a house, dating someone, gut instinct is always right. It’s very true in business too. When it comes to hiring people, or evaluating a partnership, I tend to follow more and more my instincts.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I strongly believe that a well balanced life with a good job is a path to human dignity. By providing more and more jobs, we have the potential of changing millions of lives and to inspire people to give back. Giving back a more positive attitude. Giving back by being more responsible with their kids’ education. Giving back by training other people.
Globally, we want to rebuild the social contract of tomorrow. Initially this is by helping transform the world little by little into a place with a better and more inclusive temporary labour market One that is fair, fully-inclusive and non-discriminatory — regardless of age, gender, origin, qualification or experience.
… I don’t believe you need success to make the world a better place, you just need purpose. With that, I’ve always felt a strong purpose to work with women and children that have been victims of abuse or need education or special assistance due to their circumstances. I have been involved with such causes and centers for nearly 14 years now. I also feel a similar purpose towards animal rescue and rehabilitation and therefore have worked with a few of those centers in Southeast Asia as well.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ridhima Kalani, Founder and CEO of The Scene.
Ridhima Kalani grew up between India and Singapore and immigrated to the states for college and later a master’s at NYU. As Ridhima began exploring ‘the city that never sleeps’, she quickly became the lifestyle curator for her entire circle and sorority. Before long, even perfect strangers who had been told about her talents as the ‘experience planning guru’ began contacting her to plan their perfect outings. Thus, The Scene was born. The Scene is the first platform to seamlessly combine both specialized recommendations and reservations into one. No longer do you need to search and consult various ‘Best of’ websites to then use another website for your reservation bookings. The Scene is your one stop shop for your perfect outing start to finish.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I grew up in a small town in India, not really knowing what I wanted to do. I grew up playing national level squash and at 12 I went to boarding school in Singapore. There, I continued playing squash seriously and found a passion for volunteering across Southeast Asia at women’s and children’s rescue projects, educational centers and some animal rescue projects. I guess my childhood has very little to do, at least on paper, with my current profession, but what I can say is that it involved three key elements that helped me build very strong muscle to become an entrepreneur: Risk, Passion, and Hard Work.
Lastly, it just so happens that my dad, grandfather, and great grandfather were also all entrepreneurs. Although after I graduated from college, I took on a PR job for almost two years, perhaps coming from a long lineage of entrepreneurs gave me confidence in this journey when I finally found my true calling.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step” — Martin Luther King Jr.
This is relevant literally to every stage of my life. I started playing squash not really knowing where things would go and I had a lot of pressure on me because a large part of my family plays professional squash, but I just took the first step, by showing up to my very first squash lesson at the age of 8. I didn’t know how I’d fare at boarding school or if I’d get lonely, but I just took the first step by showing up to my school in Singapore and moving into the dorm. The same goes for NYU. And when it comes to The Scene — I literally had no idea where to even start or what the “staircase,” so to speak, even looked like, but I just took the first step by learning thoroughly about the tech industry and the current software products that exist within the lifestyle place through doing my own research on Google. With something like starting a business, it’s very likely that each step in the staircase is broken down into many mini steps — and that’s totally okay! It’s just important to figure out what your mini step is, stay the course and keep doing the work (that “work” includes the inner work you need to do to show up and that “work” also includes learning to rest).
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I listen to On Purpose by Jay Shetty daily. It is a mental health podcast but it’s also so much more than that. The episode I listened to most recently is about overcoming fear as an entrepreneur and it made me feel confident, elevated, and excited for my next steps to raise funding because I genuinely found the guidance in the podcast actionable, motivating and extremely relevant to everything I was feeling. There are so many gems within the On Purpose archives and Jay is an incredible mentor/coach — he has an extremely positive aura about him that’s sure to lift you up in the moment as well, just when you need it.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
The first step is to ask yourself are you fired up about this 24/7? Would you feel like you are missing out if you did not bring this to fruition?
If the answer to the first question is yes, then the second step is to learn and conduct research super thoroughly. As I mentioned, I used Google to do that research. The goal is to learn about your competitors and your market as much as possible. Conduct research on your customers by putting out surveys (I highly recommend using Typeform for your surveys, by the way), or by asking your friends for their feedback (putting out survey polls and questions on Instagram stories worked for me) — do what you have to do to feel like you have a really good sense of your market, your industry, your competitor, and your customer. It’ll come in handy in so many ways down the line as you start your business.
The final step is to create some type of plan (a series of next steps), based on your insights and based on what you think you need to do next to launch your business. For me this was literally “reaching out to X friend”, who I knew had a contact at a software development company (and no surprise, that this ended up being the very company I used to build The Scene’s software) and signing up for an entrepreneurial coaching program because I felt like I needed that (and no surprise there either that this ended up being the same platform that helped me raise my initial funding to build out the software). My point here is to come up with actionable next steps that you feel you can execute. It doesn’t matter if these seem small at the moment — because I can attest that the small steps turn into big steps in a relatively quick timeline if you have your eye on the prize and are willing to put in the work.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Google it and google your competitors / companies in your industry. You can also talk to your friends / network about your idea — in my experience, when you discuss your idea, people always respond with “oh, do you know X company, they do something similar” — which is a great way to learn about whether your idea has already been created. But that said, I have to add that whether or not it’s been created before isn’t really the point, in my opinion. Sure, that information is important to know before you move ahead with it, but it shouldn’t stop you from pursuing it if you really feel fired up about it. I say this because, only you can do what you can do — aka — you have a unique take on this, you have different resources (both tangible and intangible, including your own entrepreneurial spirit) and you can bring something really different to what you want to create. It’s important to know whether your idea has been pursued before, but once you come to know that, it’s so much more important to figure out what exactly you bring to the idea that is unique and really have faith in that unique ability of yours.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
Here are the early steps:
Step 1: getting clear about your idea and unique value proposition
Step 2: conducting extensive industry, competitor, customer, and market research
Step 3: finding leads, sources, mentors within the industry you can go to with questions about next steps or for support for your next steps
Step 4: creating a plan that works for you as a founder with steps on how to build the product/service, how to build the team, who to bring onto your team and how to allocate for funding
Step 5: Execution of step 4
To get into your specific questions about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it, my advice is as follows:
How to file a patent:
First, it’s important to understand whether your idea can be patented. In The Scene’s case we don’t have a unique algorithm which can be patented. But what does apply for us is securing copyrights and trademarks for the website content, code, design, logo, etc.
From what I know about patenting it can be a bit complicated, so I’d recommend looking into whether your idea has already been patented before you do anything else. This is a good resource for that: https://patft.uspto.gov/
Filing a provisional patent is also a useful next step — this is an extra layer of protection that helps you file faster as US patent law is a first to file not first to invent system.
Getting a patent attorney makes the entire process easier as well. There are many patent agencies you can find by a simple Google search that will consult with you.
How to source a good manufacturer: In my experience, there are two good ways to do this (there could be more of course) — 1) Google 2) Use your network. Let’s get into Google first — assuming you know the specific type of manufacturer you want to work with, (if you don’t, you’ll figure it out relatively fast in the search process by realizing what you don’t want when you see it) you can find tons of helpful leads via Google. These manufacturing companies that you find through a basic search will have contact information and contact form submissions, I would recommend calling and emailing them and submitting these forms to get in touch with them. In my experience from reaching out to software companies and reaching out to clothing manufacturers for a new project I have coming up, they get back to you relatively quickly (2–3 business days at the most). Next, here’s how you can use your network to find manufacturing leads — make a list of people that come to mind within your network who might know (even by a longshot) someone who can help you with a lead, and then contact them. An additional tip I strongly recommend is to post your search for manufacturers on your Instagram stories, LinkedIn, and any other social networking platform that you have access to because you never know who might give you the right lead (I found my software developer by posting an Instagram story and six months into working with them, I couldn’t be happier).
How to find a retailer to distributor: The experience I currently have with this is within the tech industry with my software product. So, what I can say from the tech standpoint is, to figure out whether you want to be both iOS and Android friendly or choose any one of those distributors (if your product is consumer focused). Once you have that part figured out based on your target market, you’d want to get a sense of which outlets/ platforms offered by the distributor you’d want to use. For The Scene, I wanted to be exclusively iOS friendly and use the App Store to distribute my software product more widely.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
1: IT’S OKAY TO REST
As an entrepreneur, we’re used to going without rest or sleep. Without those two elements, we are also expected to do something quite challenging every day, which is to show up as your best self, lead, create and succeed. Stressing, working 25×7, not sleeping, working on weekends/ on vacations — behaviors are almost glorified in the entrepreneurial world. But it’s almost impossible to function that way in the long term and continue to deliver as an entrepreneur. More than that, it’s not healthy and likely will not lead to your happiness. Being a spiritual person, I do believe if you lose track of your happiness along the pursuit of your goals, you seriously need to question if it’s worth it. More so, if you show up to work drained, the project itself will start to weaken as well over time. Have I had phases where I have approached work in this very manner and lost track of my mental health? 100%, but I’ve learned to catch myself. Even if I do have to spend 2–3 weeks in this mindset (which I do not condone), I make sure that the 4th week, I am really doing what’s important, delegating more and taking out time to make sure my mental health is back on track. It’s almost like you have to put in extra effort to make up for the mental health you lost. For the month prior to The Scene’s launch, I was going a thousand beats per minute and literally working all day and night. It seemed like there was no other option. Although my sleep hours were reduced, I decided to do the one thing that made me happy — a couple of times a week I would just take a 20–30 min walk outside by the Hudson.
2: IT’S IMPORTANT TO TAKE YOUR TIME TO FEEL GOOD BEFORE YOU SHOW UP TO WORK
Feeling good is usually the last thing on our agenda. We wake up and show up to work in whatever state of mind we wake up in. If it’s a good day — great. If for some reason you feel off, tired, unmotivated, whatever it may be — we still show up in that weakened/off state and just do the work anyway. In my opinion, there isn’t enough awareness or faith in the belief that the energy you show up with makes all the difference. Recently, I went through something personally that completely threw me off. My mental state was extremely drained, my confidence was non–existent as was my ability to show up for myself, let alone for work. Instinctively what felt right was to get away from the city and take some time off, still work for a few hours a day but work from someplace else — some place that felt more inspiring and where I would feel better. However, I kept getting held back by the idea that it was really time to buckle down and work and that couldn’t be done from any place but New York. I was lucky enough to speak to mentors that reaffirmed my faith in protecting the energy we show up with, who said that even if I was doing 5 hours of work a day with a positive mindset, that would pay off more than 16 hours of work a day with a negative mindset or while feeling off. I flew to a beach town and every day I’d wake up and focus the first 5–6 hours of my day on feeling good — this entailed reading books, listening to podcasts, being by the water, staying away from alcohol, eating clean and healthy, working out — and then I’d log on work. In the first 7 days of this trip, I had accomplished more than I had in the last 7 months. I got deals and partnerships that were unimaginable — I had been trying to bring these to fruition in the past, but I never even got my foot in the door. Suddenly, here I was on calls with execs who finally wanted to partner. Point being, the energy you show up with is important so take the time to find the right headspace before you show up to work.
3: THINGS WILL GET DELAYED — SOMETIMES THAT WILL COME BY SURPRISE, BE OUT OF YOUR CONTROL AND MIGHT COME WITH A PERCEIVED REVENUE LOSS. THIS IS THE TIME TO FOCUS ON WHAT IS WORKING RATHER THAN ON WHAT IS NOT WORKING.
It’s natural to feel down about this type of situation if when it happens, and I am not here to talk you out of that feeling — but what I can say is, allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling and then let go of that and keep your head down and really focus on the areas on which you are still able to work on. My website launch was delayed by 2 months. This was unexpected but I had to take ownership of my part the delay and then also accept that it was out of my control to fast track the process. But what I could do in the meantime, was continue The Scene’s concierge services that we were already offering and try to attract new customers. I could also prepare more thoroughly for the launch now that it was a bit further away — this involved having a stellar marketing campaign in place and hiring a PR agency to host the launch event. I definitely felt low when I first heard the news and I needed to take 2–3 weeks to really process that defeat as an entrepreneur, but I eventually acknowledged the facts and focused on what was still working.
4: GET COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT YOUR FEARS ACTUALLY ARE AND CREATE A RATIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORST OUTCOME IN EACH FEAR
It’s natural to have certain fears based on the aspects of yourself that you aren’t super comfortable with as an entrepreneur. But the key is to really understand what the worst-case scenario for each fear is and get rational about it. For instance, if your fear is to talk to a certain person within the industry — it’s important to get rational about the worst–case scenario there. In this example, the worst case could be that the person doesn’t end up connecting with you or doesn’t end up liking you. To get rational about this scenario is to understand what this leads to, and what this leads to is that the potential partnership or the doors that that introduction was going to open, might not open. Then, it’s important to understand what you’d do with this worst-case scenario experience — chances are you will actually gain a whole lot of insight as to what to do the next time you want to connect with someone. So really, all you get from that worst–case scenario is insight and experience. One of my fears was pitching to my friends during my friends and family crowdfunding round and sounding too “salesy”. The worst-case scenario there was that some people would not give me money and maybe some people would stop being my friend because they felt my asking them to support my idea was wrong. I got clear about that worst case scenario and realized that if someone didn’t want to support my idea, that was totally fine and I would just network more, increase my circle and raise money in a different way. And as for people leaving my life because they felt that fundraising via friends was wrong, I’d likely come to the realization that they were never really people who I wanted to be in my circle anyway. It’s important to narrow down what your fear is about and make it a tangible, rational concept rather than an elusive, emotional one. That helps us wrap our heads around the worst-case scenario and how we could really come up from that.
5: SITUATIONS WILL OCCUR THAT WILL BE OUT OF YOUR CONTROL, YOU WILL FEEL DEFEATED. THAT’S THE TIME TO COME BACK TO YOURSELF AND YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS, RE–INVENT, RE–CREATE, PIVOT OR START SOMETHING ELSE
Of course, all of this is easier said than done. But for me, this “situation” was the pandemic. I started The Scene as an Instagram account in January 2020, and I was really hopeful to start building out the software within the next few months. But in March 2020, Covid hit the city. All my plans were put on hold indefinitely while we struggled through the loss of thousands of lives, not having a cure or vaccine (back then at least) and essentially seeing no end in sight. I felt defeated. But that’s the time that I took to go back to my family home, enroll into a bunch of courses that challenged me entrepreneurially and helped me build more entrepreneurial and creative muscle. I came across people that were reinventing their businesses and bringing creative ideas to the world to deal with covid. I decided to pivot The Scene into an Instagram account that helped people stay entertained while they were at home. This included self–care tips, at–home cocktail and food recipes, or learning how to make dishes just the way they’re made at popular restaurants in the city. Then I decided to add on to that by also working to support restaurants that needed additional funding in the city. We started creating marketing campaigns to help restaurants and reposting their funding needs, platforms, and content. Finally in summer 2020 some restaurants reopened. We launched our membership-only personalized concierge services where members would apply and pay a monthly fee to receive super personalized recommendations with reservations for restaurants with the best Covid safety measures in the city. We became a safe space for New Yorkers who wanted to go out but wanted a trusted source to account for the safety precautions and standards of restaurants that had chosen to stay open. Point being, I could not control Covid or launch my company in the way I had imagined, but I could control my own creative process, my entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to put in the work to reinvent and stay relevant in the restaurant space through an extremely tough year. One year later I was finally able to launch The Scene in the way I had imagined.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
Step 1: Writing down your idea and getting clear about your unique value proposition. Putting everything you know already and a description of what it is you want to create into a deck/presentation would be helpful as well as chances are for all the next steps, you’ll be networking with a lot of people, and they’d want to know more about your idea. It’s great to have a deck ready to go for this purpose.
Step 2: Conducting industry, competitor, customer, and market research. It’s so important to know everything about these topics that are relevant to your idea. It’ll augment the deck you’ve created in Step 1 and will help you answer a lot of questions that come your way in Step 3 and beyond. Most importantly, it’ll give you the knowledge you need to proceed and plan for how to create and launch your idea.
Step 3: Finding good leads, sources, and mentors within the industry you can go to with questions about next steps or for support for your next steps. It’s hard to do everything on your own and chances are any help that you get in these early stages will be extremely useful and will help you develop lifelong relationships with people who can guide you. Use your network to find such people. Again, post on your Instagram story, LinkedIn, literally anywhere you think your network is, to search for such people. Ask to get on a Zoom call or meet them in person and pick their brain or ask specific questions you have, based on the stage you’re in.
Step 4: Creating a plan that works for you as a founder with steps on how to build the product/service, how and who to build the team with and how to allocate for funding. This can have 3 steps, if that’s as far as you can see right now, or it can have 50 — the point is to make a plan that feels actionable to you. If I recall, mine had 5–6 big steps and broke each step down into mini to-do lists that would make 1 complete step. My steps included action items such as “finding a software dev team”, and mini steps included where to begin my search, my search timeline, etc. Another step was to connect with X, Y & Z people in my network to learn more about how to launch a tech product and another step was to get coaching and learn about how to fundraise, which included its own mini to–do list.
Step 5: Execution of the plan you created in step 4 in a timeline and order that feels right to you. The key is not to rush anything and to be thorough. Know that you’ll be augmenting the plan and adding many more steps to your plan while executing — this is the whole point of having a plan — being able to build on it, correct it, make it more detailed, etc. and is demonstrative of life as a founder because you’ll always have a “next step” to be added on.
Step 6: Getting coaching/ help, taking classes, attending seminars (or Instagram Lives), learning skills that will be useful to you in your entrepreneurial journey, reading books that will help you with the same — it’s so crucial to keep learning. I would recommend trying to learn at least one new thing a day within your founder journey but if that’s hard to keep up with, start with learning one new thing a week — this can be attending an Instagram live that’s relevant to your industry/customer base or reading one chapter of a book that you think will be useful to your founder journey. In addition, it’s important to be self-aware and understand where specifically you need to learn skills and essentially learn how to do your job — for me that was very much in the financial space and with learning how to fundraise — I took finance classes at NYU and got coaching on IFUNDWOMEN to learn how to do this. I would strongly recommend taking classes and getting private coaching in the areas that you need help with if you can!
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
Number one, get clear on your idea and unique value proposition, write it down, put it in a deck where you can explain it. Second, definitely get a consultant (but search for the right one and know that that search can be tedious) and take them through your idea and your deck. Make sure they understand the crux of your idea and why you want to bring it to life. Welcome their feedback and inputs — in my experience these have been largely helpful, especially when it comes to understanding the best practices and other core issues of an industry that I am not an expert in, but simultaneously know that you are the lead and this is your idea and you get to vocalize and draw the line when feedback doesn’t apply or cannot be executed because it’s not in line with your vision.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
This depends on how much you need to raise plus the stage of your company. If you’re anywhere between ideation to pre revenue — you likely will be in the bootstrapping segment. I crowdfunded for The Scene on iFundWomen in the idea stage and raised for software development. Don’t be afraid to look at funding from friends and family or crowdfunding as your first step. It’s actually great practice for when you do have to go up in front of angels and VCs. If you are in the revenue stage, you can probably go up to angels and depending on how much revenue you are making you might even be able to go for VC funding. Raising funding is extremely hard and there isn’t enough awareness around how to do it, so I’d highly recommend either applying to incubators/ accelerators or finding coaching platforms, such as iFundWomen, to get yourself that additional support and preparation.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I don’t believe you need success to make the world a better place, you just need purpose. With that, I’ve always felt a strong purpose to work with women and children that have been victims of abuse or need education or special assistance due to their circumstances. I have been involved with such causes and centers for nearly 14 years now. I also feel a similar purpose towards animal rescue and rehabilitation and therefore have worked with a few of those centers in Southeast Asia as well.
That’s said, with my current platform and as the founder of The Scene I am now working on two new initiatives:
Adding and promoting more POC-owned restaurants and establishments to our platform: we’ve been featuring such establishments since the very beginning but want to continue building onto our database for this purpose.
Creating more awareness around entrepreneurial mental health: as readers can probably tell from my interview thus far, I do feel passionate about spreading the word around how important it is to take care of yourself in order to show up as your best self while being an entrepreneur. I intend to use my personal digital platforms to create more awareness on this topic and share tips, feedback, and advice to help fellow entrepreneurs and create a real community there for people who are seeking out this type of advice.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
It’s really hard to choose one but I can give you a top three.
First, I’d like to inspire everyone to sit alone with their thoughts for a couple of minutes a day (preferably in the mornings) and make the effort to cleanse mentally and choose your thoughts and the way you are showing up. Secondly, I’d like to inspire the focus on feeling good before showing up to whatever it is that you’re passionate about or do for a living. These two steps combined, in my opinion, would bring a massive positive shift in how people show up and what energy they bring to the world. Lastly, I’d like to inspire everyone to be kinder to everyone and everything they come across on a daily basis. I like to start my day by asking myself how I can be just 5% kinder today and then try to operate with that goal in mind in every interaction I have throughout the day. That 5% kinder mindset feels like such an actionable goal, that it helps you show up with love, positivity, and grace naturally.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I’d love to meet Payal Kadakia Pujji, the founder of ClassPass and now author of LifePass — she is an incredible tech founder. Her company was the first unicorn of 2020 and was just acquired by Mind Valley. Her entrepreneurial journey, spirit and her leadership style have always appealed to me, and I follow her work, her interviews, etc. She’s someone I’d love to be mentored by or just get breakfast with to pick her brain on how she built ClassPass and especially to know more about her early steps as an entrepreneur. In one interview she said, “Everyone loves ClassPass now, but nobody had heard of ClassPass in the first 5 years after we launched”. It’s her mentality of resilience and taking strides forward while taking her mental health seriously (which she discusses a lot in interviews as well) that I’d love to learn more about.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Think Big and Be Bold — Permit yourself to think ambitiously about your future business goals. As an entrepreneur, you must always ask, “Why not?” I was repeatedly told that killing pests is simply better, faster, and cheaper. But I knew there were others out there who wanted “better” than that.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Kari Warberg Block.
Kari Warberg Block’s journey of entrepreneurship began out of necessity. What started at her kitchen table has now become a major multi-million dollar national brand.
As the Founder & CEO of EarthKind®, Kari discovered that 98 percent of pest control products sold were poisonous kill methods, so she set out to invent a better solution: plant-based pest control powered by nature. She was the first to develop, manufacture, and commercialize poison-free rodent and pest repellents for farm and home use. Kari has built EarthKind® into the seven-figure company it is today by looking for innovative solutions and adopting unconventional approaches to break into an industry that was resistant to change. As a highly respected businesswoman and pest prevention expert, Kari has achieved significant personal and professional success, including the launch of her debut novel Gathering Around the Table: A Story of Purpose-Driven Change through Business, nationwide product distribution, being selected as an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneurial Winning Women,” working with the National Women’s Business Council to advise the SBA, Congress and the White House on policy that impacts women in business, and receiving the 2019 GMDC Retail Champions of Change award for her role as an inspirational industry leader.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
My life was unconventional from the start. Born in Logan, Utah, to a teacher mom and an up-and-coming Entomologist dad, I moved around a lot. Mostly landing in urban areas where I was the minority, I learned early that I wanted to lead my life with kindness.
When I was about five years old, I woke up to my purpose, although I didn’t know it at the time. While living in Cherry Hill, NJ, I watched the garbage men pick up the trash and take it “away.” One day I asked my dad, “Where is away?” He took me to the largest dump in Staten Island: the Fresh Kills Landfill where I watched people working and living in huts infested with rodents, and cockroaches. This experience created some disharmony and chaos, sending me down the path to being an environmentalist.
Shortly after that, I watched a shampoo commercial of a young blonde girl washing her hair. She looked so happy and cool that I decided I wanted to be that girl. Naturally, I begged my parents to buy me the shampoo, I just had to have it. When I finally got it, the promise given to me by the sweet little blonde girl was broken — I was met with utter disappointment as the chemicals in it burned my skin and scalp. I was let down. Now, with hatred for chemicals and plastic, I knew I had to develop products that used natural ingredients. That’s when I became a conscious consumer, wanting to bring everything about a product’s brand promise and life cycle into the light.
When it came to my career path with pest control, my farm, like many farms across the country, suffered greatly from rodent infestations and the costly damage that came with it. At the time there was only one solution for this — poison and kill pest control methods. Understanding the damage and hazardous effects pesticides have on not only the pests, but also on the health and safety of ourselves, our pets, and our environment, I was tired and angry that this was the only answer. To make matters worse, I learned that 98 percent of pest control products on the market were poison-and-kill based.
Like many entrepreneurs, I started out of necessity. My “a-ha” moment occurred when a mouse ran up my leg! My first instinct was to repel it, not kill it. I had extensive knowledge of herbs and essential oils, so I thought, “What if scents in nature could repel pests?” And with that, and with a lot of tenacity, passion, patience, and hard work, EarthKind® was born!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have two “Life Lesson Quotes” that have molded and shaped my life.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” — Teddy Roosevelt.
Many of Teddy Roosevelt’s quotes have been an inspiration to me. This quote means to me that you can impact the world, no matter how big or small, from anywhere.
The following quote is from Mother Teresa. She is also an inspiration to me.
“If each of us would only sweep our own doorstep, the whole world would be clean.” — Mother Teresa.
She defines this quote to mean let us be the change we want to see; then we can change the word, together.
I, of course, have my interpretation, that taking care of your own home is the first step you can take in bettering the environment and, ultimately, the world.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
It is too hard to pick just one book, but if I had to choose it would be “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. This book first came across my desk when I was in high school and was required to write a book report. It caused me to question grown-ups and their motives for using and abusing people, animals, and societal circumstances for their own gain. The story just didn’t leave a great taste in my mouth. I couldn’t understand why others would allow bad things to happen and not help or get involved somehow. It became clear that there is great power in listening to your own heart rather than what society dictates to you. Little did I know that I’d grow up and invent a new kind of factory farm that works with nature, not against it.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
I believe that there are specific questions that you must ask yourself as you embark on the entrepreneurial journey and create your successful business.
Is there a niche market for the invention, idea, or solution, and will people pay for it?
There is a market for practically any idea out there, but are people willing to pay for it? Do they have the money available to buy? Is there a sense of urgency to bring this idea to the market? If you get past these first questions, you may be on to something.
Next, ask yourself these questions:
How much did it cost you to make it? Was it a success? Is this a price you are willing to spend consistently?
It’s always best to fail fast and fail cheap to learn what’s needed to address the market need better, faster, or cheaper. Experience teaches us that one can never assume anything. It may take a few tries.
Lastly, ask yourself is this the right time for the idea?
It’s good to know if the desire for what you have is growing or declining. Timing is everything!
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
You must know your idea inside and out. Start by “Googling” it. Use multiple keywords that describe your idea and see if it exists anywhere. Know your audience and the pros or cons of bringing this idea to life.
To research the name, use these websites
Tech scout: Go to USPTO.gov and do an IP search.
Trademark library to see if the name has been taken.
A patent search can also be done.
Check Amazon. If you find prior article or technology, you may be able to improve upon it or find out that the idea was abandoned. Knowing “why” might save you a lot of time and money. Or it might lead you to an even better idea!”
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
To file a patent, I recommend following patent experts. Listen to their podcasts, read their blogs and books. I suggest reaching out to them and asking for referrals.
To source a good manufacturer, reach out to your state’s Small Business Association (SBA) office. They have a wealth of knowledge and resources. If they don’t know someone, they will know who to ask. Also, reach out to the US Manufacturers Association.
My best advice when looking for a retailer to distribute your product is to start local. Then, go statewide, regional, then national. It’s easier to sell to retailers once you’ve had successes that can be shared. Better yet, get a referral. That’s how my business grew. I’d ask my retailer for names of other retailers they knew who they thought would do well with our product. They were more than happy to help.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
When I started my company, I wished someone had told me a couple of things. These are the best five I can relay to up-and-coming entrepreneurs.
Think Big and Be Bold — Permit yourself to think ambitiously about your future business goals. As an entrepreneur, you must always ask, “Why not?” I was repeatedly told that killing pests is simply better, faster, and cheaper. But I knew there were others out there who wanted “better” than that.
Work on the business rather than in it — Most businesses start as a side hustle, working after work and on the weekends. Entrepreneurs must continue cultivating their plans and home in on the right strategy for each growth phase. Creating a solid and capable team is necessary to assist you in transitioning fully into your business venture. Hire people smarter than you.
Establish Key Advisory Networks — Establishing relationships with other business leaders in and out of your business area is important to secure advice and counsel. I utilized the SBA, local universities, and the Women’s Business Centers like the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). These networks determine your net worth, literally.
Build A Public Profile — Put your brand to work. Take every opportunity to speak publicly, write about what you know, share your story. Create your voice so that you become the guru for your industry. This was a big step for me. I am a natural introvert; however, doors opened for me, and many understood my purpose and mission for EarthKind ®. Building my public profile really catapulted my business.
Evaluate Financing for Expansion — Consider your capital needs as you grow and align yourself with potential investors for financing options. Most entrepreneurs use their resources such as credit cards and family loans. That’s what I did. However, traditional bank loans are good to start with and remember; when something goes sideways, contact the banker first.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
It is important that you imagine how your product will impact people’s lives positively. Ask yourself this question “Will it make the world a better place in some way?” This answer encourages you to see things as they really are and challenge you to be different. Once you have your answer, you can make your next move.
Consider these following questions as you move forward. “What would change if this invention was on the market?”
For me and my business, I knew that I would be introducing safe and healthier ways to get rid of pests and remove toxic chemicals from homes.
Then ask yourself, “What would happen next?” As we have seen, toxic chemicals are the link to most adverse health effects. Some children who have encountered toxic chemicals can develop chronic diseases such as cancer.
Ask yourself once again, “What would happen next?” In my case, with our Harmony Heroes program, we are seeing a change for the better, where protecting the environment and the world around us can happen.
Continue to ask yourself this same question. As you find your answers, you will see that your purpose will start to be defined. This is an essential factor as you bring your invention to life.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
This is a very simple answer. Do your research. Each entrepreneur must decide what is best for them. No one else can do that.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
I bootstrapped EarthKind®. My idea was before its time. We built market awareness for many years. However, today this may not be the best option for EarthKind® because the adoption of non-toxic pest options is exploding everywhere. I came out 15 years ago when 98 percent of the products on the market were kill-methods.
Check out your industry before you make your decision. As previously mentioned, it is essential to do your research before making any decision. Depending on what your idea is, that will influence your choice.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
On July 8, 1995, I was hit by a motorcycle. I died for three minutes and was bedridden for nearly a year. My doctor, who was truly affected by his experience saving my life, commented that there had to be an angel looking out for me. This made me deeply reflect on my purpose in life.
The name ‘Earthkind’ kept playing in my head while I lay in this hospital bed. I knew there was a pest problem nobody cared about, so educating people on better habits became my first goal. The simple things that many forget or ignore are important. For example, cover your garbage can, protect your pet food. My next goal was to get rid of toxic products. You don’t always have to kill things.
Earthkind® has solved 30 million infestations, preventing property damage (i.e. clothes, food, cabinets,) and not killing any pests. This is my first impact on the world.
My next impact is to retrace my roots of leading with kindness. This is why at EarthKind® we have a special program dedicated to 20 percent of EarthKind’s factory workforce, which includes employees with characteristics typically attributed to learning disabilities. We provide fulfilling long-term jobs that maximize their unique skills. Anyone can find a home at EarthKind®.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I have already started my movement with the Harmony Heroes Program I created. I decided to devote an entire year in 2021 to supporting eco-education initiatives in schools. Teachers across the country have been heroic champions for eco-education’s long-term social and cognitive benefits. Highlighting a Harmony Hero each month illustrates the importance of getting kids back to nature.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
If I were given the opportunity to meet anyone in the world for a private breakfast, my choice would be the incomparable Jane Goodall. She is the expert on the interactions of chimpanzees in the wild, learning about their humanlike behavior and their influence on the world. She has impacted my heart because she has identified the need for their care and has made it her life’s work to teach others about them. For me, it is the care for all nature that I love most about her.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Collaboration — Perfecting team dynamics across the entire business can seem impossible but championing a culture that promotes diversity and education can help teams work more collaboratively and efficiently. Intercultural understanding of diversity and the positive impact on individuals and the wider business is key to promoting anti-racism and community harmony across the group. Learning to appreciate cultural differences and understanding unconscious bias helps employees understand barriers different groups face. In turn, this heightened cultural awareness fosters teams to work together and avoid clashes that could negatively impact the team dynamic or delivery timeline.
As a part of our series about “How Diversity Can Increase a Company’s Bottom Line”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Elona Mortimer-Zhika.
Elona is the Chief Executive Officer of IRIS Software Group and is responsible for all operations across the Group. Elona is dedicated to ensure IRIS is the most trusted provider of mission-critical software and services. She is very passionate about building winning teams that provide customers with an exceptional experience and value-add solutions.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into the main part of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you share a bit of your “backstory” with us?
I grew up in Albania and was fortunate to be awarded a scholarship for the International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College in Wales, UK. I was only the second Albanian child ever chosen alongside 200 students from 130 different countries. Accountancy has always appealed to me. My Dad was an economist, and as a child, I was a numbers geek, so I was delighted to secure a further scholarship for an accounting and economics degree at Reading University. This degree was a revelation — Albania previously ran on a centralized economy, so I had little concept of what privatization or free trade meant until I started studying.
In my final year, I went to role-play as an interviewee on Arthur Andersen’s manager training programme, which led to joining their graduate training scheme. When Deloitte acquired Andersons in the UK, I stayed and became a senior manager, after which I took a role as group financial controller at one of my clients, international text messaging business called Acision.
Can you share an interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
During my time at Atlantic College, I was surrounded by students with incredibly diverse cultures, traditions, and beliefs.
I lived in a dorm with someone from Czech Republic, who wanted to keep the windows open and someone from Rwanda that wanted the windows shut because it was cold. My Rwandan dormee was also a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, she had seen her whole family killed in front of her and she was still searching for relatives she hoped might have survived. She would often wake up in the night screaming, and then pick herself up every morning, living life to the fullest.
There was no other place that made me live the true effects of war, no other place could have taught me what true strength and resilience mean.
I came away realizing that the power of diversity produces the best results.
If you hire to your own cut, your team will be the same as you and the decisions you make will not be as informed as they could be. Don’t work with ‘yes’ people. Bringing together multifaceted teams not only gives learnings along the way, but makes your world bigger, raises the bar and enables you to make the best decisions.
I am a great promoter of diversity at IRIS because diversity, in its truest form — and I’m not only talking about gender — creates an incredible working environment. Each of us is unique, regardless of race, religion, color, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability or age. It is these differences that make us great. In diversity there is beauty, there is strength and better outcomes.
My learning from this experience is to hire a diverse team and bring challenge to the table.
I firmly believe that people from different backgrounds makes for better decision-making.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you tell us a story about how that was relevant in your own life?
My favorite phrase is part of a Roald Dahl quote, ‘Lukewarm is no good’. If you’re enthusiastic about something, you should really go for it. 100% or nothing. Life is too short to waste time on things we are not passionate about and I have returned to this time and time again throughout my career.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
I’m fortunate to have some amazing people in my life who have supported me throughout my career. When I was younger, my Dad inspired me to follow my passions. I was a numbers geek and he was an economist, so he really fostered my curiosity to learn more about the world around me. I’ve also been fortunate to have some supportive bosses and mentors, and my leadership team constantly amaze me with their dedication to go above and beyond to ensure our customers and colleagues have the tools they need to focus on the work they love.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
There is of course our innovation, customer service and our unswerving mission to make crucial business processes efficient and intelligent that makes IRIS stand out.
However, I firmly believe this starts with our colleagues. We use a monthly survey tool to constantly monitor employee feedback, and champion and encourage equality regardless of age, gender, race, religion and sexuality. Our training and development programme includes a high-potential initiatives, celebrations of our top talent and mentoring. We’ve created awards based on our IMPACT values (innovation, making it happen, passion, accountability, customer focus and teamwork); provide opportunities for colleagues to progress entrepreneurial ideas through our #madeinIRIS CEO awards; partner with specialists in mental health and LGBT+ support; organize working parents’ panels; and arrange diversity and gender equality initiatives.
The combination of our focus on employees means our customers receive unparalleled software solutions and services from colleagues who are the best version of themselves.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?
Our mission is to make critical business processes as efficient as possible. Our unified technology platforms are transforming industries by reducing the time, energy and effort working professionals spend on admin, reporting, and data entry.
With this in mind, we seek to enhance the world around us, inspiring the generations around us to recognize, understand and manage the insight our smart technology provides. We believe knowledge is one of the most powerful tools you can give someone and actively encourage colleagues to contribute to the communities around them, giving them the time to share their experience and skills to make the world a better place.
Our initiatives include working with Bookmark, a charity that aims to ensure every child can read; partnering with charities who work with young girls (15–16-year-old girls) to give them experience of working in the technology industry, a space stereotypically dominated by males. We work closely with universities, including UK-based Salford University, chairing activity such as Hackathons and providing sponsorship opportunities, such as sponsoring a student. Social mobility is also vital, and we work with organizations to improve social mobility for university students by working to create the conditions for undergraduates from less-advantaged backgrounds to access and sustain top graduate jobs. Finally, we work alongside the UK Government, championing a Kickstart Scheme to create six-month work placements in a variety of different departments, to kickstart the careers of young people.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
We all have a duty to pay it forward. On a personal level, I am very grateful for the opportunity to study at Atlantic College, it was life changing for me. In return, I now work closely with the college to make sure other children have the same opportunity. I also give back in time by mentoring other women in leadership, including participating in the UK industry body, ICAEW’s mentoring initiative.
Ok. Thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. This may be obvious to you, but it is not intuitive to many people. Can you articulate to our readers five ways that increased diversity can help a company’s bottom line? (Please share a story or example for each.)
Innovative ideas — When everyone at an organization looks and thinks alike, ideas can run stale and creative ideas are not incentivised. This can cause an organization to stay stuck in a loop, functioning on historical ideologies that are no longer relevant and unable to connect with the world today. Embracing diversity enables everyone to pool together their different life experiences and ways of thinking into innovative new ideas. With diverse teams and by rewarding innovation, you can set yourself apart from market competitors.
At IRIS, we understand the importance of diversity and employee innovation which is why we launched the ‘Made in IRIS CEO Awards’. This initiative was designed to foster employee entrepreneurship, new ideas and innovation to enhance our business. Each quarter, employees can present business plans for new or existing mission-critical software and services to further support our vision to ensure customers get it right every time. A panel then reviews the proposals and chooses the strongest business plans and provides funding and resources to make the business plan come to fruition. Every plan which receives funding is automatically enrolled into the annual Made in IRIS CEO Awards, which allows colleagues to win a one-off prize for their contribution. This healthy competition across IRIS is well received and demonstrates our ongoing mission to encourage employee innovation.
Client relationships — Embracing the strength of diversity will allow your business to assist clients better and meet their needs. As humans, we inherently value working with those who share our experiences and interests. We appreciate that each person experiences life differently and offers varying levels of subject matter knowledge and expertise that drives passion and relatability. When prospective clients meet us, whether in the office or via a Zoom meeting, they may not feel comfortable if they look around and see nobody resembles themselves — and may seek out an organization they find more relatable. Prioritizing diversity can help attract and retain clients to drive increased value.
Talent retention — It’s clear that prospective employees value diverse organizations in their career journey. Nearly one-third of millennials report already leaving an organization for a more inclusive one. Fostering a culture of diversity starts from the top down and lack of diversity amongst leadership can affect the perceived diversity of the organization. Nobody wants to feel like an outsider or ‘token’ in the workplace. Diversity is a critical tool to attract and retain key talent in the workplace as employees take the values of companies increasingly into account. When employees are happy and agree with company values, they will be more inclined to stay on your team and put their best foot forward to deliver outstanding products and services.
Collaboration — Perfecting team dynamics across the entire business can seem impossible but championing a culture that promotes diversity and education can help teams work more collaboratively and efficiently. Intercultural understanding of diversity and the positive impact on individuals and the wider business is key to promoting anti-racism and community harmony across the group. Learning to appreciate cultural differences and understanding unconscious bias helps employees understand barriers different groups face. In turn, this heightened cultural awareness fosters teams to work together and avoid clashes that could negatively impact the team dynamic or delivery timeline.
At IRIS, we understand the value diversity plays in team collaboration, so we created the Team of the Quarter category at our IMPACT Awards to celebrate teams who genuinely exemplify the IRIS values. Rewarding teams in this manner demonstrates to employees that we value those who collaborate and truly embody IRIS values to further our mission.
Employee empowerment and growth — Diversity amongst the top-level leaders at your organization can positively benefit junior employees. When entering a new company, employees look to their leaders for mentorship and guidance to grow in their roles and career. Prioritizing diverse leadership can show employees that you value diverse ideas. Anybody, regardless of differences, can achieve high-level leadership positions if they are driven and work hard. As a female CEO, I hope to be an example to women in my workforce that despite working in a male dominated industry, if they work hard and achieve agreed goals, they can grow into leadership roles.
What advice would you give to other business leaders to help their employees to thrive?
To help employees thrive, you must listen to employee feedback and foster a culture of learning and development. Investing in staff training helps create a happy, successful and engaged workforce, leading to higher retention and productivity amongst staff. Formal and informal training that focuses on soft skills and professional skills lead to employee development and enables employees to thrive in their roles within the company.
What advice would you give to other business leaders about how to manage a large team?
It is essential to be your authentic self in leadership positions rather than the person people expect you to be. Unfortunately, you will never be able to please everybody — but remember your job is to make decisions for the greater good and protect your business.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this 🙂
I would love to have lunch with Madeleine Albright and/or Michelle Obama.
Madeline resonates with me as she emigrated from Eastern Europe to the UK, and then to the US. I also admire her for saying, “There is a special place in hell for women that don’t help other women.” In fact, I recently wrote an article about women in leadership which took inspiration from Madeleine.
Michelle is also inspiring. Her journey of self-creation and personal growth enthuses me, especially when she talks about removing finishing lines as there is always room for more growth and evolution. This is how I feel about my personal journey.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Start focusing on bringing your light to your message so you can shine a light on everyone else. To be a highly effective speaker, ask yourself what was the most effective take-away from a speaker you recently saw. And you will realize it was not the way they memorized something, it was how they made you FEEL and made a difference in your life. I always pray before I go on stage, that if just one person’s life can be impacted and changed for the better, then that is why I am here.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Holly Dowling.
Holly Dowling is a highly sought after award-winning Global Keynote Speaker and Top Ten Inspirational Thought Leader as well as founder of the “Extraordinary Leader” program and creator of the “Extraordinary Speaker.” For the past 20 years, she has addressed thousands of Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies around the world including Facebook, Deloitte, PaloAlto Networks, Disney, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Home Depot, Google, Hilton, and IBM, among others and impacted the hearts and minds of millions in over 120 countries worldwide with her “A Celebration Of You” podcast.
Holly is honored to be featured as a Top 10 Global Inspirational Thought Leader among other honorees Deepak Chopra and Dr. William Wilson, President of Oral Roberts University. She is also a member of the United Nations Girl Up, a two-time Stevie Award winner, a recipient of The American Riviera Women Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a global speaking member of the AICET Council, and she was recently featured on the cover of The Excelligent Magazine as a SHERO of the year, women “thrivers” making a positive impact in people’s lives. As creator of Hollyisms Daily Dose Of Inspirations App based on her well known book “Hollyisms,” Holly’s mission is to continue to inspire hearts and minds all over the world!
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
As the oldest of four, I grew up a very shy, overweight little girl in central Pennsylvania. Although I had no confidence as a child, I had always had an entrepreneurial spirit with a passion to entertain as well as help people. As young as seven years old I was ringing neighbors’ doorbells on the weekends trying to sell them literally anything — from entertaining them by dressing in a tutu and dancing in front yards for 75 cents to taking empty baby food jars and filling them with shaved soap from around the house and trying to sell it. It all came down to how I always had a sense of fearlessness. I wanted to try new things by combining entrepreneurship and entertainment, all with the ultimate goal of helping people and spreading joy. Who you are as a very young person can tell a lot about who you are later in life. Little did I know my childhood would play into my lifelong mantra of “Tell me no, watch me go,” and would be infused into every chapter of my life!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I did not seek out this particular career. The call to be a global messenger of hope and inspiration found me! When we are open to walking through the doors that open for us, instead of forcing things to happen, magical experiences are awaiting us!
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The most interesting story is centered around how my career began! A woman I met through my women’s group asked me to speak to a class of high school students in Denver, CO. I asked her, “Are you sure they want to hear some of these hardships and how vulgar my life was?” Her reply was to tell the story like I am speaking to adults. It ended up changing my life forever. There was a line of boys and girls after the talk saying things like, “I never want to give up. I want to have dreams again.” Several days after I spoke, I received a letter from one of the students in the audience. The letter detailed how the morning of my talk this student was prepared to end her life because she was being sold by her father for cocaine. The letter went on to say how much listening to my story, and what I had to say, changed her perspective and she discovered her life is truly valuable. That day changed her life forever, however, the impact I made on her changed my life forever! It made such an impact that I have carried that letter in a small plastic bag to every speaking engagement I have had for the past 25 years.
That engagement turned into the school principal asking me to speak at an assembly with parents. Afterward, I was approached by several parents with business cards, asking me to come and speak at business and corporate events, and the rest is history.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I have many comical stories related to the extensive amount of travel I have done all over the world however, I have learned to laugh off the most common travel debacles; everything from lost luggage and buying clothes in every city to overhearing sensitive information in the cockpit delaying the plane. But perhaps the most relevant story for this article was when I was in the middle of a ballroom serving a high-end client with hundreds of leaders in the audience and the power went out! I asked the audio team to crank the music, and everyone got up and danced! Always give a shout out to audio and visual teams behind the scenes who make it all happen. From travel nightmares to speaking hiccups, I have truly learned to just go with the flow!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Peggy Calhoun was the name of the teacher at the Denver public school who took the God nudge from above and asked me to share my story with her students. It had a dramatic impact throughout the entire school, school district, and then my life.
In addition, Gina and Kirk Shrek were the people who heard about me through Peggy, and they gave me the opportunity to start delivering and facilitating for the IBM circuit. They were really the first people outside of my circle who said I was phenomenal and have a gift. Which led to the incredible introduction to the amazing Marcus Buckingham who saw my light and empowered me to shine brighter than ever before, catapulting my career to a global audience!
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
I would sum it up this way: I broke all the rules and created this career my way! I would tell others to stop thinking you need to follow the world’s way of doing things. I do not have a bestselling book and I do not have a TED Talk. I chose to create my career without taking the traditional path many speakers take which means, the best words of advice I can give would be … if you have a burning passion in your heart to make a difference in other people’s lives, being a global inspirational messenger speaker means that it is not about “Holly.” I have constantly had a burning desire from my soul to serve this world and bring hope and inspiration. Know what your message is and know why it matters that you care enough. If this is about your ego and about you being on stage, choose a different career path. I have never seen anyone successful in this business without the right heart and message of servanthood.
What drives you to get up every day and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
What drives my spirit every day is that I am a messenger of joy, hope, and inspiration, as well as truth and healing. I love knowing that I am following my soul’s highest calling and it is not work. It is pure joy! Most importantly, as I have grown and evolved, my spiritual divine calling has escalated to such a degree that it is time for me to really own this part of myself and share with others on how to let their light shine!
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I feel so blessed that we have a global platform. We have loyal clients who have engaged with us for over a decade, and we are privileged in that they continue to bring us back all over the world. We are unique in that we do not work with a speaker’s bureau or manager, and all our business is repeat and referral, which speaks volumes in this business. Exciting projects are currently aligning as I am honoring the spiritual gifts I have been blessed with. This is the first time I am sharing this publicly because I am finally at a place in my journey where I can honor these gifts and truly help others awaken their light within. In line with this calling, the best way for me to share these gifts is through my Extraordinary Speaker program which is an exclusive circle dedicated to people who want to learn how to be a successful speaker through non-traditional methods. People are fascinated by how I have thrown the rules out the window and flipped everything on its head in this business!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Give without remembering, receive without forgetting.” This is so relevant because I dedicated time to “values work” with a dear friend a few years ago. I discovered that my number one value was spirituality, number two was appreciation, and number three was joy and fun. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that it was such a life affirming experience. Always come from a place of gratitude!
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
The number one suggestion to be a highly effective speaker is to lose your ego. Truly get out of yourself and get out of your ego.
Find your “why.” Why do you want to be a speaker? There are so many different types of speaking positions and I think it is so important that people figure it out. For example, do you want to be a corporate trainer? There is a whole different skill set that drives the success of corporate trainers. Or do you want to be a facilitator? Being a facilitator is totally different than a trainer and it is important to know the difference. Or do you want to be a presenter? A presenter is someone who stands at a podium and reads. Typically, you see this in a more academic environment; people who are delivering information. Or finally, do you want to be a highly sought after, global inspirational speaker and thought leader like myself? To do this you must know your “why.” If your “why” is about you in the limelight, your ego will never connect with anyone; an audience will see right through this. It must be about serving and supporting the world and following your soul’s highest calling. I would then say, “Pray and get out of your way. Let go and let God.” That’s how you figure out if this is truly your destiny!
Throw out the script and stop memorizing! A highly effective speaker is a messenger and does nothing out of a box. Our presentations are customized to our audiences. This is how we are so sought after and have repeat clients. People will know when you are presenting a keynote that is “canned.” When you memorize a script, you are speaking from the head, and a truly effective speaker speaks from the heart. This is how people will believe you, trust you, and connect with you.
Be relatable, be trustworthy, and be empathetic. Do your research with your client so you can relate to your audience. Find that key message by talking to your clients prior to the presentation. The most important way to communicate this information effectively is to have a story and metaphor or analogy. For example, if I am speaking to a ballroom of highly technical people, I know my audience by bringing in stories provided by the leaders of the company prior to the engagement in order to relate and connect. We are sought after because we take the time to get to know their people. It is important to know your audience so you can relate to them, and they know they can relate to you. In addition, dress appropriately to the culture of the organization and be sure to get out there and shake hands …you will never catch me hiding in the green room!
Start focusing on bringing your light to your message so you can shine a light on everyone else. To be a highly effective speaker, ask yourself what was the most effective take-away from a speaker you recently saw. And you will realize it was not the way they memorized something, it was how they made you FEEL and made a difference in your life. I always pray before I go on stage, that if just one person’s life can be impacted and changed for the better, then that is why I am here.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
A secret trick is to break Crayola Crayons and sniff them, but they must be “Crayola” brand crayons. It has been proven that there is a chemical that is in the scent of the Crayola brand crayons that has been proven to reduce blood pressure and eliminate stress. When I teach and coach for my Extraordinary Speaker program, this is one of my top five recommendations for nerves. Just don’t leave it in your nostril or a pocket when you put your clothes in the wash!
Next, find out what brings out your confidence. Your confidence is what delivers your message and that’s what your audience needs from you. One of the other things I coach people through is about how your brain works through negative thoughts. The brain does not know how to think in the negative so if you keep on thinking to yourself about an action that you don’t want to do (trip, stutter, lose train of thought) it actually has the opposite effect. You will start doing it! Your brain will start manifesting because the brain doesn’t know how to not do this action because your brain is seeing it as a visualization. Instead, picture yourself in flow, everything going amazing as you confidently deliver your message. The greatest way for me to get out of a fear is to pray before I deliver a message. I always ground myself, take a deep breath, and pray. Find what brings you confidence, what brings your soul the most relaxed, comfortable feeling and stop worrying about pleasing everyone out there. Remember, they want to connect with you! Think about how you are going to serve them, bring them hope and healing and something of value.
Another tip to overcoming fear is to greet people before you speak. Take a moment to walk around and shake hands. You have now created friends and eliminated this fear and are able to be yourself. This leads me to the final tip as to another reason why I do not memorize scripts is because the moment you forget something, you go into shock and fear steps in. Just tell a story to the friends you just made when you were shaking hands!
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Choose joy! Joy is a universal language, and I would call the movement, “Let your light shine.” It is my passion now to create a movement. I am on a “Spiritual Quest Called Blessed” because I believe no matter your gender, your age, your race, your level of education … we are all human beings, and we are given a light within our spirit to shine. How can we bring that light to the world? It’s like when you walk into a room, and everyone is holding an unlit candle and one person lights their candle and they start sharing the flame. The whole room lights up from one single candle. Let your light shine, so we can help others shine! It all starts with joy and one person.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Deepak Chopra! I have listened to his meditations and books for over thirty years, and he has made a massive impact on my life and how I deliver my messages. Last year was the biggest honor of all being selected alongside Deepak Chopra as one of the top ten inspirational thought leaders in the world! It would be an honor to meet him and thank him for following his soul’s highest calling.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
… Experienced workers are also great mentors. And many employers are starting to see the value of a two-way street, with younger and older workers mentoring each other.
As a part of our series about “How Diversity Can Increase a Company’s Bottom Line”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Martha Boudreau.
Martha Boudreau is Executive Vice President and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (CCMO) at AARP, the nation’s largest social mission organization that advocates for Americans 50+. As a member of the Executive Team, Martha provides strategic direction for brand positioning, membership growth, content strategy and driving high value consumer experiences. In addition, she is responsible for overseeing AARP’s award-winning publications, AARP The Magazine (ranked as the highest readership of any magazine in the U.S.) and the AARP Bulletin.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into the main part of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you share a bit of your “backstory” with us?
I’m originally from Detroit — a University of Michigan alum — but I’ve spent my career in Washington, D.C. Before joining AARP in 2014, I spent 27 years at the global public relations firm, FleishmanHillard, where I was President of the Mid-Atlantic & Latin America regions.
I live in Annapolis, MD, am a dog lover and an avid sailor of traditional boats.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
It’s difficult to pick out one funny moment but I can say that having a sense of humor is essential in all of life, including in the professional world. I look at humor in two ways. First, using humor to lighten the mood in a difficult conversation or situation can make the difference between resolving a problem and letting it fester. And finding humor, especially in embarrassing situations, injects humility into situations that often involve hierarchy and therefore a level of awkwardness if something goes wrong. That said, humor doesn’t translate well in e-mail and social media, so you have to be careful with those interactions.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you tell us a story about how that was relevant in your own life?
“Everything of significance a leader accomplishes happens not just because of his or her efforts, but through the efforts of others.” — Mark Sanborn
What I love about this quote is that it’s about the power of teams and respecting the role of every colleague regardless of where they sit in the hierarchy.
I learned early in my career that no one person or group has all the skills necessary for organizational success. My business unit at AARP is a perfect case in point. We have a wide variety of disciplines and capabilities that align with our many communications and marketing channels and it’s essential that we respect and play to everyone’s strengths and experience. Team building is never done — especially as you bring new people on. It’s always a work in progress. I have learned that the best way to successfully manage a large team with disparate capabilities is to create a culture and structure that drives collaboration and innovation, then hold people accountable for operating within that system.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
I was fortunate that early in my career I was able to work closely with John D. Graham, Chairman of FleishmanHillard. At the time, he was CEO and he taught me how critical a strong corporate culture is to the success of a high-performing organization. When people see that their success is tied to the organization’s success, you’re in the best position to achieve your goals. John instilled in me a belief in the power of teams and that there is no limit to what a good team is capable of accomplishing. He showed me the importance of giving staff, at all levels, the confidence, ability and space to grow and flourish. John also demonstrated the power of a clear, inspirational vision. This is a quote of John’s that resonates with me even today: “You can have all the vision and commitment in the world, but you will not get far without good people. Choose your team carefully. Share your vision with them. Work with them, develop them and they will bring your vision to life.” John’s leadership lessons continue to guide my personal style.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Quite simply, AARP’s mission is directly relevant to every person in our country, regardless of age. Consider this: Experts believe half of today’s 5-year-olds will live to be 100. The fastest growing demographic in the country is the 85+ segment and the second-fastest is the 100+. This significant increase in life expectancy means that our work to disrupt the way people view aging is more important than ever.
At this moment, more than 110 million Americans are age 50 and older. Our goal is to help all of them realize their full potential at every age and life stage. By listening to the concerns of our members, understanding their needs and what they’re interested in, we’re providing information and resources they need to make informed decisions and live their best life. We are also fierce advocates on policy, legal and regulatory issues.
It is this blend of education and advocacy for the burgeoning aging population that makes our mission both urgent and relevant to all Americans.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?
I am excited about the progress we are making against our Consumer Commitment which is to serve two roles for consumers — one as a Wise Friend and the other as a Fierce Defender. We honor these roles in consumer’s lives by providing them with information that is timely, relevant, easily accessible and useful to them every day.
We feel an enormous responsibility to provide high quality resources and to make them available everywhere — from people’s mailboxes to their laptops, mobile phones and tablets. Although our cross-channel technology work and content creation doesn’t sound too glamorous, it is the backbone of our brand’s trust and relevance.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
When the pandemic hit and we were suddenly disconnected and isolated from family and friends, my team created AARP’s Virtual Community Center. This platform was designed to provide free digital events and online classes for learning, self-improvement, and fun, and encourage a sense of community and connection. It’s an idea that came to life quickly and had an immediate impact as people were brought together in a new and unique way.
We also used our digital capabilities to create Community Connections, a site that allows people to find or start a mutual aid group so they can help people in their community most affected by COVID-19.
Ok. Thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. This may be obvious to you, but it is not intuitive to many people. Can you articulate to our readers five ways that increased diversity can help a company’s bottom line.
Creating a diverse workplace requires a culture of inclusion, processes that create equity in compensation and career growth at all levels, as well as a commitment to attracting and retaining staff who represent all elements of diversity — age, ethnicity, race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation and ability. There are additional types of diversity that include socio-economic, education, appearance and religion. At its core, a diverse workplace must reflect the reality of our society.
As the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer I sit at the intersection between DEI and Marketing and I focus on making sure our marketing strategies resonate across diverse populations. For our work to be authentic and truly connect with people, we need staff with a wide range of life experiences. It’s these life experiences that infuse our understanding of how we can talk to and help the 110 million Americans over the age of 50.
In the world of marketing, there are many tools to measure the impact that culturally appropriate ads have on product sales. In every case, the results of tests across 60+ industries show that advertisements and other marketing materials that accurately capture imagery, language and context for multi-cultural audiences perform better. In fact, they result in higher “intent to buy” scores across product categories. It boils down to a simple truth: People want to be seen for who they are. Companies that get it right benefit from sales, talent recruitment and customer loyalty.
In this time of intense competition for talent, attracting a diverse pool of candidates has never been more difficult. But remarkably, older workers are often overlooked by recruiters despite their growing need for talented staff. With over 10 million jobs available in the U.S., the good news is that there has never been a bigger opportunity for employers to turn to older workers to fill the needs of the workplace.
Here’s why an age-inclusive workforce makes so much sense:
Older workers aren’t starting from scratch. Rather, they bring an array of skills to the job, including soft skills, such as the ability to negotiate, persuade, communicate, plan, strategize and empathize with the customer’s needs and concerns — skills that are only acquired with experience.
Experienced workers are also great mentors. And many employers are starting to see the value of a two-way street, with younger and older workers mentoring each other.
Older workers are loyal and tend to stay on the job longer than their younger cohorts. Retention is an important metric for any executive to keep an eye on.
Studies show that age-inclusive teams are more creative in their problem-solving. Because they bring a wide variety of perspectives, facts and ideas to the table, they tend to reach more accurate conclusions about the data before them.
And, research has shown that productivity rises in firms with a higher share of workers age 50+ relative to the average firm. In other words, if two firms have the same headcount but one has adopted an age-inclusive strategy, it will produce more than the one who didn’t have a strategy in place. That’s huge.
What advice would you give to other business leaders to help their employees to thrive?
My perspective on driving high performing organizations falls into four areas. I believe employees thrive based on these overarching building blocks:
It is essential to create and manage to an organizational culture based on clear values and mission. At AARP our mission is consistently cited as a major driver of talent acquisition and retention.
Clear, consistent employee communication is also a foundational element of thriving employees. If people aren’t getting answers and direction from senior leadership, they get frustrated and waste energy trying to fill in the gaps themselves.
Develop your managers — they are closest to the staff, process and outputs. They know what’s really going on and they are powerful voices in support of executive vision. Build a culture of trust that does not include micromanagement.
Provide a benefits package that is relevant for all lifestyles and life stages. For example, there are 48 million family caregivers in the country, so companies that recognize the demands of caregivers are likely to garner increased loyalty. AARP’s caregiving benefit is routinely called out by employees as being especially appreciated. Employees at all levels thrive when they have ample resources including adequate staffing, technology and learning opportunities. And of course, there are the basics: competitive compensation, healthcare and a retirement savings plan.
What advice would you give to other business leaders about how to manage a large team?
Set a vision that is powered by the contributions of your entire team. Next, surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and are experts in their discipline. Third, create a culture of psychological safety where your staff can share their ideas and perspectives but — here’s the key — you must actively listen to their input and feedback. Fourth, demand a culture of collaboration and integration of workstreams. And finally, hold people accountable for delivering.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this 🙂
Former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. I have admired Secretary Albright for many years, and it inspires me that at 84 she remains an active voice in global issues, politics, policy, the financial world and academia. Her bipartisan friendships are admirable — now more than ever. Her life experiences give her wisdom and a long view on the issues that are gripping our country today. Plus, I love her style!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Agile Businesses: Rohan Goswami Of ZOOZ Group On How Businesses Pivot and Stay Relevant In The Face Of Disruptive Technologies
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Don’t be afraid to fail at first. We all can not get things right on the first try. It’s not about how you fall but about how you get back up.
As a part of my series about the “How Businesses Pivot and Stay Relevant in The Face of Disruptive Technologies”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rohan Goswami.
Rohan Goswami, Head of Talent of globally-recognized talent agency, ZOOZ Group, has set out to improve, challenge, and elevate the standard for talent-agent relationships. At the peak of the global pandemic, Rohan was tasked with spearheading the development of and launch of ZOOZ US Talent Division. His personal strengths of connecting with people, forward-thinking, and exceptional drive has already grown the US front of ZOOZ Group at an annualized rate of 990%.
As a businessman who sees relationships in 3 dimensions, Rohan has created a space for brands and individuals to establish personal connections and expand on opportunities through mutually beneficial relationships. Rohan values the importance of interpersonal connections, which is reflected in the collaborations he has brought together. This has resulted in growing the ZOOZ US capital by over $3 Million within the first year.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series Rohan. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
Thank you for having me! My name is Rohan Goswami, I am a first-generation Indian-American. My parents immigrated from India because they wanted me and my brother to have a better education. They taught me everything about having a good work ethic since I was little. I have always been somewhat of a person who does their own thing and doesn’t easily follow what everyone else is doing. I remember going to Laguna Beach once and seeing these TV shows and knew right then and there that I wanted a taste of that. I knew that, that’s where I needed to be, doing something in entertainment. I used to work 80–90 hours a week between jobs such as Bloomingdale’s and an overnight technician at treatment centers making minimum wage, while also running an entertainment company. My drive and passion is what led me to where I am today. I did not let any limitations stop me from doing what I wanted to do.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
The only funny mistake I can think of at the moment is, in the beginning I would try to get into contact with brands through Instagram, but then I saw that it didn’t bring any good leads, of course. The lesson I learned is that I needed to do hyper-targeted outreach using the right platforms, like LinkedIn and email to gain connections.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story
I would like to credit my parents for this. I would not be where I am today without their help. They have always been there supporting me from behind the scenes and I always knew even if something did not work out I could count on them to help fix anything or give me new ideas.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
“Something I started doing from a young age was setting goals for myself. If you have a goal — you have a purpose. Like the article says, goals need to go beyond making profit, and for me, it’s about treating my clients as if they were my only client and making sure I satisfy the client is my main goal and purpose. I want to be able to let my clients see that they are in charge and I am just here to help navigate their ideas into a bigger platform.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you tell our readers a bit about what your business does? How do you help people?
ZOOZ Group is a leading global social media and influencer management agency. We specialize in forming close partnerships with client brands in order to understand and engage powerful influencers that hold extensive global audience reach. By applying our distinctive know-how and expert capabilities we’re able to cultivate and implement innovative marketing strategies that specifically target influencers — thereby ensuring your brand message and its reach is both reinforced and pervasive.
Which technological innovation has encroached or disrupted your industry? Can you explain why this has been disruptive?
I think TikTok is the main technological innovation that has disrupted this industry. TikTok started gaining traction around the beginning of the pandemic in late 2019/early 2020. For starters, people did not know what it was or how to use it or that you could even gain sponsors/ partners to influence the market. When the app first became popular it started out with just people being bored in the house showing off their dance moves, or how they make their iced coffees or their favorite things to buy on Amazon. It eventually became so big that last year it overtook Google as the most used internet site. So it’s interesting to see how fast it has blown up in just a year. As soon as brands saw how much people enjoyed the app everyone wanted to find the next big trend to start so they could go viral.
What did you do to pivot as a result of this disruption?
For my clients, we immediately researched viral trends on the app and brought on a team to stay updated on any new trends from TikTok that we could hop on. I think overall we just made sure to stay updated. We wanted to research to make sure that we actually knew what we were doing. It’s a new app and could be confusing to newcomers. It took awhile for us to get the hang of it and get into the groove of things but once we learned it it became very easy to maneuver.
Was there a specific “Aha moment” that gave you the idea to start this new path? If yes, we’d love to hear the story.
There’s not really a story. It’s just I decided to try the app out for myself to get a feel of how it is. I saw that people would be going viral for the smallest things and I always wondered how they were able to do it. There isn’t really a trick to it except just remaining consistent with posting and using the correct hashtags or trending sounds.
So, how are things going with this new direction?
Great, all of my clients who are influencers on TikTok have well over 60 thousand followers, some even topping 13 million followers.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this pivot?
Since starting this pivot, I have been able to see that most people really just want to have a community, that’s why social media is so powerful today. People want to be able to relate to others and see themselves in someone they look up to. That’s why I make being relatable so important to my clients. Even with people I come across in person, I want to have a sense that this person is someone who can make a really big impact on my life and I can make a big impact on theirs too.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during a disruptive period?
Research, research, research. If a new technological innovation arises you should already be two steps ahead of everyone else in knowing how to use it, staying on top of trends, and seeing the effect it will have on people.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
To me, making your team feel comfortable enough to be themselves brings out the best in results. I have noticed that when you are not making someone uncomfortable they are more likely to speak up whether or not they are an introvert or extrovert, they’re more likely to to be involved and so I make sure to tell my team don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re confused about anything.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Work together to achieve more. Although being able to complete a task by yourself is impressive, I believe through the hard times and even the good times the community within your company will help you to gain more insights on certain things and could help you get answers to problems faster.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make when faced with a disruptive technology? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
Failing to support different learning styles
Letting momentum fade away
Failing to measure results
The best way to keep all of these things from happening is by researching the new technological
innovation.
Ok. Thank you. Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to pivot and stay relevant in the face of disruptive technologies? Please share a story or an example for each.
Don’t be afraid to fail at first. We all can not get things right on the first try. It’s not about how you fall but about how you get back up.
Find your purpose. You should always have a reasoning of why you are doing what you do. Stick with it.
Be able to change. New technology arises everyday, new trends are happening, you need to know what’s going on at all times. What your audience wants to see is most important.
Research. I mention this a lot because it’s so important. You can not just dive into a new innovation without at least learning about it.
Remain humble. Always thank those who have helped you along the way and those who support you. No one would be where they are today without some sort of support from those around them so always just thank your team.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
I have always felt that in succeeding it’s about your drive and passion. Getting into entertainment is hard and you’re going to have doubts but you can’t let that fear overtake your mind. I have always been one to take risks and my drive and passion is what made me be consistent and stay on course with my dreams. I refused to give up and because of that I am where I am today.
How can our readers further follow your work?
LinkedIn: Zooz Group
Website: Zooz.com.au
Instagram: @zoozgroup
TikTok: @zoozgroup
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Be authentic. This is especially true in telling your story and we’ve found the best way to be successful is by managing our own communications — on social media, our website and in our newsletter.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ellen Leake.
Ellen is the co-founder of Splinter Creek, a privately-owned residential community located in Taylor, MS. Originally purchased as a timber investment, the untouched beauty and character of property was later discovered, and the founding family exchanged their initial plans for those that include exploring the forests and lakes of Splinter Creek and recharging with community neighbors. Designed by a handful of creative partners, including New York’s Lang Architecture and Texas’ Lake Flato, Splinter Creek aims to be a model of environmentally sensitive and sustainable living. Encouraging residents to build lightly on the land, the property features spacious lakeside homesites that blend seamlessly into nearly 650 acres of rolling pine forest, lakes, and wetlands.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
We are accidental developers. We never intended to set out on this journey, but it all started when my husband bought several parcels for timber investments in the mid-90s. He kept telling me how beautiful this land was in Lafayette County, just outside of Oxford, Mississippi. Splinter Creek was the old timber track name, and it comes from the name of a small, extinct town founded in the 1800s that was near the property.
My husband and I are both from north Mississippi, so I went for a look at our Splinter Creek tract one day. The land has beautiful ridges, valleys, hardwood forests, and well, he was right! Shortly after, we began to dream about our own future house on the land. Water has a magnetic pull for us, so we began by building a lake. One thing led to another and soon we were mud deep in 3 lakes and then building what we lovingly call the Boathouse in 2012. When it was finished, my husband commented, “all that’s missing now are neighbors” and so, the real vision of Splinter Creek began to take hold.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Be open. That has been our life lesson and lagniappe on this journey. We learned to be open to opportunities that we could not have imagined when we began. We never set out to create Splinter Creek. It showed itself to us. We couldn’t have foreseen that it would become an intergenerational place where our girls and their families are investing and building. Nor a place where we get to see our grandkids on an ordinary day, which is wonderful for us since their primary homes are not close by. A willingness to embrace unplanned opportunities has been a gift to us and one we expect Splinter Creek will share with others, too.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Faulkner’s books have a way of describing the land itself as a character alongside the people in his stories. His characters dominate, but to me it’s more about the setting and layers around his description of place that resonates. Whether you are from Montana or California or Mississippi, there is beauty in the land and its natural state. This ethos impacted Splinter Creek in our desire for people to live lightly on the land. We take advantage of the land’s natural topography, letting the natural beauty of the landscape dictate a home’s design, rather than visa-versa, for example.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
Splinter Creek, as an idea, really presented itself to us. The silver lining in 2020 was that people began to see themselves working and living in a different way, which really enhanced the vision we already had for the property. It was not until late 2020 that we saw a change in posture of our buyers which allowed us to take the reins of telling the story ourselves. We found that through this unique timing and set of circumstances, we could authentically tell our own story. From that, people really began to listen, and that’s when the business of Splinter Creek took off.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
There are many real estate developments, but something that really sets us apart at Splinter Creek is that we celebrate modern architecture, and that’s not the norm in our area. But this, to some, was not always seen as a positive. I remember giving a tour to a real estate agent years ago, and I described our architectural guidelines. She said, “Oh, you are going to have to change this.” I thought to myself “no!” This is the essence of what we are trying to achieve. We know we are swimming upstream for our area, but we didn’t compromise. That’s served us well in the end. We’ve been dubbed in a few articles as “Mississippi modern,” and I think that fits.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
Our model has evolved and got a boost when we took the business in house and began to do more ourselves. You must have a firm sense of where you’re going to be successful, but by the same token, you should be leaving yourselves open for serendipity, for chance encounters, and for opportunities you cannot imagine. You must be open-minded as you set out on a journey to build a business.
We love being a family business. My daughters are involved in the project, which I love, but beyond that, we have a lean staff and do a lot ourselves. This gives us an authenticity that is important to our story and it’s really what helped us leverage our business model.
Someone once told me, “You want to work with people who want to work with you.” When thinking about how to form a team, finding people that understand what we are trying to do has become a natural way to find partners of all sorts over the years.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
1. It’s more about the journey than the endpoint. We are in our 16th year, and part of that time we were building our own retreat. It’s been an incredible lesson in patience and learning that it’s about the long game.
2. Find your ‘people’. This goes with your internal team and that goes for buyers, too. I do some of the tours now, and people self-select. I never feel like I am selling Splinter Creek, I feel like I am introducing potential buyers to the concept and showing them the land and the homesites and talking about our lifestyle there. People get it or they don’t. It’s as important to us to build the right community as it is to have an uber-successful business model.
3. Do all you can to understand the costs. We are accidental developers, and we didn’t know what we didn’t know. We now know building lakes is very expensive. It was often difficult to peel back all the layers of expense, especially the cost of infrastructure.
4. Regulation will sometimes conflict with your vision. I wish I had understood more about the cost of regulations, but also in terms of the integrity of your project. For instance, we don’t want a curb and gutter or paved highway-like roads. That’s not aligned with our vision at all. But we’ve had to compromise a little and now we have a road surface to meet community regulations. It’s still beautiful, but not something in our original plan.
5. Be authentic. This is especially true in telling your story and we’ve found the best way to be successful is by managing our own communications — on social media, our website and in our newsletter.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
I would pick my creative partner first. That way, I could fast forward to define what success would look like, which is the real start of any endeavor. For us, that was our architects, but our partnership was more than that. They helped us get into a new mindset of “what if, let’s dream.”
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
We first worked with Lake Flato, who helped us develop our master plan. We held a charette with them and a wonderful landscape architect, Ed Blake, to brainstorm about the overall layout of Splinter Creek, from lakes, to how we visualized living on the land, to necessary infrastructure. That planning was done before we committed to anything. As those “accidental developers” we talked about earlier, it was essential to have their expertise.
From there, we finished our own home, the Boathouse, which was also designed by Lake Flato. When we decided to expand Splinter Creek into the community it is today, we, fortunately, had already done the initial work around a master plan. As I look back today on the charette, what a wonderful creative experience. Some of the things we got wrong, but all-in-all, it formed the basis of a cohesive plan for what we’ve done these past 16 years. It served us well.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I don’t want to pretend that we’re doing any sort of earth-shattering work, but I will say that 2020 made us reorganize priorities: fresh air, long walks, enjoying small moments with family. Splinter Creek has allowed us to exercise that reprioritization with our own family and I’ve seen it with other families in the community as well.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I don’t know about an inspiration, but it seems like a simple vision where nature remains the star of the show is something we genuinely appreciate. It may have taken Covid to remind us of the importance of the great outdoors, which truly links back to life at Splinter Creek where we appreciate the routine, the long walks or hikes, bonfires with our kids, early morning fog, swimming in a lake, a dark sky, and meteor shower.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
John Muir. He was a naturalist, a preservationist, an ecological thinker, and a man ahead of his time. I would love to listen to what events shaped his views. Are there timeless lessons?
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Meet The Disruptors: David Ko and Richard Busellato of Rethinking Choices on The Five Things You Need to Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview with Fotis Georgiadis
Our choices are always forced on us. We think we have a choice, but when we are unwilling to give up on economics we will always be making the choice that reinforces the inequalities and the biases we complain about. David is currently applying and looking for a secondary school for his daughter. This is something parents around the country are all doing. We are driven to want the best school, and in our rush to choose the best school, we increase the gap we perceive between the best and even the next school. It becomes totally unsustainable at the cost of our own children. Oddly, when was the last time someone asked you about which secondary school you attended? Choosing the best is the way we end up trapping ourselves into impossible choices.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing David Ko and Richard Busellato, authors of The Unsustainable Truth and co-founders of Rethinking Choices.
David Ko and Richard Busellato are seasoned investment managers turned sustainability advocates. After over thirty years working for premier hedge funds and major financial institutions they left the industry in recognition of the pressure global financial markets are placing on the planet’s limited resources. They now run a sustainability advocacy, Rethinking Choices, and their book, The Unsustainable Truth (2020), is a deep-dive into how investing for the future is destroying the planet, and what we can do about it.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
We are investment veterans. David started life in physics research and was a Royal Society/JSPS fellow at Tokyo University before taking a lectureship at Oxford. Back in 1994 his girlfriend at the time completed studies in Japanese, and they decided that she really should go and try her hand in Japan. That led them to make the big choice to deal with a long-distance relationship by getting married. In that time, there was no internet to speak of and international phone bills were expensive and incompatible with academic salaries. That triggered his move to finance.
Richard knew what he wanted all along, which was to trade and make money. After studying economics in Stockholm he joined one of the world’s oldest merchant banks before rising through the ranks to run significant investments. Together, we have been in the centre of many financial crises on both the winning and losing sides, and sometimes on opposite sides. In 1998, for example, David was with the hedge fund Time Magazine had labelled as The Dream Team, LTCM, when it brought the world to financial Armageddon. Richard was nimbly anticipating this having his best year.
After three decades making money from financial markets, taking advantage of investment opportunities, we started to focus on the question of investments and sustainability. This led us to spend a few years digging deeply into why, despite all the promises of investments and technology, the world has a fundamental sustainability problem. It is a eureka moment to realise that too much money actually destroys the planet. We are apex predators with no constraints, too easily persuaded by the good side of our stories and too fearful of not having enough for our future. This is a perfect marketing combination for the investment industry, playing to our desire to do good and the fear for our own security.
We left the investment industry because we realised that climate risks cannot be hedged, nor can they be diversified or divested away. The promises the investment and business industries make are false.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
We advocate a radical disruption of the investment industry. The investment industry works by promising that we can rely on money for our future. This is so that we can hope to rest and retire as a reward for the work we do now. The truth is that these investments lock everyone into a lifestyle where we depend more and more on money and depend more and more on the investment industry to provide for us.
The problem is the planet cannot provide the sort of returns we need. It is no longer possible to go and exploit land and people the way it was done in the 17th and 18th century when our economic ideas developed, and it is no longer possible for people to afford long retirements as our parents did. The problem however is these are ways of thinking that are ingrained into our cultures and education. We simply believe that problems can always be solved, and investments therefore are always good.
Our book, The Unsustainable Truth, highlights the fallacy of this thinking. Our work is to sow the seeds of a rethinking of our choices at all levels, and most of all, at disrupting those ideas we take as economic truths. For example, just ask which animal or planet spends two to three decades in retirement, apart from you and me? The planet does not work that way. To change this means we need to rethink everything; not just how we work or how we live, but importantly what we are living for.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Back in 1997 when David was working for LTCM, he thought he was on a roll. The firm was labelled the Dream Team and was making huge amounts of money, and he was doing well. He was valued, earning more in one year than his entire lifetime expectation as an academic at the time, and it was time to bet big on a house. It is not really so much a funny mistake as one that shows how we can never know what is going to happen. He and his wife had a child, moved house to one worth ten times more than the flat they were in, so much that it was impossible to get a sufficiently large mortgage. So, he borrowed from everyone, including the firm he worked for. The next year, the firm took the world into global financial Armageddon. It was the first of the really big collapses that needed the central banks to step in and David was in the middle of it, on the wrong side and with all the worries of having a new-born. Having been fully leveraged with more debts than ever imaginable he lost all his savings in the collapse.
Years later, when we started working together, Richard said that it was the best year ever. “It was like stealing candy from children” was what Richard said.
This cemented our perception of two fundamental truths — one is that leverage works both ways. When the going is good, the best thing to do is obviously to do more. Doing anything else is just stupid. The second truth is of course, to do that is stupid.
These two sides of the same truth is what drives our belief that we need a radical rethinking of how we live and what we are living for.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
We met at a fund called Horizon. This fund uniquely recognised that being able to sleep well at night works out better in the long term. Life is better when it is more than simply a series of excitements. Too often we are focused on seeking out the best when in reality what we need to do is to avoid being caught up in the worst. It is not the opportunities we miss that will hurt us, but the ones that we are too eager to go for. When they don’t materialise, they will hurt us a lot.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
To us, the past decade has been a great opportunity for anyone investing in disruption. At the current moment, the stories around decentralised finance (DeFi) that look to disrupt our financial setup and the use of money is a good example, with cryptos, blockchains and NFTs taking a prominent role. It allows many businesses to rise that otherwise would not be possible. So, on that scale, it is clearly seen as a positive. It is also addressing the issues about centralised control and opening up the idea that even the central pillars of finance can be democratised.
The reality is this is far from obvious. There are many issues with attempts to democratise finance in this way. NFTs are like the old certificate of provenance you get with paintings. With the certificates of provenance, it is the painting which is worth something. The certificate itself has little value. With NFTs, we have distorted this. Just because someone paid a lot of money for an NFT does not imply another NFT should have any value. It becomes a marketing game.
These sorts of disruptions do not create any genuine benefit to people or the planet. It merely makes things which are not worth much expensive. When that happens, things which are necessary like food and energy also become expensive. As we describe in our book, when money is involved, the disruptions are never limited just to the areas they start in. There is always a cost to everyone.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
We talk about the Californian wine industry in our book and how a simple thing like having a glass of wine is actually a carefully marketed choice aimed at increasing the value of our pension investments and achieved at the cost of draining the land of its water and soil. These days, sustainability has simply become a marketing device. If you see anything with a sustainability label on it of any kind, be sure it has been put there to attract you so you can consume and feel you are doing good.
Another is the idea that we want governments to help us and provide. At the current moment we are still suffering from high prices and most of all we are seeing shocking increases in our energy costs. We all clammer when things like this happen that governments need to step in and do something. The fact is when governments do that, we are ignoring what the planet is telling us — there is not enough to go around. Having governments come in and bypass that does not make the genuine shortage go away, it actually makes our lives more fragile in the future. Interventions are full of unimaginable unintended consequences.
Our choices are always forced on us. We think we have a choice, but when we are unwilling to give up on economics we will always be making the choice that reinforces the inequalities and the biases we complain about. David is currently applying and looking for a secondary school for his daughter. This is something parents around the country are all doing. We are driven to want the best school, and in our rush to choose the best school, we increase the gap we perceive between the best and even the next school. It becomes totally unsustainable at the cost of our own children. Oddly, when was the last time someone asked you about which secondary school you attended? Choosing the best is the way we end up trapping ourselves into impossible choices.
All the Money in the World was a film about the life of the original John Paul Getty and also the title of a chapter in our book. John Paul Getty was the richest man in the world at the time and the shenanigans to keep his money safe meant he was totally imprisoned by it, unable to come up with even a small amount to help his kidnapped grandchild without risking losing the rest of it. Relying on a pot of money for our future is a poor way to live.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
We are shaking up our ideas for fossil fuels. We have a proposal to transform the ownership of fossil fuels into stewardship so that money from the industry can be used all around the world to support people locally, and the production of energy from fossil fuels can be managed to ensure our climate is safe.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
There are a couple of books worth mentioning. The first is Good Economics for Hard Times by Abijhit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. The authors are a Nobel prize winning couple who received the 2019 economics prize for their work on field experiments in economics. The book tells us just how people know what they need more than grand economic theories do. Just like the film Nomadland, when people’s lives are turned upside down, it is their dignity that needs protecting most. That means trusting them to know what they need. The book, for example, tells a story of a food aid project and a person who received money from it. Instead of buying food, the person bought a TV. The author was the only one to ask why, when others simply condemned the person for the action. The answer was simply that when the food program is gone, there will still be hunger and starvation. The TV gives the chance to have something useful and longer-lasting. When we think about sustainability, we need to remember that people know how to make their lives sustainable, and it will not be by the means we think best.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
In the Marvel series The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, the character Jemma Simmons says, “The steps you take don’t need to be big, they just need to take you in the right direction.”
We all worry whether what we are doing is going to get us to where we think we want or not. It makes us want to make sure we have the plans all worked out, and we are making the best progress possible. The reality is we often lose sight of the fact that we are not even heading in the right direction. We are so eager to reach our goals that we lose our awareness of who we are and what gives our lives real purpose.
Jemma Simmons’ simple quote tells us we need to be checking if we are going in the right direction. What was right once may no longer be so, and if we fail to recognise this, the costs will be heavy. We have done this with our economic system where we still believe that progress is in achieving things. In a world where resources are limited and running out, progress is about doing only what makes our lives more meaningful. Slowing down and doing less may well be the most progressive thing we can do today.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
We would certainly want people to support our proposal for fossil fuels, which you can read about on our website, www.rethinkingchoices.com and also in our LinkedIn posts.
Meet The Disruptors: Joey DeAngelo Of Visiontech On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
When I was younger I worked for the town as a landscaper. I worked my way up into a higher position over the years. There were guys that I was put in charge of twice my age. Let’s say that they were not my biggest fans. I took it personally and it stressed me out. My foreman was a great guy. He told me “You’ll get your loving at home.” That has always stuck with me.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joey DeAngelo of Visiontech.
Joey DeAngelo is an accomplished photographer, musician, creative director, and is currently the president of NJ/NY based multi-media company Visiontech Inc. DeAngelo blends his experience as a creative and entrepreneur as he grows the school yearbook and creative agency to current levels of success. With his newest role as president of the company, he looks forward to expanding an already impressive clientele of high schools around New York and New Jersey.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Thank you for having me. I have always been interested in the arts. I am a musician who has been playing in bands since I was 10 years old. I found a love for photography back in 2010. From there I got more involved with all the different aspects of the multimedia business. When I began working with Visiontech, I first learned all the aspects of our industry, which rests heavily on our expertise in video production and photography for schools. As the years went by I began to inject new ideas into the company. We listened to the preferences of both the schools and students, and ramped up additional services that could take the typical “yearbook” experience to new heights. I credit my long term interest in the arts and being a musician to getting creative with the business.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Visiontech offers services that other yearbook and school photography companies do not. Where a typical yearbook company focused on print and photography for that asset, Visiontech gets fully involved with the school year round to collect both video and photo memories and presents it both in print/digital formats. Think of Visiontech as a media agency for high schools that is so much more than the prized yearbook. This not only adds extra value for the schools, but the students love the digital content and engagement that is created year round. I believe our business is disruptive as we offer an all-inclusive service that most typical yearbook companies simply do not.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
There are plenty of mistakes that I have made. One would be when I was shooting a Moore Catholic High School football game (in Staten Island, NY). I was on the sidelines looking through my zoom lens, I did not realize how close the play was to me. I got tackled by two huge seniors! Luckily, I was able to hold on to the camera the whole time. Pretty sure we still have that footage. Although that was not a major mistake in the grand scheme of our business, it did remind me to always pay attention to crucial details “on and off the field’’ haha. The details truly matter, when running your business and with the product that you offer your clients.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
So many mentors. In regards to business, this would all not be possible without the training and guidance from my father-in-law. Tony Tudda, started Visiontech in 1992 and has built the company into a very successful yearbook company for high schools around New York and New Jersey. He gave me a shot and took me under his wing and I have worked my way up in the company over the years. I’ve learned so much from him and continue to do so every day. I’ll always be grateful for what he taught me and now it is exciting to inject my ideas into the business and help scale things to new levels.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
That’s a great question, and to keep this in the context of my industry and business I do have thoughts. While media in general is dominated in the digital realm, we do hold tradition in keeping printed yearbooks as a front and center offering. The last thing we would want to do is completely digitize the experience, as having a printed yearbook is amazing to receive and creates a social experience for the students. An example of negative disruption would be fully removing the printed version altogether, where something positive (which we are doing) is creating an expanded “hybrid” version of that traditional yearbook moment.
Can you share five or six of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
When I was younger I worked for the town as a landscaper. I worked my way up into a higher position over the years. There were guys that I was put in charge of twice my age. Let’s say that they were not my biggest fans. I took it personally and it stressed me out. My foreman was a great guy. He told me “You’ll get your loving at home.” That has always stuck with me.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Visiontech has some really cool new ideas we’re working on. You’ll have to follow us on our social media platforms to see! We are always coming up with new services and ideas to keep our yearbook and other services “fresh” for the client and student. One thing we implemented recently was putting QR codes inside yearbooks that link to unique video content for the students (think sports, theater, clubs etc).
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
I love music and am a bit of a health freak. I am constantly listening to interviews of musicians, health industry people, and successful business entrepreneurs. It’s one of my favorite things to do when I am editing. A few of my favorites are Dave Grohl, Jay Cutler, and Mark Cuban.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal — a commitment to excellence — that will enable you to attain the success you seek”. Mario Andretti
That quote has always resonated with me. It reminds me to constantly push myself and never give up.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Thank you. So often, people think that changing the world is an impossible task. While big changes can make lasting impacts, small series of repeated actions can do the same. We should all pay it forward. Donate your time, energy, love, whatever it may be, to improving someone’s life. It doesn’t have to be big, but it has to be intentional.
How can our readers follow you online?
Visiontech.tv and our Instagram account visiontech_inc.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Reading about growth versus fixed mindsets has also really impacted my view on the world. It reinforced that you can never be done learning and anyone that thinks they are probably won’t be very happy for long.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alec Ellin.
Alec Ellin is Co-founder and CEO of Laylo, a platform helping Creator Economy artists, entertainers, influencers, and brands connect with their fanbases and deepen relationships with followers across different online platforms.
Laylo adoption has proven to streamline marketing efforts for Creators, better measure fan behavior, and improve campaign conversion rates as high as 7X compared to traditional presale tools. Major Creators using Laylo to promote ‘drops’ include Calvin Harris, Dillon Francis, Friday Beers, and ODESZA.
Prior to founding Laylo, Alec worked at Sony’s Epic Records on the Artists and Repertoire team.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I’ve been working in music and technology since the tenth grade, when I started a blog called The Laidback Life. I was obsessed with showing my friends great music and it led to me interviewing musicians and writing about my favorite new artists.
For college, I went to Newhouse School of Communication as a Screenwriting major but had been spending most of my days turning my blog into a business. Fortunately, I met Isaac Heymann while in high school and showed him some tunes. In my freshman year of college, he became VP of A&R at Epic Records and called me to come work for him.
After a stint at Epic, I got the chance to work at Velvet Hammer Management and Relativity Media, where I learned the ropes of entertainment. What became clear was that I didn’t love being in big corporate environments, but I did love music and building ideas.
I became obsessed with launching a way for fans to show off their ability to find and spread music, so I started teaching myself UI/UX design and launched Darkchart, an app that connected to users’ various accounts on streaming services like Spotify and Soundcloud and allowed them to create shareable playlists or ‘charts’ with friends and the public. I raised some money, had a few thousand users, and then met Saj who was building a competing app. He’s now a Co-founder and our CTO at Laylo.
All that to be said, there wasn’t necessarily a ‘path’, I just followed my passion around music and technology and was fortunate to find awesome opportunities and amazing people along the way.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
What really sets us apart is that we live and breathe for Creators. Our incentives are aligned with them. On Laylo, we truly help Creators get more sales, streams, and clicks and we have the data to back that up. Crucially, we also make sure that Creators own all their data and can leave the platform anytime with their whole fanbase.
At the end of the day, the big disruption is moving from a monopoly economy to an ownership economy. Creators are building massive businesses and changing culture in ways that only the big companies could do 20 years ago. In the words of Harley Finkelstein, “we’re arming the rebels”.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
How much time do you have? We’ve made a ton of mistakes along the way and continue to. One that comes to mind was getting dazzled by a big-name investor early on. He took me out for an amazing meal, invited me to his incredible Malibu home and then made an offer. I was 22 and even then, I knew we were being exploited. Luckily, we never signed the deal and found people who truly wanted us to succeed. That to me is the big takeaway: ignore all the showmanship, find people that truly believe in you, and look for proof in how they do business.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
One mentor that has made a massive impact on my life is Janine Shelffo, the Chief Strategy Officer at Advance. I was introduced to Janine by one of my best friends early in my career. Janine is this brilliant, warm presence. She was always very encouraging but also blunt. For the first year of the company, we were building a consumer app and whenever I’d visit New York I’d go and see her. She would nod, tell me it was interesting and ask me some pointed questions around why it wasn’t growing that fast or what we needed to scale it.
A couple months in, I came to her office excited about an experimental product we’d built which helped artists find their biggest fans online. She immediately told me to drop the consumer app and go headfirst into that. In retrospect, she knew that we needed to pivot but was guiding me towards the realization myself. If it wasn’t for that guidance, and that excited reaction to the new product, Laylo probably wouldn’t exist today.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
I agree that it’s not always a great thing to be disruptive but that’s usually when someone or something already in power is doing it. You can look at Meta’s impact on the spread of false information and harassment today as a good example of that type of negative disruption. But I would say that it’s rare to see an upstart — whether that be a startup or an up-and-coming Creator using disruption as a force for bad.
Usually, if effective disruption is happening successfully, it’s because those systems or structures were meant to be broken down. I genuinely believe in innovation as a force for good and there’s a million examples of that, whether it be the creation of the internet or the Space Race. There are obviously negative externalities but overall, innovation has made the world a better place.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
This too shall pass — There’s this amazing, likely apocryphal, story about King Solomon asking his top advisors to help him find a cure for his depression. After trying various positions, prayers etc., one advisor came to him with the cure. He had made a ring with the engraving “this too shall pass” inscribed. The secret to its power was that it was the perfect lesson in impermanence. Good and bad times happen, that’s life, and clinging onto either are guaranteed to make you miserable — they will both pass.
Not necessarily words of advice but my dad has always woken up with a smile on his face. I’ve seen him deal with personal and business nightmares and the next morning, he’s ready to take on the day like new. I’ve always tried to emulate that.
Reading about growth versus fixed mindsets has also really impacted my view on the world. It reinforced that you can never be done learning and anyone that thinks they are probably won’t be very happy for long.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I won’t feel satisfied until we’ve helped a million Creators build full-time businesses out of their passion (and at that point the goal will probably be 10 million). We’re going to continue building products that genuinely help Creators and just as importantly, look and feel fun to use.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
This is probably a cliche, but The Alchemist continues to be my go-to. I read it every year or so. It’s a bit hard to explain how a great piece of art touches you but I guess my easy answer is that it’s beautifully written and every time I read it, I learn a little bit more about myself.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Amor Fati” — I wear a pendant with that quote every day. It roughly translates to “the love of one’s fate”. Essentially, good and bad things will happen, it’s important to value and appreciate both. It’s a simple concept but one that gets more powerful the more you think about it.
One more I love comes from the Tumblr days (shoutout to Tumblr). “If you don’t like where you are, move. You are not a tree.”
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could get everyone in the world to do one thing it would be to read one book a month. I love a good show or movie, but there is something unique about getting to hear someone else’s perspective inside of your head. I think the world would be a much better place if we emphasized that kind of empathy and value on education.
How can our readers follow you online?
I’m @alecellin pretty much everywhere. Follow me on Twitter for random thoughts, or on Spotify for dope playlists!
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Agile Businesses: Alex Jenner Of Dext On How Businesses Pivot and Stay Relevant In The Face of Disruptive Technologies
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Start small. Don’t change everything all at once — start with a part of your business that’s not mission-critical or a smaller client base.
As part of my series about the “How Businesses Pivot and Stay Relevant In The Face of Disruptive Technologies”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Jenner.
Alex Jenner is Head of Partner Success, Dext.
A driven and goal-oriented sales professional, Alex has a passion for building within the tech ecosystem, with experience in the marketplace, startups and B2B. She specializes in sales execution, strategy, training, management and mentorship.
Alex is a graduate of Brock University in Ontario.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I have always been a “people person” growing up, playing sports, working in restaurants and sales while studying at University.
I started my career in the Tech B2B sales space with a restaurant industry role in global expansion. I focused on leveraging tech and tools to help restaurants. And now, at Dext, I help accountants and bookkeepers grow and be more efficient.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you started? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
In University, I worked in the lawn care space. In the morning, I would get dropped off in a subdivision and given a 150-pound aerator, a tool that pokes holes in lawns. My job was to go door to door, asking if people wanted their lawn aerated.
One day it was pouring rain, and I decided “not today” and sat all day at a Tim Hortons and didn’t push the aerator. I had to pay my employer $10 for the day for a rental fee.
I learned that the path is not always going to be perfect. The environment won’t be easy, but you are doing yourself a disservice if you don’t persevere or work within the challenges to move forward.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Several people have shaped who I am today and helped me through my career. My former boss, Jenn, was the most significant influence as she helped me find my voice as a woman in the Tech space and business. She taught me the importance of what we do, the ‘why’ from a coaching perspective and a value perspective for our customers.
I have become a better manager and coach from working with Jenn. She has had a huge impact on both my personal and professional development.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision and purpose?
When Dext started, when it was formally known as ReceiptBank, it began from a simple problem of handing receipts. Our founder, Michael Wood, was having trouble getting his receipts organized. It’s really as simple as that. We started with basically offering clients a mail-in service, and we offered them the miraculous turnaround time of 72 hours by digitizing their receipts into an organized spreadsheet.
Literally, from Day One, we focused on supplying these services to accountants. Since then, we’ve basically been a pioneer in trying to increasingly simplify and automate bookkeeping workflows to make them more productive, profitable and powerful with better data and insight.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you tell our readers a bit about what your business does? How do you help people?
Every business is compelled by law to keep books and therefore do bookkeeping. Dext’s aim is to make the process much, much more efficient by making accountants and bookkeepers and the businesses they advise more productive, profitable and powerful with better data and insight.
Dext has automated elements of bookkeeping for the best accountants and bookkeepers around the world. Our business requires us to look at every element of the bookkeeping process and provide the right tools to make it more efficient for our clients and partners.
Which technological innovation has encroached or disrupted your industry? Can you explain why this has been disruptive?
Looking at the accounting and bookkeeping industry, the digitization of receipts has immensely changed my sector. Being able to submit scanned receipts has helped us push towards our clients adopting Cloud technology.
COVID-19 was both a disruptor and an innovator for our industry, pushing for the digitization of receipts.
What did you do to pivot as a result of this disruption?
For our company, we brought on more products like Dext Commerce during COVID-19. As many of our clients moved online and are now selling with many different platforms (i.e. Shopify, eBay and Walmart), we had a greater need to provide products that could help accountants and bookkeepers support those small businesses working on multiple e-commerce platforms.
Was there a specific “Aha moment” that gave you the idea to start this new path? If yes, we’d love to hear the story.
There hasn’t been a specific moment where we decided we should start this path. We’ve been tracking Greenback, that we now call Dext Commerce, for some time. It’s recognized as having the most accountant- and bookkeeper-friendly product in the industry for getting sales data from e-commerce platforms.
Dext Prepare already has a “fetch” facility to gather billing data from utilities and telecoms providers, but the difference with Dext Commerce is that it collects digital revenue information.
Dext Commerce is about the revenue side of business. We’ve seen really fast growth in the area of e-commerce through the COVID pandemic, and it was a huge opportunity for accountants and bookkeepers to grow their practices by serving clients and taking on new ones who sell through these platforms.
So, how are things going with this new direction?
They are going well, we are now a more robust tool and have moved from a one-note product to a Swiss Army knife.
Client story or anecdotal story to share?
Robin Greatorex Miller has been a bookkeeper for three decades, with her own small business for nearly twenty years. As a trusted advisor, her clients rely on her to manage everyday essential bookkeeping activities so they can focus on building their own businesses.
As soon as she saw it, Robin recognized Dext Commerce as a game-changer, seeing how it could help one of her clients with a growing problem. The business, Karu Distillery, took the initiative to create new products and find new ways to sell them during the pandemic. As a result, they received sales data from a growing number of platforms, including their website, the bank, Square, PayPal and Shopify. Deciphering the information, checking and updating it was becoming time-consuming. It had the potential for costly inaccuracies to creep in.
Using Dext Commerce saves Robin between two to three hours per tranche of transactions. Dext Commerce receives the input from e-commerce and payment providers (e.g. Amazon, Square, etc) and brings them into one common format and then automates checking and uploading data to Xero. In the “beautiful Dext Commerce interface”, as Robin describes it, she sorts, selects, checks and allocates
all the sales transactions.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during a disruptive period?
First and foremost, the most critical role of a leader during this time is agility and investing in the right tools. These will help steer the course and keep the team afloat.
Something that I have learned through COVID-19 is that we are all human. And that your people are the most important elements of your business.
We need to ensure that we are still providing exceptional value to our customers. When you look at the accounting space, you are not alone as you have a trusted advisor to point you in the right direction for your business.
If we’ve learned anything, small business owners go into business by building a business and not working on spreadsheets.
What is the best way to boost morale when the future seems so uncertain? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
The most critical role of a leader or a small business owner is to be confident in what they are selling. Their confidence can come from accounting and bookkeepers when they understand the numbers.
Confidence is also a key leadership quality. If you are a decisive person with the data, credentials and results to back it up, you will be better positioned to serve your clients.
In a general sense, you’ll also be able to attract and retain a quality team because they will trust you and feel you have matters under control. You will naturally exude confidence if you know your subject and stance, believe in yourself and speak with poise and conviction. On the flipside, uncertainty begets uncertainty. If you doubt yourself, so will others.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Give the leader a sounding board to help them be successful. If your accountant or bookkeeper is bogged down with administrative tasks, they can’t support the leader.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make when faced with disruptive technology? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
Most businesses are not comfortable with disruptive technology as these innovations do not satisfy their current clients. They only focus on the demands of the mainstream customers. If the customer wants better products, they’ll keep evolving the products instead of venturing into new products that are disruptive. Hence, these companies are ‘held captive’ by their most profitable clients, restricting them from pursuing disruptions.
In addition, leaders make the mistake of focusing on too many things at one time to deal with disruptive technologies which leads to unclear objectives, unfamiliar scope, ineffective communication and poor management skills.
Ok. Thank you. Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to pivot and stay relevant in the face of disruptive technologies? Please share a story or an example for each.
Technology companies live or die by making customers successful. To help leaders bridge through that disruption is tough. Provide confidence by demonstrating that as a technology partner, you are wholly vested in the success of your clients.
Your customers are moving this way.
Start small. Don’t change everything all at once — start with a part of your business that’s not mission-critical or a smaller client base.
Engage your staff and teams.
Ask customers what their expectations are and work together to achieve and exceed them.
Can you please give us your favourite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Nelson Mandela has a quote that resonates with me.
“The greatest glory in living is not falling, but rising every time we fall.”
Growing up as a young girl, I understood that there are challenges that I will face, especially as a woman.
And in my career, there will be a lot of setbacks. My voice should always be heard, that I will make mistakes and that I don’t have to be perfect because I am a woman in leadership.
If there is one thing that should be learned, we are going to face adversity. The one skill to have is understanding and overcoming and not letting it wear you down.
Practice! Practice! Practice! A rule of thumb I use, as well as others in this industry, is to practice one hour for each minute of the presentation. So for a five minute presentation, I would practice around five hours. Again, it’s just a rule of thumb, and the actual time practicing can vary depending on how familiar you are with the material. I know I’m getting close when I have it memorized, and it’s consistent on how long it goes. When it’s fully memorized (no notes) I know I’ll be less likely to freeze up and forget something. When I get to the point of having it memorized, I then practice the nuances in the delivery. I make sure the latter part of the practice is in front of a mirror. If it’s extemporaneous speaking, I only speak on topics I know inside and out.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jon Saunders.
Jon is an experienced business leader with a passion for the telecom industry. He started in the telecom industry as a network engineer with SECOM, Inc. in 1999. He has served there for the last 20 years in various C-Level roles. Currently, he serves as the Chief Business Development Officer. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences and events as well as testifies on telecom issues at the legislature.
Jon’s other passion is helping leaders of all levels accelerate their growth toward their peak potential. His desire to pay forward what others taught him inspired him in 2019 to found a leadership coaching and training company, Peak Leadership Academy. He also delivers key note addresses on leadership at conferences and to organizations. Currently, he is certified as a Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coach; a John Maxwell Team Coach, Speaker, and Trainer; and WillPower Trainer. He and Christol, his wife of nearly 40 years, reside near La Junta, Colorado, the area where they both grew up.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Thank you Fotis, the pleasure is mine. I grew up in a rural part of the eastern plains of Colorado — near a small town named La Junta. My family has lived in this area for generations. Both sets of my grandparents moved here well over 100 years ago — the early 1900’s. My wife and I still live here — we both grew up in the country and love living there. I was the youngest of five, and youngest by many years. I was a ‘later in life child’ and probably more like a grandchild to my parents.
So if you envision a classic “techie nerd” stereotype, that was me growing up. I’ve always been a techie, loved science, and I have very little athletic ability. As a child, when I got something new, I had to take it apart and see how it worked. When I was in the 5th grade, I took some discarded phone parts and built an intercom between our house and my dad’s shop. In the 8th grade, I started doing computer programming, and in high school, I was doing programming on a mainframe for some of my teachers. This was back in the 1970’s there weren’t many PCs.
From the time I was born, we lived in the country a few miles out of town. Both of my parents had jobs in town. So before I got my driver’s license, during the summer if I wanted do something, my bike was my transportation to and from town. When I was in the 6th grade, I joined band and really got into music. I started played trombone and later picked up bass guitar. Name the band, and I was in it — concert band, marching band, pep band, jazz band. It was because of music that I met my wife during my senior year in high school. To this day, I love being part of a music group. During high school, I was into electronics, computer programming, rebuilding cars, and music. My favorite class — Physics. As for my personality type, I am primarily an introvert.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
Yes, there is one memorable event that changed my perspective on public speaking. It was about 25 years ago at my previous job. The company had started a new division doing computer networking. The new division was going well and having success. One of our national vendors asked if I would come talk about the success at one of their events. Well, I accepted. My first thought was what did I just get myself into? I spent many hours prepping for the presentation. I was pretty nervous when it was time to present. When I got up to the mic and started talking, something clicked, and the nervousness melted away. All of the prep time paid off as I knew the material inside out. While I was giving the talk, I could feel the audience’s engagement. Because the audience was engaged, I put more energy into the presentation. We were building on each other’s energy. When I finished, the organizer made a beeline to me. While people were still clapping he grabbed my hand shaking it with both of his and said “That was outstanding!” The audience’s response and his encouraging words gave me a sense of accomplishment. I was like wow, that just happened! That event started me on this path.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Absolutely, this happened at my current employer. In my role, I would often do an all company motivational presentation that described what the focus was going to be during the upcoming year. I did this for several years, and they went well. One year, the presentation went exceptionally well and the room was electrified with positive energy. I had never experienced it to that degree before. When I finished, I walked to the back of the room to get something to drink and chill while the meeting continued. That’s when one of my coworkers came up to me and said “You’re an ambivert!” Now I had no idea what that was, and I took a half of a step back. I thought about it for a few seconds with my face wrinkled up, and jokingly responded “Uh, should I be offended by that?” We both laughed and he said oh no. He went on to explain that an ambivert is someone who is introverted most of the time. However, once they get in their zone, they are very extroverted. He said “That’s you when you give a presentation.” So that was an eye opening day for me in a couple of ways. One was feeling the energy of the room, and two, hearing that speaking is in my zone.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh I’ve had plenty of those, and this one stands out. I was well along the way on this path speaking both internally at my day job, as well as externally at industry conferences and other events. I had come across some new curriculum for a lunch and learn on leadership, and I decided to present it internally. The curriculum and presentation were canned, and including a script. I had gone over the presentation, just not enough. I was cocky and though “I’ve gone over the slides enough and I can just wing it from here.” Well, let’s say it didn’t go so well. I stumbled all over my words, and had to keep looking at the slide and read the canned script. Afterwards, I was talking to a long time coworker — the one I mentioned earlier, and was joking about how awkward the presentation was and that I wouldn’t ever use canned curriculum again. About that time, a new employee came up to us. He didn’t know I did public speaking, and offered some well-intended advice. He said “I can tell you’ve never really been in front of an audience before and that it’s uncomfortable for you to speak to a group. Don’t worry — it will get easier.” The long time coworker and I both chuckled as I thanked him. Two lessons learned — don’t try to use someone else’s canned speech. If it’s not “you” to begin, it never will be and will be awkward. If you need to use their presentation, rewrite the script and make it your own. Second — spend the time to be fully prepared to deliver your presentation.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Oh wow! I’ve had so much help from so many people that it’s hard to narrow it to one single person! My dad, gave me a huge confidence builder when I was around 13 years old. Our water well was broken, and he trusted me to fix the pump by myself. That led me to my early career of repairing things. From there, my first boss personally invested in me in so many ways, and helped me get where I am. Most of what I learned about business I learned from him. He is a true entrepreneur. He believed in me, challenged me and gave me the confidence I needed to grow. Earlier, I mentioned the new division that started up in the company. Well, my boss invested in my training as an engineer. He then put me in charge of starting the new division. It was an inspiring and challenging learning curve. It was also a big confidence and skill builder for me. I’m thankful for his willingness to hugely invest time, energy, and resources into me. Finally, I am so grateful for my wife of nearly 40 years. She has been such an inspiration and helped me in so many ways. I could have never gotten here without her.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Thank you for your kind words Fotis! This can be daunting, and it can be discouraging at times when you first begin. In fact, it can be an emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs. There are a couple of things I would suggest keeping in mind when starting. First, get experience by speaking as often as you can. Many groups and organizations are looking for pro-bono speakers. Another way to get practice and grow is to join a group such as Toast Masters. Second, know that you will have setbacks, bad presentations and less than helpful critics. Those are the lows on the rollercoaster. Rather than focus on the setback, learn from it and move forward. As you do more and more speaking, you will get better, and the up and down rollercoaster ride will smooth out.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
I’m so inspired by this question! You may have opened a Pandora’s box here, and I will try to be brief. First, I like to challenge and motivate people to grow personally and professionally. I believe the best way to grow is to actively lead yourself — nobody is going to do it for you. Growth can be accelerated with a coach. That is why I’m also a leadership coach. So, speaking and coaching go hand in hand for me. There are so many hard lessons I’ve learned way too late in my life. I wish someone would have taught me these lessons when I was younger so that I could have grown earlier and avoided some painful mistakes. So, it’s rewarding when I’m coaching or speaking and it helps someone.
The a main message I want to share is that everyone has several strengths. Often, our strength areas are so easy and natural for us that we don’t realize they are a strength. We assume that everyone has those skills. So, take time to learn and know what your strengths are. This is an area where help is essential. There are some great assessments you can take, and it’s helpful to get others perspectives on this. Once you know what your strengths are, focus and put your effort into growing them. In doing that, one can go from great to amazing.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
Thank you so much Fotis. I have two projects I’m currently working on. One is a new keynote for businesses that I’m currently calling The Five Core Strategies. The presentation is based on what I have experienced in business over the last 40 years. I’ve successfully used this framework while I was in leadership during my two different careers. In short, many businesses focus their attention on their products, or sales and marketing efforts. Please don’t misunderstand me — those things are very important and are needed. I believe that when a company understands their Purpose and the Culture they want to develop, they can then better define the Experience they want their customers to have. These three things, Purpose, Culture and Customer Experience, set the foundation of the company and how the customer will be served. When these first three strategies are in alignment, then the last two strategies, the Products and the Sales/Marketing, will fall into place easier, and bring more success. Think of it in terms of music. If all of the band is in tune together, the music flows and is sweet to the ears. If only one instrument is slightly out of tune, it’s still music, just less appealing. The Five Core Strategies work in a similar way. When they are in alignment, it’s like having everyone in the band in tune making sweet harmony.
The second project I’m working on is curriculum for a series of customer service classes. This one is structured different than most other customer service classes. Rather than one class packed full of details, these lessons are short and spaced over time. I believe we learn new skills best by taking small steps over time, and when those small steps are repeated, they become habits and skills. My experience is that a single short class doesn’t have time to go over what’s needed. If it’s a long class, too much information is dropped all at once and the student doesn’t come away learning all of the material.
Think about this. Have you ever gone to a class or conference and are all fired up at the end of it? You have all these things you want to do and are very enthusiastic. A week later you are still pumped up, just not quite as much. You tell yourself “I’ll start working on that soon.” A month later you’re like “That was really cool! I’ll get to it sometime.” Six months later, you are asking yourself “Now what did they talk about that seemed so good at the time?” I call it excitement fade. Most of us do well if we can take away one or two things from a big event and then get the ideas implemented. This is where several short lessons comes in.
To prevent the excitement fade, participants in this program learn one or possibly two things each lesson. They have a chance to roleplay to practice the skill during the class where it’s a safe environment. It can be intimidating trying a new skill for the first time with a real customer! Roleplay and practice helps get us over that hurdle. So after the participant learns the new skill in class, they go and practice it in their work until the next lesson. It’s best to have one or two weeks between lessons. At the next lesson, they add another skill and then go practice the new skill as well as the previous one. This continues, adding a new skill each lesson. When the classes are all put together in a series, it produces significant and lasting improvement.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Yes — it comes from the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi. He said “Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.” I keep a picture with this quote on my office wall. As I mentioned earlier, I grew up an academic techie. I was socially obtuse and had low EQ or Emotional Intelligence. I knew I was that way, and I thought I was destined to be that way for life. Side note — this is an example of why not to stereotype yourself; I had put myself in a box. So, when I realized that anyone can grow in Emotional Intelligence, and that leaders are made rather than born, I made the decision to dive in and learn and grow in both of these areas. Growing in these areas is a process and I have so much ahead of me to learn. When I feel discouraged, I look at the quote on my wall, and spend some extra time with my wife.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
The first one is Practice! Practice! Practice! A rule of thumb I use, as well as others in this industry, is to practice one hour for each minute of the presentation. So for a five minute presentation, I would practice around five hours. Again, it’s just a rule of thumb, and the actual time practicing can vary depending on how familiar you are with the material. I know I’m getting close when I have it memorized, and it’s consistent on how long it goes. When it’s fully memorized (no notes) I know I’ll be less likely to freeze up and forget something. When I get to the point of having it memorized, I then practice the nuances in the delivery. I make sure the latter part of the practice is in front of a mirror. If it’s extemporaneous speaking, I only speak on topics I know inside and out.
Also, while practicing and preparing, it’s also good to look at the big picture as well as focus on the details of the presentation. I once did a short presentation that included a personal story from my early teens. The highlight of the story was my dad firmly telling me “You can do it”, and how him saying that gave me the confidence to do it. This was the time I mentioned earlier where he had me fix our water well pump. Well, as I was preparing for this talk, I had focused so much on the story and delivery that I didn’t have a good ending with a punch. After I did the presentation, someone came up to me afterwards and pointed out that I had missed an opportunity. They said it would have been even more impactful if I had repeated what my dad told me, ending the talk with “You can do it.” In fact, this person thought that’s how I was going to end it.
Second thing, bring energy to the presentation! Nobody wants to listen to someone that’s stiff and monotone. Liven it up! It’s important to capture the audience’s attention and get them hooked right at the start. There seems to be a very short window of time to do that — typically less than a minute. There are many techniques to connect with and captivate the audience. Find what works for your personality and style. Again, it’s important to bring energy. One way is to vary vocal inflection, volume, and speed. If it almost feels like you are exaggerating these things, then it’s probably about the right amount. Adding pauses for emphasis is also another powerful tool. It can feel awkward having a silent pause for a few seconds. When used appropriately, it can powerfully drive a point home. Another great way to add energy is through movement and gestures. Make sure to use an appropriate amount of gestures and be cognizant of your body language. For me, I prefer a wireless mic so that I can move away from a podium. At smaller venues, that may not be an option. Last suggestion on this area — record yourself when you practice. When you play it back, watch specifically to see if you are bringing energy.
The third thing is content! Balance between actual points you are trying to make and stories. Too many points and the audience will be overwhelmed, not taking anything away. Think about it — would you rather listen to a lecture or be entertained while you learn? I try to make the stories the biggest part of the presentation. By adding relevant stories that tie in, it makes the presentation entertaining, and more memorable. If you can, bring in real life stories from your personal experience. Be on the lookout for quotes or stories and make notes when one is found. They can come from anywhere — a conversation, a book, a movie, or better yet an event in your life. Some keep track and log them on 3×5 cards. For me, when I come across one, I put it into a database app on my phone. Would a techie do it any other way? It’s good to keep track of the source, so credit can be given for the story or quote. It’s also helpful to categorize each item. For example it’s a story, an inspirational quote and so forth.
I once used a story from my personal experience in a customer service class. Remember, I live in a small town, and everyone knows everyone. Well, I thought I had anonymized the story enough that no one would know which store, or who the clerk was. When I finished the story, someone blurted out “You’re talking about (person’s name) at (store).” The whole class laughed. Apparently everyone in the class had experienced the same thing with this clerk!
Number Four, deliver your presentation with a calm confidence — something I learned from my wife! When presenting, make sure to speak low, and slow, unless purposely doing different for effect. It’s very easy to speed up and raise your pitch as you get into the presentation. Be conscious of this and adjust as needed. Also, make sure to keep your shoulders lowered. If you look tense, you lose impact. Keep a positive look or smile on, other than when you deliberately want something different for effect. Make sure to scan the audience slowly with your eyes. It’s good to make eye contact with someone — it builds rapport. Be careful though, there are some big potential dangers in this. For example it’s easy to always look to get eye contact with the same few people who smile at you — make sure and mix it up.
There are a couple of ways to get yourself in a calm confidence mindset before you present. The first one is power posing. Amy Cuddy has a great TED Talk on this. The second one is a technique and mnemonic I came up with years ago, and I still use it today: BRASS. B- Breath. R — Relax. A — Arms and shoulders. S — Smile. S — Serve.
Here is how to use the BRASS technique. Start by taking in a deep BREATH — (B), as you take it in, purposely raise your shoulders. Hold it for a second and slowly exhale. As you exhale slowly, clear your mind and then think RELAX — (R)– I tell myself things like “I can do this! I’ve got this!” Also as you exhale, purposely drop your ARMS — (A) and shoulders down, pushing them lower than you normally hold them. As you finish exhaling, put on a big SMILE –(S). Finally, when you’ve finished exhaling, think “This isn’t about me. I’m here to SERVE — (S).” Do this several times, and your will have your mind pointed in a better direction, plus, you will have oxygenated your brain so that it will be working at its optimum.
The fifth and final thing — if using a PowerPoint, remember that less is more. The audience is here to see and listen to you, and a presentation is a supplement to add impact. Minimize fancy slide transitions and animations. They can look really cool, and at the same time, they shift the focus from you to the screen. A few slides with animations are ok if they add emphasis. Presentations should be created with the person in the back of the room in mind– the one that is farthest away from the screen. As a rule of thumb, if your font is smaller than 32, you have too many words — shorten it. Use simple fonts that are easy to read. Script fonts may look classy; they are just hard to read — especially for those in the back of the room. Avoid more than three bullet points per page. If you have more than three, consider restructuring (maybe put in more slides). Finally, remember, people think in pictures, and a picture paints a thousand words. So find good images that accentuates or helps convey what you are saying, and then add minimal wording for emphasis.
I was breaking all of my above “guidelines” when I first started. Before I learned these lessons, my talks were much less impactful. Early on, I spoke at an industry conference, and the PowerPoint I had created was terrible. It detracted from my presentation rather than enhance it since they were watching the screen and not me. It was a hard lesson learned. It’s a good thing it was a small audience then and they were very forgiving as they have had me back! Now, when I’m at conferences, I watch other presenters closely to see what I can learn from them — what works and what doesn’t.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Absolutely! Speaking in front of a group of people can feel terrifying! This can be overcome. In my dad’s words, “You can do it.” So I have an exercise I would like everyone to try right now. Close your eyes and imagine yourself stepping onto a stage and walking to the podium to deliver a three hour keynote to 5,000 people. Go ahead and try it now! Did you get the so called butterflies in your stomach, or a shot of adrenalin? I did just thinking about it. That feeling — it is totally normal. Now close your eyes and think about seeing someone face-to-face who is very special to you — someone you haven’t seen for months or years. Did you get similar physical reactions? Most people do. The point here is that the physical response to both fear and excitement are very similar, if not the same. It comes down to a matter of how they are interpreted. Because the brain and body responses for fear and excitement are so similar, one way to overcome the fear is to interpret those butterflies as excitement rather than fear. Tell yourself, I’m not afraid, I’m excited. By reinterpreting those sensations and feelings, you can put yourself on a positive trajectory rather than a negative one.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Developing great leadership! Think about this: we are all leaders as we all lead ourselves. Granted, we may be more or less conscious of how we lead ourself. I want to raise that consciousness of how we lead ourselves. I believe that when we learn to lead ourselves effectively, we are better at leading others. So that’s where it starts — with ourself. Also, leadership doesn’t just apply at your job. We lead at home, and in all the other parts of our lives. Another point to this, we can lead when we aren’t in charge. True leadership isn’t by title, it’s by attitude and action. Clay Scroggins has a great book on this if you want to learn more about that idea.
I believe if we all work at being better servants and leaders of both of self and of others, the world will be better place. Then, if each of us passes on what we have learned to someone else, paying it forward so to speak, the cycle will continue and grow.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Marshall Goldsmith — He is the top of the top leadership coaches. He is also an amazing speaker and thought leader. Because he is such a great teacher and coach, one can’t help but learn when listening to him. It would be humbling and a great honor to sit down with him for lunch and learn from him.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
The Future Is Now: Parker McCurley Of Decent Labs On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Take care of yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint. My first few years, I was so energized and all I wanted to do was push as hard as I could. The combination of computer work, business travel, stress, sleep deprivation, wining and dining did a number on me despite my eagerness to play the part. You can regain that energy with enough time spent on recovery, but it’s hard to make time for that and run a business so the best strategy is to avoid burnout altogether. Businesses often fail due to the personal issues of the management, not fundamental flaws in their model.
As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Parker McCurley.
Parker McCurley, Co-Founder & CEO of Web3 venture studio Decent Labs, aims to create a more fair and equitable society by building DeFi and cryptocurrency projects making real and enriching impacts. Notable companies supported by Decent Labs’ marketing and design team include Celsius, ShapeShift, and BRD, the latter of which was recently acquired by Coinbase. Current portfolio projects envisioned, designed, and built by Decent Labs include Sarcophagus, FrostByte, and Rawrshak.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was young, I felt like computers were the best vehicle to express my creativity. This drove me to learn about online communication and open software from very early on. One day I needed photoshop, but it was too expensive. That’s when I discovered two inventions that both fascinated and inspired me. The first came from the people clever enough to torrent a keygen so a user could download a cracked version of photoshop. The second was this application called GIMP. This was an open source alternative to photoshop that illuminated how a group of people can get online, use their programming brains to build a free version of powerful software, and then share it with the world. I have always felt like technology had the power to catalyze unity and challenge cultural norms. For instance, the Occupy Wallstreet Movement was fundamental in my path into cryptocurrency. The 2008 financial crisis hit my family hard, we struggled a lot. My family, like many others, ended up sustaining significant damage as a result of that. So, it wasn’t until Occupy Wallstreet rose up that I began to understand the economics behind the issue. That’s when I became cognizant of just how antiquated the financial, education, and health care institutions of the United States truly were. Then I discovered cryptocurrency for the first time. It wasn’t until years later that I returned to it as a software engineer, but by then the foundation of digital curiosity and institutional angst had already been laid.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
It’s not so much the story, but the characters within that story. The global nature of cryptocurrency has allowed me the honor to travel the world with my fiance Sarah. We’ve met people from all different backgrounds, cultures, and nations. That has been very special for me. It’s also been a privilege to meet my idols; these were people I dreamt of meeting and now I’m working with them. In both cases working alongside my peers has humbled me and broadened my perspective of the world.
Can you tell us about the cutting edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
Most of our work begins with thinking about how DAO’s are run. Coming out of a traditional startup accelerator, we’re focused on designing new standards for decentralized communities and open source software projects. We are building a framework for builders that empowers individuals, allowing for more equitable and accessible opportunities for people of all backgrounds. Rather than building companies, we are using DAOs to apply concepts of decision making, finances, mission, and values to start self-sustaining online communities that truly serve participants.
How do you think this might change the world?
Decent Labs is all about offering opportunity and empowering the individual. My co-founder says ‘Crypto is about giving individuals the same tools as institutions.’ To me, this speaks to cryptocurrency’s potential to bypass socio-economic barriers prevalent in our society. Barriers like education, employment, and nepotism can be leveled on the blockchain. Cryptocurrency serves as a framework for a meritocratic way of working that subverts the biases and ulterior motives embedded in traditional financial institutions.
Keeping a “Black Mirror-esque” scenario in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
When you look at the typical model for a blockchain, the playing field is leveled when all data becomes accessible. The drawbacks here can look like not being able to take back something you said electronically, or even governments and corporations devising more sophisticated methods to track and identify individuals. It’s very unsettling for me. Take the adoption cycle for instance: any emerging technology begins with individual empowerment and is funneled into commercialization. From there it turns into individual impressions and becomes a necessity in our daily lives. Think of how search engines are fundamental to our experience of the internet, yet their filters and censors dynamically change our encounter with the digital world. Consequently, a Black Mirror scenario is not improbable to me; the players in the traditional system have the same means to replicate their intrusion on the blockchain. So, this means people need to educate themselves. They need to size up what constitutes true decentralization and transparency so they don’t buy software that’s sold as such, but is actually reinventing the problems of yesterday.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
In 2017, when we were building blockchains in basements, my team remained open minded about what this technology should become. However, at the time there were also highly touted, well endowed corporate focused blockchain projects like the Hyper Ledger and IBM blockchain. As one starting my own business without much access to capital, it was frustrating to see how much money was being poured into private network blockchain initiatives that had nothing to do with decentralization or cryptocurrency. We even had companies with long resumes and deep knowledge of the financial and technology industries reach out to us with their funding or ideas. I discounted them. I was confused at the dissonance between where the capital, energy, and public opinion was going compared to where the innovation and value was to society. In the few years following those projects started to dissolve or trail off and fail. The corporate permission blockchain networks proved too much of a hassle to be worth the effort. And sure enough on the public and permission less side of the spectrum, cryptocurrency was thriving. The breakthrough for my company was using the right technology in the right way.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
We don’t need anything else to reach widespread adoption but time. With user experience improving everyday and the consistent growth of those educating themselves, widespread adoption is inevitable.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
It boils down to Discord and Twitter, much of the discourse lives there. Crypto is taking a much simpler approach to marketing than a B2B or SaaS company through its emphasis on active online communities.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Seeking mentorship and asking for help has proven to be the most crucial asset in my tool belt as a founder. Being conscious of that, the list is too long for me to name just one person who has gotten me to this point. My best advice directs you to the awareness that success in this world is predicated on others helping you. You should be seeking to activate as many people around you to learn from each interaction you have. If you do that, you are in for a very full life.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
My company’s pretty young, so I’m not fortunate enough to be a philanthropist yet, but I can say that at Decent Labs, we’ve always been inspired to build a company where it’s employees enjoy coming to work and as a result are living fulfilled lives. The wellbeing of my team is my main priority on a daily basis. Outside of building companies at Decent, I’ve had the privilege to help a number of aspiring founders who are under-resourced like I was. Some of these people have actually become successful entrepreneurs, and those stories are ones I cherish.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
First, something someone told me when I started: it’ll take you at least five years to succeed when starting your first business. Choose something that you can commit to, and understand it will be your primary commitment for half a decade if you wish to succeed. This has kept me going… only four more years! Three! Two… oh, wouldn’t you know. We got our act together.
Next, is that the only way to fail as an entrepreneur is to give up. This is the optimistic compass that guides me. A lot of people never experience entrepreneurship because the fear of uncertainty is too great. In reality, being an entrepreneur is the most certain success there is — only limited by your patience and determination. I have and continue to sacrifice plenty in life for my entrepreneurial journey, but knowing as long as I hang on for the ride, it will always be worthwhile — that is a superpower.
Third would be that it’s not about you! Some entrepreneurs I meet, many more successful than myself, have a warped sense of self importance that makes forming trust and long term relationships difficult. As the operator of a business, your job is to serve the various parties of your business well. That means taking care of your employees, creating value for your customers, returning profits to investors and paying vendors on time. Design a user experience for those who interact with your business.
Fourth… take care of yourself. This is a marathon, not a sprint. My first few years, I was so energized and all I wanted to do was push as hard as I could. The combination of computer work, business travel, stress, sleep deprivation, wining and dining did a number on me despite my eagerness to play the part. You can regain that energy with enough time spent on recovery, but it’s hard to make time for that and run a business so the best strategy is to avoid burnout altogether. Businesses often fail due to the personal issues of the management, not fundamental flaws in their model.
Finally… get a coach as soon as you can. I’ve been very fortunate to have met many friends and mentors over the years to assist my journey, but having a professional coach early on would have saved me years of frustration. They will teach you how to solve problems and make decisions that will increase the success of your business in the most meaningful ways, not only financially.
If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
For a decentralized system to work, it requires not only the monetization of digital assets, but valuable projects that online communities find meaningful. I want to see community driven projects built on their mission and values. Not only will that drive like-minded individuals together who want to help, but it ensures that we’re using this technology for more than short-term financial gain. Being rooted in honesty and self-actualized critical thinking are of paramount importance to me.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Hard work is a better cure for worrying than whiskey” — this hung on a sign in the jimmy john’s I drove delivery for during my first (only) year of college. There’s a lot of wisdom on those walls, but this one stuck with me because I have a natural tendency to distract myself from stress and concerns — luckily not only with whiskey! This reminder serves that hard work can usually solve my problems and relieve me of my worries.
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
At Decent, we’re taking the venture studio model and replacing the standard financial model of investing and owning equity in companies with creative control over public goods and the network value associated with them. Since these goods take the form of decentralized protocols, they are governed, managed, and grown by open source communities rather than the hierarchical human resources of a traditional company. Meanwhile, tokenization offers incredible automation and liquidity for contributors.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
My personal Twitter is @parker_mccurley and you can follow everything we’re doing at Decent on our Twitter, @decent_dao and by joining our Discord server https://t.co/5kwcd8VAtn
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Kyle Slaymaker Of The Slaymaker Method On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Be your authentic self-This is the single most important aspect to speaking and life in general. People will gravitate towards those who they like, who they know, and who they trust. If you are anything other than real, your audience and followers will see through it in a heartbeat.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Kyle Slaymaker.
Labeled a disruptor in his industry, Kyle Slaymaker is considered one of the foremost authorities when it comes to business and sales. Founder of The Slaymaker Method, this Iraq War Veteran is a 2X bestselling author who has been featured in dozens of publications, interviews, and podcasts.His books have been ordered and read around the world and has spoken on multiple platforms about what it takes to ethically get ahead in sales and business! When he is not working he spends his time with his wife and three kids!
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Certainly! I grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in the heart of Amish Country. My parents are divorced and I have 2 sisters and a little brother who I unfortunately lost back in 2019 when he was 22. I was born and raised here, aside from a 4-year stint in the Navy in San Diego. There are definitely worse duty stations to have!
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
The biggest trajectory shifts have always come at the hands of my wife. It never fails. She got me started in sales after I spent five years in a job that made me completely miserable and she was the driving force behind me going into business and sales coaching. Without her, where I would be would be anyone’s guess!
I had spent years in sales and we were laying in bed when she asked me how much I thought I have sold over the years. I estimated that the number was probably close to $20,000,000 when I took into consideration contract length and value and everything I have sold over the years. She told me she was incredibly proud of me and that maybe I should think about teaching others how to sell as a business since I was already teaching everyone I knew how to sell like I did. The rest is history!
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
This is really a toss up. I could choose from a plethora of different things. One of the most profound will always be when I got a call from Gerhard Gschwandtner, the founder of Selling Power magazine. He had heard about me and wanted to put me in the magazine and a video interview. It was completely out of the blue but it was such a huge moment for me. For one, it was validation that I was meant to be doing what I set out to do. I will forever be in the debt of Gerhard and am both privileged and honored to have been given that opportunity by somebody who I respect a great deal.
Another would be when I had been asked to speak in front of a group of about 80 people last year at the last minute. I was incredibly pleased to do it and it was one of the best times I had. While it was not the largest crowd I have ever spoken in front of, it was still a very powerful experience. When I walked into the room I heard somebody exclaim to his friend “Oh my god. Is that Kyle Slaymaker? What is he doing here?!” It was another “aha” moment when I realized that people were paying attention and, most importantly, I was positively impacting their lives. That feeling is one that is greater than any commission check.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh, this is easy! Many years ago, before I got into sales and long before I did any real public speaking, I took a course in college on public speaking. It was a fun course but I was due to present a speech. I did it on one of my favorite athletes. I had this huge presentation set up, it was going to floor the other students and professor. I just knew it. As luck would have it, I saved the presentation in the wrong format and we couldn’t use the visual aids. I was left standing there with a very limited outline as most of what I was going to say was to be guided to me by the presentation I had so painstakingly set up. I did the entire presentation without visual aid on my limited outline.
The takeaway from this was that I had to be ready and capable to think on my feet. Sometimes, stuff happens out of your control and you need to be able to roll with it. You need to be able to still captivate your audience. This is something that is incredibly easy to do when you get the hang of it!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Oh, wow. Another great and thought-provoking question! I already mentioned my wife and Gerhard but this is a laundry list of people who have helped get me to where I am! To be completely honest, I’m grateful, and I mean incredibly grateful, to everyone who has helped along the way.
A generalized answer is going to be everyone who ever gave me a hand-up. Anyone who saw what I was doing, trusted the quality and myself so much that they asked me to speak to their team, train their team, or help them skyrocket their business. I have learned such a great deal from each and every one of my clients that I would feel bad if I didn’t credit all of them.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Please know that everyone has a story to tell. Even you, the reader. And also know that there are people who not only want to hear your story, but need to hear your story. I want you to think of public speaking, and your life, like this: If telling your story impacts just one person, just one, is it not worth that initial fear of speaking in front of people?
I took this mindset into my business coaching and sales training career and it has worked phenomenally. I make it a mission to be sure that I leave the place that hired me better than when I first walked through their door. It is one of my company’s core values.
When you adopt this attitude, you will start to see just how important you and your story is. Go out there and don’t be afraid to let it out and start making an impact!
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
After 70 YouTube videos, countless podcasts, in person talks, and virtual, it seems like my life would become monotonous. Nothing could be further from the truth. I use the mindset I described in your previous question. I make it my life’s work to change people’s lives. Be it personally or professionally, that is what drives me. Yes, the money is fantastic and I love it, but truth be told, when somebody messages me or comes up to me and says “Wow, what you said was so true and it really helped,” it gives me all the fuel my fire will ever need.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
Thank you, I appreciate that! I have a bunch of stuff in the works! I am currently working on the release of my third book, Slaying The Sale, and am currently booking out all the way to the end of 2023. It is truly an honor to be able to have these opportunities and I’m looking forward to them. I know the latest 2023 engagement I have, and this is not to say I don’t have availability this year, is looking to be about a 3-hour appearance, so I’m super excited about the challenge that presents!
I also am a partner in a company that is about to release an app that we are super excited about that looks like it will revolutionize how consumers find and gain access to small business products around them and wherever they are, so that is super exciting to look forward to! I believe the app will be out by the time this article is published so be sure to download Izitin and get your favorite local businesses to put their stuff on! The best part, of course, is that it is free!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my all-time favorite quotes that I live my life by, and I mean truly live my life by, came from the man who penned the book that changed EVERYTHING for me. Matthew McConaughey wrote in Greenlights:
“Knowing who we are is hard. Eliminate who we’re not first, and we’ll find ourselves where we need to be.”
Powerful stuff, huh? It is so true. We spend so much time thinking of what we want to be instead of who we are. Look at it like this: How many of you can say they are living their childhood dream or doing what they truly want to do? How many are out there fulfilling their actual purpose? Seldomly, that answer is a true ton.
The real stuff is that most people aren’t and it is because they truly don’t know exactly who they are. When I realized who I wasn’t, which I did after reading Greenlights, my path became much more clear, much more profitable, and much more impactful to the world around me.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
Be your authentic self-This is the single most important aspect to speaking and life in general. People will gravitate towards those who they like, who they know, and who they trust. If you are anything other than real, your audience and followers will see through it in a heartbeat.
Be honest- Equally important as number one, don’t lie to your audience. Ever. I don’t care if it is on stage, on a podcast, or on social media, don’t ever lie. These people are trusting you enough to actually listen to what you have to say, and that should be taken incredibly seriously.
Be confident- So often you see people getting nervous on stage and in interviews. You quite literally can not fail. You’re still going to walk away with family and friends. You are still going to be loved by your spouse or partner and your kids. So understand that the absolute worst thing that can happen on stage is that you stumble a bit. That’s it. It really is that simple. Keeping that in mind, walk out there with the confidence knowing you absolutely can not fail.
Place yourself behind others- Understand that every speech you give, every talk, every appearance, is being done so you can impact an audience. You have one goal when you start speaking. That is to change and impact the lives of the people that are in front of you. It is not to make money. It is not to get famous. It is to help. Understand this, and you will go incredibly far.
Learn from your audience- One of the greatest lessons I learned is that while I have a stories to share with my audience, my audience has stories of their own. Stories that can impact me. Stories that can shape me and teach me. Take the time to interact with your audience when it is all said and done. Listen to their thoughts and let those thoughts and stories guide you in your own journey.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Practice makes perfect, right?! This is actually very true, though I am not sure if anyone would say they are a perfect speaker. Even at this stage of my career, the more I find myself speaking front of people and audiences, the better and more at ease I become. Whether it is a one-on-one zoom motivational session or a large crowd and everything in between, each time gets just a tiny bit easier. If you really want to put yourself out there, go get yourself on some podcasts. They are incredibly easy to get on and is a great first step in public speaking!
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Always with the thought provoking questions! Honestly, it would be to do exactly what I am doing. Helping people overcome their hurdles and fears and getting where they truly want to be in life, be it personally or professionally. I revel in a business owner coming to me and saying how much of an impact I made on their business and I get just as much enjoyment and satisfaction out of somebody coming up and saying “Man, your posts are so inspiring to me, I actually started working towards my dreams!” So something in that fashion, where I can influence and impact on a much greater scale. There is more than enough success and happiness to go around, so why shouldn’t everyone be able to be this happy?
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Easily Matthew McConaughey. I mentioned in the question about a life quote how impactful Greenlights was and still is for me. So much so that I require every client I work with to read it. The results are always a resounding non-surprise. The book is life changing. Mr. McConaughey is a true treasure to this world and one of the greatest storytellers of this generation, perhaps even all time. His philosophies are fantastic, and he seems to be an incredibly amazing person.
I would love to just be able to get a few minutes of his time and talk to him about Greenlights and living life the way he does. A true gift to our world.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
I am on all of the platforms!
FB: My business page is The Slaymaker Method while my personal and more accessible and utilized is a public page www.facebook.com/kyle.slaymaker.54
Instagarm and TikTok are both The Slaymaker Method!
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Of course! The please was all mine! I appreciate the honor!
Falling In Love Again With Your Spouse: Stephen McGough Of DHS Women and Couples Wellness On 5 Things You Need To Rekindle Love In A Marriage That Has Gone Cold
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Remember just how important your partner is to you. Try to let go of any anger and remember what things you enjoyed when you met. What really attracted you to each other? Many times as we get used to things, we take them for granted. This is especially important in our relationships.
When people first get married, they are usually deeply in love and extremely excited to be together. But sometimes, over time, that passion and excitement begins to fade. This has been particularly true after the pandemic, when many marriages went through great upheavals. What can a couple do to rekindle the love and excitement that they used to have when they were first together?
In this interview series, called “Falling In Love Again With Your Spouse; 5 Things You Need To Rekindle Love In A Marriage That Has Gone Cold,” we are talking to relationship professionals, therapists, psychologists, and coaches to share stories and insights from their experience.
As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Stephen McGough, DHS.
Stephen McGough is a clinical sexologist and the director of Research and Development at Women and Couples Wellness. Steve and his Wife Wendy have doctorates in Human Sexuality, focusing on Clincal Sexology and over the past 12 years have worked with thousands of women and couples studying how to enhance intimate experiences. Steve has multiple books and publications on massage, relationships, and neuroscience, as well as 6 patents on women’s health technologies.
https://himassager.com/our-story
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to ‘get to know you’. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My career began in neuroscience research. I would have never expected to be in this field 20 years ago. I guess it would be best to explain the background of how this happened. Sometimes life takes us in directions we don’t expect.
After 5 years of my wife Wendy and I trying to get pregnant, we were finally blessed. But in the last 2 months of the pregnancy, Wendy was exposed to an antibiotic-resistant bacteria. She soon became very sick, and complications forced her to require an emergency c-section. Tragically our son Luke only lived a day.
Wendy then spent 2 years in and out of ICU because the infection became resistant to every antibiotic they tried. Thankfully the Mayo Clinic eventually discovered an antibiotic that cleared the infection.
It took Wendy a long time to recover, but now was dealing with painful tissue adhesions. Scar tissue from the multiple surgeries she’d needed caused adhesions between her intestines and uterus. These adhesions would cause her intestines to periodically twist and become blocked, which can quickly become life-threatening.
In trying to find a solution for this, I ended up discovering a new approach, and device to help her tissue adhesions. This new approach had a very unexpected side effect — that caused a major career shift — even though it was initially on the belly, and through clothing, it often induced orgasms in women.
This discovery eventually caused me to shift careers. We both ended up getting doctorates in human sexuality. My research focus in sexology was on anorgasmia (the inability to have an orgasm) and the neurological mechanisms behind orgasm.
In the beginning, the focus was only on physical techniques, and understanding the underlying mechanisms. This resulted in 6 patents on new methods and devices for women. Later though we realized the couple’s relationships played a huge role in their intimate health. If their relationship had issues, they usually had issues in the bedroom.
So we didn’t take the traditional route of studying counseling or pathologies in relationships. Our focus has been on developing ways to resolve intimate challenges and how to enhance the overall experience for couples.
Over the years we noticed that most couples were having intimate challenges in similar ways. When couples were having challenges, there usually was a misunderstanding in one or more of some fundamental areas. However, couples with great relationships were on the same page with each other about these simple things.
We also found that many of these challenges can be easily solved if couples just:
(1) Understood some basic ideas (frequently that they thought they were on the same page about, but actually weren’t because they had never talked about it)
and
(2) Learned a few simple skills for taking care of each other.
We found that what made couples truly happy in the long run wasn’t wealth, status, or appearance, but if they were on the same page about life, and how they treated each other. The great thing is these skills were easy to learn.
So our background comes from a very different approach than most people in this field.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
I’ve had many very interesting experiences. The most memorable have been getting to know several prominent people from the history of sexual health research. My mentor Dr. Ted McIlvenna shared his experiences and wisdom, ranging from when he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, to working with Alfred Kinsey, Wardell Pomeroy, Bill Masters, Virginia Johnson, and other pioneers in these fields. As well as being able to meet and know other pioneers in women’s health such as Betty Dodson.
What I found most interesting about that was they LIVED the history we hear about, and often their recollection was very different from what we now read.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting?
I guess this is funny — in a wonderful way. Wendy had been using the device we created daily to hopefully keep her surgical adhesions relaxed. We had been told there was virtually no chance of getting pregnant due to severe uterine, and fallopian tube damage from the past surgeries. Then, 5 years after she had recovered, Wendy started getting very weird symptoms. None of the doctors we saw could figure out what was happening. The symptoms continued to get worse, and after 7 doctor’s visits and 24 weeks later we were seeing another specialist. During the visit, a volunteer nurse’s assistant commented, “hmm that sure sounds like you might be pregnant.” The MD gave the assistant a harsh look because they didn’t want Wendy’s feeling hurt as getting pregnant wasn’t possible. They had said there was absolutely no chance of getting pregnant, and should look at adopting if we wanted children.
Driving home from the visit, almost at the same time we decided to stop & pick up a pregnancy kit and… AND WE WERE PREGNANT! Just 16 weeks later we had an amazing little girl!
Our daughter Daniela is the most wonderful blessing of this whole experience. We now also work with Fertility specialists for part of a natural, non-medical protocol to help couples become pregnant.
Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The main lesson is to always try to look at the obvious — even if the current information (and experts) tell you otherwise. Wendy’s stomach had even begun to swell because we were already 60% through the pregnancy. Even though many “signs and symptoms” were right in front of us. The doctor’s overlooked it because it “wasn’t possible”. It took an outside person that didn’t know the history to state the obvious.
That’s a reminder that there may be many opportunities that we are overlooking — simply because we don’t ever think to look at it from a different perspective.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
The three character traits that I believe have been most essential for my success are: determination to follow through, adaptability/creativity, communication
Can you please share a story or example for each?
Determination to not let go of our vision was essential to get to this point. For the first 9 years, we had continual setbacks getting the product that’s used in our programs manufactured. There were literally hundreds of sleepless nights. But we were absolutely committed to moving ahead and making it happen.
As far as adaptability/creativity — we didn’t succeed at our first crowdfunding (it was a disaster) so we had to regroup and rethink everything many time. 2 years later we successfully were funded. To achieve what you want, the majority of time it seems you have to take a very different path from what you initially think it will be. So being able to adapt, and change is essential if you want to succeed.
The ability to clearly communicate is something that I’m continually trying to improve. Being able to both write and speak in a clear way has been essential both professionally as well as for Wendy and my relationship. The most important aspect of this (I believe) is to be able to clearly express what you need, in a way that also addresses what others need.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now?
We just launched a new program for couples that is a very different way to help respark your relationship. It’s called “The Magical Mystery Date”. It’s an easy way to learn powerful skills that can bring back excitement in your relationship while having fun on a date together. Instead of attending classes or coaching, you practice new skills on a date.
Another program will launch soon that teaches couples ways to bring their intimate relationship to a completely new level. It takes concepts from Tantra and Taoist Sexual Yoga, and teaches them in a format that is very easy to understand from a western viewpoint. That will launch soon. One way it’s different is it uses our product the hi® Massage System.
How do you think that will help people?
We have already gotten wonderful feedback from hundreds of people going on the date program. Many people don’t have time, or don’t want to meet for “coaching”, therapy, or anything like that. They just want to get things back like they were before. This is a simple, fun, first step that is done on a date. So it gives couples a different way to approach this challenge — and have fun at the same time.
For the new program, we have taught that as an advanced class at resorts for years and directly seen how it can profoundly improve couple’s quality of life. We’ll soon be providing it as a course couples can take in the privacy of their own home.
For the benefit of our readers, can you briefly tell our readers why you are an authority about the topic of marriage?
From an experience standpoint, over the last 12 years, we’ve worked with several thousand women and couples researching intimate health. Our focus has been on developing ways to resolve intimate challenges many women have, and enhance the overall experience for couples. While our original focus was on physical areas, we quickly learned that relationship challenges needed to be address many times as well.
This experience has given us a unique perspective on the challenges we all face, especially couples with busy lifestyles. Over the years we noticed that most couples were having intimate challenges in similar ways.
When couples were having challenges, there usually was a misunderstanding in one or more of some fundamental areas. However, couples with great relationships were on the same page with each other about these simple things.
We also found that many of these challenges can be easily solved if couples just:
(1) Understood some basic ideas (frequently that they thought they were on the same page about, but actually weren’t because they had never talked about it)
and
(2) Learned a few simple skills for taking care of each other.
We found that what made couples truly happy in the long run wasn’t wealth, status or appearance, but if they were on the same page about life, and how they treated each other.
The great thing is these skills are easy to learn.
So, our approach is quite different, but effective because we focus on simple steps that produce changes both partners benefit from.
As well, my wife and I have been married and have been able to keep our passion for over 20 years. My mentor Dr. McIlvenna often told me that the only way someone can give meaningful advice about life is if they have already experienced what the other person is going through. We’ve had many challenges ranging from losing children, to life-threatening illnesses, raising our daughter, and managing very stressful startup businesses. But we’ve found ways to work together and care for each other along the way. So we have lived and experienced what we share with others.
Ok. Thank you for that. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘How to Rekindle Love In A Marriage That Has Gone Cold’. Based on your experience, what is a common root cause of marriages “going cold”?
We have found that the most common cause of marriages “going cold” is the couple stops sharing the experiences (or loses track of the reasons) that had originally attracted them.
In other words, what originally caused them to be attracted has changed. This can be from many things. It could be stress, caring for children, or other challenges that happen in life.
Or it may be that one partner changes. It also could be that neither of them really knew themselves, and what they wanted, when they got in the relationship. Then as they learned more about themselves, they found they had different priorities.
Our experience has been that a long-term relationship is a journey two people share together. This journey through life will likely have both wonderful, and truly challenging experiences.
Couples with strong relationships usually share strong reasons (purposes or desires) to be together. Plus these shared purposes give both of them meaning and satisfaction. This usually has multiple facets, and the more reasons each person has the stronger the relationship will be.
The main challenge is if one or both partners realize that they no longer, or never shared a mutual purpose. Many times people are attracted physically, or with romantic crushes and get swept up in the moment. They don’t really know the other partner, but commit to the relationship. Frequently they don’t truly know themselves (and what they really want out of life) yet as well. This difference usually becomes more noticeable after the newness and initial passion of the relationship fade, particularly when they face stresses of work, raising children, and life.
A second reason, that often causes people to no longer feel attraction or love is that after they are together for a while, each person defaults to the communication style they are most comfortable with.
When they were first dating, they both showered each other with affection in many ways. They did this in the way they looked at each other, what they said, and their physical actions. Usually there was a particular combination of things each person did that triggered a special giddy feeling.
However as they settled in they likely defaulted to what works for each of them, without realizing it might not be the same for the other partner. So while they might still truly love their partner, they are expressing it in a way that’s causing the other person to have the same emotional reaction. This can be very frustrating because they could be trying but feel like it’s the other person that changed when in reality it’s the way they’re expressing themself.
The second reason can have a big impact on how each partner feels, but no longer having mutually shared motivations to be together is what will ultimately cause them to lose their connection.
In my experience with helping others in relationship difficulty, I most often hear “lack of communication” as the reason for the difficulty or wanting to end the relationship. Lack of communication is really a symptom of the real root cause, which is always “loss of connection.” What must be done to regain that connection?
To regain connection, couples need to find something they can share that helps them feel emotional intimacy again. This can be something that they shared in the past, or something new. It needs to be something that is important to both of them. We call that, “building a base”. From there you can expand.
In these cases, the first step would be to find something in common they both want, something they both enjoy. In some cases that can be regaining intimacy, or just committing to doing something fun together they both enjoy.
However, those are often temporary stopgaps. But if that can keep them together and give them hope for continuing to grow together, it’s a first step. From there it’s a process of learning to honestly share what each person wants and finding ways to meet those needs together if possible.
That process can take time because many times each partner has to learn to trust the other enough to truly express what they want without fear of judgment. They also may need to learn how to not judge each other. Our experience has been that about 90% of couples don’t completely share with each other what they want. This is particularly true in intimate areas, but also in other parts of life.
Of course in cases where there may be abuse or dangerous situations, couples may need to separate, but we’re not addressing those situations here.
Based on your experience, what is the foundation for a successful marriage?
In our opinion, a marriage is strongest when it’s built on deep friendship, mutual trust, acceptance, and the desire to help each other grow. From that, they can develop a passion that will grow as they age.
This is easier said than done, but in our experience, ideally it begins with, or over time evolves into a genuine friendship. That friendship is a connection that some say feels spiritual.
Many times sexual attraction, romance and crushes are what attract most couples at first. They ideally also are good friends from the beginning, but many times couples really don’t know each other if it was a whirlwind romance. If they are fortunate, real friendship will hopefully develop, and continue to grow through the relationship.
Ideally that friendship can help couples feel safe to truly express what they want, both with life goals and sexually. If they can both accept each other for what they truly are, what they each want to do, and then work together to help each other grow, we believe they have the foundation for a very strong relationship.
It has been said that “a healthy, happy marriage is the union of two generous forgivers”. Can you talk about why forgiveness is so important for a relationship to thrive?
In our opinion, being able to forgive someone usually indicates that you have consciously, or unconsciously chosen to accept them for who they are and feel like you can ultimately trust them. You know that they may make mistakes, just like you may, but have a confident feeling that you’ll be able to work it out together. This may come from a profound feeling of love or trust or both.
Based on your experience, why do you think couples struggle to forgive and be forgiven?
Our experience has been that unfortunately many couples are at some level insecure about their relationship. This can be personal insecurity, or from their partner’s behavior. Having fear that their partner might leave or be unfaithful often causes people to be afraid that if they do forgive them, it might make them think they can continue doing whatever wasn’t acceptable.
They also may have come from a background where their parents had issues with forgiveness, so they are repeating the cycle. This can be a major challenge, but there are ways to work through this. But like many things, this is easier said than done. The first step is to build the areas that are common bonds. That way you develop more confidence in the relationship.
Is it important for marriage partners to inspire each other to be the best version of themselves that they can be? Can you please explain what you mean?
We believe that in healthy relationships couples will want to support and inspire each other so they both can grow. This is because we all need to grow, and if our relationship supports this it is the most fulfilling.
There is a word in Sanskrit called Mudita that can describe this form of affection and appreciation. Mudita means to feel happy when your partner or friend grows and does well. This is often experienced vicariously. It is a feeling of pleasure from delighting in someone elses well-being.
In healthy positive relationships, each couple has this feeling of “Mudita” towards each other. They want to help each other grow to be the best person they can be. They also delight in their growth. This is a wonderful experience to share with someone else.
That being said, this can sometimes be confused with one partner wanting to change or mold the other into the image they want. Sooner or later this causes resentment in the other partner.
So there needs to be a balance here to make sure each partner has room to grow in the way that is truly right for them, and now what the other might think is “right”.
Unfortunately, the opposite of this can happen sometimes in toxic or abusive relationships. One, or both partners are insecure about the other leaving. So they want to keep the other partner from growing and gaining confidence because they’re afraid if they become independent they might leave. I’m mentioning this because it’s good to have a perspective of the opposite of a healthy relationship.
What is the difference between marriage partners being “a team” and not just “a couple” ?
We would consider a couple more of a “team” if they are on the same page about their life direction and actively support each other in working towards their goals. They have a dynamic where they “pay it forward” and do things simply because they care for their partner. The pleasure they get is from knowing they’ll make their partner happy, not because of what they think they’ll get out of it in exchange. That may not be the case with all relationships (or “couples”) So to us that would be what distinguishes a “couple” from also being a “team”.
Ok, here is the main question of our discussion. Can you please share your “5 Things You Need To Rekindle Love In A Marriage That Has Gone Cold?” Can you please give a story or example for each?
(1) Remember just how important your partner is to you. Try to let go of any anger and remember what things you enjoyed when you met. What really attracted you to each other? Many times as we get used to things, we take them for granted. This is especially important in our relationships.
Ask yourself honestly, “if you acted the way you currently act when you were dating, would your partner have continued going out with you?”
What if your partner left, or passed away? Would you miss them? Remind yourself of all the amazing things about your partner that you’ll miss. This helps you get back in the mindset of really appreciating your partner.
The key point here is this isn’t something you do with or for your partner, you are changing how you yourself appreciate and perceive them. If you really care for them, odds are it will cause a subtle change in how you act. By changing your feelings for your partner, odds are they’ll pick up on this.
Now another great way to expand this is to list out all the things about your partner that you really love. Take that list and turn it into complements you tell your partner over time. You need to be sincere when you tell them, but flattery often helps a lot more than you realize.
(2) Discover, and do, the unique things that trigger your partner feeling truly cared for. This technique comes from neurolinguistics. It takes a little work, but is a skill that can transform your relationship as well as other parts of your life. To summarize it, your partner, and you, have a specific series of things that are needed to trigger special feelings of being cared for and loved.
When you were first dating, odds are you showered your partner with affection in many ways. You looked at them in a particular way and gave them things like flowers, etc. You spoke with them in a very specific way expressing your love. You likely hugged and touched them in with passion as well. They likely did the same for you.
Some specific combination of what you did is what triggered special feelings for them. However, later as people get comfortable in the relationship they tend to default back to doing what they personally think would make their partner feel loved. This is because that’s what they need to feel that way. However if your partner needs a different way to feel loved, you have a challenge. This may cause them to wonder why they don’t “feel it” anymore.
This can be really frustrating because you truly care, but what you’re doing isn’t working anymore. The good news is there are ways to find out what your partner needs to experience that “giddy feeling” again. You can grab a book on neurolinguistics and read about “discovering someone’s submodality” and then think about it in reflection to your partner.
In our program “The Magical Mystery Date” we show you an easy, fast way to do this while you’re out on your date. The great thing is once you learn this, you can do it regularly to keep that feeling going.
(3) Make more time for touching and Intimacy. Men and women often have different ideas of what intimacy and sex mean. Libido for men and women also changes as they age.
Make it a point to spend more time together touching. This doesn’t have to mean sexual activity, just regular physical contact. Try going for regular walks and holding hands. Cuddling in bed with or without having sex is wonderful thing to do.
Regular caring touch helps us release more oxytocin, which is often called “the Love Hormone”. Touching and caressing your partner’s body in certain ways can profoundly help with this. Gently stroking the chest and nipples causes oxytocin release not only in women, but men as well. Several studies have shown that women with low average oxytocin levels are more likely to be separated or divorced. The good news is there are physical techniques you can do to help keep these levels high.
Stress and sleep loss causes the stress hormone cortisol to increase while at the same time decreasing oxytocin. Having regular time together to touch and cuddle can help both partners increase their oxytocin levels. Plus the levels are elevated when they are together so the feeling is more strongly associated.
Sexual arousal and orgasm also cause a significant release of oxytocin. But it’s important for women and men to understand each other’s needs.
One way we teach couples to dramatically increase their connection, oxytocin, and odds for future orgasms’ is a technique called “Intimacy Massage”. Intimacy Massage came from my graduate research in female anorgasmia. Sexology Pioneers Masters and Johnson create a massage and touching technique called “Sensate Focus” to help women become orgasmic. This technique has the “giver” gently stroke different parts of the “receivers” body, but sexual activity doesn’t happen during the session. The “receiver” focuses just on the sensations. I used this approach but mapped it to a modern understanding of the nervous system — particularly the areas where the vagus nerve can be stimulated from the skin.
We found this modern, enhanced version I call “Intimacy Massage” took things to a new level. Plus the technique can be used on both women and men. You can learn more about “Intimacy Massage” as well through the “Magical Mystery Date” Program,
We teach this program on a series of “dates” as well because we found couples often didn’t want to attend a discussion. Plus what they really needed was to spend more time together enjoying themselves.
As far as the original question about intimacy and touch, any form of touch helps. Intimacy Massage is just a very powerful way to reconnect and bond while increasing sexual abilities at the same time.
Please note that in cases of trauma, the partner who has experienced this may not be up for physical touch. This is a situation that would likely need to be addressed by a health professional.
(4) Realize you may have very different meanings for “Love”, “Sex” and many other ideas — and not knowing this may be causing issues.
Many times each partner will have very different meanings for some fundamental ideas. But they’ve never talked about it, or even thought about it. Unfortunately, English doesn’t handle these areas well. Words like “Love”, “Sex” and others can also be defined by context. For instance, Greek has more than 5 separate words for Love. Each word has a very different meaning. Sanskrit has 96 separate words to describe the experiences. Sex can also have a wide range of meanings.
We usually learn the context of these words from our upbringing. However, you both had different upbringings, so your definitions may be quite different. This may seem like getting caught in semantics, but it can be a huge deal.
As you know, love is an experience that can have many different feelings. It also changes and evolves as we do. Many times people first associate “love” with the romantic feelings they had when they were first dating. Some people associate this “early love” it with sexual activity, others with friendship, or crushes. But most of the time the feelings of love will change for both people over time.
This usually begins to cause problems is when one or both partners realizes don’t feel the emotions they once had. One partner may think they need to bring back romance, excitement, or desire. The other may want a feeling of security, or deep connection. They both say they want to work on their relationship, but they’re seeking different experiences.
The meaning of Sex can be just as confusing. What is sex? What activities are “sex”, and what aren’t. Odds are if you have an honest discussion with your partner you’d be amazed at how different your ideas may be.
In reality, sex can be many things. For instance, it can be considered a type of massage. But it also is one of our most personal acts, that can create life. So when does it change from a “massage” to “sex”, or something else?
In reality, it’s a fluid state that can shift based on the feelings and intentions of both partners. Also, each partner’s intention may change during the process. That’s why clear communication and consent are vital.
We help couples understand that there are 5 very distinct motivations for sex. Many times men and women have different motivations (reasons) causing them to want sex. But they don’t realize they’re coming from a different viewpoint and have different needs.
They also don’t have a clear way to express their needs and have them taken care of in a way that works for both partners. For example, many times one partner will have a stronger sex drive, but approach their partner in a way that annoys them. This frequently ends up with their advance being rejected. Then later the other partner will be in the mood, but is subtle about it, and it’s not understood. So now they’re both frustrated, and missing out on opportunities to be together.
But once they understand these differences, and can get on the same page, it can completely transform their relationship. It’s almost like before you were both speaking different languages, but now understand each other.
This way both women and men can express their needs, and have them taken care of in a way that works for each person. Plus it creates a way that both their expression of love, and experience of sex can continually grow and become more exciting with each passing year.
There are several other ideas that couples often misunderstand, but love and sex are two of the major ones.
Don’t let this overwhelm you though. We have couples learn these ideas slowly, in a way that helps them feel safe.
The key point to understand is you and your partner may not have the same meaning for some important parts of your life. Just being a aware of this is the first critical step. Also realize that both of your feelings about these areas will evolve and change.
Tell your partner you want to have an honest talk about what love and sex mean. Try to give examples of what it means for you. Then ask them to do the same. Just be careful and respectful, because these topics often are very emotionally charged.
(5) Make it a priority to regularly spend time together going on a date, or doing something you both enjoy.
Depending on the culture, some couples stop dating when they get married. Even if they continue to want to date, having children changes everything because now they have to make sure they’re safely cared for. My wife Wendy and I met at a ballroom dance club and we really enjoyed going dancing regularly. However when our daughter was born, it was 7 years before we realized we hadn’t been dancing.
Of course caring for children is essential and absolutely worth it. Your relationship together is becoming the example your children will model for how they think relationships are supposed to be. Setting a good example of a loving, caring relationship is an important gift you can give your children.
That being said it’s good to realize that often we often stop doing the things we did when we were first going out, and don’t even realize it. So if you feel like things have gone cold in your marriage, it’s good to honestly ask yourself — what are we doing differently? Maybe you should start thinking about each other like you did when you were dating.
So the takeaway from this is that your relationship is one of the most important things in life. But we often take it for granted, simply because we just get used to things. Plus the demands of caring for children, and life in general can cause a whirlwind of distractions to keep us busy nonstop.
Just like it’s important to exercise to maintain our health, spending time together simply to be with your partner is vital — if you want a good relationship. Now if you’re hyper busy and have very little time I understand.
I promise you life is so much better if you prioritize a little regular time to take care of each other. That’s why the programs we teach are implemented on dates together.
Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources related to this topic that you would recommend to our readers?
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, by John Gottman, PhD. This is an outstanding guide for couples to address communication issues, intimacy, and many other areas that are important for relationships. It also is highly “evidence based” and draws from hundreds of studies.
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran. This is more for enjoyment and not “self help” The book is a story that talks about many topics from a practical and metaphorical standpoint. I personally found its sections on love to be very beautiful description of ways to have a meaningful relationship with your partner.
Because of the position that you are in, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
One movement I would love to see happened is an organization that motivates/educates parents on the importance of helping their children really think about what they both truly enjoy, and are good at. I’m a big fan of the Japanese concept of “ikigai” where people seek to find something that truly inspires them, there’s a need for, and they can make a living with.
I think that our society would benefit tremendously if more people focused on what they had a passion for, and were good at. Plus the better people know themselves, the better prepared they will be for relationships.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
I’d really enjoy meeting and chatting with Jamie Wheal, who wrote “Recapture the Rapture” and “Stealing Fire”.
As well, it would be wonderful to chat with Dave Asprey and Ben Greenfield.
Thank you for these great insights and for the time you spent with this interview. We wish you only continued success!
Don’t give up. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s not supposed to be. There is a reason your product doesn’t exist! If it was easy, everyone would do it.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Rosie Mangiarotti.
Rosie Mangiarotti is the founder and CEO of Perkies. Perkies creates innovative undergarments for women to wear. Perkies’ signature product is the Perkies Sticky Bra, the only sticky bra (backless/strapless bra that sticks on) with reusable, removable, and replaceable adhesives …a clean bra, a fresh stick as needed, and a more affordable and sustainable option!
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
Absolutely! Thank you for this opportunity to share my story. I grew up in Long Island, NY with my parents, my two older sisters and my younger brother. I attended Friends Academy, a small Quaker school in Locust Valley. We were a family of hard workers and high achievers both athletically and academically, so much so that three of the four siblings pursued a collegiate sport. Our parents never set limits on what we could achieve and drove us to every single practice, game, tournament, try out, etc. for any sport we happened to be interested in during that time. My dad has been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember, and my mom is a real problem solver, so coming up with solutions to everyday problems was pretty normal for our family to do.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
A quote I heard just a few years ago struck a chord with me: “Don’t take advice from someone you don’t want to be.” We hear an abundance of advice, especially as entrepreneurs. A lot of this advice is conflicting and may not align with what we feel is right. Of course some advice we don’t want to hear, but need to hear, but at the end of the day, why would you want to take advice from someone who you simply don’t want to be? Someone who has a completely different life from what you’re striving for, a different vision, and different values. It’s important to take advice with a grain of salt and recognize who exactly is giving you this advice.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
NPR’s How I Built This Podcast by Guy Raz probably resonates with most founders, myself included. It’s a podcast highlighting the founder stories of all types of companies, from Bumble to Peloton, and the beginnings of the founders’ journeys, the ups and the downs, and how their companies got to become household names. One specific story, and founder who inspires me every day, is Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. As I mentioned in the previous question, we shouldn’t take advice from people we don’t want to be. Sara Blakely is someone who I do take advice from and someone who I’d love people to associate me with. Sara built an empire on this idea of making women feel confident in what they wear, similar to my mission with Perkies. She did this with a positive mindset, a sense of humor, and a gracious heart. What better role model could I ask for?
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
I believe that documenting ideas is the first step in one day bringing that idea to life. Thankfully my friend documented an idea I had back in highschool … if it weren’t for that, I would have never launched Perkies! Another important part of turning an idea into a business is knowing there is a customer need for this product/service. In an entrepreneurship course I took at Brown, professor Danny Warshay taught us about the importance of “bottom up research”, the concept of the market telling you what they need, not you telling the market what they need. This too can help validate an idea or recognize that the market may not be big enough, or the problem you are solving may need to be tweaked a bit. Once you know that you are solving a true customer pain point, it can give you the momentum you need to spend the time and energy to build a real business.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Keywords exist for a reason! Companies that create products take into account how people would describe the specific service they are providing or product they are selling. Plugging in a few different search terms and phrases into search engines such as Google (or even Amazon to see if it’s being sold through on that platform) is a great way to get started with some preliminary research. If you find out that something like it exists, look deeper or even order the product (if it is a tangible business idea), and see if what you would create would enhance it or solve for a different customer pain point.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
It is by no means a quick and easy process from the idea stage to the selling stage. What helped me was Jules Pieri’s book, How We Make Stuff Now. I found my bra manufacturer through Platform88, a suggestion Jules makes in her book. The adhesive manufacturing came from hundreds of phone calls and product testing on my end. Having advisors (or an experienced business partner) to help guide you and bounce ideas off of early is key. It’s all in the network — this is how I was connected to my incredible patent attorney, Harris Wolin. I am selling mostly direct-to-consumer so I did not have to establish too many retail connections; however for the few stores I sell in, I have had most success with showing up in-person with my product and my awesome founder story!
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
The first step is getting started. Walk the walk, don’t just talk the talk.
Network with anyone and everyone. Someone will always lead to someone which may lead to something.
Fake it til ya make it. Imitate confidence, competence and an optimistic mindset and those qualities in real life can be achieved!
Surround yourself with supportive people who can be there for you when it’s not easy-people who encourage you to persist!
Don’t give up. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s not supposed to be. There is a reason your product doesn’t exist! If it was easy, everyone would do it.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
Make sure you do some bottom-up research and make sure you really are solving a true customer pain point that many people have experienced. Don’t tell the market what they need, have the market tell you what they need.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I did not use an invention development consultant since I did not have the financial resources. That being said, my entrepreneurship professor always said there is a benefit to scarce resources. I do find that I learned a lot along the way by having to figure this all out by myself!
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
As I mentioned above, there is a benefit to scarce resources. You become very resourceful and connect with people who you may have not otherwise met. I think bootstrapping early on gives you a ton of flexibility in product design and vision, it takes off time pressures (you will need time to figure all of it out), and you don’t need to report to someone who isn’t as intimately involved as you are. I think eventually raising is a great idea especially if you want to make more products and scale marketing efforts, but try to go as long as you can without raising money. If you bootstrap long enough you’re the real winner as the value of your company increases by the time you raise.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
From the moment I started Perkies, I made a promise to be mission driven. Not only did I want Perkies to empower women to feel confident in any style, I wanted to integrate some giving back initiative. Perkies is a proud partner of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). In 2022, Perkies is donating 5% of all online sales to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation®. BCRF’s mission is to advance the world’s most promising research to eradicate breast cancer. For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrf.org. Perkies is involved in many ways with BCRF as well as the Pink Pom Pom Organization that gives gift baskets to Breast Cancer patients.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
A friend of mine, Shilpa Yarlagadda, started a high end jewelry company, Shiffon Co. Shiffon has a non-profit arm, Startup Girl Foundation, that invests in young, aspiring founders who are creating companies that empower women. I LOVE this as it doesn’t just donate money to a cause, but to a generation of female founders.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Sara Blakely, founder of SPANX, is my absolute North Star. Sara has created an iconic brand with premium products all while infusing her fun personality and gracious heart into the brand and inspiring the next generation of female founders. To reiterate what I said earlier in the interview, Sara built an empire on this idea of making women feel confident in what they wear, similar to my mission with Perkies. She did this with a positive mindset, a sense of humor, and a gracious heart. What better role model could I ask for?
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Personality. There seems to be this idea out in the world that it’s better to blend in, not stick out. But if you’re busy blending in, you won’t be able to get the attention you’re looking for to get your message out. You don’t need to dress like a clown, but find a way to show off your personality enough to generate interest from your audience.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing David Tyler.
David Tyler is a communication hacker, speaker, and coach based in Montreal, Canada. He writes and speaks about the Art of Communicating Ideas. Speaking from 30+ years in TV & radio broadcasting, his mantra of ‘Stop Communicating and Start Connecting’ is his counsel to anyone attempting to use media, old or new, broadcast, or online.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I spent my early years in Hartford, Connecticut, but moved to Montreal with my family at nine years old after my father accepted a teaching job at McGill University.
I studied and performed music from an early age, and began dabbling in acting in my teens, so I was never shy about getting on a stage; in fact, I reveled in it!
By my early twenties, I realized that music wasn’t my path, and after studying communications at Concordia University, I began my career in broadcasting. I spent most of that time as an on-air radio personality, a writer, and producer and dabbled in television as an on-camera weather presenter. I still work in broadcasting but behind the scenes.
Education and learning was very important while growing up and still are. My parents, both teachers, instilled a thirst for knowledge that helped me excel in broadcasting and now as a public speaker.
Researching, writing, and performing is who I am because of the environment where I grew up.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
One of my side hustles is voice acting, using my voice for commercials, documentaries, TV series, and cartoons. About ten years ago, I began coaching other actors to be better performers and think of themselves as voice-over entrepreneurs. It seemed like a natural progression to start organizing and putting on full-day seminars and workshops as part of that venture.
When I realized I had more to give to an even wider audience, I branched off into staging marketing seminars for small business owners and now communication lectures for professionals of all kinds.
I come from a family of teachers and see this stage of my professional career as simply joining the family business.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
To say that my broadcasting career has been “interesting” would be a severe understatement. Broadcasting is a very dynamic career that makes every day uniquely interesting.
If I had to choose one specific moment, it would be the time I received a phone call at the radio station from my boss while I was writing a script for that night’s show. He told me I had an unexpected guest interview — with Ozzy Osborne, who would be arriving in 10-minutes. Usually, interviews are set up days, sometimes weeks in advance, so this was an unusual request. To add to the challenge, it was the early days of the internet, and preparing for an interview was a lot more than a quick Google search.
I welcomed Ozzy Osborne to the radio station with a couple of questions scribbled on a pad of paper. He was in town performing at a small club and decided to take some time out to talk about one of his charities. He was a generous interviewee, and the few questions I’d gathered were more than enough for a full 35-minute interview!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
It was my first large seminar, and I had a larger than usual stage to work from, so I decided to use a wireless clicker to advance my slides. Up until then, I just leaned over and clicked the forward button on my Mac’s keyboard, so the clicker was a new step. However, the clicker I was using was that white one they delivered with all Macs in those days, and I had never tested the range, which, as it turns out, was only about 2-feet! So there I was, trying to walk around and talk with a useless clicker.
Luckily my photographer had a Bluetooth mouse with a wider range that we hooked up to my laptop.
The next day, I bought the August clicker I still use today. It has a rubber, non-slip grip with a red laser pointer even! It comes in a small carrying case that stores two fully charged backup batteries. Pro tip: Always have backup batteries.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
In the early 90s, while I was starting in radio, I befriended a young journalist who was writing and publishing a music magazine called Arena Rock on a home computer, something that few people did in those days. He generously offered his computer and printing expertise to help with some of the marketing I was doing for my company. We remained friends over the years as our families and careers grew.
By 2008 when I stepped away from radio, not only had Mitch Joel established himself as a tech expert but also as a sought-after public speaker. When I approached him for help understanding the world of speaking, he was as generous with his time as he had always been. That 90-minute conversation over Starbucks coffee set me on the path I’m on today.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
The truth is that it’s all scary until you just do it, and I’m not just talking about public speaking. I’m talking about life. I’ve taught my sons that if you learn from a failure, it wasn’t a failure at all but just another step toward success.
If you approach public speaking with a sense of curiosity and wonder, where everything is a learning experience, you will have a reliable foundation to build a career.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
We live in an overcommunicated world, and despite having better technology than we’ve ever had before, we are not better communicators. If anything, the technology simply amplifies how bad we are at communicating with each other.
My hope is that by learning to be better communicators, we can make this a better world — a world of understanding, a world where connection is effortless, and empathy toward each other is a foregone conclusion.
Am I imagining the impossible? Maybe. But even if I can help just a few people create more meaningful connections, I feel I would have made a difference.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I’ve recently put together a new talk where I’m combining my voice acting skills with my continued efforts to help professionals become better communicators. It’s a talk called: “Speak To Influence: Unlock the Power of the Human Voice to Motivate, and Inspire Change.”
It’s a course for C-Suite executives, managers, and business owners who want to inspire and motivate the people who work for them. We all talk, but it’s a rare skill when we can move others to the point of action.
I hope to introduce at least one new talk centered around heart-based communications every six months.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Three years ago, I started a series called #tylertruths on Facebook. It’s a collection of about 100 life lesson quotes so far. Sometimes I’m inspired by an event or conversation — sometimes by something I read.
About 2-months into the pandemic, I came across the Khalil Gibran poem called Fear, where he tells the story of a river going toward the ocean and its fear of the unknown. He urges the river not to be afraid that by entering the ocean, fear will disappear.
It was very timely. At the time, we were all feeling the same apprehension about the situation in the world. I distilled my thought down to, “The more you let go, the freer you’ll feel.” As we slid deeper into the new pandemic world, I kept reminding myself of that.
It might have been easier to hold on to the shore, so to speak, but by letting go, I could continue doing what I was doing and perhaps inspire others to follow the flow.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
There are more than five things to be a highly effective public speaker, but if I had to whittle it down to just 5, I’d say:
1. Have passion and purpose
Nothing says boring, like the lack of passion. If you believe in what you’re saying or are passionate about what drives you to get up in the morning, say it with enthusiasm. If you can’t be enthusiastic about what you have to say, how do you expect your audience to buy into your message? Decide what your purpose is before you stand up to speak, and then let the passion fly!
2. Personality
There seems to be this idea out in the world that it’s better to blend in, not stick out. But if you’re busy blending in, you won’t be able to get the attention you’re looking for to get your message out. You don’t need to dress like a clown, but find a way to show off your personality enough to generate interest from your audience.
3. A sense of humor
Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to be a standup comedian to be a highly effective speaker, not at all. Sometimes, a little self-deprecating humor is enough. Just showing that you can see the funny side of life and that you’re not always dry and serious will help make the audience relax around you and, as a result, will be open to what you’re saying.
4. Have stories to tell
Storytelling is the world’s oldest profession. It’s what makes us human! We learn our most valuable lessons from stories. Aesops Fables is a classic example of that. So be sure to include stories that support your message. People don’t want to hear about that time the valet lost your keys if the moral of the story has nothing to do with your talk. We learn through relevant stories.
5. Have an expressive voice
Voice is my forte. One of my talks for professionals is directly about this, called: “Speak to Influence: Unlock the Power of the Human Voice to Motivate and Inspire Action,” where I talk about the 3-pillars of the voice and how understanding the way your voice works can have a profound, positive effect on the people around you.
Express yourself and your intention by changing your pitch, pace, register, volume, and while you’re at it, explore prosody to engage with your audience.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
One of the exercises I teach is Box Breathing, a technique taught to the US Marines, who often operate in very stressful situations. Box breathing helps heighten performance and concentration and is a powerful stress reliever.
You can do this exercise anywhere right before you speak by breathing in through your nose, counting slowly to four. Hold your breath for 4 seconds, then slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds. Repeat those steps until you start to feel the stress slip away.
Box breathing is a practice I do before I speak anywhere and use in stressful situations to keep my focus.
Another piece of advice is that it’s essential to memorize the first 2 minutes of any talk you give. By the time you get through those first 2 minutes, you will have settled in, and you will be getting positive reinforcement from your audience. Don’t let the dreaded imposter syndrome get you. All audiences want you to succeed; they’re rooting for you.
And finally, smile! Smiling is clinically proven to release dopamine and serotonin, which increase your feelings of happiness and reduces stress.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
If I could inspire a movement, it would be to create an army of master communicators who would spread out across the planet and teach the ways of heart-based communication so we can all understand each other and get along.
True leaders don’t create followers; they create other leaders. That’s how the movement would grow.
But let me ask though, if this is going to be a bonafide movement, could we have a secret handshake?
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Bill Clinton. It’s not political; it’s personal. He’s one of the greatest living communicators of our time. His ability to deliver a point and create an emotional connection with his audience is undeniable. I want to understand how he does what he does in such a natural, easy-going way.
Plus, I’m hoping for a few cooking suggestions — have you seen how in shape he is?
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
I’m primarily on Facebook, and Instagram, as @davidtylerspeaks and on LinkedIn, too.
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
I appreciate the opportunity to share my story! I sincerely believe that the more we can connect our stories, the better off the world will be. Meaningful connections create abundance in business and our personal lives.
Meet The Disruptors: Nate Harding Of LUUM Lash On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
“Some things are just too hard” — This is a hard one for entrepreneurs because the number one skill we need is how to ignore all of the doom-sayers we encounter along the way. At some point though, you need to recognize when a pivot is in order.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nathaniel Harding.
Nathaniel Harding is Managing Partner of Cortado Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm investing in growth-driven technology companies. He is also Board Member for Antioch Energy. He is an accomplished senior executive, entrepreneur, technologist, thought leader, and community advocate. Nathaniel was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and a Most Admired CEO in Oklahoma by the Journal Record. Previously, he and his partner developed a midcontinent resource play which they sold in 2013 for $120M. His broad areas of expertise include operational strategy, financial modeling, statistical analysis, leveraging big data, connecting science with commercial strategy, energy, fundraising, and public speaking.
Nathaniel graduated cum laude from the University of Oklahoma with Russian Language and Mechanical Engineering degrees, and earned an MBA from Oklahoma City University. Before turning 30, he was selected to all three “40 under 40” outstanding achiever lists in the state. He is a decorated Air Force Captain and veteran of Afghanistan, where he was embedded with the US/NATO headquarters in collaboration with the Afghan government. Nathaniel has published in multiple industry publications in the US and China, the latter as part of his Beijing-based joint venture with major Chinese companies.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Hi, thank you for having me. I’m a career roboticist. My first job designing robots was at the famous Carnegie Mellon Field Robotics Center in 1989. I then worked for a spin off company there before coming out to UC Berkeley for grad school. I then did 10 years building an automation team at a local startup. We built machines that broke speed records in many fields. After that I co-founded Ekso Bionics (NASDAQ: EKSO) out of a lab back at Berkeley. We made wearable robots (human exoskeletons) that helped people re-learn how to walk after a stroke or spinal cord injury. People would literally cry at our demos. When I left, I was working on a list of possible ideas for my next business and happened to find out what an eyelash extension was from an advisor of mine. When he described to me how they were installed, I joked, “hey, that sounds like a great job for a robot!” Two days later, I remembered the conversation, and I went on YouTube to see it. My first thought was, “hey, that’s a PERFECT job for a robot.”
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
We were the first technologists to really look at the beauty salon and talk about automating a major service. To give you an idea, when we started, there were only 142 patents in the US Patent and Trademark Office’s database that had the word “eyelash” in the abstract. I could literally read every US patent involving eyelashes! In this green field for technologists, we believe we can use automation to transform the experience for the client, transform the job for the lash artist, and transform the economics for our partners.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
In a startup it seems like you’re always moving to a new location. At LUUM, our prototype machines are large and they take a long time to disassemble and reassemble when your moving. The last time we moved, just as we finished reassembling the machines, we realized that one of them was in a room that didn’t make sense. It was essentially in the wrong room with no way to get it out. We had a deadline coming up and the engineers had way too much work to do, so we decided to hire a contractor to cut a large hole in the wall, slide the machine through the hole, and rebuild the wall. Probably not the most efficient way to get it done, but it saved the engineers a bunch of work, we hit our deadline, and it gave us a great story.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I have had a ton of great mentors, even starting when I was just a kid trying to figure out how to build gadgets. Maybe the time I most needed one was right after I took Ekso public. I suddenly found myself leading a public micro-cap with a pretty large and difficult board. Through a friend I found a great corporate attorney, Michelle Basil, who really taught me a lot about public markets and how to navigate all the issues of disclosure and compliance, and how to manage a board as well. We went through a short-seller attack and the FDA reclassifying our product, so it wasn’t easy, but I think we did pretty well.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
I prefer to work on robotics products like LUUM that augment a person’s productivity rather than replace them, but some people still insist that when we finally get out of the labor shortage in the eyelash extension market, automation (might) mean less jobs overall in the industry. Everybody has been worried about people losing jobs since the first waterwheel was hooked to a grist mill and they sent the oxen-tenders home because they weren’t needed anymore. As much as we all hate sending the oxen-tenders home, if we let this stop us, none of the progress we enjoy today could have happened. However, the pace of disruption is ever increasing, and an ever increasing number of people are faced with changing where they live or changing their career at least once in their adult life. In my experience, that is really hard for most people to do. Some friends and I fixed up a crappy pontoon boat and went down the Ohio River in 1990. Most of the factories in the towns along the river had been closed in the previous 10 years, and a lot of people had left, but a lot had stayed too. The question I kept asking myself (I was young), was why would anybody stay? I’ve followed the area over the years and the fact that it became ground zero of the opioid crisis didn’t surprise me a bit. What this taught me is that for a lot of us, it is really hard to leave a place we’ve grown up in. It’s downright terrifying and depressing. I think that to “do disruption right,” we need to address this with programs that don’t just try to push jobs into those areas (a good idea), but also try to help some people relocate and teach our kids that they should be prepared to relocate. If we’re going to continue to reap the rewards of disruption, I think we need to get better at dealing with the downsides.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
“Ask your network” — I found out what an eyelash extension was by asking my network what they were working on, and what was hot. I found two of my co-founders by asking my network as well, and of course, asking your network is about the only way to raise private funds.
“Never sell past the close” — My friend Max told me that this was one of the rules of investment banking, and I wasn’t sure why at first. Since then I’ve seen many entrepreneurs keep pitching after the close, and sure enough, they accidently bring up things that become deal-breakers for the investor/customer.
“Some things are just too hard” — This is a hard one for entrepreneurs because the number one skill we need is how to ignore all of the doom-sayers we encounter along the way. At some point though, you need to recognize when a pivot is in order.
“I think Person X just needs to have some part of their argument acknowledged as correct” — Once you realize that “Person X” is everyone, you are really on to something.
“To keep someone, you have to be 90% sure that they are right for the job within 90 days” — A friend of mine told me that was her policy for new hires, and she was open about that with them. It sounds a little harsh, but I think it really makes sense. When someone doesn’t fit the job or the culture, you often try to move them around or change them, and I’ve never seen that really work out.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
I’ve always believed that what humans need most is a truly new clean energy source. There are a strangely large number of scientists in some top research institutions (and I’ll admit, some kooks too) saying that the “cold fusion hoax,” wasn’t a hoax at all, and that they’ve been able to reach break-even energy production with hundreds of thousands of dollars as opposed to the hundreds of billions we’ve spent on hot fusion. If they are correct, this has been the worst technology portfolio management disaster of all time. If I could make enough money on LUUM to self-fund some work on that, I’d try to jump in there and shake that world up. I’m no physicist, but I’m good at encouraging a team to think outside of the box.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
It’s funny, I’ve never been able to finish work and then read about work. I usually read really old stuff or contemporary things written about the past. Right now I’m reading something Xenophon wrote in the 5th century BC. As much as “the bad old days” were different than our own, there’s a lot of ways that they were the same, and it is surprising how appropriate some of the great writers’ advice about people still is today. Xenophon’s Education of Cyrus, for example, teaches leaders to set up a meritocracy that awards usefulness over all things, to lead by example, show self-discipline, and to not distance themselves from their employees. Sounds pretty familiar, right? (by the way, Alexander the Great read Xenophon, did exactly what Xenophon recommended, and took over most of the known world)
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“He who laughs, lasts.” I heard that from punk rock star Henry Rollins, who said he heard it from David Lee Roth. That seemed like a strange path for great wisdom to come from, but boy I believe it. You’ve got to be able to keep it light. If you don’t, your health, and that of those around you, will suffer.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I think as we all go scurrying into our own little social media rabbit holes, we’ve become incredibly easy to offend. In fact, sometimes it feels to me like people are starting to think it is a positive personality trait to get offended easily and often. It’s true that there are some people in the world who don’t mean well, but most of us all want to be good people and do the right thing. There’s a lot we certainly agree on, and we usually agree that the goal is to make the most people happy. I think usually we are just disagreeing on how to do that. So, I think we should practice trying to NOT get offended — especially when someone says something we disagree with.
The Future Is Now: Romil Bahl Of KORE On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
About 90% of the job of a CEO is communications. We have responsibility to a lot of stakeholders — employees, customers, partners, investors and so on — and they all need and deserve consistent and clear communication.
As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Romil Bahl.
Romil Bahl serves as president and CEO of KORE, a global leader in Internet of Things Solutions and worldwide IoT Connectivity-as-a-Service. He brings nearly 30 years of experience delivering high growth among SaaS and IoT companies. His passion for bringing strategy and innovation together has fueled a long list of leadership accomplishments in the technology sector. Romil has risen to complex challenges where he has crafted growth strategies, tapped new emerging markets and energized global teams — with many successes coming within turnaround environments.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I attribute my current role as a CEO of a global technology company that just went public and listed on the NYSE, to a combination of wonderful mentors, a lot of hard work and a bit of good luck.
I will always be grateful to those who gave me opportunities, including personal advisors and board members who provided air cover and cleared the way to allow me to do what I do. Thank you to all of them.
For my part, I always aspired to become a CEO. I started my career in consulting to acquire a varied experience set and to learn problem-solving and strategy skills. I then moved into profit and loss (P&L) roles to better understand how to be an operating executive. When I was given the opportunity to be the CEO of a public company at the age of 40, I was able to make the leap quickly. Despite success at a relatively young age, I continued to make it a priority to focus on learning about what it takes to make change happen in companies. Today, I’m in my third CEO role and enjoying it now more than ever.
One of the most incredible experiences to date in my tenure as CEO at KORE is transitioning from a private to a publicly traded company. Attending the New York Stock Exchange late last year, surrounded by KORE employees, is a moment I’ll never forget.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Halfway through the four-year lead-up to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was scheduled to take place across South Korea and Japan, the company responsible for the event’s technology delivery suddenly went out of business.
FIFA had to start from scratch. I previously worked with FIFA as a consultant at an earlier time in my career, so when a former colleague called and asked me to take on a “rescue mission” for the 2002 event, how could I decline? What I stepped into was quite the hornet’s nest. The first two days of a three-day planning summit in Korea did not go well. The language and translator challenges, geo-political strains and other pressures meant we were getting nowhere, and some of my colleagues were ready to give up. It was so disheartening that we almost cancelled a group dinner the second evening. Luckily, we didn’t because, to be honest, this dinner saved the entire summit.
By the end of evening, which included plenty of food and beer as well as an impromptu stop of the entire group at a local karaoke bar, we all relaxed enough to see our similarities instead of our differences. Between verses of “Hotel California” and “Sweet Caroline,” we got to know each other as fellow humans instead of adversaries. By the end of the next day, we’d addressed probably 80% of the issues that needed to be resolved. This three-day span left an indelible impression on how I approach seemingly unsurmountable challenges. If we all spent more time focusing on getting to know each other and making the effort to find common ground, our world and our businesses would, without a doubt, be better and we would be able to solve many of the problems we face.
Can you tell us about the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people? How do you think this might change the world?
KORE is a global Internet of Things (IoT) company, and IoT itself is cutting-edge. I’ve identified the time that we are in right now as the start of the ‘Decade of IoT.’ We are going to see incredible growth of IoT technologies and solutions between now and 2030, and then beyond. As 5G explodes and 6G matures, KORE anticipates being at the center of it all.
The ‘Decade of IoT’ is going to see an acceleration of connected devices that are going to have revolutionary impact on the way business is conducted. Many of the ways IoT will be most impactful will be within the enterprise sector — sustainability, clean energy, a flexible supply chain, workforce shortages, accessible healthcare and more.
We see what we do at KORE as enabling innovators in these key areas of business, and in turn they are able to focus on the value delivered to their customers — in many cases improving quality of life and bringing efficiency to global commerce.
KORE is particularly proud of a recent partnership with a drone logistics company called Swoop Aero, based in Australia.
Swoop Aero has had many successes in making healthcare supplies accessible, namely delivering vaccine supplies in 2018 to remote islands in the South Pacific; supplies and testing equipment for HIV/AIDs, as well as medical supply deliver and disaster relief operations in Malawi in 2019 and 2020; and in delivering COVID-19 testing supplies to Scotland’s most rural and isolated communities.
The challenge in drone deliveries is having consistent data transmission. Any blip in communications can bring the drone flight to a halt, meaning crucial assets and the critical equipment delivering it could quite literally fall out of the sky. Swoop Aero needed a way to provide global connectivity for these flights taking place in remote locations with — in many cases — limited access to connectivity.
KORE helped provide the connectivity needed to keep these critical drone flights in the air. We were thrilled to present our partnership in this IoT for Good use case at Mobile World Congress Barcelona in 2021. During that time, we were also able to present the partnership directly to the King of Spain.
Can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
Security is and has been an area of concern that needs serious consideration. When connecting businesses and lives to the internet, you have to think through the security implications. We’re talking about deploying technologies that will have considerable impact on how businesses run, as well as quality of life.
A technology that you might rely on to secure your home or monitor your health or drive your vehicle needs to be heavily secured. The same is true for businesses relying on crucial technology. If something goes offline, or is breached, operations can come to a halt, which can have serious consequences. Just think of the ransomware attacks and data breaches of the last decade and apply that to millions of devices, which means potentially millions of ways to infiltrate a system.
Fortunately, security is becoming a top-of-mind priority not just from an OEM standpoint but from regulatory bodies.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story? What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
One of the great facilitators in this ‘Decade of IoT’ is network connectivity technologies. The launch of 5G networks is helping us deliver on the promise of IoT. With 5G, an amazing set of use cases will be launched surrounding artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, autonomous vehicles and machines and much more. The ability to transmit large packets of data at incredibly high speeds is going to enable category-changing enterprise applications, particularly in industrial, healthcare and fleet.
Massive IoT is going to leverage the growing segment of connectivity called low power wide area (LPWA) networks. This is a key piece of the puzzle in IoT, where lower complexity devices don’t need the speed and latency of 4G or 5G. These sensor-enabled devices turn on for a quick reading, transmit the data and then return to sleep mode. While they might be lower complexity, they’re going to create powerful ecosystems for solutions in assets, logistics, utilities, electric, and smart homes, campuses, buildings and cities. That’s where the Massive IoT term comes from. It’s going to be this enormous web of connected devices driving efficiency, sustainability, quality of life and much more.
So, we’ve got our puzzle pieces in 5G and LPWA, and the third highly critical piece of the puzzle is eSIM. This is a path through some of the greatest challenges that IoT has faced as far as large-scale or global deployments. Restrictions in roaming globally or carrier-dependent SIM cards have made IoT deployments much more challenging. With eSIM, it’s a carrier-agnostic approach to connectivity that allows for remote provisioning. It’s what we call out-of-the-box connectivity with zero-touch provisioning — simplifying the complexity of IoT deployments.
What have you been doing to publicize this?
Everything we do at KORE is an effort to show how beneficial and life changing IoT can be, and it’s one of the most significant reasons we wanted to go public as a company, to really get the KORE name and mission spread far and wide.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
It’s hard to pick just one. Perhaps Darvis Cormier at Deloitte, who saw something in a young international student in the MBA program at the University of Texas at Austin? Perhaps the late, great Doug Aldrich, who cleared every roadblock in my way at A.T. Kearney? Perhaps Colin Lind and Pat Dills, the Search Committee members who gave me my first CEO job, at a public company no less, back when I had just turned 40? Thank you again, to all of them.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
We do what we can, with what we are given. On a personal level, my wife and I prioritize education as our charitable cause. On a professional level, we work every year to make KORE a great place to work, so that the hundreds of families who contribute to KORE can be proud of where they work and remain confident that KORE will be strong for a long time.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
About 90% of the job of a CEO is communications. We have responsibility to a lot of stakeholders — employees, customers, partners, investors and so on — and they all need and deserve consistent and clear communication.
A CEO’s voice is loud. Although occasionally the loudness may be due to volume, the truth is that people listen to what you say no matter if it’s shouted or whispered. A leader must always be aware of the power of his or her voice.
The information you receive will be filtered. When the news is good, you will hear it quickly and it may even be embellished. When the news is bad, it will be slow to arrive and be overly managed.
Don’t consider the board of directors a single entity. The board of directors is comprised of individuals, each with their own opinions, experiences and aims. A CEO needs to invest the time into getting to know each member of a board as individuals.
Being a CEO is most definitely the loneliest job in the company. As a CEO, you struggle to find people to speak with about the biggest issues in a way that creates true transparency and real trust.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
If I could start a movement, it would be to bring people back together. We are much more alike than we are different. I would like to gather the best brains in the world to figure out how we are going to get society back in balance and individual speaking to each other by not focusing on the few differences but remembering the many similarities we have, including across race, culture and politics. Freedom, democracy, diversity of thought in religion and belief — these are the values that are important. Nothing else matters.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”?
“All else being equal, the company with the best strategy will win.” Relatively early in my career at A.T. Kearney, the venerable consulting firm made a strong investment into strategy consulting and, in fact, had made an acquisition of a boutique company in Northern Europe, we launched a class for all Kearney’s to take: Business Unit Strategy. One of the senior partners from the acquired firm who helped develop the class made that statement to me as I worked on developing other parts of the class — a course that I would end up teaching as a core faculty member. I have since applied this concept in every business unit and in every company that I have ever led. It is critical to be a thoughtful student of the industry, understand how to win and know where and how to compete. And yes, the phrase “culture eats strategy for breakfast” applies here. You need a great culture, but the goal of a high-performance culture is singular: to execute the strategy.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Build for your users, not yourself. Early on, I remember building all these calculators and tools that I thought were so awesome. After reading up and learning about user testing, I figured I’d apply that to my business so I set up 10 user tests. Some of the tools had such a poor rating for a variety of reasons: difficult to understand, overly complex, etc. That was really the first gut check I had on the product and it changed how I approached product development.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Leduc, CEO and founder of Perch.
Alex Leduc is the CEO and founder of Perch. Prior to starting Perch, he worked in the real estate sector for 8 years in various corporate finance, strategy and analytics roles. In addition to hands-on experience in the industry, he is a graduate from the Ivey Business School (Western University) and a CFA Charterholder.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
From a very young age, I always had these side hustles I’d be doing and loved being an entrepreneur. Graduating university, I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do so I went into a rotational program with one of the Canadian banks. It was an awesome experience because I got to try a bit of everything and then I ultimately ended up landing in corporate finance. My core skill set was in forecasting business growth, strategy and analytics. Taking something that exists today and then looking for ways to optimize it for efficiency, enter new revenue channels or any other channel is so interesting because you’re looking for ways to create value.
Perch was my first entrepreneurial move as it related to my career and I’ve been going strong for almost 4 years now. Every day I get to work with people that are super motivated to take us to the next level and I feel a profound sense of purpose in what I do. The most exhilarating thing is the pace at which we move and the limitless opportunities in how we look at everything. Most of what we do is from a blank slate, so we don’t inherit archaic procedures and can tackle a solution from a different angle than what others have historically done.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You do the things you need to do in order to do the things you want to do”. My dad would tell me this from a young age because even at a young age, I was pretty impatient and wanted to dive right into the fun parts of everything.
The reality of starting a company isn’t sitting in an awesome leather chair with a beautiful skyline from the downtown core where you’re delegating and closing deals all day. You have to literally do everything when you start and if you think doing the mundane parts of a job you like are bad, wait until you do the mundane parts of a job you don’t like. I’ve learned to appreciate the little details and the process that needs to be followed to produce results. Shortcuts rarely produce the same results and you end up just having to redo everything so as painful as something might be, if you decide it needs to get done, it needs to get done.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Reading “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Harowitz was one of the books I got a ton of information out of, but also reframed how I was looking at what potential issues may be coming my way. When I started Perch, I had never worked at a tech company, let alone a startup. I also had never run a business before and this was my first venture. I knew I had massive knowledge gaps and books can be a good way to fill those gaps. In a way, this book helped me emotionally prepare for a lot of the things that inevitably did come my way and make some decisions early on that shaped how Perch operates and functions successfully.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
Good ideas are a dime a dozen. The hardest part is seeing it through. The main thing you need to do to understand if it translates into an actual business, is to roadmap what that success looks like. This could be a day long discussion on it’s own, but at a high level:
What’s the financial viability? How do you monetize this? Once you have an idea around the revenue model, you can then identify what capital requirements you’ll have to fund that growth.
What portion of this can you take on? Will you need to quit your job and can you take that hit? What other roles will you need to make this business viable and do you have a co-founder or enough capital to hire them?
Am I solving a real problem? Pitch your concept to complete strangers and see if there’s any high level interest. You can also validate price points and competitors via this method to validate your hypothesis from prior points.
The list goes on. In essence, your idea is the destination. But you need to assess if you have what it takes to reach that destination and how bumpy that road is going to be.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Online research is a solid starting point to see if it already exists, but this can be a pretty deep rabbit hole considering that your idea may exist in different markets, countries or even languages. I’d start by looking at if the idea exists in the market you’re going after and then worry about external entrants at a later stage of your due diligence. If your idea exists in other markets that don’t overlap with you, you can learn from their mistakes and potentially even connect with their team to share insights.
More importantly than if your exact idea already exists, you need to identify what you’re going to do better than your competitors. Almost every product or idea will have an existing solution that people currently use to solve that problem. Those options are your competitors and you need to be able to clearly articulate what you’re going to do better than them to win over users. It’s always important to remember that they have a huge head start on you (capital, existing users and a product that actually exists), so you need to have a strong enough differentiator that can’t easily be replicated by others to build a sustainable competitive advantage.
If it’s extremely novel and nobody is solving that problem (extremely rare), you then need to ask yourself why that is the case and your problem may not be worth solving. Perhaps people have tried in the past and they failed, which you could learn from before repeating their mistakes.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
This seems to be most relevant for a manufacturer, since I haven’t had to do any of those steps. I can speak to it from a software company standpoint. At a high level:
1. Have the idea
2. Validate the idea
3. Validate your business model
4. Hire resources (if necessary) and develop MVP
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
1. Build for your users, not yourself.
Early on, I remember building all these calculators and tools that I thought were so awesome. After reading up and learning about user testing, I figured I’d apply that to my business so I set up 10 user tests. Some of the tools had such a poor rating for a variety of reasons: difficult to understand, overly complex, etc. That was really the first gut check I had on the product and it changed how I approached product development.
2. Prototype before building.
I had never heard of Figma or other various tools when I first started. I thought user testing was only possible if you built a very basic working version of your product. Once I learned about prototyping, it cut down the time I needed to get feedback on a product dramatically. You could have a working version of your product built entirely by your design team, without needing to involve a single engineer to see if something resonates with your audience.
3. Quickly identify what partnerships are viable.
Even early on, you’ll be approached by potential partners who want to work with you. However, you’ll quickly realize that most of these partnership opportunities lead to nothing because they either don’t add value or you can’t come to terms. You can waste an incredible amount of time evaluating these, where you could’ve saved yourself the headache by determining upfront that it isn’t going to work. Have a list of things that are deal breakers, things you would expect both of you to get out of that partnership and get their requirements upfront to see if you can even meet it. This should be doable in less than 1 hour between you and the other party.
In our 2nd year of business, we were approached by a potentially massive partner and I was beyond excited for it. I spent hours, if not days running financial forecasts, looking into how we’d integrate with them, putting together a deck to raise capital to fund that initiative, etc. This was the equivalent of me picking out paint colours for the rooms for a house I hadn’t even put a bid on yet. Two weeks later, they sent over a technical requirements list that outlined things I needed on my end which included dedicated staff on 24/7, SOC2 certification, etc. For context, we were a 3 person company with 1 engineer at the time and they needed us to meet these requirements within 30 days, which was impossible to meet.
4. How to hire for things you know little.
You’ll have to eventually make key hires and the first thing you’ll want to hire is typically the things you know the least about. This makes it hard for you to evaluate that person and you could easily miss massive red flags. Wherever possible, try to involve outside parties (advisors, friends, recruiters, etc) that are experts in that field to help with the interview process and focus on what you can evaluate. Regardless of what their role is, you should be able to assess fit and if they’re a person who’s values align with yours and the company.
I had to hire my first engineer and I knew nothing about software development. I created a challenge where they had to create a basic tool that I could interact with. I had an advisor help me evaluate the code they built it with, but in the interview I had them explain how it works, why they built it a certain way, etc. I could get a feel for how they work with others, why they wanted to join, what their motivators were and then the advisor could help me determine if their coding was up to par.
5. Have a good filter.
The adage “Don’t take criticism from those you wouldn’t go to for advice” holds true. Everyone will have an opinion on what you’re doing and you won’t have time to explore all of it. You definitely want to be seeking feedback, but you need to be able to assess how material it is, if you see a pattern (are multiple people bringing this up?) and the person providing that feedback.
When we first launched our portal, we had people add co-applicants within their profile. This meant that a spouse or partner was an add-on for the applicant and was run through that profile. We had users suggest that they wanted direct access to their mortgage information and didn’t want to only have access through their partner. As a team we decided that splitting it up made sense for privacy reasons but also for empowerment, all parties to the transaction should understand what’s going on and be in control. After we made that change, we had users suggesting that their partner or spouse didn’t want to be involved in the transaction and it was an unnecessary barrier for them to fill out an application.
Moral of the story: You’ll never have 100% agreement on anything, but make decisions around what your company stands for as a guiding principle where there’s ambiguity.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
Online research is a solid starting point to see if it already exists and I’d start by looking at if the idea exists in the market you’re going after. More importantly than if your exact idea already exists, you need to identify what you’re going to do better than your competitors.
Almost every product or idea will have an existing solution that people currently use to solve that problem. You need to be able to clearly articulate what you’re going to do better than your competitors to win over users. If it’s extremely novel and nobody is solving that problem (extremely rare), you then need to ask yourself why that is the case and your problem may not be worth solving. Perhaps people have tried in the past and they failed, which you could learn from before repeating their mistakes.
Recommended steps:
1. Have the idea
2. Validate the idea
3. Validate your business model
4. Hire resources (if necessary) and develop MVP
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I’ve honestly never heard of invention development consultants, so I can’t comment on what it is they do. I also don’t think that striking everything out on your own is a good idea. However, be wary of all these experts that want a slice of your equity upfront while offering very little in return because there are so many free offerings out there that you can leverage. Here are some of the ways I was able to plug knowledge gaps with outside parties early on when I started:
Free bootcamps and courses offered by MaRS & Communitech that went through defining a value proposition, go-to-market strategy and other.
I hired 6 advisors when I first started that specialized where I was weakest (digital marketing, SEO, etc). I paid them all in sweat equity since I had limited capital.
Meeting other founders (at the same stage or later stages) at industry events and sharing experiences to learn from each other’s mistakes.
But there needs to be a limit regarding how much you depend on external parties. The risk
I could see is that a new founder may then lean on the invention development consultant way too heavily, which will not only cost them equity or capital, but it might become a crutch that prevents them from leading their company and learning. I find that some people try to build a false sense of confidence by making a lot of decisions on expert opinions (lawyers, consultants, etc.) which can be warranted sometimes, but most of the decisions you make aren’t black and
white and there is no perfect answer. You’re ultimately burning a ton of your capital on things that don’t generate any revenue. A founder should know the most about their own business and it’s how they build their confidence over time to make decisions in ambiguity.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
This is very relevant to us, since we bootstrapped our way for the first few years and then recently raised institutional capital. I wouldn’t look at it as one or the other, but rather what weight can be allocated to bootstrapping without jeopardizing the business.
Let’s start with bootstrapping. Every business model will impact how much bootstrapping you reasonably can do, but it usually comes down to your ability to capture as much of your customer’s lifetime value upfront as possible. Many businesses have found ways to do so while scaling, such as:
Charging annual premiums upfront instead of monthly subscriptions.
White-labeling or licensing deals with other industry players to generate monthly revenue in addition to your core business.
Offering equity as part of compensation packages to reduce salary costs.
There is no shortage of ideas in regards to how you can manipulate cash flow to work in your favour. In summary, my advice as it relates to bootstrapping is to optimize your revenue model to accommodate your cash flow needs.
As for venture capital, my advice would be to look at venture capital as one of many capital options at your disposal. For example, we took on debt and grants in addition to venture capital to fund our business. Out of those three, venture capital is the only one that is dilutive (meaning we have to give up equity in the company) and for that reason, should be the one you evaluate most thoroughly. Beyond their ability to cut you a cheque, you should be looking at their level of involvement in your company, their track record helping other companies, their expertise in the sector and everything else they bring to the table. It’s important that you find a strategic fit with the investor because their network and expertise typically can impact your business’ growth trajectory more than their capital.
To tie it all together, I then take my financial forecast, optimize it for bootstrapping and then identify my capital shortfall. That sets my basic capital requirements that I need to fulfill. The temptation may be there to take on more capital than you need, to which you would then look to answer one question: Would the additional capital likely create more value than I’m giving up? If the answer is yes, then you should go with it. But be realistic, most companies don’t hockey-stick their way to unicorn status in 2 years and overcommitting your growth and not hitting those targets can end up costing you most of your equity. Read the fine print!
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
Our product and services have impacted both home buyers and homeowners.
Home buyers: We provide an optimized path to homeownership and a holistic solution where users can get pre-approved, get a real estate agent, pick the right mortgage, get a lawyer and close their deal.
We have reduced the time required to buy a target property by up to 90%.
On average, we save our users $5,000 if they pick their service providers and mortgage through us.
We complete pre-approvals in 20 minutes instead of 3–5 days.
We offer the only tool capable of helping users compare all mortgage options by total savings amount, cutting the search for a mortgage from hours or days down to 10 seconds.
Homeowners: We help users maximize wealth as a homeowner through proactive analytics that focus on minimizing the cost of debt by switching mortgages or maximize their equity by leveraging their home equity.
Reduce time to complete a mortgage switch/refinance application down to less than 10 minutes.
We complete pre-approvals in 20 minutes instead of 3–5 days.
We offer the only tool capable of helping users compare all mortgage options by total savings amount, cutting the search for a mortgage from hours or days down to 10 seconds, as opposed to 2+ hours.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I believe we are already doing that. We are challenging Canadians to be optimistic about their ability to own a home and to change the way Canadians view their home as an investment.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Ben Horowitz. His book ‘The Hard Thing about Hard Things” was extremely informative and helped me reframe my outlook and emotionally prepare for a lot of the things that inevitably did come my way. Before I started Perch, I had never worked at a tech company and had also never run a business before. The knowledge gained through his book helped me make some decisions early on that shaped how Perch operates and functions successfully.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Meet The Disruptors: Jason Krantz Of Definitive Healthcare On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
I have always taken this to heart and at Definitive Healthcare I have been lucky enough to partner with extraordinary people that have helped take this company to where it is today.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jason Krantz.
As CEO and Founder of Definitive Healthcare, a healthcare commercial intelligence company, Jason drives a client-centric approach to business strategy and manages the day-to-day operations of the organization. He has built several research-based businesses focused on providing the highest quality and most timely data in information-intensive industries. Before founding Definitive Healthcare in 2011, Jason started Infinata, which provided online databases of information for the pharmaceutical industry under the brand BioPharm Insight.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Since I was a child growing up in Wisconsin, I always wanted to start my own business and I’ve been fortunate enough to do that multiple times over the course of my 25-year career. I also have been able to start these businesses in an area that I am deeply passionate about, which is leveraging data and intelligence to drive strategic and tactical decision-making.
My obsession with data and analytics started right out of college with my role as an analyst at McKinsey & Company. While I was there, I realized the value of leveraging data to identify the biggest and best business opportunities. I also saw firsthand the struggles companies faced with accessing high quality data and analytics to drive smarter business and commercial decisions. That was a light bulb moment for me as I saw a huge opportunity to industrialize information.
In 2000, during the dot-com boom, I capitalized on that opportunity and started my first SaaS data and analytics business while I was at Harvard Business School. The company, Infinata, also introduced me to the world of healthcare as we helped biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies research, analyze and develop investigational drug pipelines.
While things got a little rocky as the dot-com bubble burst, we bootstrapped the business over the next seven years before successfully selling it to the Financial Times Group in 2007.
After Infinata, I still had that itch to do something more and I wanted to start something that could have a bigger impact on the world. As I spent time workshopping ideas and talking to others, I kept hearing the same thing over and over again related to the healthcare data explosion and how challenging it was to navigate the healthcare market.
As I had some background in the healthcare space already, I knew just how large and complex the healthcare market is. It makes up nearly a fifth of the US GDP and continues to grow. And at the time I started Definitive Healthcare, the industry was undergoing a massive digitization effort, leading to new complexity and vast amounts of unconnected raw data. There was a huge opportunity to turn that data into intelligence to help companies navigate the market and make informed business decisions.
That led me to launch Definitive Healthcare in 2011 with a simple vision — to provide companies with healthcare commercial intelligence through a platform that helps them compete and sell into the healthcare ecosystem. Over the last 10 years, I’m proud to say we’ve done just that.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
As I said, the healthcare market is huge and is expected to continue to grow rapidly. It’s also incredibly complicated given the complex relationships between physicians, hospitals, providers, healthcare insurance companies, government regulators and patients. The complexities make it incredibly difficult to develop products for and sell products into the healthcare ecosystem.
That’s where Definitive Healthcare comes in. Definitive Healthcare helps companies analyze, navigate and sell into the complex healthcare ecosystem by turning data, analytics and expertise into healthcare commercial intelligence. Over the last 10 years, we’ve built an intuitive SaaS platform that provides comprehensive and accurate information on all the players in the healthcare system and ties the information together with our Definitive ID. We’ve done this by combining proprietary research technologies, powerful data science and healthcare subject matter expertise to create insight that does not exist elsewhere.
This has disrupted the market in many ways. We have created, through our powerful data science, a comprehensive view of the entire healthcare market and how the players are interconnected. This allows us to give our clients the ability to analyze this data through an intuitive, up-to-date platform that adapts to changes as those changes take place in the industry.
Think of it this way. In the world prior to Definitive Healthcare, companies utilized the equivalent of paper based TripTiks to navigate the market. A useful tool, but time consuming to create and only helps you if you know exactly where you are going. Definitive Healthcare on the other hand is a modern-day GPS system. We put the entire healthcare landscape in front of you. We help you evaluate different ways of achieving your objectives and when things change (new regulations, new competitors, new technologies), we help you modify your route to get to your objective as quickly as possible.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I started my first business back in 2000, we were amidst the dot-com explosion. Everybody wanted to start a business, including myself, and the thinking at the time was that all you needed to do to be successful was to put out a shingle — which at that time meant registering a clever URL.
Well, we did just that and with all the confidence in the world we started hiring office managers and we started creating processes to efficiently collect and manage our banking processes so we would be ready when clients started pouring in. We even bought one of those stamps that help you endorse checks more quickly.
In short, we were spending money we didn’t have and we were focused on the wrong things.
The problem was that starting a business is not that easy. Before you focus on collecting cash from clients you first need to actually have clients.
And when the dot-com bubble burst and small companies were unable to raise more capital, things got tough — very tough. But it was at that time when I learned my most valuable lessons. Lessons about capital efficiency and how to build businesses that generate cash to fuel further growth.
It’s also when I learned about focus. As an entrepreneur, it is essential that all your effort is focused on the most important issues, which for an early stage company is about making a great product that solves important business problems for your clients. I continue to apply these lessons in my company today.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I have been lucky enough throughout my life and career to be surrounded by amazing people that have taught me not only about business but about life: my parents for one. My father was a highly successful business owner albeit in a different industry — meat distribution.
But the lessons for growing a business are the same — lessons about being practical, about standing out versus the competition, about creating real value. But I also learned from both my parents a much more important lesson about how to do things the right way.
This lesson we apply every day in how we treat employees and customers with the respect that they deserve. You will also find this lesson applied with how Definitive Healthcare gives back to the community.
Several years ago, we launched our DefinitiveCares initiative where we create volunteer opportunities for our employees. It is a way for our 700+ employees to channel their creativity, energy and passion into improving the world around us. We now support almost 50 organizations and have had a 100% employee participation rate five years in a row!
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
I am a true believer in disruption, and as such will have trouble finding examples where I don’t think disruption is a good thing!
So let’s start with the positive. Disrupting an industry in my mind is about changing an industry for the better. It’s about finding new ways to accomplish tasks in a more efficient or effective way. To advance society we need disruptors.
Healthcare is in a period of massive disruption. Innovative companies are using AI and precision medicine to improve healthcare quality, to reduce the cost of healthcare and to save lives. And Definitive Healthcare is at the center of this disruption as we provide the healthcare commercial intelligence to help our clients navigate this very large and complex market to make sure their disruptions are finding the right home in the most effective way possible.
While I never think disruption is bad, sometimes it can happen too quickly in ways that the world is not ready for. The dot-com bubble back in 2000 is a good example. Many companies failed during that time creating job losses, destruction of wealth and a period of difficult economic conditions. But the reason they failed is not because the ideas weren’t good, but that the world and the infrastructure was not ready for the disruption that was happening.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
The best advice I got was from a mentor at McKinsey & Company which was about surrounding yourself with the very best people and then giving them the space they need to flourish and succeed.
I have always taken this to heart and at Definitive Healthcare I have been lucky enough to partner with extraordinary people that have helped take this company to where it is today.
However, while making the decision to bring in great people is easy, as a founder and entrepreneur, the second part of that advice — giving people the space they need to flourish — is a bit trickier.
At the early stages when you start a company, you are involved in everything that goes on. EVERYTHING. But as Definitive Healthcare grew and reached 100 people, this was no longer possible. So at that point it was time for me to give up control in certain areas and to let these amazing people own their function and take it to the next level.
This was one of the more challenging things that I have had to do (and one that continues to be a challenge as we surpass 700 employees), but without eventually succeeding at this effort I have no doubt that Definitive Healthcare would not be where it is today.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
Over the last ten years, we’ve accomplished a lot, but we’ve still only scratched the surface of what we can achieve. The healthcare market is always changing. Every day, we hear from our customers about new problems and challenges they’re facing that we can help solve.
To help our customers grow their business, we aim to continue to build out our healthcare commercial intelligence to help our customers discover new opportunities. In fact, we want to be the single source of healthcare commercial intelligence. We will do this by continuing to tie in more unique data and by applying even more sophisticated data science to help companies across the entire healthcare ecosystem transform healthcare.
I think you will see amazing things from Definitive Healthcare over the next ten years.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
A book that has impacted me is the biography of Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw. It’s a great story of a pretty tough steel baron who completely changed over time to focus less on business and more on philanthropic activities that could have a bigger impact on the world around him. I think it’s a really great message for business owners and people of significant wealth on how to impact the greater world around you and use wealth in appropriate ways.
This story really resonates with me as here at Definitive Healthcare, we’re an incredibly mission-driven company and giving back is part of our DNA. People join Definitive Healthcare because they want to help solve big problems in healthcare and they want to be part of something larger than themselves.
I mentioned earlier our DefinitiveCares employee-driven community service outreach program, which is one of the facets of our company culture that I’m incredibly proud of. In addition to 100% employee participation each year since the program launched, we have spent over 7,000 hours volunteering since 2018 and donated thousands of dollars and care packages along the way.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I believe it was Warren Buffet who said “You only have to do a few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.”
This quote sums it up for me — success in business and life is about focusing on what is most important, which for me is family, creating a great work environment where the very best want to be and about giving back.
There is so much distraction in the world which is only growing with constant access to social media and information. So it is essential to always step back and decide for yourself what is really important and make sure those things are going well.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
There are so many important movements and ideas so it is hard to focus on one, but something important to me is figuring out how to give every child a chance to succeed.
I was lucky enough to grow up in an environment where I had access to an excellent education and I did not need to worry about whether I had good nutrition or the proper equipment for sports or other activities I was involved in. I had access to a computer at a young age — an Apple II Plus the size of a small couch — before most other people.
All children should have these same opportunities and I believe we can all make a difference. We need to be constantly thinking about what we can do to change the life of even a single child — whether it be through a financial gift or a donation of your time or support.
Meet The Disruptors: Alex Ince-Cushman Of Branch Energy On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Using data to propel our service. This means calculating factors from weather to energy usage to determine which smart energy device will best help each of our customers save the most. We then help finance and install these devices.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Ince-Cushman.
Alex Ince-Cushman is the co-founder and CEO of Branch Energy, green energy provider dedicated to helping consumers lower their monthly bills and carbon footprint through the use of smart technology.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Absolutely. I’ve been drawn to math and science from early childhood. It was that affinity that led me to study aerospace engineering in college and eventually earn a Ph.D. in nuclear fusion from MIT. After a few twists and turns that involved stints in technology consulting and software development in Silicon Valley, I took a position as the chief technology officer at a large energy company. All these experiences deeply inform the how and why of co-founding Branch Energy.
Many factors led to the company’s inception, but one of the most prominent catalysts was my desire to create a meaningful contribution to the decimation of climate change. Like so many new parents, my focus shifted after the birth of my daughter. It was hard to not contemplate the implications of the world I would be leaving behind for her. So, when I found myself with some free time I began reading one of the reports by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). It was the first time I had investigated the subject on more than a surface level. The science of climate change was a striking and sobering read. My life changed that day because I walked away with two very strong convictions, both of which led to the co-founding of Branch Energy. Firstly, climate change is staggeringly vast and complex, and secondly, it can be addressed and real progress achieved through the deployment of existing technologies at a large scale. Why no thought leaders had emerged in the discussion of this issue to herald the good news that we could begin making material progress on emission reduction today, without creating expensive new technologies, baffled me. But it’s that message that is at the core of our approach at Branch Energy.
I understand you and Daniel have known each other for a long time. Can you tell us more about how met and how you came to co-found Branch Energy?
Dan and I literally grew up together. We met in middle school and have been friends ever since. Dan is a serial entrepreneur who has started several businesses in his career. Over the years, I’d help out informally where I could on nights and weekends, so we’ve actually had a lot of history working together. In addition to having a ton of trust that comes with having spent more than half of our lives as close friends, we are also great collaborators. We have very different problem-solving styles but we both love to debate ideas, and I feel we balance each other out. When we work together in this contentious but idea-meritocratic way we invariably end up with better ideas than either of us would have on our own.
Can you tell our readers what is disruptive about the work you’re doing?
When we started Branch Energy, we knew we wanted to shake things up.. As we embarked on this journey, one revelation made the framework for which we would build the business upon very clear, and that was that our impact could be maximized by making it easy for consumers to save money while reducing their carbon footprint. To do this, we built Branch Energy from the ground up as a tech company. We use software and data science ingenuities to build positive experiences for our customers and to find ways to save them money using smart energy devices. This approach makes us slightly odd ducks in the energy industry, but we are happy to embrace that title. Changemakers throughout history have been viewed as such.
Can you explain in more detail how Branch Energy’s disruption will create a positive impact?
We’re driving impact in a few ways. The first thing our customers are likely to notice after signing up for Branch Energy is that their monthly bills are smaller. The cost of energy can be one of the biggest expenses in a family budget, so to have that number reduced is often a relief. But, setting aside the financial benefits, we’re also aiming to shrink consumer carbon footprints. This is accomplished in a few ways:
Delivering 100% green energy to all our customers.
Using data to propel our service. This means calculating factors from weather to energy usage to determine which smart energy device will best help each of our customers save the most. We then help finance and install these devices.
Planting one tree to represent each of our customers every month.
All of these measures add up to a material impact on the consumer’s carbon footprint. So, as we grow our customer base, we’ll also be growing our impact.
This is probably not your last venture. How are you going to shake things up next?
For us, technology will always be the compass that helps us guide our customers in reducing their monthly energy bills and overall carbon footprints. We currently have our “boots on the ground,” in Texas and we absolutely plan on expanding to more states and countries.
Have you read anything recently that you’d recommend?
For those looking to get a general introduction to the challenges posed by climate change, “Speed and Scale” By John Doerr is a great place to start. “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” by Bill Gates is another great option. For those who love podcasts “My Climate Journey” provides some great content at the intersection of climate change and technology.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can connect with me and find news and updates about Branch Energy on our website, or on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We’re pretty easy to find!
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
I wish I knew was that I was capable of far more than I ever imagined. Had I known that I could have done even more, I know this would be an even grander story. The future is ours and I’m excited for all the greatness coming the worlds way!
Many successful people reinvented themselves in a later period in their lives. Jeff Bezos worked in Wall Street before he reinvented himself and started Amazon. Sara Blakely sold office supplies before she started Spanx. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a WWE wrestler before he became a successful actor and filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a bodybuilder, to an actor to a Governor. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake-device salesman before starting the McDonalds franchise in his 50’s.
How does one reinvent themselves? What hurdles have to be overcome to take life in a new direction? How do you overcome those challenges? How do you ignore the naysayers? How do you push through the paralyzing fear?
In this series called “Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life “ we are interviewing successful people who reinvented themselves in a second chapter in life, to share their story and help empower others.
As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kathleen Cameron.
Kathleen Cameron is a Success, Life and Manifestation Coach, 8 figure entrepreneur, and record breaking author. In just 2 years, she built a $10 Million dollar business and continues to share her knowledge and expertise with all of whom she connects with. Kathleen started her leadership journey as a Registered Nurse. That journey expanded into entrepreneurship when she began exploring and working in the coaching field in 2017. She quickly realized that working for herself and being present with her daughters was truly possible and she went for it. Kathleen started Diamond Academy Coaching Inc in January 2020, Kathleen Cameron has impacted hundreds of lives, generated multiple millions in income from coaching programs and supporting courses, co-written a book, written a book, guest appeared on numerous podcasts, is in Bob Proctor’s Inner Circle, and a Diamond pin holder.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up in Ontario, Canada to a family of what I would call “high achievers”. Both my parents were successful in their careers and worked hard, so I grew up not being afraid of getting to work myself. One of my recurring memories from my childhood was wanting to fit in and be liked. At a young age I became very aware of my differences, primarily my bigger sized body, and spent the next 30 years wanting to make my body “normal” size. This narrative went on until I was 37 years old. I am focused now on helping people see their differences as strengths, and to step into their power no matter what others think of them.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Success is faith expressed in action” — Robert Russell
This quote has been such an incredible reminder that without faith, in ourselves and our capabilities, we will never achieve the success we want, no matter the action we take. So many people work hard with no result, and this quote helps to explain why that might be.
You have been blessed with much success. In your opinion, what are the top three qualities that you possess that have helped you accomplish so much? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
The top three qualities that I possess that have helped me in my accomplishments include being generous, disciplined and focused. I have an immense desire to help others which translated into generosity. A beautiful example of this would be when I launched my coaching business and was partners with Bob Proctor. While my business was growing rapidly, using attraction marketing and social selling online, I shared all my evolving business methodology with hundreds of other Bob Proctor consultants. I truly desired for them to all be winning alongside me, so I shared generously. I do believe this contributed to the continuous growth of my success.
Being disciplined in my thinking and vibrational state is another important factor in my success. Many people want to know “how” I achieved success. One woman asked me for some time and wanted to know every single step of my business plan, how I hired, who I hired, why I hired, etc. I remember asking her to put her pen down and told her that she would learn much more if she asked me what I was thinking and feeling. I am the cause to my effect, not just the actions I take, but the underlying consciousness within. The conversation shifted quickly and I do believe she got the inspiration she was looking for.
The worlds most successful people start something and finish it and this has been a key for me as well. Being focused on one thing has been so important for me. I do not get distracted and stay the course, no matter what outside of me may be telling me. Focused attention has and always will be one of my keys to success.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘Second Chapters’. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before your Second Chapter?
I became a Registered Nurse in 2009 and continued working in healthcare until 2019. I studied for and completed a Masters Degree and worked my way up from front line nurse to Charge Nurse to Manager to Director, where I ended my nursing career. I worked with people in all areas of life, from Labour and Delivery to End of Life, including policy development, administration and strategic planning. Near the end of my nursing career I began working for myself selling products online and caught the vision. Once I saw another way of helping people, and creating a life of freedom for myself everything changed. I resigned from my senior leadership position to pursue entrepreneurship and I haven’t looked back.
And how did you “reinvent yourself” in your Second Chapter?
In September of 2019 I hired my first coach. I was working in my online business and wanted to grow it quickly, I had left nursing and was feeling a lack of security in where money was going to come from.
Can you tell us about the specific trigger that made you decide that you were going to “take the plunge” and make your huge transition?
I remember having this recurring thought as I was studying the universal laws, “I would love to teach this”. I listened to that thought very closely and began teaching it to anyone who would listen. That thought quickly turned into another “what if I could teach this and people start living the life of their dreams with my help?”
What did you do to discover that you had a new skillset inside of you that you haven’t been maximizing? How did you find that and how did you ultimately overcome the barriers to help manifest those powers?
I took a course in myself and then rebuilt and designed my new self concept. I watched for and acted on my intuition (seeing the signs that were telling me I was meant to do this). This allowed me to discover my skills as a teacher, mentor, coach and thought leader.
I removed limiting beliefs and built an image that I am “the one” do to this. I believe I am being called for this purpose.
How are things going with this new initiative? We would love to hear some specific examples or stories.
My new venture has been going according to plan and booming. I have built a nearly 16 Million dollar business over the past 2 years and are a global success network operating in 37 countries. We are ever expanding and recruiting. We have essentially created our own economy. We have a team that does personal growth and development which helps people step into their true potential. We also have a coaching program that helps people create an income for themselves and their family. Ultimately creating an economy for themselves.
I have coaches that prior to coming to work with me that were bringing in 2k a month income and now they have 20–30k coaching businesses. Where they are entrepreneurs working for themselves, they have upgraded to new homes, new experiences and have been able to travel the world.
Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
This is a very easy question to answer, because this person has been so instrumental in my growth. That person is Mr. Bob Proctor. I came to meet him in September of 2019, when I enrolled in one of his programs, I didn’t know much about him, the law of attraction or manifestation. I had seen the movie The Secret that he was in, but I didn’t really remember him. Once I started studying his program, I started really loving the content. I would watch his YouTube and just dive deeper into what he had to teach. I realized how big of an impact he was making and I ended up deciding to become one of his coaches. So I enrolled in his coaching certification program, and started partnering with him in by using his program as part of my coaching platform. His program was part of my coaching program that I offered when I started my business. Because of his knowledge, mentorship, and experience; he blazed a trail that allowed me to follow in his footsteps. Through that process and over the last two years, since I launched my business, I became his number one North American Coach, and became dear friends with him. He wrote the foreword of my book and helped me in so many ways. He has been so incredibly instrumental to my journey. Even as I have branched off into my own programs and courses. I am forever grateful in what he taught me and allowed me to do. I wouldn’t be here in this place if it wasn’t for him.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction?
Since starting to study manifestation, this has been one of the funnest things for me to share. People always want to know, and want to hear about my manifestation stories. They want to hear about things that I basically create in the screen on my mind and bring into the physical form, and how quickly the manifestations can come. So one of the most interesting stories, if I had to pick this one is probably when I manifested an exact amount of money to the dollar. I’d written down that I wanted to bring in $21,795, into my business. I wrote it repeatedly and I visualized it coming into my bank account. When my husband called me and said, you know, we have an option to exercise of stock options with the business. Do you think we should do it? Right away? I thought, of course, yeah, let’s do it. I thought it would be a couple 100 bucks. And then, you know, a couple weeks later, when it showed up in the bank account, it was the exact dollar amount to the “T” in my bank account, $21,795. In that moment, I knew that everything that I had been taught and everything that I was teaching was 100% truth. That we do hold the power and the control to bring anything we want into the physical form. So journaling and writing things out, has become a way for me to ask for what it is that I desire. So I continue to have things like TV shows, articles, my book going bestseller, things like money, business success, people coming into my life appear in true form. All of these have been written down on paper first, and then they show up in my world. That’s just one small story of how I have manifested.
Did you ever struggle with believing in yourself? If so, how did you overcome that limiting belief about yourself? Can you share a story or example?
Believing in myself was an issue much of my life, I made an intentional decision to change that in 2019 — I started studying myself and designed a new version, who more than just believed in herself but believed miracles were about to happen. This ended up being the reality.
In my own work I usually encourage my clients to ask for support before they embark on something new. How did you create your support system before you moved to your new chapter?
The biggest support in this new venture was my husband. Before I embarked on this, I made sure he was up for the journey. I knew this would require more of my time and energy at first and he was very supportive in helping with the house and home and kids to give me the space to go after my dream. As the business has grown, I have made it a priority to bring in more help, whether its to help around the house, with the kids or in the business, I always get the support I feel I need. Work/life balance is and always will be very important to me.
Starting a new chapter usually means getting out of your comfort zone, how did you do that? Can you share a story or example of that?
I continue to get out of my comfort zone on a daily basis, whether it’s investing in myself, putting myself out there on social media or being vulnerable in my book/posts. One of the most uncomfortable situations for me was when I filmed my signature program. This involved having hair and makeup done, a full film crew in a studio and me filming for 3 days. I had moments of feeling like an imposter but I used some of my techniques to step right into it, as the confident and powerful woman that I am.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started leading my organization” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
The first thing that I wish someone had told me was that I would be far more successful if I was highly generous and made my venture about others more than about myself. Instead I learned this along my journey. I learned that it is key and imperative for you to absolutely put yourself first, but with the overarching desire to help others. Because I have been so generous, and so caring, and so loving, and have really wanted to help people so much, I have been able to make it not about me, but to make it about others. I’ve overcome a lot of the limiting beliefs, feelings, fears, worries, anxieties that I had, and have been able to move that into a positive place. The second thing that I wish somebody had told me before I started leading my organization was that the people that I started my business with, would not be the people that would continue to be with me long term. There is such a valuable lesson in this. I so much wanted those people that were with me at the beginning; you know, the first couple of people that I started having work with me, to be there forever. I felt like it would be just such a beautiful story and all these things. But what I realized is that I attracted those people into my life in my business at a lower level of awareness. When I wasn’t as strong as I am. Now, I didn’t have the self concept and identity of who I am today. I have understood that in order for my business to continue to grow, that I need people that are wanting and willing to grow with me. Some people will lose oxygen up the mountain and that is okay, as long as I am aware and accept the fact that things will always change around me, including the people that are with me on this journey. The third thing that I wish someone told me before I started leading my organization was that the negative things and negative feedback, the failures all serve a purpose. Things have happened in my business that have not gone the way that I wanted them to go. There has been conflict that has arisen and in the moment, it feels uncomfortable, it feels sad, it feels like betrayal. It really can throw you off. I had a situation happen where I felt betrayed by someone in my business and in that moment, I made it about me. In that moment, I couldn’t see the purpose in it, I couldn’t see the value. What I know now is that having experienced those negative things, those betrayals, the feelings of not wanting things to be a certain way have allowed me to be super grateful for when things are going well. They’ve really helped me to learn that the contrast serves a purpose. You know, you can’t be grateful for the light until you know what the darkness is. This is a common thing that I have seen in my business and it would have been nice to know this going in. The fourth thing that I wish somebody had told me is that change is constant and necessary. I have always been somebody who has embraced change, but since launching my own business and building my own corporation, I’ve really come to terms with the fact that it is not only necessary, but it is actually something that we should seek and strive for. It is something that is constant, so if you can be somebody that can be in a state of flux at all times, then you are going to be able to accomplish more.
The final thing I wish I knew was that I was capable of far more than I ever imagined. Had I known that I could have done even more, I know this would be an even grander story. The future is ours and I’m excited for all the greatness coming the worlds way!
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Raise the collective consciousness — a movement of self-belief and positive influence. If we all wanted to change the world, and believed we could, the world would be a better place.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. 🙂
Oprah, hands down. She has inspired so many people and has gone outside the box. She has always gone against the normal paradigm always and had advocated for something different. She’s not afraid to change the narrative.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I can be found on Facebook, IG @kathleencameron_formygirls and Youtube, my website is kathleencameronofficial.com
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
Purpose: To be an effective public speaker, it helps to figure out what you want to say and why you want to say it. What’s the point of your talk? I write down all my ideas well in advance; it helps me not to write full sentences, though. I did that in the beginning of my speaking career and found a strong temptation to read verbatim from my notes. It just felt so comforting! Now, instead, I write key phrases or ideas. It forces me to do some adlib, which makes for a good presentation and prevents me from giving a boring speech.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Liz Thomas.
Liz Thomas is a professional hiker and speaker who held the speed record on the 2,181-mile long Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Her public speaking engagements include Good Morning America (national TV), Capitol Hill, Yale, MIT, and numerous national non-profit conferences with hundreds of people, including billionaires, in attendance. She’s Editor in Chief of Treeline Review, an outdoor gear review website where she holds regular live events for people across the world.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Believe it or not, I grew up a very shy person! I’m Japanese-American, and like many first-generation children of immigrants, some of the old country’s ways of thinking influenced how I grew up. I was raised to think that children were meant to be seen, not heard. Speaking up and sharing my stories and opinions with others did not come naturally. I never raised my hand in class, which continued until graduate school. It wasn’t until I set the speed record on the Appalachian Trail that I realized I had stories worth telling.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I became a public speaker because I wanted to inspire other people — especially other women and People of Color — to go on an extraordinary adventure. As a professional hiker, I saw too few women holding the spotlight for their adventures. I saw too few People of Color on the trails at all. We weren’t seen in marketing for outdoor brands. We weren’t seen in outdoor gear companies’ board rooms. I knew that if I shared my story, I could help change the narrative of who belongs outside and who belongs in the seats of decision makers.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One interesting thing about being a public speaker is that you never know who will be in your audience or what ideas they may have for working with you. I spoke at the Trust for Public Land National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, about my speed record on the Appalachian Trail. An audience member was familiar with another body of my work — urban thru-hiking. Urban thru-hiking for me consists of walking hundreds of miles in a city to highlight something that makes the city special, like the public stairways in San Francisco or the breweries in Denver. The audience member invited me to create a 225-mile walk in all five boroughs of New York City that highlighted a 20-year-long project to bring green spaces and playgrounds to public school students. That urban hike ended up being one of the most important outdoor experiences for me; I’ve used it to talk about the connection between cities, pedestrian infrastructure, and traditional hiking and backpacking. I’m grateful for the serendipity that being a public speaker brings.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I’m talking about a subject I love, it’s easy to go overboard. One of my first talks was an evening presentation at Yale University to a student outdoor group. I was more interested in ensuring I covered all of the relevant material than staying within the time limit. My hosts were gracious — and still interested in my PowerPoint long after the end time had passed. I learned that less is more when it comes to giving talks. It’s more important for the audience to take away a few key points than to give them a comprehensive view of every possible detail.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’m enormously grateful to the organizations and individuals that repeatedly have me come back to speak to their organization. In 2018, BikeTexas, a pedestrian and bicycle advocacy group, asked me to speak at the Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference. It was such a success that they asked me to speak again at their next conference…two years later. Well, we all know what happened to most conferences in 2020. However, they invited me to speak virtually — one of my few speaking opportunities that year. It helped me keep my head in the game and stay motivated during a dark time, which has allowed me to continue growing to where I am today.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
If you want to become a public speaker, start small. When I say small, I mean speak to small groups of people at local events. Choose a topic that you’re passionate about, where you have a unique perspective and can inspire others to take action. Invite family and friends to attend. You won’t have money or future gigs on the line when you start small, so it’s impossible to fail. The repeated process of having these talks go well will give you the confidence and courage to go after bigger opportunities.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
Spending time moving outdoors gives people a space to grow, heal, process, and learn to be better versions of themselves. Getting outside is easier to do than we may think. My goal is to reduce the barriers to entry for spending more time outside. But we, as a society, also need to prioritize building spaces where all people feel comfortable doing this.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
My goal is to help more people come into the life-transforming power of a long-distance hiking experience. One project I’m working on prepares folks for that. Treeline Review is aimed at removing one of the biggest obstacles to getting outdoors — knowing what gear to carry. Outdoor equipment can be expensive. There are so many models available, it can be challenging for folks of all experience levels to know what the best way is to spend their hard-earned money. I founded Treeline Review with my hiking partner to break down those barriers to entry and get more people feeling confident about being outdoors. Although we started with a mission of getting folks inspired to take on long-distance hiking, the company has expanded to skiing, kayaking, mountain biking, and all sorts of other outdoor activities. From here, I see our goal expanding to get people to experience the life-transforming power of nature and being outside in general, as they discover the power of moving in their bodies.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“You’ve got to ask for the order.” One of my closest friends works in sales — a job I would hate because I’m afraid of putting myself out there. Being a public speaker is fun when companies ask for you to speak at the event. But being a public speaker can be very scary when things are reversed: when I ask to speak at an event they may already have planned — or worse, an event that they create around me. Every time I have to ask to speak somewhere, I channel my friend. I know it won’t happen unless I “ask for the order.” It may not happen, even if I do ask. But it definitely won’t happen if I don’t get the courage to ask.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
Purpose: To be an effective public speaker, it helps to figure out what you want to say and why you want to say it. What’s the point of your talk? I write down all my ideas well in advance; it helps me not to write full sentences, though. I did that in the beginning of my speaking career and found a strong temptation to read verbatim from my notes. It just felt so comforting! Now, instead, I write key phrases or ideas. It forces me to do some adlib, which makes for a good presentation and prevents me from giving a boring speech.
Practice: Before any talk I give, I practice many times to myself. I’ll practice just in front of my computer. Then, I’ll practice in front of family and friends, who can give me feedback. As I become more familiar with my material, talking about it becomes second nature.
Planning: Something that has greatly helped me is determining what intimidates me about public speaking and planning for it ahead of time. I figure out how to tailor my speech or the event to address my fear. For example, I spoke at a conference in front of professional pedestrian infrastructure experts. I worried about what information I — a hiker and walker — had to offer these experts that they didn’t already know? I was concerned that the audience might not consider me enough of an authority on the topic. So, I planned for the discomfort. I asked the presenter to read my bio before my talk to establish authority. Then, during the talk, I acknowledged the expertise of those in the audience while offering that my perspective could give them a new insight into their everyday work.
Humility. The Q&A section of a public talk is a prime place for flopping. After all, it’s a lot harder to prepare for this section ahead of time because you never know what will be asked. Practice saying, “That’s a great question. I don’t know the answer right now, but that is something I will look into.” There’s freedom in being able to admit that you aren’t always the expert. Having humility protects you from speaking falsehoods or embarrassing yourself by saying something wrong.
Presentation (but only sometimes): Having a good talk doesn’t always require having PowerPoint slides. It’s possible to have a compelling talk without slides if you are a good storyteller. I’ve given talks with and without slides and have found that colorful and inspiring photos best serve my area of expertise (the outdoors and hiking). But depending on your topic of expertise, you may find that an audience is more engaged in your material when you don’t use slides.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
The best way to overcome a fear of public speaking is through practice. I recommend talking about a topic you feel passionately about and consider yourself an expert. Start with small groups and low stakes. Then, slowly ramp up the size of your audience.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Compassion. Life is hard enough to navigate without mean people. When we show grace to others and realize that we’re all dealing with something, it makes it easier to appreciate what we do have.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
I recently had a chance to see Ragen Chastain speak about size and weight stigma, especially as it relates to health and active people. She structured her talk in a way that balanced findings from rigorous scientific papers, lived experiences, and political insight. I found her argument moving and eye-opening, especially for someone like me whose mission is to get more people outdoors. I was also impressed by how well she structured her presentation to meet the audience where they were in terms of understanding fatphobia. I would love to sit down with her to learn more about her story craft and to learn more about her fascinating background and experience.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
I’m running the social account over at @treelinereview on Instagram and Facebook. Check those accounts for updates on where I’m speaking, hiking, and traveling as well as tips on how to break down barriers to getting outdoors!
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Believe in Yourself and Your Message. We have to believe that who we are and what we have to say is worthy. If we allow the outside world to dictate that worth, it rocks our personal foundation and makes it too dependent on external forces. The true power of an effective public speaker comes from within. Speak your message with that belief in self, and watch the magic happen.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Maria DiLorenzo.
Maria DiLorenzo is the Founder and CEO of MFD Style, a Boston-based wardrobe consulting business. For the last 15 years, she has educated and guided those who seek to make a stronger connection between their self-presentation and self-love, and with her intuitive styling approach, she has helped hundreds transform into the best version of themselves by leveraging their wardrobe to reflect this insight. After nearly 20 years of leading a wide variety of public gatherings, workshops, seminars, webinars, and trainings in both nonprofit and corporate settings, she now speaks about the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and style in her podcast, Above & Beyond Style. She holds a B.A. in psychology from Loyola University, New Orleans and a M.A. in pastoral ministry from Boston College.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
In retrospect, my childhood was pretty idyllic. I was born and raised in Irving, Texas with two older siblings. I think I had the best of both worlds growing up because I also got a taste of “only children” life, as I was 12 when my sister and brother moved away for school or a job. I was a focused kid and pretty academically competitive with classmates and friends. My parents truly never had to push me in school or activities. I always had enough intrinsic motivation to do what I needed and really wanted to excel, often to the point where they would encourage me to relax a bit! I had many authentic friendships, several of which I have maintained to this day. I was active in school clubs and organizations, cared about my education, and ultimately was a pretty happy child.
Life wasn’t perfect by any means, but I think I was lucky. My family loved me, supported me, and I actually enjoyed being with all of them. As many youngest children can attest to, I learned to hold my own. I was a quick study. I learned to play all the games the adults were playing. I got to taste alcohol before it became some kind of forbidden fruit, and I was encouraged to explore and experiment. I was pretty imaginative, too. My mom never had to ask me how things went at school because I would reenact everything that happened that day in my pretend bedroom classroom. I always wanted to be a teacher, which I think was kind of in the ether of my home, as my dad was a college professor. Education was definitely a pillar for our family, and I am someone who really enjoys learning, especially about people and behavior.
I was a fairly sensitive child- not in the way that it prevented me from living life, but I remember really “feeling” things. I think my emotional intelligence started from a pretty young age, likely before I ever really understood what that meant. It made me someone who cared about people and felt my own fair share of highs and lows.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
My career path has been anything but linear! And perhaps only now I can see how each of those twists and turns led me to being a wardrobe consultant. It’s like my entire life has been slowly releasing the breadcrumbs of where I am now, and as I pick up the piece that’s in front of me, I just keep trying to integrate what I am doing and learning along the way.
My educational background is in psychology and theology/ministry. I LOVED learning about what makes people tick and how that connects with their greater understanding/purpose in life. After finishing my master’s degree and an internship on a college campus, I got a job in higher education. I had a pretty formative college experience, and I thought I had a lot to offer college-aged students. Turns out I was right! I worked in higher education in a variety of roles for nearly 15 years. From there, I went on to hold roles in human resources and organizational development at the corporate level.
So how does all of this connect with me being a wardrobe consultant now? The crazy part is that I was styling as a “side hustle” through every professional role I have ever had. It began as a way to earn extra income and now has become my full-time career. I always loved clothes and the ways people express their individuality and communicate messages through wardrobe choices, but what I couldn’t have predicted is how psychology, spirituality, and style would be woven into everything I do.
Perhaps the most interesting story is when I can pinpoint this realization. It was the summer of 2010, and I had a part-time job selling designer clothing at Nordstrom. I was in the break room with my lunch containers half-eaten when my sister called to say that my dad, who had been diagnosed with cancer a year prior, was failing rapidly. I quickly moved to action, booked a flight to Dallas, and began packing for what would likely be his funeral.
I remember sitting in my bedroom that evening pulling together clothes for the trip. Most people would gravitate to wearing black, as is customary to do. For a reason I am only now able to fully understand, I had a visceral reaction to wearing black. I couldn’t do it. It felt cold, dark, lonely, and harsh. I didn’t feel ANY of those things when I thought about my dad, nor did I want to feel that way when I would have to show up and attend his memorial service. I wanted to feel soft, supported, courageous, and brave as I did this impossibly hard thing. Without giving it a second thought, I selected a lovely cream silk wrap dress with a grey geometric pattern on it.
I went to my dad’s memorial service in that dress and felt exactly as I needed to that day: held, loved, courageous, and brave. I believed that I was worthy enough to give myself the permission to choose to feel gentleness, tenderness, and compassion, which I would extend to ANYONE else in this circumstance. It was then that a light bulb went off in my head about my wardrobe choice. Not only had I listened to my own inner voice about what I knew I needed, but I upheld that belief in what I wore. Self-presentation became an expression of my self-love, and it helped me do a really hard thing.
There is a profound relationship between how we feel and how we express those feelings through wardrobe, and this became the essence of my career choice. I wanted to help people see wardrobe for more than just a method for covering their body. With the right amount of intention and introspection, wardrobe can be the ultimate tool for support. My dad’s memorial service gave me first-hand experience with this fact, and I knew I was supposed to share that lesson with the world. Style is about the clothes, but it’s really not about the clothes.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One of my most interesting stories is my actual first paying client, which I found via Craigslist, back in the early 2000s. I placed an ad for in-person style services, and I had a gentleman reply who was looking for help creating outfit combinations because of his color-blindness. Aside from the fact that I went to a male’s home (as a single woman) without really any kind of screening process, I also never had worked before with someone who was colorblind. I remember texting a friend the address where I would be in case something went wrong. Gratefully, my client was incredibly kind and easy with which to work. I felt really proud of myself for that appointment because I created systems and strategies that would help him differentiate colors and ultimately create the outfits he wanted.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Maybe this is of no surprise for someone who works with clothing, but I’ll just say two words: wardrobe malfunction. And I will spare the client’s name, but we had an incredible laugh when we discovered (gratefully in the fitting room) what special body part was showing off a bit too much. The lesson: always give yourself a full-body once over before walking out the door!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My first retail job was at Anthropologie, and this was in the days before in-house stylists were common. I often worked shifts with the in-house stylist, and she was the first person who opened my eyes to an actual career in styling. She had independent clients alongside her work at Anthropologie, and it was her model that I would reference many, many times as I built my own styling business. I recently reconnected with her (thanks to social media), and I am deeply grateful for her influence.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
There truly is nothing to gain when you operate from a mindset of fear of failure. Being a small-business owner requires overcoming any beliefs that say you are not worthy, good enough, or don’t matter. I am fiercely committed to maintaining a mindset of abundance, love, and possibility. In my mind, there are always two paths to choose: fear or love. I always want to choose the path of love, and whatever lights me up in love, I know that it’s worthy to follow, even if it turns out differently than I expected.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
My father’s death was the most transformative moment in my life to date. It was through the experience of his memorial service that I discovered a key message for me: Self-presentation is an expression of self-love, and it can enable us to do hard things in life. I want as many people as possible to understand and integrate this powerful insight. It feels like if I do that, I am living my purpose.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
A recent exciting project is the launch of my podcast, Above & Beyond Style, where I unpack the intersection of psychology, spirituality, and style. I had been toying with the idea of hosting my own podcast for nearly two years, and in the summer of 2021, I recorded what would become my first episode. I know that I have a unique perspective with these three topics, and it informs many of my speaking engagements. The podcast gives me one more place to promote my ideas and share the lessons where style informs more than just what meets the eye. It would be crazy cool and fun if someone like Brené Brown listened and shared my work! In the meantime, I am excited to invite select guests as relevant thought-leaders for season 2.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“The plan is there is no plan.” It’s attributed to a spiritual coach I’ve worked with, and she inspired me to let go of focusing so much on outcomes and redirect my attention to the feelings and emotions I want to experience along the way. As a recovering Type A personality, I often would get hyper-focused on the many steps between point A and Z (the cursed “how” questions would plague me!) and spend an inordinate amount of time trying to predict outcomes. Once I learned to release the pressure of knowing the plan, I began to enjoy the process and engage more fully in the present experience. There was also more unexpected joy in the ways the plan actually plays out.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
Practice: Every successful public speaker will tell you practice truly makes perfect. There are no short cuts to getting better; you simply have to do it as often as you can. I am forever grateful all of my professional positions required me to get in front of large groups of people and speak, for all sorts of reasons. Malcolm Gladwell said you have to practice 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. Exceptional public speakers are exceptional because we practice a LOT.
Pay Attention to Your Speech Cadence: The inflection of your voice has power beyond the words you use. Effective public speakers know that the way we deliver our content matters. How you raise or lower the volume of your voice, the articulation of certain words, and the pacing of your speech are essential to mastering cadence.
Get Personal: Public speaking requires you to communicate information and ideas, and as humans, we process new information and ideas more effectively when we can relate it to something in our existing environment or life. Your personal stories not only allow your audience to relate to you as a human, but people may imagine themselves in your story, too. This kind of transference actually creates an emotional connection to your message, almost like we might feel when watching a movie.
Be Emotive: This links to getting personal as we are emotional beings. Effective public speakers know the importance of leveraging emotions to tell their stories. Part of storytelling is the willingness to share vulnerabilities and lessons that some may not admit to, while normalizing you felt a certain way. When I told the story of my dad’s memorial in my podcast, I was floored by the number of listeners who responded positively to the way I shared that transformative emotional experience.
Believe in Yourself and Your Message We have to believe that who we are and what we have to say is worthy. If we allow the outside world to dictate that worth, it rocks our personal foundation and makes it too dependent on external forces. The true power of an effective public speaker comes from within. Speak your message with that belief in self, and watch the magic happen.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
I think this basic fear comes from the inner angst of looking or sounding foolish, with the anticipation of being judged negatively by your audience. Overcoming this fear requires deep belief in who you are and what your message is. I guarantee you will begin to “settle in” the more deeply rooted your belief in self becomes. It takes a great deal of inner work, but fear won’t stand a chance once you realize that little voice undermines who you really are and what you have to say.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
This is a really fun question because I spend a lot of time dreaming about this very scenario. If I could inspire a movement of people to fully embrace their self-worth and see the connection between their wardrobe choices and their self-beliefs, I would feel like my soul’s purpose would be fulfilled.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Can I have two?! A podcast listener told me that I sound like a blend of Brené Brown (@brenebrown) and Tan France (@tanfrance), and I haven’t stopped wishing to talk with them both! They clearly have an appreciation for human behavior and the power of leveraging our choices to live a happier, healthier life.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
I can be found on the web at www.mfdstyle.com or on Instagram at @mfd_style. My podcast, Above & Beyond Style, is available on all major podcasting platforms.
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Make sure you surround yourself with the right people. I’m really fortunate that within my circle there are other founders and business leaders who I have been subconsciously shaped by, the mentality is ‘how can we accomplish this’ rather than ‘this won’t work’. You need to be prepared to fail; failures can lead to success! People who have taken a similar journey to you will understand the sacrifices and difficulties you have to make and can keep you pushing forward in the right direction.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Tara Lalvani.
Dr Tara Lalvani is the Founder & CEO of revolutionary direct to consumer global beauty brand, Beautifect. Harnessing the latest advances in technology and engineering, Tara exploded onto the beauty scene with the sell out game-changing beauty device, the Beautifect Box.
Its innovative tech combined with premium craftsmanship empowers women to make their lives easier while enhancing their daily routine. Pioneering a niche in the beauty market with a range of new beauty tools and devices, Tara is pushing boundaries for women and female entrepreneurs globally.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
From a young age I always wanted to help people. I loved science at school and then I went on to graduating as a dental surgeon from a leading dental institute around 20 years ago and started my career in making people smile! Juggling a family and career I began to notice everything about the way I was getting ready and doing my makeup felt outdated and wrong. In a world where everything is available on demand, why isn’t our makeup? I was having to leave my family and go to a different room, be tied down to one place with poor lighting and rummaging through messy makeup bags! I remember moving a full length mirror across the room everyday to prop in front of a window to try to get enough light! After unsuccessfully searching for a solution, I set out on a mission to create one myself and make people’s lives easier. Something we routinely do shouldn’t feel like a chore, but should be simple, enjoyable and effective. I want people to feel good and confident about themselves every day and that’s the reason I created Beautifect.
Can you please give us your favourite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Whether You Think You Can, or Think You Can’t … You’re Right” This has always resonated with me, we often put so many limitations on ourselves, our abilities and our dreams. Your attitude towards something has the biggest impact. When you believe you can, your mind and body figures out a way but equally when you tell yourself you can’t, your mind and body give up on figuring it out and you simply can’t do it. Attitudes are contagious and will shape your trajectory for better or worse; if you don’t believe in yourself who will? I’m happy to say that I am living testimony that thinking and believing you can and acting on that can truly change your life. I want others to stop holding themselves back and start believing in themselves and see the difference it will make. If you can dream it, you can do it!
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I watched the movie ‘Martian’ around the same time I started the Beautifect concept and it immediately resonated with me and where I felt I was at. Being an entrepreneur with a new to market concept can be an incredibly isolating and lonely journey at times; you have to be your biggest advocate and motivator whilst developing a positive and action taking mindset to see through the tougher days. The Martian is essentially a story about perseverance, you have to be determined to make a success of things. You will come across many hurdles and just when you think one thing is working, new obstacles are thrown into the mix; but you have to work through it. The same is true with an entrepreneurial journey, no matter how challenging, in order to be successful you cannot give up.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
The answer to this is actually really simple, but we often over complicate it. You must just take action. My daughter actually once said to me ‘you can’t do anything until you do it’ and it really is that simple. We focus too much on the issues, talk ourselves out of things and stay in our heads for far too long. Lack of confidence in yourself and your concept will just leave it on the back burner. All this wasted time thinking about how to start could be spent taking action and moving forward. In this day and age everything is at our disposal; the internet is at our fingertips so you can search the areas you are not confident in and get moving. Don’t look at it as one giant overwhelming journey, break it down step by step and do one thing each day that develops your idea further. I think of it like this; If I think too much about going to the gym, I won’t go and I’ll just waste time. If I don’t think about it and just take action and get out there; I’ll get it done. Stop thinking and start doing! So in summary: Dream big, set goals and then take action! The Beautifect Box is now a highly in demand beauty must-have that has sold out multiple times. It is making a real and tangible difference to people’s daily routines and this wouldn’t be possible if I didn’t take decisive action.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
This is exactly where I started. I couldn’t believe a concept so convenient didn’t already exist so I researched extensively! Google is extremely useful — search all the key words that could be associated with your idea and then see what patent applications may exist. You also can’t go wrong with simple market research and asking your target audience whether they already have something that fulfils the needs of your idea. If you find that it doesn’t exist then the next step is to research into whether there is a genuine need for your product; just because you want it doesn’t mean there aren’t legitimate reasons it doesn’t yet exist. As a last resort you could always hire legal aid and patent attorneys to assist with this.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
Once you have your idea or concept you can file a provisional patent, this essentially lets you claim the idea for 1 year. Filing the non-provisional patent comes when you have a fully formed concept. It’s a lengthy and specific document so your design needs to be complete. Getting approval from this involves a lot of back and forth which you can expect to take a few years.
Manufacturing wise — start by interviewing some to get a better picture of what products they currently manufacture and whether there are any synergies or conflicts with your concept. Find their limitations, if they don’t work with the materials you require you may have to look elsewhere or combine manufacturers. It’s also worth figuring out at this early stage if they will be able to scale with you, if their operation is limited to what capacity they can produce then you may find yourself having to move manufacturing elsewhere as you start to grow which would obviously be a huge disruption.
You can either give retailers periods of exclusivity or approach multiple. If your product doesn’t speak to their clientele it may not be the right retailer. My one piece of advice is to find a retail partner that shares your core values and understands your brand mission so they can represent you well, essentially you are giving up some control here so you want to make sure it’s in good hands. Our first retailer was Harrods, the UK’s number 1 luxury goods retailer, which was perfect for us as their clientele are always looking for luxury and expect a certain level of service of which we pride ourselves on. Being in demand by such a high end establishment meant we could immediately position ourselves in the right market, we’ve gone on to be one of the top sellers in the beauty hall with our Beautifect Box and beauty tools, so naturally this opens up further opportunities for retail success.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
1 — Make sure you surround yourself with the right people. I’m really fortunate that within my circle there are other founders and business leaders who I have been subconsciously shaped by, the mentality is ‘how can we accomplish this’ rather than ‘this won’t work’. You need to be prepared to fail; failures can lead to success! People who have taken a similar journey to you will understand the sacrifices and difficulties you have to make and can keep you pushing forward in the right direction.
2 — Take time to hire, but be quick to fire! Your team is everything. If one person has the wrong attitude it can bring the morale down for everyone. The pressure for high growth makes it tempting to hire quickly but this may just cause you more issues in the long run. Being selective and creating a dynamic team of individuals who can work together naturally is a win for everyone.
3 — I’m fortunate to have an entrepreneurial husband who is well versed in the trials and tribulations of leading a company; so there were no rose tinted glasses for me, I knew I would face obstacles and that I had to be mentally prepared for a multitude of new challenges coming my way. He told me early on that running a company would involve putting out fires out every day so I feel like I was prepared as he certainly wasn’t wrong about this; and I think it’s important to have a deep understanding that when you are at the helm of something, those final decisions are ultimately yours and you need to be able to lead and be willing to feel uncomfortable in order to grow. Nothing great was ever achieved in our comfort zone.
4 — Patience is key. When you’re working with innovation and new products you need to be prepared for longer timescales than you first envision. Getting it right takes time, but with patience you gain resilience; this will in turn help you avoid hasty decision making and the rush to ‘get it out there’ before it’s truly ready for the market. Be adaptable, an idea may start one way but take on a totally different outlook so you must not get caught up trying to always stick to the original plan.
5 — You don’t have to have all the right answers, but do ask the right questions. Just because you have a concept that you truly believe in and have taken the brave decision to lead a company, doesn’t mean you’re automatically going to know how to do it all. It’s okay to ask questions, seek out mentors and get things wrong. As a leader you should be curious and continuously asking questions. The landscape is always changing, the more you seek to understand, the further you will develop all aspects of your business.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
Initial sketching of your idea, how is it going to look? I actually used my kids arts and crafts to make a 3d version of my sketch — using whatever is available to you is absolutely fine at this stage! I then researched into companies to help with the engineering. Once you do this you can aim towards a working prototype that will lead you onto the manufacturing process.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
For me, I would take it as far as I can on my own before getting anyone else involved. Beautifect really was my baby and I designed everything from scratch. There may be some technical aspects to your invention that you need specialist assistance with; but until that point I would say stick to your guns! That way it can stay as closely tailored to your vision as possible.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
I bootstrapped using all my savings from my dental career, but it depends if you have the capital. If you’ve got the capital and you truly believe in your idea, why give away part of your company. If you don’t believe in your idea and business plan, why are you doing it in the first place?
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
My mission with Beautifect has always been to empower others. Beauty can be an overwhelming and overcomplicated world that we have to deal with daily; Beautifect is changing that by giving people the tools they need to take back precious time, look their best and feel confident. I suppose this is my small way of contributing! As an extension to this, it’s important to streamline your beauty routine by using products that are built to last and not to overcomplicate things, this means overall you cut down on wastage. We’ve backed this up by our tree plantation initiative to offset our environmental impact too.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Thank you! I’d love to see more people being genuinely happy with where they are in their journey. I think not letting your past define your future is key to this. I was a dental surgeon in a completely different field with years of development in that specific world under my belt. I wasn’t defined by that. It is never too late to change direction or chase a new goal or dream. Everyone deserves to feel happy and not trapped. That’s the beauty of being human, we are adaptable and continuously on a path of growth! It should be something to embrace and not fear. Beautifect started as a single product; it is now a rapidly expanding brand with multiple leading beauty tools loved globally. You’ll never know what you are capable of unless you believe in yourself.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Sara Blakely! A fantastic business leader who has inspired many female entrepreneurs, myself included. Her fierce work ethic and passion for empowering women not only through her products but her business mentality is incredible. As someone who successfully self-funded and grew her business on an exponential global scale I would love to ask her about pivoting ever changing industry landscapes, innovation and how she scaled without losing her sense of brand identity.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Meet The Disruptors: Richard “RJ” Valentine Of EvaClean Infection Prevention On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing RJ Valentine.
Richard “RJ” Valentine combined his passion for business and auto racing to achieve remarkable success in both fields, as a driver with over 400 pro starts and a championship win at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, and as a serial entrepreneur who built dozens of businesses in diverse industries with 18 notable exits. RJ is majority owner of many companies but, has devoted the last several years to building EvaClean by EarthSafe, which has become a globally recognized solution for a safer, more sustainable infection prevention.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Entrepreneurialism is in my blood. I’ve dedicated my entire life to building market-leading companies. However, I don’t consider myself a typical entrepreneur. I have an innate instinct for recognizing potential business opportunities that others usually overlook. And while most entrepreneurs are only interested in growth and acquisition, I’m also driven by the desire to bring about transformative change in as many industry sectors as possible.
I always back into opportunities. First I identify a problem, then I ask three key questions. Who is the customer? How big is the market? How can I help fix the problem to make lives easier? Most entrepreneurs jump in without ever asking those questions.
Fast forward to 2014, when I first saw a critical need to replace hazardous chemicals with less-toxic options and founded EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives. The company evolved to focus on safer chemistries for cleaning and disinfection, and the EvaClean Infection Prevention Solution was born. We were breaking new ground so, I knew it would be a long road but, I was 100% confident it was the right thing to do. Luckily, I also have a gift for spotting talent and building top notch leadership teams, and the EvaClean team is the best of the best.
I’ve earned a reputation for being fearless which, has served me well in both my business career and my professional racing career. For me, racing and business are interconnected in that they both require intuition, teamwork, and taking calculated risks. I love a challenge but, I also love to win, whether in a championship race or with a world-changing idea.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
I developed EvaClean with the goal of providing safer and more sustainable infection prevention solutions to protect public health.
The cleaning industry had numerous challenges. For example, using traditional tools like mops, buckets, or rags took an unrealistic amount of time to effectively clean, sanitize or disinfect all surfaces well enough to eliminate pathogens. On top of time constraints, facilities constantly deal with labor turnover and shortages. From the first moment I learned electrostatic spraying equipment could apply disinfectants faster and more completely, I knew disruption was eminent. However, the sanitation industry isn’t quick to change and EvaClean spent the first few years educating on the many benefits these new technologies could provide. Today, electrostatic sprayers have revolutionized cleaning by giving facilities the power to accomplish more in less time with less labor. Disinfectants can be applied 10-times faster and cover three times more surface area than with traditional tools. The sprayers also reduce chemical consumption by 60% per square foot.
Toxic chemicals are another long-standing concern in the sanitation world. The disinfectants we chose to center the entire EvaClean solution around are a disruptive NaDCC-based chemistry that the cleaning industry had never seen before. Not only do these disinfectants have the highest pathogenic kill claims, they have the lowest toxicity levels as well.
Now, we’re working on a new infection prevention program designed to build long-term partnerships in healthcare, higher education, and other sectors. Our program is helping transform cleaning and disinfection processes from reactive to proactive prevention.
EvaClean’s purpose is to disrupt the chain of infection and keep people healthy. Our disruptive approach to disinfection is helping facilities save time, save money, and most importantly, save lives.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The latest story isn’t so much funny as ironic. When I first raised funds to invest in private labeling electrostatic sprayers for the EvaClean disinfection solution, the technology was completely unheard of in the cleaning space. Then a worldwide pandemic struck and what was originally considered a risky investment, turned out to be the polar opposite, delivering 70-times the return.
I suppose the lesson learned here is if your dreams (for success) don’t scare you, then you’re not dreaming big enough.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I’ve always looked up to three people — Jack Welsh, Roger Penske, and Lee Iacocca.
Jack Welsh taught me the value of working outside the box. He got to where he was by doing just that. GE was just a small chemical company until Jack came along and found multi-faceted ways to expand. I thought to myself, I can do that, too.
Roger Penske taught me the value of starting a business and using racing as a tool to generate more business. Racing and business work together to build companies through sponsorships.
Lee Iacocca went from nothing to working with titans and literally teaching them lessons. Instead of giving up after Ford, he went on to turn Chrysler into the darling auto maker of its time.
Like Lee, I never give up. I’ve taken companies that weren’t doing well and turned them around through persistence and hard work. As the saying goes, the 2% that never give up employ the other 98% that do.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
We understood introducing disruptive technologies would come with responsibilities.
Electrostatic sprayers made it possible to maintain cleaner and healthier facilities than ever before yet, wide-scale adoption also given rise to new risks. Until recently, there was no regulatory governance over electrostatic spraying equipment which, opened the floodgates for potential reckless misuse and poor efficacy.
Since the beginning, our company has advocated for establishing standards for the safe and compliant application of chemicals with electrostatic sprayers. EvaClean has published many educational articles, developed usage guides, and created training programs to raise awareness, mitigate risks, and protect the health of everyone concerned.
Equipment and chemical manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that sprayer specifications properly align with the right chemistries and are consistent with registered chemical claims, as well as the regulatory guidelines for safety.
The good news is the industry has made great strides in promoting safer, more responsible use of cleaning chemicals and electrostatic sprayers. Now, the world can realize the many valuable benefits of electrostatic disinfection without sacrificing safety.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
I happen to be a collector of motivational sayings that help guide my decisions in business and in life. There are so many that convey different messages, it’s difficult to pick just one, let alone one that’s only five words. Nonetheless, I narrowed it down to five of my favorites:
“The three stages of truth — First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”
“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
“Without data, you’re just another person with an opinion.”
“The best way to guarantee a loss is to quit.”
“Never hate your enemies. It clouds your judgement.”
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
My team and I are already in the process of establishing infrastructure for global expansion in order to provide EvaClean Infection Prevention Solutions to countries worldwide. From offices in Singapore, EvaClean Asia will manage the APAC initiative through strategic distribution partnerships. EvaClean Europe operates out of offices in Ireland, with international business development in Amsterdam. Collectively, we will serve over two billion citizens in the UK, eight EU countries, six Asian territories, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
I am also a lead investor and sit on the board of directors of Octet Medical, whose disrupting the field of medicine with electrostatic sprayer technologies. Octet pioneered the first medical electrostatic applicator that will revolutionize topical wound treatment. Look for very exciting advancements to come in electrostatic therapeutics.
My definition of shaking things up is finding new ways to save lives now and in the future.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
I listen to Joe Rogan’s podcast. He’s been disrupting the medical community with stem cells. As for books, I’m a voracious non-fiction reader and have a long list of books that are important to me. But, if I had to name the books that have impacted my thinking the most, the four I’d choose focus on health, finance, politics, and the world.
Stem Cell Therapy — A Rising Tide by Neil H Riordan Pa, PhD
Digital Finance by Baxter Hines
Unfreedom of the Press by Mark R. Levin
The Next 100 Years by George Friedman
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My father once said, the harder you work, the luckier you get. As an entrepreneur, I’ve been fortunate enough to have the right ideas at the right time. But, unlike other entrepreneurs, I don’t just sit back and observe the company I invested in. I get down in the trenches and work side-by-side with them on every facet of operations, from product development to sales and marketing. I do whatever it takes to help the business succeed. Talking the talk isn’t good enough. I have to walk the walk too.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I’m proud to say that EvaClean has already helped inspire a movement to bring about greater good in two key ways — Industry adoption of safer, more sustainable cleaning and disinfection practices, and more proactive infection prevention preparation to better address the pathogenic threats of today and in the future.
How can our readers follow you online?
Follow Richard “RJ” Valentine and EvaClean Infection Prevention on LinkedIn
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Making Something From Nothing: Nathanael Hausmann Of Läderach North America On How To Go From Idea To Launch
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Embrace responsibility — having the responsibility of a market is all-embracing. Whatever you are told to be responsible for will be understated. You are no longer responsible for a department but a market and everything happening in it.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nathanael Hausmann.
Nathanael Hausmann is the President of Läderach North America — a family-owned premium Swiss Chocolate company dedicated to creating sweet moments of joy in everyday life by delivering the ultimate fresh chocolate experience. Nathanael’s story is about building an unknown premium chocolate retail brand in the US and Canada amid a pandemic and establishing it into one of the leading premium chocolate retailers in 2.5 years. The idea to build and establish US and Canada subsidiaries started in 2018 when Nathanael helped shape Läderach’s North American expansion in partnership with the CEO and Swiss leadership team. From 2019 through today, he has successfully built a brand and business in the US and Canada from zero to nearly 40 stores, with e-commerce and over 300 employees. This expansion includes helping lead the takeover of more than 30 Godiva store leases in the US and relaunching the stores as Läderach over the past year and through 2022. His passion for building and growing international businesses has been evident throughout his career. Prior, Nathanael led sales to grow Läderach across the Swiss, German and Austrian markets. He has also held various management roles in business development for large transportation and mobility companies in Switzerland and the US. Nathanael earned his Master’s in International Management from the University of Applied Science and Arts Northwestern Switzerland and is a Board Member of the Swiss American Chamber of Commerce in New York City.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I was born and raised in Switzerland, and being Swiss, consuming chocolate, along with hiking and skiing in the Alps, were frequent in my life! I also loved playing football (soccer) and cycling with my brother. My first job was actually in chocolate at age 14. I worked part-time at a chocolate factory, where I helped make small pastries. Growing up, I held various apprenticeships and valued these experiences — understanding shifts, repetitive work activity, and what it means to get up for work at 2 am. As a result, I was able to get a first taste of what hand-crafted means and what needs to go into the production, especially when it’s artisanal — an essential element of Läderach chocolate today. So little did I know, I started getting groomed for my role as a President of a premium chocolate company early in life!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
There are a lot of quotes that talk about the most growth comes when you’re out of your comfort zone. The late American Author — Napoleon Hill sums it well “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.”
The essence of this quote has been my mantra in life and grounded in a curiosity of adapting to new cultures. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been curious about countries worldwide and putting myself into these environments. Not just for traditional leisure, but for sheer curiosity, education, and how I could adapt and succeed. For example, at age 18, I was curious to visit places that people would typically not visit. I started traveling to eastern European countries and visited war-torn Bosnia because I was curious to see and experience how society adapted. That curiosity led me to travel around the world to North America, Taiwan, South Korea, Brazil, and Japan to challenge myself by studying and working abroad.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
The book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Understanding the importance and connection of Faith, Desire, Purpose, and Persistence to success was excellent guidance, especially in building a subsidiary in a new market. All of these characteristics were paramount on a personal level too. Today the same applies to leading over 300 employees at Läderach. Faith, Desire, Purpose, and Persistence are critical factors in motivating the team to thrive in building a brand and business from zero to nearly 40 stores with e-commerce and over 300 employees in 2.5 years.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
Yes, when I relate to realizing the idea of opening a new business or, in my experience, subsidiaries for a foreign company, I can break it down to three essential tips:
1) You must have strong stamina and don’t be afraid to fail — pursuing any new idea will always put you into a highly uncertain environment across all areas. You have to work at it for quite a long time, being repetitive and learning more about how and where to succeed. You will make mistakes. You have to go beyond your comfort zone, but know you’re the owner — calculate your failures, take full responsibility and just like an athlete, recover quickly.
2) You need leaders who will give you permission to make mistakes –it’s critical to make mistakes to grow and succeed in new ideas. Your leaders must know that an inherent part of establishing something new is making mistakes.
3) You need teamwork — to scale and make a significant impact, you can’t do it alone. You need to partner and build on an idea (a mission and vision) together where everyone feels skin in the game — like an owner to succeed. Everyone needs to understand their why and what they do.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
To paraphrase the saying, you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. But it’s not just the idea. It’s about immersing yourself into that environment, having that passion, that sense of curiosity to learn and know that you’ll fail but grow as a result. For me, I was passionate about helping expand Läderach into North America. I was confident in stepping up to this challenge and opportunity because I had familiarity, having experienced living in the US before, studying in Asia, and extensive touring in Latin America. The experiences in these various cultures have helped me personally and professionally, especially with building a business amongst the large diversity of backgrounds and cultures in the US.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands?
I can share various steps (in no particular order) of taking a foreign retail company and opening stores in new countries like the US and Canada:
Sometimes what you think is obvious; however, in our case, providing the best customer service and highest quality chocolate will not solely enable success. We need to go beyond the logical sequence to make a sale with the customer.
We knew how to make and sell chocolate in Switzerland, but in 2019, not in the US and Canada yet. We needed to figure out the gaps and categorize them — asking questions beyond the core competence of our business to the vital aspects to run it in the specific market. Questions like:
What are all the vital elements of my business to enable the business? One example for us was ensuring our online cash registers were running successfully to complete a sale.
Am I aware of all the potential legal issues, how to sell the right way, and what taxes I need to pay?
What about compliance? Do our packaging, labeling, and ingredients comply with the US and Canada standards?
Then staffing, what’s required to hire and retain employees in the US and Canada.
Lastly, pure operations — for example, ensuring stable and fast internet service.
Even though I manage a chocolate company, I often find myself occupied in these other areas to ensure the momentum and success of our business.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
For me, I landed in the US in August 2019 to launch Läderach later that year. At that time, I wish someone had told me the following five things:
Embrace responsibility — having the responsibility of a market is all-embracing. Whatever you are told to be responsible for will be understated. You are no longer responsible for a department but a market and everything happening in it.
Speed beats perfection. Decide fast, implement fast, correct fast. Fail early versus fail late. You don’t want to fail late. Having that speed that agility over 100% accuracy is critical.
Prioritize the vital to the obvious. For us, the ability to accept payment often proved more critical to our overall success than the availability of our products, which obviously had a lot of focus on already and worked. Don’t mistake the obvious for the vital.
Organizational change takes time. The organizational and cultural transformation into an international company will take years. You’re also a test drive, and all of your experiences will help the company further globalize.
Learn on the fly — get used to feeling comfortable to implement/decide on topics while still getting to understand them.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
If you’re looking at an expansion and taking it to a new market, here are the first two steps I recommend:
Do I care?: Ask yourself: How convinced am I about this idea? Do I really want to do that? Given that I need to struggle, do I want to do that? You have to be convinced. I love Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quote when reflecting on his move to the US from Austria: “Forget plan B. To test yourself and grow, you have to operate without a safety net.”
Will others care?: Is there a market ready for my product or the more challenging; will there be demand once the product is available and why.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
Consultants can be of great help in consulting. The decision and responsibility, however, always stay on you. Therefore, the tricky part is not only the decision of whether to involve consultants or not; it is also the question of when to listen to them and when you should not.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
First, you need to ask yourself, can you even launch an idea without external capital. Then, you need to ask yourself, “do I want to be rich or king?” If you get money, you give away decision power. With money, you invite interest and people to the table. The more venture capital you have, the less decision power you have. You need to look at your character and determine what you’re comfortable accepting. Evaluate all the possible scenarios — the pros and cons and the business model. For example, a space travel business launch would be hard to pay out of pocket. You also want to consider timing and how much the business model could change.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I’m proud and grateful to have realized an idea and helped create 330 new jobs for people in the US and Canada.
I hope my actions, along with our staff, to boldly move with purpose and grow amidst a pandemic or challenging times to inspire others or companies contemplating a new growth opportunity.
At Läderach, we want to create many moments of joy every day by bringing high-quality fresh chocolate into the lives of our customers and employees.
To that point, I feel a job should be more than just a job — that it should innovate the people around me and me. That it should bring purpose and joy. I take my leadership role to heart and am motivated to help evolve our culture of working together and contributing more to ourselves and others beyond the job.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I would love to inspire a movement that helps motivate people to focus on joy more than fun. To help them evaluate where they spend most of their time, which in many cases is work. Then, ask themselves if they are spending the most effort to improve how they experience joy there. Joy is more enduring where fun can be easy, somewhat effortless, and not as fulfilling. When people ask me if I enjoy my work, I always say: It is very fulfilling, and I enjoy it, but it is far from being always fun. I want to create this feeling for my team. The utmost goal is fulfillment and joy, not simply fun in the first place.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
Lance Armstrong — I would love to understand more about his drive to win no matter what and how that created a relationship between winning and doping — understanding where’s the limit and when does it start to cross ethical boundaries. Sports is a role model for how many of us do business and live our lives. In this case, from listening to Lance, I would like to understand when does the fulfillment in being successful stop.
Warren Buffet — I would love any helpful tips on business management and growth with purpose in North America. He’s a fan of chocolate and candy with his investments, and I’m sure he could offer some valuable pearls of wisdom as we continue to grow our new subsidiaries in North America.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Everything is going to take three times longer and cost three times more than you think it will. Be prepared.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Caue Suplicy.
Brazilian-born, former professional triathlete, Caue Suplicy, is the Founder and visionary behind Barnana. His goal of introducing Americans to delicious, better-for-you and better-for-the-planet snacks is being realized as Barnana is now the #1 organic plantain chip brand in the U.S. During the pandemic, Barnana doubled its sales, introduced innovative new products, acquired its longstanding Latin American supply and manufacturing partner, and assembled a world-class executive leadership team, all with Caue at the helm. Caue is particularly proud that his brand has experienced this growth while strictly maintaining his core value of paying its network of 1,400 smallholder farmers — many of whom are Indigenous to the Amazon — a 30% premium for growing organic bananas and plantains using regenerative farming methods. The impact of this farming income reaches 6,000+ people directly in rural areas of Ecuador, and 3,000+ indirectly. Barnana was one of the first food brands to use upcycled raw ingredients to make its products and reduce climate-harming food waste. To date, Barnana has upcycled many millions of plantains and bananas. Caue’s passion for upcycling bananas and plantains into delicious snacks helped catalyze the burgeoning upcycled food movement.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I grew up in Curitiba, Brazil, and was the child of two eco-conscious, intelligent parents who fed our family a very healthy diet of organic, whole foods. I had a dream of becoming an international professional triathlete and my mom and dad supported my vision from the start. My father is an architect and he fashioned a dehydrator from an unused window from a project and started making dried banana snacks for me in our backyard. Nothing was added, and the chewy texture and naturally-sweet taste was the perfect fuel for my workouts. When I came to the United States, I realized this banana-based ‘candy’ would be a huge hit as my teammates begged me to share. I always wanted Barnana products to be organic, but it was my mom who encouraged me to work with the small farmers to help support their environmentally-conscious way of life. I’m so glad I listened to her, because our farmers are the secret behind Barnana’s success. When I started, nobody was talking about the massive problem of food waste. We started upcycling bananas and plantains because the fruit was perfectly good and nutritious and cost less than the perfect-for-international-shipping specimens. Using the imperfect fruit saved us money and provided more income for the farmers. And, this process diverted fruit from becoming methane-producing food waste that’s a big contributor to the climate crisis. I started with one account in a natural food store, and I personally delivered the product from my car. Now, I see entire walls of Barnana products at Whole Foods and we have a highly popular item at Costco nationwide. I never expected to get this big or have this much impact.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
A big part of the philosophy of the school I attended was the Golden Rule, to treat others as you’d like to be treated. It’s stayed with me my whole life and can be applied in so many ways, personally and professionally. I use it when we do business at Barnana in general, especially in how we treat our farmer-partners. Also, the better-for-you organic snacks we make are things I eat myself and give to my family and friends. We make foods that we love to eat ourselves. That’s not true of many companies.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
When Barnana was beginning, I read “Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business: The Story of Clif Bar Inc.” by Gary Erickson. It talked to me because it’s the story of how he started his company and all the challenges he faced and decisions he had to make along the way. He tells how he, as a cyclist, was looking at things in a different way than the typical business founder. As a professional triathlete myself at the time, I related to him. His book was both educational and inspiring, particularly his reasons behind big decisions, such as why he kept the company private. After I launched Barnana, I met Gary at a trade show and gave him Barnana samples. He became a fan and that was very motivating.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
That’s true. When we launched people told us they’d tried the same thing without success. You have to have a good idea, a delicious-tasting product if you’re in the food industry, an excellent team, money, and then be in the right place at the right time. And a little luck definitely plays into success. There isn’t a simple formula or everyone would do it. Just focus on what you do best and be as well-rounded with your team as possible. Hire people who are better than you in areas where you don’t excel. Never underestimate the value of experience. I’m thankful I had my well-seasoned team onboard when the pandemic hit and the entire food system experienced incredible challenges. And remember that all of the basic functions of a business are equally important. Also, I didn’t have formal mentors but I had a lot of incredible people helping me along the way. Our investors were tremendous. One important thing to remember when starting on this path is that you can go to school to become an entrepreneur, but you need to have a certain level of strong drive inside that you can’t learn in school. The fact that I was a professional athlete really helped in business because building an organization from scratch is like an endurance race. Whoever stays in the longest, adapting to inevitable challenges along the way, has the highest chance of succeeding.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Start with the Internet and search for competitors both direct and in a larger category. For example, direct competitors to Barnana’s Organic Ridged Plantain Crisps are other better-for-you salty snacks. A step beyond that is all chips, then all salty snacks, and then the universe of all snacks. Visit websites for industry trade associations and look at their member list. If your product, like ours, has a special environmental benefit, check lists of their members. Barnana is a founding member of the Upcycled Food Association and the UFA team is very helpful and supportive of start-ups using upcycled food ingredients. If I was starting out today, I’d make a call to them and ask questions about my competitive set. I also spoke with many experts in nutrition, like registered dietitians and nutritionists specializing in athlete counseling.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
There are lots of different ways to start a food business. I started by making batches of Barnana Bites at home and sampling them with family, friends and my athlete buddies. I got a lot of excellent feedback. Having an e-commerce website was important to me, so I went to Go Daddy to see if Barnana.com was available. Someone already owned it, but it was about to expire, so I waited three months and was able to buy it when the owner didn’t renew it. I bought it in an online auction. So, make sure you grab the URL you want. Be sure to check on trademarks for your business and product names. Trademarkia.com helps search for existing trademarks. At the same time, I met with a business lawyer who explained the different benefits of various corporate structures, such as S Corp, C Corp, LLC, and advised me on trademarks, patents, etc. (In addition to our corporate structure, we decided to go the extra step and become a Certified B Corp because it was important to our values.) Hiring the right lawyer is essential and will save you many headaches and problems down the road, such as with helping prepare the proper paperwork for a patent we own for a proprietary plantain production method.
Another critical element is to find someone to make your product. I found Barnana’s first co-packer in an unusual way. I went to a grocery store and looked at products similar to my vision for Barnana. I saw that chocolate-covered raisins were a small version of what I wanted to create. I called the brand and they put me in contact with the Director of Operations of their co-packing company to see if they would work with me. He put me in contact with the CEO of another co-packer who was open to talking with me. He graciously made some samples and we shared them at the Natural Products Expo West when it was a much, much smaller show. It turned out to be the perfect place for us and we’ve been exhibiting ever since.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
I wish someone had told me:
Everything is going to take three times longer and cost three times more than you think it will. Be prepared.
Invest in hiring good people as soon as you can because they’ll save you a lot of money and heartache along the way. You get what you pay for with talent.
Hire long before you think you’ll need certain skill sets. Try to be one step ahead.
As an entrepreneur you need to experience things for yourself, even though you’ll be given lots of advice about what to do and not do. Sometimes you have to learn by making mistakes. Learn quickly from them and don’t make the same mistake twice.
Listen to those you admire. Ryan Black, founder of Sambazon, told me to stick with organic. It was great advice that I’ve followed. It’s not the easy way, but it’s the right way and has paid off. Barnana is now the leading organic plantain and banana snack brand in America.
Bonus: Stick with your gut. Try to gather as much information as you can. Believe me, you’ll get lots of information from lots of people, but this is your dream and your values. Stick with what you believe is right.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
It depends on the type of product the reader wants to invent. I know about sweet and salty snacks. I recommend they find out if the product already exists. If it’s a food product, make samples and get reactions — insist they are honest and open — from a wide range of people to gather as much feedback as possible. There’s opportunity for all types of products, but some will have bigger mass appeal. If you want to scale your company, try to understand if people who are different from you would also like the product. Then, get a physical prototype to test and sample.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
At the beginning, I think you should try to do it yourself because it’s your idea and you want to make sure your vision is incorporated into the product and business. If you experience challenges trying to bring your idea to life, then is the time to get a consultant. But do your own work first. If you’re starting a company, it’s very important that you’re invested in yourself and keep the passion alive.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
It depends on how fast you need to take your product to market. If you haven’t discovered other competitors, I recommend bootstrapping as long as you can without taking the money so you can be independent. But, if you need to be first-to-market before competitors, you might need to get investors more quickly. Before going to VC, check for angel investors. But, the most important thing I’ve found is that when you bring investors on board isn’t as critical as who those investors will be. I had investors from the beginning and they were very aligned with what I was trying to do. I’ve found that investors buy the person and the vision. Some investors might want to buy into a hot new brand but they don’t necessarily buy into your vision. If you go with them, they might try to change your vision and business.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
This is the best part about my journey. Barnana’s success allowed us to deepen our commitment to organic farmers by acquiring Agroapoyo, our Latin American supply and manufacturing partner for the last eight years. As a result of the transaction, the owners of Agroapoyo are now equity shareholders in Barnana. This step was taken to cement a long and fruitful partnership that was built on mutual respect and shared values around the environment and job stability for over 1,400 small farmers who supply and support Barnana. Barnana and Agroapoyo have supported farmers in Ecuador to become organic certified, which helps increase their monthly income by more than 3x. I love helping our farmers continuously improve growing practices, including increasing yield and maintaining biodiversity. I also think Barnana has made the world a better place because we created delicious snacks people love, and thereby we’ve helped propel the upcycled food movement. People buy our snacks because they are ridiculously craveable. We’ve made it easy for people to do good with every bite.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I think we’ve done that with upcycling. When Barnana started, we didn’t know that food waste was such a big issue related to the climate crisis. As we grew, every time people heard about our upcycling of bananas and plantains they wanted to learn more. Lots of people were inspired by our ecological efforts and the fact that our growers were paid for crops that previously would have ended up as food waste. Some of these people even started their own companies that center on upcycled food ingredients. We are very proud that we spearheaded the upcycled food movement, including being a founding member of the Upcycled Food Association. It’s great to see all the brands and organizations doing incredible things and raising awareness about the importance of food waste reduction.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I’d love to share a meal with Ji Sinegal, co-founder of Costco. He exemplifies my ideal of benevolent management, believing that if you treat employees well they’ll do the same with your customers. As a result, Costco has the lowest employee turnover rate in retail. I’d like to thank him for setting up a level playing field whereby a great product can be successful without having to buy shelf space with slotting fees or pay for co-op advertising. You can’t buy your success at Costco. If their members love your product and it sells, it stays in the mix. Barnana’s Organic Ridged Plantain Chips have been a mainstay in Costco for three years years now and this success has led others to stock our products.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Making Something From Nothing: Shanay Walker Of ‘Obsidian: The Signature BLK’ On How To Go From Idea To Launch
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
I wish someone really told me just how rewarding it is to start and lead a company. The reward is being able to work for yourself and sharing something you enjoy with others. Having more time to be with family and friends. The freedom of not being stuck on a specific schedule.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shanay Walker.
Shanay Walker is the founder and creative behind luxe candle brand Obsidian: The Signature BLK. Shanay came upon candle making when she decided to try something new. Shanay is an artist and with candle making she found a new art. She turned her oil and wax into her medium and her vessels became her canvas. With her art she spreads and reminds others to take time for self-care and in turn love themselves.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
I am Shanay Walker, candle artisan, entrepreneur, wife, mom and daughter. Growing up, I enjoyed art and would draw from books and VHS cases. I enjoy unique things, things that aren’t considered traditional. I am naturally creative, so I was always drawing something, making up new games, and making something.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite “Life Lesson Quote” is simply to, “Just keep swimming.” If you’re not familiar this came from Dory in Finding Nemo, and I really think about this because it is true! Never give up, never stop. When I started this business after working in corporate America, I was determined to not fall. I am trying to build something for my family, that will produce generational wealth for my children and their children, throughout the generations after me. I must keep swimming, because no matter how long it may take, I will reach all my goals, and I have no choice but to keep swimming because I have the young eyes of my children watching me, and my husband cheering me along and right there to support me.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
A few years back my husband introduced me to the “Hidden Colors Series” by Tariq Nasheed, and it really opened my eyes to a lot of the history amongst black people. This series resonated with me because I am a black woman. I know we are a great people and are destined for greatness. I am raising young black girls, and I am showing them that anything is possible.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
From my experience, when you have an idea, you have to literally just dive into it, and take a chance. For me taking a chance, came when I took a break from my former employer for 4 months. In that time, I had dived into my candles, and when the time came for me to return to my previous employer, I had resigned. I was so excited about the thought of entrepreneurship that I told myself I will never go back to working for someone else. I believe a great idea can always be turned into a business. Turn it into something physical that you can see, and if it isn’t something physical begin with sharing it everywhere which will then build engagement and a following if people can connect to it.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Do not worry about what everyone else is doing and how many people are creating the same thing you are about to pursue. They are not you. An example, given a lot of times is when you go to the grocery store, and you see all the bread in the bread aisle. There are so many brands but that doesn’t make someone not buy bread, they choose the one they like or want to try. Same with an idea that is already live. It’s okay that it’s existing, what makes the idea special is what you do to make it stand out.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
I’ll speak from personal experience and what I did.
When I thought of the idea, I started test trials first to see what formulation of wax and oil in combination with wick and vessel would work best together for the safety of my future customers. Knowing then that I wanted to be as clean and nontoxic as possible helped me narrow down my choices as far as wax and wick was concerned. I took it a step further in my fragrance oils, to be sure they contained no harmful chemicals at all because I have a family and I don’t want anything burning in my home that could potentially harm us, so I feel the same for my customers.
When sourcing a manufacturer look at their reviews from others who have used their services. What are their values, how are they producing the product you are sourcing from them? Is child labor involved at all? Are people being paid fairly? Do the values of your manufacturer align with yours?
When finding retailers to distribute your product, you should observe who their target audience is, and do they fit your niche? Do they also align with your values? Where are they located, what’s the area like?
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
I wish someone really told me just how rewarding it is to start and lead a company. The reward is being able to work for yourself and sharing something you enjoy with others. Having more time to be with family and friends. The freedom of not being stuck on a specific schedule.
I wish someone had really told me the amount of stress that can be involved. Running a business whether with a team or solo can be stressful at times. If there is a deadline to get product out to a distributor, or a massive order comes in that needs to be fulfilled and you are short on some of your supplies. These are situations I have been in personally, and although everything was fine in the end the stress still presented itself. But I pulled myself together and it worked out.
I wish someone had shared the growth that comes when you start and lead a company. I have grown so much in a short time. By growth I’m not just referring to my business, but personal areas of growth. Extending grace to myself instead of criticizing everything I may mess up on. Realizing I am learning daily, and things won’t always go as planned.
I wish it was shared that you may be able to do everything yourself but eventually you will need help. As mentioned, I run my business solo, I do not have a team, yet. But this holds true because as my brand grows, the inventory grows, the orders needing fulfillment grows, everything expands. And it can happen slowly but for me it exploded and took off rather quickly. I am managing for now, but I am seeing that things can and would go a lot quicker if I had extra help. A team doesn’t have to be 100’s of people it can be a small handful and once task are delegated to others and I can free up some of my time, I am confident my business will run even more efficiently than it already is.
I wish someone had also told me that prices do not and will not always remain the same. As the leader I have to be mindful of not only my competition but also the changes happening with my suppliers. Inflation is real, and prices can go up but they an also go down. This is something I wish I really knew before starting and leading because it’s just a part of the business. Customers either understand or they don’t but communicating to them the reasons behind a price increase I think is important and worth it. And that changes can be good, for everyone.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
I would first recommend; they write out the need for the product and what problem is it solving for the consumer?
Create your first tester/prototype of the product. Give it a name and be sure the name fits but also aim to be unique if you can. Test the product yourself and multiple times! This is important because you need to be sure it is safe, for others to use.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I feel it depends on the idea. I create candles, I didn’t need a development consultant however help from others as far as branding is always a good idea, unless you are well versed in marketing and branding. I took a chance on my own and have had no problems.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
I feel bootstrapping is better over venture capital because you the owner maintain more equity than having investors come and own a percentage. I like to maintain 100% ownership of my business; however, it may take longer to actually startup and grow. Versus venture capital which has the potential to help you grow faster, but at the expense of having others owning a portion of your business. On deciding, do you have the patience and determination to grow your business through your own efforts and maintain 100% ownership or would you like to have outside help to grow? I don’t think there is any right answer, just depends on what it is that you want.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I have used my success to spread awareness that you need to take time for yourself. It’s not only a need but a requirement to be your best self. Self-Care is needed because without it you can burn out. Rest gives you a chance to clear your mind, a clear mind yields new ideas!
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
If I could inspire a movement, it would be a dream movement geared towards young, black men and women between the ages of 16 and 35. This movement would be focused on are you doing what you dreamed you would be doing and if not let’s take a step in the direction that will align you with that dream.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would enjoy meeting withTabitha Brown. She is a wonderful woman, and she is always sharing something where I get a takeaway.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
One of our enduring perspectives on social impact work has been that we tend to get into too much hagiography and that this reinforces the idea that change is all about us, as opposed to recognizing the agency and activity of the people we want to help. So I’d like to shine the light elsewhere… and there are so many stories to choose from, as of this past fall GiveDirectly has delivered transfers to over one million recipients, and each of them has done something different with the money, so you have this incredibly rich variety that’s really reflecting of something we all know well, that everyone is different.
As a part of my series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” I had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Niehaus, co-founder and director of GiveDirectly, the fastest growing international non-profit of this century that lets donors send cash directly to people living in poverty. To date, they’ve distributed more than $500 million dollars to over 1 million households in 10 countries.
Niehaus is also a cofounder of two emerging markets fintech companies: Segovia, an enterprise payments platform, and Taptap Send, a consumer remittance startup. He is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of California, San Diego, where he works with governments in emerging markets to improve the implementation of social programs. In 2013 Foreign Policy named him one of its 100 leading “Global Thinkers.”
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you please tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My path has been peculiar in the sense that over the past decade I’ve been publishing academic research and helping to start nonprofits and companies at the same time.
That all got started when I was in graduate school, and some of us at the time were starting to think about what could be done to reduce corruption or “leakage” from anti-poverty programs, and we met with a fellow who was trying to bring formal banking into rural areas — I think his specific ideas was to essentially put a mobile ATM on the back of a motorcycle and go around from village to village. So we were talking about this idea and whether it could help curb leakage, and then at some point it hits you that hey, if people have access to these accounts, then I could put money into them. And wouldn’t that be an amazing opportunity?
That was the question that really set GiveDirectly in motion. And I was fortunate at that juncture to have people like my co-founders, Michael and Rohit and Jeremy, asking that question with me in a really open-minded way — not “how can we turn this into a research paper?” but “what’s the best thing we could turn this into?” It’s asking what is the essence of the opportunity, as opposed to trying to fit the opportunity into the predefined box of your own professional identity.
Can you please share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I’d respectfully refocus this question on the stories of the people that GiveDirectly has served.
One of our enduring perspectives on social impact work has been that we tend to get into too much hagiography and that this reinforces the idea that change is all about us, as opposed to recognizing the agency and activity of the people we want to help. So I’d like to shine the light elsewhere… and there are so many stories to choose from, as of this past fall GiveDirectly has delivered transfers to over one million recipients, and each of them has done something different with the money, so you have this incredibly rich variety that’s really reflecting of something we all know well, that everyone is different.
That said, one story that I think a lot about is a fellow who was one of the first recipients in a basic income project we’re running in Kenya — the largest of its kind, ever. This guy had a job in town working as a security guard, and it paid well, but he had to live away from his family back in their home village.
When he started getting basic income payments he decided to quit that job and move back to the village, because he’d earn less back in the village, but he’d be able to support his kids through school, and more importantly he’d be able to see them every day.
I think about that story, and about how when we’re thinking about quality of life and about how we can help people to live better lives we tend to focus on the financial picture, because that’s something we know how to measure. But we don’t really know how to measure things like the value of being able to see your kids every day. So I turn to this story as a source of perspective, and of humility.
Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?
The idea I’ve advocated for is to simply give money to people who don’t have much of it.
It isn’t “my” idea in the sense that, first of all, it’s obvious, and then also that many people were doing it before GiveDirectly came along, and many people have been doing it in parallel. But we’ve been doing it at large scale, the largest NGO in the world now that focuses on this, and we’ve been doing it in front of an audience that had always been told, had been led to believe, that this was a crazy idea. That you obviously couldn’t just give money to people experiencing poverty, that “it’s more complicated than that,” that you have to “teach a man to fish,” etc.
And what’s embedded in these mantras, if you unpack them a bit, is a strong sense that we know what’s best for other people better than they do, and that we need to take charge of the situation. And it really flies in the face of the data — when you look at extreme poverty, hundreds of millions of people have been finding their own pathways out, very few due to any sort of help from an aid program or an NGO.
And when you look at the high-quality evaluations, experimental evaluations, that we’ve begun to conduct in the last 20 years or so and ask what seems to work well, there’s no question that generally speaking when we give money to people in poverty they use it sensibly in ways that improve their lives. Meanwhile many of the expensive programs designed by “experts” that are supposed to “teach people how to fish” actually achieve little or nothing.
So another way I would articulate the idea is that when we set out to help others we should not insist on retaining as much control, as much power. That “empowerment” isn’t a matter of marketing language but a really practical question about who gets to make the decisions. If it’s you, if it’s staff, if it’s donors, that isn’t empowerment.
How do you think this will change the world?
It already has, to a large degree. Cash transfers are now the primary tool used by anti-poverty programs in low-income countries around the world. But where I think we can still go from here is to the yet more ambitious goal of eliminating extreme poverty entirely.
It’s been hard to see a clear path to that goal in the old model, the model where we come in and build bureaucracies to design programs and hope that they are appropriately tailored to the local setting, and so on. So you have folks like Jeff Sachs saying “we can end poverty if we put in the resources,” but then all this doubt about the efficacy of the execution on that.
But now with all the evidence we have on cash transfers, and the capacity we have to deliver them globally — which has only been deepened during the pandemic, when many governments have had to find innovative ways to deliver transfers, and as a result were able to deliver additional transfers to around 2 billion people in the developing world — when you look at this, you can map out a very straightforward path to ending extreme poverty: we give everyone enough money to get them over the poverty line.
And the cost of doing that is doable, a couple of percent of income in rich countries, if we decide we want to do it.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this idea that people should think more deeply about?
This is an illuminating question because it presupposes that there are intended consequences, that we’ve defined certain specific things that we want to see happen and then we need to worry about whether something different might happen. It’s very reflective of the controlling mindset that pervades thinking about development and foreign aid, the sense that we’re setting the agenda, that we need to make sure things go right by carefully anticipating and managing the various ways in which they might go wrong.
I think from the point of view of people living in extreme poverty, which is the point of view we should care about, there are some real questions worth asking. Might you feel pressured or tempted to use money in ways that you don’t really want to? Are there ways we structure transfers that help you use them more effectively? For example, people experiencing poverty often have a hard time accumulating large sums of money at once — so it can be helpful to give them a chunk of money all at once rather than stretching it out into small payments.
We could ask about the local economy — if your neighbors all receive a lot of money, are there ways that could help you, like creating new business opportunities? Are there things you’d worry about, like the price of food going up? And so on.
These are good questions to ask. But as a rich person I’d start by first sitting a bit with this tension: with cash transfers the entire point is to have “unintended” consequences. We want to de-emphasize our own intent, except in the very broad sense that we intend to give other people more say in the way their stories unfold.
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Congratulations on your wealth. Sooner or later, when you feel the rightness and timeliness of giving much of it away, draw on what you’ve learned as an investor: sometimes we bet on plans; sometimes we bet on people. When it comes to global development, we’ve been betting almost exclusively on plans. The neglected opportunity is to bet on people.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
I occasionally share things on Twitter — @PaulFNiehaus. Also follow @GiveDirectly to learn more.
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
Non-Fungible Tokens: Aaron Holley and Gabe Busto Of Tabu Art On The 5 Things You Need To Know To Create a Highly Successful Career In The NFT Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Create things of value that will last. Could we be in an NFT bubble? Most likely. However, creating things of value is one way to help ensure NFT’s will outlast this bubble. So once the hype around NFT’s themselves dies down, what’s left is the art tied to the NFT. Creating and purchasing art of value that people enjoy and connect with will help ensure a long term successful career in the NFT industry.
Many have observed that we are at the cusp of an NFT boom. The thing is, it’s so cutting edge, that many people don’t know what it is. What exactly is an NFT and how can one create a lucrative career out of selling them? To address this, as a part of our interview series called “5 Things You Need To Know To Create a Highly Successful Career In The NFT Industry”, we had the pleasure of interviewingAaron Holley and Gabe Busto.
Aaron Holley and Gabe Busto are artists, visionaries, and creatives, with an entrepreneurial drive.Unlike Duncan and Griffin, the brothers from Nifty, Aaron and Gabe are cousins. Aaron and Gabe grew up together for a little while until Aaron’s parents divorced when he was around 10 years old. Aaron comes from a middle class family and grew up in Florida and Arizona. He’s been drawing and painting his entire life, since he was 3 years old. When his parents divorced they both lived in separate states so he ended up traveling back and forth across the country a lot at a young age. As a result, he now enjoys traveling and exploring when he can. Aaron has been working since he was legally able to around the age of 14 or 15. When he hit high school he was fortunate to have an art teacher at a public school system that helped to further develop his natural ability and inclination towards art. Up until that point Aaron thought the art he was creating was good. Aaron’s high school teacher opened his eyes and helped him to understand how to get better at his craft. He grew a lot there as an artist. He even used to “ditch” other classes to go to his art classroom and draw and paint. He was also heavily involved in hockey at that time. After high school Aaron went on from there to a community college that had a great art program where he developed a more professional portfolio and body of work before moving on to College where he got his bachelors and started his career as a concept artist and illustrator for 12 years. After several years of living in California Aaron decided to sell everything he owned and gave a lot of it away. Leaving California to start his entrepreneurial journey. Where the first company he started fell through after the first 3 months and the second company he started led to this 3rd company, TABUART, where he’s been working with Gabe for a little over a year now.
Gabe was raised in a small town in Florida near Aaron and had a large family that all lived relatively close. Gabe’s mother was fairly technical and his father was an electrical and computer engineer, so there was an abundance of opportunity to begin programming at a young age but it just didn’t seem all that interesting to him. It wasn’t until college that he seemed to “develop” an interest in coding (pun intended). He began college as a business major and considered switching to computer science his junior year, but decided against it and instead opted to take a few intro to programming courses and begin teaching himself more advanced topics. A year before graduating, he joined a small startup in college as 1 of 2 developers and was able to cover a lot of ground in building various technical skills. After graduating, he moved on to work at a larger company and spent 8 years working in computer security research and software development before taking a deep dive back into the startup world with Aaron to build TABUART.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Is there a particular book, film, or podcast that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Aaron — There have been several books, and movies I can list that have made a significant impact on me. However, Cool Runnings and the Goonies are a couple movies that had a significant impact on my life coupled with Paulo Coelho’s book “The Alchemist.” The message of not giving up and keeping a positive attitude. Knowing that you’re never too old to start your life’s work.
Gabe — I don’t recall one movie or book in particular that made a significant impact on me, but one book that does stand out to me is “Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future.” Getting some insight into how an individual of his caliber thinks and came to be was fascinating. For me, it’s more life experiences and reflective moments where I had some revelations (big and small) that made an impact on my life and led me to where I am now, rather than a particular book or film.
Is there a particular story that inspired you to pursue a career in this new industry? We’d love to hear it.
Aaron — 4 years ago I was working as a concept artist and illustrator. I had worked in the game industry for 12 years, 8 of those years in house and 4 freelancing, working for several companies. It’s a fun industry to be in.
However, I wanted to set out on my own. So as mentioned previously, I sold everything I had in California and went off to start my own company. The first one I started didn’t work out after 3 months and I was determined to continue so I started Boxwood Boards where I started selling my own art on vinyl wraps, as fine art limited edition prints, and original drawings and paintings. I traveled the country for 3 years selling my artwork at different shows. I learned a lot from that, and I’ve met a lot of amazing people while doing it. People who were deeply impacted by the art I was creating. For example one couple in New York kept one of my pieces on their wall as a way to remember a close friend of theirs who lost their battle with cancer. Apparently she loved my art, and now it’s a way for them to remember her. That story and several others. It amazed me and it was something I never would’ve experienced had I stayed behind my desk working as a concept artist and illustrator.
So a big part of the inspiration for creating TABUART was to help artists have similar experiences and provide an avenue for them to make an additional source of revenue. A way of giving back.
The other source of inspiration was I tried envisioning how selling my art would be done 20 to 50 years from now.
Gabe — Working at a large company was nice from the perspective that you have a stable income, benefits, paid time off, and so on. But I was craving something a bit more adventurous and challenging and wanted to take some risks in life while I still can. I started a mobile game development company and was teaching myself and coding on nights and weekends while still working full-time. I did that for about a year before taking 3 months off from my full-time job to pursue it more intensely and see if I could do something more with it. It just so happens that during this 3 month period Aaron approached me about his idea for TABUART. We started researching what was needed to build this platform for artists to sell their artwork to a global audience and provide a way to track ownership and view the artwork. We quickly discovered how blockchain technology was being used in combination with digital artwork to accomplish this and immediately recognized the potential that existed in this space. About a month later, I left my full-time job and began working on TABUART with Aaron and now a year later here we are with a live NFT art platform.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this fascinating career?
We were contacted by a famous professional athlete through our lawyer who’s interested in what we’re doing. At the moment we can’t go into any further details. 🙂
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Honestly, we weren’t able to think of anything.
Something about a name we almost used or a logo.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
So much has happened to get us to this point and we would be remiss if we didn’t give thanks to God. We are fortunate to have a great support system of family and close friends that have all helped tremendously in various ways. We’d really like to thank them for all they’ve done and continue to do.
We’d also like to thank Lee Jokl and Jason Sorensen who have given their time to help us navigate some of the more difficult waters at this point in our journey.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Yes, every day. We’re working on continually developing TABUART and where we want to take this in order to help people. One of the projects we’re not able to talk about at the moment, but believe it will have a massive impact in the NFT industry.
We believe it will help artists monetarily by providing an additional source of revenue for them. In addition to helping them realize their own self worth and developing a body of artwork all their own that may connect with an audience of people who really enjoy and value their art.
Whereas with Art collectors we believe this is an opportunity of a lifetime to collect NFT’s. The opportunity to be involved with something like this at the beginning stages of it. A limited supply of digital assets that they can buy and sell. Who knows what these early minted tokens will be worth 50 years from now. So many people wrote Bitcoin off, and everyone knows where it’s at today.
So not only does this benefit the artists and art collectors monetarily, it also provides art collectors with beautiful art they really enjoy. Looking at things from a long term perspective. Art that means something to them.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. I’m sure you get this question all the time. But for the benefit of our readers, can you explain in your own words what an NFT is, and why people are spending so much money on them?
When we were being asked to describe what an NFT is we initially would tell people to imagine an artist selling a real world limited edition print of their artwork, an NFT is the digital equivalent that automatically comes with a proof of authenticity, a rare authentic digital limited edition print. NFT’s are a limited supply of digital assets, in this case artwork.
For example, you can buy a limited edition print from Jane Smith and have her sign it. When you go to sell it, there’s really no way to prove that it’s an authentic print from Jane Smith so the buyer will just have to trust you. NFTs solve this exact problem: when you go to sell your Jane Smith limited edition NFT, the buyer can verify for themselves that it is authentic.
However, as things progressed and the more knowledge we gained we began to realize it seems as if there’s a lot more to these than just a digital limited edition print. It’s as if an NFT is it’s own thing, that can’t quite be put into words other than what it is. One of the reasons they are so rare and unique. The same way an original is the original work of art. It’s not just a digital limited edition print, It’s its own digital asset.
For example, in a way it reminded us of the 2010 movie, Tron when Jeff Bridge’s character (Kevin Flynn) talks about how “Isos” came about. He talks about when he created the “digital frontier to shape the human condition” something unexpected happened, where these isomorphic algorithms “Isos”….came about from his creation, they came into being.
We thought it was a cool coincidence that they seem analogous with how NFT’s arrived shortly after the creation of blockchain technology.
As far as why people are spending so much money on them, we think that’s a valid question a lot of people are asking, that’s anybody’s guess really.
The simple answer is that people find value in it. It contributes something to them in some way. What value they find in it though depends entirely on them and isn’t for us to judge. It could be because they see it as an investment they want to hold long term, or flip for a quick profit. It could be bragging rights down the road, a status symbol.
For example, how neat would it have been to be able to show and prove to your friends, children, grand children, or the world that you were the original owner of John Singer Sargent’s “Group with Parasols,” William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s “La Jeunesse de Bacchus,” or Van Gogh’s “Wheatfield with Cypresses?” That wasn’t possible previously, but now it is.
What artists today are going to be as big as John Singer Sargent, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Van Gogh and several other famous artists 50 or 100 years from now?
The NFT industry seems so exciting right now. What are the 3 things in particular that most excite you about the industry? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
Royalties — The ability for creators to once again receive royalties on their artwork. Artists of all types spend a lifetime refining their craft. Years of sacrifice and late nights of their life poured into reaching a level of mastery that when they get there they make it look effortless. For most, it’s a revered craft that brings value to so many people on so many levels and means something different to each person. The ability to create something from nothing and communicate visually in a way that words can’t and that very few people are capable of doing or willing to do. It’s something that has the ability to continually evoke emotions, or remind us of memories we cherish. Something you can’t put a price tag on and something that is worth providing royalties to artists, should their work of art be resold at a later date.
NFT’s, the ability for limited digital assets — NFT’s themselves what they are and are evolving to be. It’s exciting knowing we’re a part of this whole movement. Having the opportunity to be at the forefront of all of this and being a part of how things will be potentially done in the future. Being a part of something that’s way bigger than we are and knowing it has the potential to be so much bigger than what it is now. We feel we’ve only begun to see the potential of where this can go and that there’s so many possibilities and opportunities that can arise from all of this.
Passion economy — There are articles written about the time we’re in being the “passion economy.” A generation of people driven by their desire to work on something they’re passionate about. An economy that only 20 years ago wasn’t possible. One of the things that excites us is the ability to be a part of this passion economy boom. Providing another avenue for people to find work in.
What are the 3 things that concern you about the industry? Can you explain? What can be done to address those concerns?
Artists selling the same art on multiple sites — This is rare, but knowing that there are no mechanisms in place to prevent artists from selling the same art on multiple platforms. Subsequently, diluting the value of the artist’s work and creating a very real problem for the collector.
It’s like walking into a gallery purchasing a piece of art that you think is the only one in it’s existence that you own and then walking into another gallery only to find the exact same piece edition number and everything by the same artist.
As mentioned previously, there’s nothing stopping this from happening or some sort of deterrent. Mike Shinota from Linkin Park mentioned in an article he believes there will be sites that check the reliability of artists in the future. Where they would trace the original art back to the artist by their wallet address. Which in turn may give rise to artists using multiple wallets. However, at that point it would potentially look like a fraud or fake account that was stealing that artists work.
Stolen art — Obviously, we would all like to believe we live in a perfect world where nothing bad can happen, but it’s already been happening where scammers / thieves have unapologetically been stealing artwork from artists and selling the stolen NFT art online, posing as the artist, making a fortune.
Several platforms are working towards different forms of ID verification to help combat this. There’s also many other things that are being developed to help combat this.
Collectors artificially inflating NFT art — Since this is all still new, there’s a lot of people that are trying to take advantage of the system. Some platforms have been experiencing a growing number of collectors creating fake accounts and buying and selling the art they own. Raising the price each time it’s resold, artificially inflating the value of the NFT art only to sell it to an unsuspecting victim that thinks they’ve landed on a potentially valuable work of NFT art.
One way to address this problem is through ID verification, however it does not prevent people from working in groups. There are definitely some difficult problems still to solve and this whole industry is still at such an adolescent phase. We believe that because of the potential of this blossoming industry with time a lot of these problems will be resolved.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about NFTs? Can you explain what you mean?
NFT’s are not going to last and not considered a good investment:
Most people thought the Titanic was unsinkable. There’s no way to tell how long this will last. Anything is possible. However with over 50 million unique users on the ethereum blockchain network most, including us, believe NFT’s are here to stay. So while we don’t have factual evidence to prove that is a myth we are taking an educated guess that with that many users NFT’s aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. So when the hype surrounding the NFT’s aspect of this has lost its luster there will always be the artwork itself remaining. Which is why it’s so crucial to get NFT art that means something to you and has value.
In regards to the investment aspect side of this, It’s too early to tell how good of an investment they will turn out to be, but look at collectibles like comic books, trading cards, antique furniture, antique or limited production cars, and so on. Typically, collectibles are not designed to be investments; generally, you buy them because you love them and identify with them. It just so happens with the law of supply and demand combined with social influence that some rare things become more valuable over time when supply is limited and that item is no longer being produced.
With regards to the environmental issues, this is a relatively new technology and it is currently going through a massive growth phase. The limitations of Ethereum in particular have been obvious for some time which is why the community has been working towards a more efficient method for processing transactions for years now. There are currently some solutions available today such as Layer 2, and the long-awaited Ethereum 2.0 is nearing completion. This will drastically reduce the power consumption of the network once released. NFTs are not the problem, the underlying blockchain infrastructure is in combination with the antiquated methods of how we produce the electricity to power all of the technology that we use in our day to day lives. There are also other blockchains available that users can support if they prefer not to use Ethereum. Flow is a great alternative although still new. While Cardano is another one that will support smart contracts beginning this spring (according to their timeline).
Another myth is the moment you put something up for sale on an NFT platform that money is going to magically fall from the sky and that everyone is going to be the next Beeple. The fact is, unless you have a well-known name or a big following, there’s no guarantee you will be successful selling NFTs. It takes work like most endeavors to carve out a path for yourself and find your audience.
What are the most common mistakes you have seen people make when they enter the NFT industry. What can be done to avoid that?
Things are still so new and currently, there’s no standard established for how things are done. For example, someone by today’s standards might be considered “making a mistake,” may actually be doing it the way it will be done 10 or 20 years from now, in turn leading to overwhelming success. Or vice versa.
Nevertheless, there are some steps that can help with avoiding mistakes when entering the NFT industry such as: reading — staying up to date on the latest developments, listening to podcasts, reaching out to a site’s support team if they have questions, researching FAQ pages from different NFT platforms.
Lack of patience and high expectations is another common mistake. Everyone is scrambling to be a part of this “gold rush” and expecting to be the next artist to receive $69M or millions in general for their NFT art, which is definitely a possibility. We think if anything is true is that anything is possible. However, with all of the hype surrounding this bubble, high expectations combined with a sense of urgency may leave a lot of people feeling frustrated and others ecstatic.
Art has always been something played as the long game. So we believe there will be more influxes as things progress and new developments in the NFT space arise. NFT’s are here to stay, one way or another.
How do you think NFTs have the potential to help society in the future?
NFT’s have opened a whole new world on the types of possibilities available to society in the future. Stemming from blockchain technology which has already changed the way we look at digital assets and help easily connect the world. So that everyone no matter where you are has an opportunity to participate.
Provable ownership and scarcity of digital assets has huge implications. So much of the world around us is digital. We all listen to music, watch videos for entertainment, play video games, and use social media. NFTs will help empower creators in a way that wasn’t previously possible and could lead to more content creation whether it’s artwork, music, videos, games, digital assets for games, and so much more.
Ok, fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Know To Create a Highly Successful Career In The NFT Industry?”
Create things of value that will last
Could we be in an NFT bubble? Most likely. However, creating things of value is one way to help ensure NFT’s will outlast this bubble. So once the hype around NFT’s themselves dies down, what’s left is the art tied to the NFT. Creating and purchasing art of value that people enjoy and connect with will help ensure a long term successful career in the NFT industry.
2. Commitment, Persistence, and Patience
Beeple is a perfect example of this, e.g. 5000 paintings over 13 years, a painting a day. Commitment, persistence, and patience go a long way. As we mentioned earlier, art is a “long game” field. Something that takes years to reach a level of mastery. We’re still at the beginning of all of this. So staying committed, persistent, and patient as with most things. It will eventually pay off one way or another.
3. Value in Scarcity — Less is More
In a market that’s flooded with NFT’s, sometimes less can be more. There’s two ways NFT’s can lose their value. First, It’s important to carefully consider the supply for each one of your creations before minting. Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, minting out only one or a small amount of NFT’s (making less available, in general increases the value) vs minting massive amounts of NFT’s (that would potentially devalue the artwork since there’s so many of them available) For example selling 1 NFT for 1000 ETH (e.g. a work of art) vs 1000 NFT’s for 1 ETH per NFT (e.g. trading cards).
Second, another form of diluting NFT’s that is just as harmful, happens when you mint multiple NFT’s of the same work of art on multiple platforms. It hurts both the artist and the collector. It’s a form of self sabotage, where the artist undermines the value of their original minted NFT’s, rendering them potentially worthless. As a consequence, it may leave the collector feeling like they were taken advantage of where the artist would lose money and customers in the long term.
For example, you wouldn’t want to mint a 1 of 1 NFT of your art on one platform then turn around and mint a 1 of 1 NFT of the same work of art on another platform.
4. Continual Learning
This technology is constantly evolving at a rapid pace. There’s new developments that seem to be cropping up every week. In order to have a highly successful career in the NFT industry you’ll need to continually educate yourself and feed your mind with new information and adapt with this technology as it grows. As mentioned previously: reading — staying up to date on the latest developments, listening to podcasts, reaching out to a site’s support team if they have questions, researching FAQ pages from different NFT platforms.
5. Creating a Consistent Body of NFT’s
Creating a consistent body of NFT’s so collectors know they can rely on a consistent quality NFT from you. A lot of artists have completely shifted the way they create art to capitalize on this gold rush. While we don’t blame them, there’s certain things that seem to resonate with a lot of the collectors at the moment. However, creating a body of work that is consistent, while isn’t a guarantee you’ll be successful, provides the collector with a level quality they come to expect from an artist’s work.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Building community and educating people about NFT’s , art, and the positive impacts art has in people’s lives outside of monetary gain. For artists to realize how much their art impacts other people and to know that it may be difficult to go out on your own but that you may change someone’s life with your work. To inspire new developments in art and provide a platform for those artists on which they can sell their work.
We are very blessed that very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Elon Musk is a big inspiration to us both and is a living legend. It’s incredible that our timelines crossed and we would absolutely like to grab a drink and a bite to eat with Elon.
Thank you so much for these excellent stories and insights. We wish you continued success on your great work!
Align yourself with partners that believe in you! During this process I have align myself with partners who believe in me, my brand and really are passionate about the products and services my companies are providing.
As a part of my series about “Big Ideas That Might Change The World In The Next Few Years” I had the pleasure of interviewing Brandon Burrell.
Brandon Burrell, Former Wall Street Investment Banker, Serial International Entrepreneur is the Founder of Alkaline Fresh. He is also the founder of Alkaline Certified and Global Crew Services. Brandon has an abundance of international business expertise from his years with Global Crew Services. He has partnerships and conducts business in over 8 countries throughout Southeast Asia and South Africa in the culinary, cruise, hotel, and banking industries.
After years of enjoying an alkaline diet, he realized that most consumers have limited options to purchase quick, healthy alkaline meals. Most market options use low protein, high sodium, low fiber ingredients enriched with soy and other additives such as thickening agents or gluten, which is not suitable for anyone. Customers don’t have the option to purchase premium, ready-made plant-based alkaline meals. Brandon wanted to create a product that would benefit Americans and help fight adult and childhood obesity. In addition to bringing awareness to saving animals and helping preserve our oceans.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you please tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I have always had a major passion for eating healthy foods but when I started my global recruiting firm and started providing culinary and food beverage applicants for the maritime industry my desire just went to another level. Being in the food culinary space, I learned a great deal about culinary arts from various countries around the world. In my travels, I learned about The Alkaline Diet and how alkaline foods had so many positive effects on the human body.
Can you please share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
When I started my global recruiting firm, I created partnerships in Ghana, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, South Africa and Vietnam where me and my team set up culinary and food hospitality schools to provide the necessary trainings for individuals who were seeking careers in the maritime and hotel industries.
Which principles or philosophies have guided your life? Your career?
The principles Always set goals for whatever I want to achieve. If there is no set goal, there is nothing to strive towards. Everything must be sacrificed for the attainment of that goal, and one must persist through all adversity until the goal has been obtained. Another principle I live by is to always do the right thing because good will always follow.
Ok thank you for that. Let’s now move to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell us about your “Big Idea That Might Change The World”?
The creation of Alkaline Fresh and Alkaline Certified. Both projects are monumental and will create a paradigm shift to our current awareness regarding food, beverage and personal nutrition products. With Alkaline Fresh, it is the first company to provide the healthiest plant base ready- made alkaline meals to adults and children that will help fight adult and childhood obesity in America. Amongst environmental issues, such as consumption of animal products, preserving our oceans and natural ecosystems by helping decrease the demand in fishing which is affecting our planet. Alkaline Certified will help spread awareness of alkaline products by being the company that certifies alkaline food, beverage and personal nutrition products. We are committed to certifying and building sources of alkalinity products, educating consumers and providing certification. Alkaline Certified will give consumers to right know that their food is alkaline, or acid based. Both of the ideas will change the world in a positive way forever.
How do you think this will change the world?
The world will now have the awareness along with the access to the healthiest meals on the planet that it did not have prior to Alkaline Fresh and Alkaline Certified being established.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this idea that people should think more deeply about?
Currently, I do not foresee any potential drawbacks about this idea that people should think deeply about. Our products and services are aimed directly to help consumers easily be able to choose healthier options that they were previously unaware. Alkaline Fresh and Alkaline Certified will are extremely beneficial to consumers who are seeking to improve their wellness and have no ill effects.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this idea? Can you tell us that story?
The tipping point was the rise of COVID-19 and how Americans were losing their lives to this diseases mainly because of underlying health issues. Especially, minorities! It was just extremely sad to see people suffer and lose their lives because of obesity issues. I was just fed up and watching people die and decided I needed to put my dreams into motion no matter how difficult they may be to achieve. As a minority, I knew if people could see what I created I could impact millions of lives around the US and the world in a positive way. Therefore, I acted on my ideas and started to put them motion in the peak of the pandemic.
What do you need to lead this idea to widespread adoption? I need a positive public platform to lead this idea to widespread adoption. People are always seeking ways of having a healthier lifestyle and I believe with the right platforms widespread adoption will happen immediately.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
The challenges of raising funding! Before started Alkaline Fresh, I never had to raise funds for my previously companies as they were self-funded by myself, so I was unaware of the process of fundraising and how many different variables that came along with it.
The importance of having networking relationships with employees working in VC’s.
I had no one in my circle who had prior experience on fund raising nor did I have relationships with people who worked for VC’s so I had to step outside of my comfort zone and network with various organizations and professionals who had experience in the VC space to educate me along the way.
3. The importance of having traction for startups. This was a question I was truly not expected to answer for a startup company that had not launched. I learned that I could create traction outside of revenue streams from other sources such as branding, product development, connecting with influencers and establishing valuable partnerships.
4. The importance of having positive people around you when starting a business. When starting a new business there are so many ups and downs along with all a lot of doubt, fear and anxiety. It is important to surround yourself around people who are supportive even if they cannot see the end goal. It makes the experience less worrisome when you have that support group. No one will be in harmony with the goal like you because it’s part of your consciousness!
5. Align yourself with partners that believe in you! During this process I have align myself with partners who believe in me, my brand and really are passionate about the products and services my companies are providing.
Can you share with our readers what you think are the most important “success habits” or “success mindsets”?
The importance of setting goals and the proper way to attain them.
Establish a daily gratitude practice. I learned from mentors the importance of having a daily gratitude practice and when faced with adversity to remember to express gratitude.
Always keep positive mental attitude.
Action must be taken in spite of doubt, fear and any other negative factors.
Trust your intuition when making decisions.
Act as if the goal is already completed and it will be.
Enjoy the journey and trust the process.
Some very well known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Perhaps you have a growing family and struggle to find convenient yet healthy meal options for every day of the week. Maybe you feel your constant battle with weight gain, brain fog, and food allergens deserve attention. Perhaps you are ready to help America diminish the obesity issue in children and adults. Introducing Alkaline Fresh! We help young adults, athletes, and families eat healthy foods. We do this by providing ready-made, plant-based foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Imagine arriving home from work to find your Alkaline Fresh box on your doorstep. That feeling of relief you get when you see the Alkaline Fresh box and know all you have to do is heat your meals and not worry about the millions of details necessary to cook a fresh, healthy meal.
Hello, I’m Brandon Burrell, Former Wall Street Investment Banker, Serial International Entrepreneur & Founder of Alkaline Fresh. I have partnerships and conduct business in over 8 countries in the culinary, maritime, hotel, and financial services.
After years of enjoying an alkaline diet, I realized that most consumers have limited options to purchase quick, healthy alkaline meals. Most market options use low protein, low fiber ingredients enriched with soy and other additives such as thickening agents or gluten, which is not suitable for anyone. Customers don’t have the option to purchase premium, ready-made plant-based alkaline meals.
Measuring results, not time. As the workplace continues to shift emphasis from physical to virtual, it is becoming less feasible to manage employees according to how much time they spend doing something. It’s easy to get a feel for productivity when you see someone in their cubicle toiling over a design or a contract. What you are measuring is often the time and the perceived effort level that is displayed physically and verbally. You sense the progress each time you pass by. In contrast, when managing remotely, it’s more important to view the result of that effort, maybe with milestones along the way. You’re not actually seeing that physical expression of hard work.
As a part of our series about the five things you need to successfully manage a remote team, I had the pleasure of interviewing Eric Plam, president Skyroam.
Eric is a leader in the tech industry with extensive experience working at the intersection of consumer hardware and global mobile communications. He specializes in building highly-performing sales and management teams, developing new markets, and creating successful partnerships. His favorites places to travel are Mongolia, the eastern Sierras and anywhere else in the world with minimal mobile coverage.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. What is your “backstory”?
I got a travel bug early in life — initially seeing the great sites in America as a child, then on to places further afield like Europe. These were all great experiences; however it was my first moment arriving in Hong Kong as part of university summer program in China that I realized that I was destined to move around the world. That summer in China, together with my study of Mandarin, shaped my career path and impact the rest of my life. Early on, I came to understand a couple of paradoxes: we’re all so different, but also alike. And the world is immense, but also small. Armed with these experiences and understandings, I’ve always focused in my work on helping to make connections between people.
Now at Skyroam, we have this great opportunity to help democratize internet connectivity, freeing people from the constraints of costly and restrictive service plans, wherever in the world they are. This has become even more important as the world contends with the pandemic and all the life/work changes that brings.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
In the late 1990’s I was based in Hong Kong, managing British Telecom’s Asia-Pac mobile satellite business. I spent a few days in Ulaanbaatar meeting with oil and mining companies. After boarding a Tupolev airplane for the flight back to Hong Kong via Hothot, the flight crew started handing out animal furs. After takeoff we learned the aircraft’s heating system was broken. That short flight felt like the longest ever at sub-zero temperatures! Anything for a sale!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Early in my career I worked at a small tech company as business development manager. Those were the great days when I thought I knew a lot more than the senior management. I was getting resistance from my boss on a deal I was working, for no apparent reason. One day I decided to go directly to the CEO to make my case. The CEO patiently listened to my concern — and it felt good to be heard. However, the relationship with my boss soured and I left shortly thereafter. There are a few lessons I took away from this, some obvious, but the biggest one is that it’s critical to create an open and transparent work environment. I’ve tried to do that since then.
What advice would you give to other CEOs or founders to help their employees to thrive and avoid burnout?
A company should always be building something or optimizing something — not just managing something. The same goes for your best employees, who want to apply their time, energy and passion to creating. Help your employees unleash that creativity by aligning them with challenging and achievable goals.
Ok, let’s jump to the core of our interview. Some companies have many years of experience with managing a remote team. Others have just started this, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can you tell us how many years of experience you have managing remote teams?
I have been managing remote teams for about 20 years.
Managing a team remotely can be very different than managing a team that is in front of you. Can you articulate for our readers what the five main challenges are regarding managing a remote team? Can you give a story or example for each?
The challenges managing a remote team include:
Measuring results, not time. As the workplace continues to shift emphasis from physical to virtual, it is becoming less feasible to manage employees according to how much time they spend doing something. It’s easy to get a feel for productivity when you see someone in their cubicle toiling over a design or a contract. What you are measuring is often the time and the perceived effort level that is displayed physically and verbally. You sense the progress each time you pass by. In contrast, when managing remotely, it’s more important to view the result of that effort, maybe with milestones along the way. You’re not actually seeing that physical expression of hard work.
Maintaining human connections. While managing remotely, it’s often easy to forget that we’re all human beings. The computer screen in front of us much of the day tends to boil work down to tightly scheduled and organized sprints of work. We compartmentalize our hours in front of the screen into creative time, messaging time, spreadsheet analysis time, contract redlining time and meeting time. Although this can be productive, we have to remember that time with our colleagues, customers and partners cannot and should not always fit neatly into that structure. Interacting with others necessarily means yielding some control! That’s ok and should be encouraged. Let a meeting go longer or shorter than planned. Don’t worry about the dog bark — in fact, include the dog. Ask about the books on the shelf behind the other person! And make time for non-work conversational topics.
Maximize in-person meetings. Building and managing remote teams can be efficient, effective, and scalable. But one advantage that a team that works together in the office has is that they really get to know each other well. They may spend lots of time together at the water cooler, at lunch and for drinks after work. Cost, time, and now pandemic restrictions mean that remote teams see each other rarely, if at all. It’s important to find efficient ways for you and your team to meet, when possible. One way is through industry events — instead of a dedicated team meeting, consider inviting multiple employees to help at a trade show or customer event. This way you can see your team in action and get to know them more on a personal level. And when visiting remote team members, be sure to invite them to a meal, a walk or a bike ride!
Experiment with new business tools. We have evolved over eons to communicate in person with each other. We’ve only been communicating remotely for a couple hundred years, if you exclude flags, drums, smoke and pigeons. Over the last couple hundred years, communication technology has advanced dramatically, and the pace of innovation is increasing. Much of this advancement is focused on the workplace. It’s hard to imagine a work environment that excludes Slack, Zoom and Trello, but these tools are only about 7 years old. I’d find it impossible to manage a workplace, especially one with young employees, without constantly evaluating and deploying new tools. I’m looking forward to the day that email is retired!
Accommodate different workstyles. As more of us continue to work from home, the lines between work and personal life continue to blur. You can almost make an argument against enabling an office-based employee to run errands in the middle of a workday. How will the other employees feel about you picking up your dry-cleaning? But how can you possibly do that with a home-based employee? And why would you want to? With teams flung throughout the world, we need to be up early to communicate with Europe and late to communicate with Asia. So the work days may stretch longer. Therefore life also may happen throughout the day. Some people work better hours heads-down, then separate themselves from work. Others may need to expand their days to be effective, but take more breaks in the middle.
Based on your experience, what can one do to address or redress each of those challenges?
In managing teams remotely, it is critical to remain creative, agile and human. And demand great results!
In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of managing a remote team is giving honest feedback, in a way that doesn’t come across as too harsh. If someone is in front of you much of the nuance can be picked up in facial expressions and body language. But not when someone is remote. Can you give a few suggestions about how to best give constructive criticism to a remote employee?
It’s critical to provide employees with regular coaching and feedback. Giving feedback is much easier in person — constructive comments can be easily conveyed during a meeting. It can be more challenging remotely, since it’s harder to convey and pick up on the non-verbal cues. The key is more constant communication with a lighter payload. An example is to provide an immediate comment by text after a customer call, such as “Great call! Do you think we should circle back with more clarity on the pricing structure?” This is maybe more effective than, “Let’s setup a video con to discuss how you’re presenting pricing to our customers.”
Can you specifically address how to give constructive feedback over email? How do you prevent the email from sounding too critical or harsh?
Providing constructive feedback via email is not easy, since email tends to be such an official and permanent form of communication. E-mail is more of a one-way method of communication. I try to minimize use of email when communicating with employees for that reason. I prefer to provide feedback via messaging apps, since that conveys a softer two-way dialog better. This gives a voice to both parties. Video or voice calling is a great way to communicate important topics. Begin the conversation with, “I think you did a great job on that project. Can I share a few points that could help with the next project?”
Can you share any suggestions for teams who are used to working together on location but are forced to work remotely due to the pandemic. Are there potential obstacles one should avoid with a team that is just getting used to working remotely?
Big changes that happen fast, such as with the pandemic, are not easy to navigate. The key is overcommunication. Reach out to team members frequently to discuss not only details of their work, but also how they are coping with the changes. The biggest obstacle to getting through fast change would be to ignore the significance of the impact on each person.
What do you suggest can be done to create a healthy and empowering work culture with a team that is remote and not physically together?
First, ensure you have an open and transparent company culture. Your employees invest a lot of time, effort and creativity in helping build your company. The least the company can do is to accurately convey information and create and open environment. Next, make sure you have a clear mission and well-defined goals. Then, empower employees to achieve their goals, often in different ways than you would expect. Communicate well along the way!
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I am passionate about democratization of access to the internet. Let’s face it, no matter where in the world you live, access to information and means of communication is empowering. By some measures, there are still 4 billion people in the world without access to the internet. Part of the reason for this inequity is inefficiency in the way we deliver services. Governments own and license spectrum for billions of dollars to a handful of powerful companies that build extremely fast services in limited parts of the world for a relatively small number of people. It is possible to make minor compromises in quality of service for the few in exchange for breadth of service for many more people in uncovered areas. Access to information, along with food, water and energy, can help bring people out of poverty.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite quote is from Voltaire: “It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.” It is easiest to navigate your life and career if you adhere to conventional wisdom. However, it can be much more exciting and rewarding to strike a new path. I’ve always tried to look at things from different angles and apply creativity in solving problems. I think this approach originates from my early experiences traveling the world.
The customer is not a mobile or desktop or offline customer — she is all of them. One of the biggest traps retailers fall into is believing that their consumers shop in the way their own organizational structure is set up: that is, the online marketing group focuses on online shoppers, the mobile group focuses on the app shoppers, the retail group focuses on in-store shoppers, etc. The consumer, though, does not see it that way. She looks at your name — across your store, your website and your app — and assumes that she is buying from the same company. By the same token, she expects you to understand her across all of these platforms. That is why it will be critical for retailers to develop that 360-degree, omnichannel view of the consumer. (It is also something we can help with.)
As a part of our series about the future of retail, I had the pleasure of interviewing John Kelly.
John Kelly is based out of San Francisco Bay Area and works at Zenreach as CEO.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I started off my career as an attorney in New York City during the dotcom boom. While I was stuck working 70-hour weeks in starched suits, writing memos on coal mining regulations, and reviewing lease agreements, my peers on the West Coast were wearing shorts and flip flops and carving new paths on the information superhighway. I knew I had to jump ship, so I did…just in time for the ship to sink in the subsequent dotcom bust.
Fast forward a few years, and I can say that while there has certainly been a lot of hype and exaggerated promises, the technological progress is undeniable. Between stints at Yahoo!, eBay, Criteo and a few startups, I have been witness to some fantastic developments and exciting moments. When I made the jump into the internet, I thought at the least it might provide a few good stories. On that front, it has not disappointed.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
During my first month as an attorney, I was assigned to put together a closing table for a major debt offering. This was a really big deal. There were three law firms, four banks, 12 parties, and the Federal Trade Commission involved. We got through the signing of all 100 documents and the transfer of funds was authorized, with the wire agencies for all of the participating banks on the phone.
The transfer of the $1B was initiated by the originating bank, but it was not received by the destination bank. We waited to see if there was a delay in the bank wires, but after an hour we realized that the wires were working fine. Somehow, the banks had lost, no joke, $1B.
The crazy thing was that, because this transaction needed to close that day or there were major complications, one of the banks decided to step in and lend the money to the transaction (while they sort out where the funds had gone). It took this bank less than one hour to raise the money, one hour to raise $1B. They found the missing funds the next day in an incorrect account, and whoever owned that account woke up to a whole lot of interest income!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or takeaway you learned from that?
One of the biggest mistakes I made was early in my career was when I was young and thought that I would impress my boss by bringing him to a big meeting with a potential partner. I had done my research on the partner and had prepared a killer presentation. It was a mapping of the partner’s strategy with ours, and I was so excited I jumped right into it. I began by recapping their strategy and how my partnership proposal would be a perfect fit with that strategy.
About halfway through the presentation, the partner stopped me and said: “You have done a good job articulating the strategy we used to have.” He then informed me that they had revamped that strategy a month earlier and had chosen a different direction.
My biggest takeaway was to never assume I knew what a client wants. It has been a reminder to me ever since of the power of simply asking questions.
Are you working on any new exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?
Zenreach has already developed some breakthrough technology by being able to know when a user has seen an online message (an email or display advertisement) and when that user subsequently visits a physical location. We call it a “walk-through,” and it is changing the game for offline retailers. No longer do offline retailers have to buy ads hoping that the clicks or likes translate into visits. And to those retailers who are spending millions of dollars for a probabilistic study of how many people might have come into a location after seeing an ad, we can do the same for pennies on the dollar and with greater accuracy.
What we are currently working on — and it is already being beta-tested with a few of our clients — is to take this insight one step further. Now we are able to track the online/offline journey of a customer between a website and a physical store. Therefore, we are now able to tell merchants how many people visited their website and then went to one of their retail locations (and vice-versa). This is a giant step in delivering to merchants a 360-degree, omnichannel view of the customer journey.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
About 15 years ago, I tried my hand at some endurance sports. If you are a mere mortal and want to do a marathon or a major triathlon, you have to do two essential things: 1) plan your workouts and 2) rest. Some people are more gifted than others and can get away with fewer workouts or less planning. But no one gets away without rest. Sure, you might be able to “run” every day, but running every day can deplete muscle and stamina instead of building it.
I believe that the same applies to anything in your life that requires prolonged, sustained effort and dedication. Sure, you can “work” all the time, but are you adding value or depleting reserves when you have been up for 36 hours straight for the third time in two weeks? Plan your effort and milestones, and make sure to plan your rest.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
There are many people who have helped me in my career. Some of the most memorable are those who took a chance on me when I was by all accounts severely underqualified for the responsibilities at hand. But the best business experience I have ever had was during my early days at Criteo, when working for the founder and CEO.
He was not the easiest person to please by nature, and he set the performance bar so high I got dizzy just looking at it. And when he set the challenge of growing revenues at an acceleration curve unheard of for a B2B product, I was convinced of my own failure as soon as I walked out of the room. But somehow, through really hard work, late nights, and a few lucky bounces, we managed to hit the elusive “hockey stick” growth curve. That experience opened my eyes to how many limitations I had been placing on myself beforehand.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I wish I could share with you my long list of philanthropic endeavors, but the truth is if I am able to bring any goodness to this world, it is in a quite limited fashion. For the past six years, I have volunteered as a coach in youth league basketball and football. My knowledge of those sports is limited, my master of coaching techniques even more so, and my ability to relate to the latest preteen memes is nonexistent. Nonetheless, seeing the progress of the players is rewarding, and the smile on the face of the worst player on the team when he scores his first goal ranks pretty high on the good news barometer. But when I see how supportive these kids are of their teammates — especially those that are not as advanced — I am convinced I derive more goodness from them than I bring.
Ok super. Now let’s jump to the main question of our interview. Can you share 5 examples of how retail companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers like to shop?
I see the following as major opportunities for retail companies in the future:
You can stink at price or you can stink at service, but you can’t stink at both. Sure, consumers want to save money, and most of us will invest time in comparing prices for many items. But that is not the entirety of the calculus. We also want good quality, good customer service, efficient delivery, liberal return policies, etc. And consumers recognize that sometimes we have to pay more to get better service, faster delivery, or better return policies. Paying an extra $10 for an item that arrives at my doorstep tomorrow instead of in a week might be worth it, especially if tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. A particularly acute example of this is the iPhone. At launch, new iPhones are priced pretty much the same across all channels, but the number sold on Amazon vs. eBay varies dramatically. Therefore, it will be imperative that retailers define and develop their offerings. If you want to be the low price winner, that’s great, and you might be able to sacrifice on other parts of the offering. But if you want to charge a premium, you had better deliver a premium experience.
Your unique value proposition may not be your consumers’ value proposition. It is easy to assume that customers shop at a particular retailer because of the retailer’s unique value proposition. For example, it is assumed that Nordstrom shoppers like the extra level of customer service and Walmart shoppers appreciate the everyday low prices. And while that may be true for many, it is not necessarily true for all. Shoppers have multivariate reasons why they shop for certain items at certain retailers, and these can range from the principled (“I want to support the environment”) to the personal (“this is the only brand that fits me”) to the mundane (“that store was the closest”). Understanding the motivations of the individual will become more and more important to retailers as they seek to grow wallet share. For example, as a consumer, I appreciate Nordstrom’s customer service, and I appreciate Walmart’s everyday low prices, and I buy apparel items at both. While I shop at Nordstrom for pants and shirts, I have never bought shoes there. I have, however, bought shoes at Walmart. There is a very specific reason for this. Nordstrom has never asked me why I never buy shoes, so I have never told them. And Walmart has never asked me why I never buy shirts and pants, so I have never told them. But let’s say I did tell Nordstrom or Walmart. What would they do with that information? Is there a field in their customer file that could store this data? I doubt it. But even if there were, could Nordstrom or Walmart change anything about my experience to accomodate my needs? True personalization is much more powerful and impactful than just better merchandising or targeted ads, and retailers will need to invest in understanding customers as individuals to take advantage of it.
Most retailers will have to invest more — not less — in online advertising. Over the past 20 years, tremendous progress has been made in online marketing and advertising technologies. We can now target individuals with personalized messages, know when they have seen the ads, know when they click on the ads, and know when they make an online purchase (and, with Zenreach, an offline purchase). That is one of the reasons why online advertising during this period has gone from less than 2% of all ad spend to over 51%. And even during this Covid-impacted year, when global advertising budgets are expected to decline, online ad spend is still expected to grow. And who is buying these online ads? Your competitors. This increase in ad spend combined with low consumer switching costs, increased consumer time spent online, and the strength of a handful of large retailers collectively mean that retailers will have to work even harder over the next few years to get their message to their customers.
The customer is not a mobile or desktop or offline customer — she is all of them. One of the biggest traps retailers fall into is believing that their consumers shop in the way their own organizational structure is set up: that is, the online marketing group focuses on online shoppers, the mobile group focuses on the app shoppers, the retail group focuses on in-store shoppers, etc. The consumer, though, does not see it that way. She looks at your name — across your store, your website and your app — and assumes that she is buying from the same company. By the same token, she expects you to understand her across all of these platforms. That is why it will be critical for retailers to develop that 360-degree, omnichannel view of the consumer. (It is also something we can help with.)
Today’s “wow!” experience will be tomorrow’s standard. Fifteen years ago, it was just a pipedream that I could press a button on my phone and a car service would appear at my door and would drive me to the airport, where I would get out and walk to the gate without taking my wallet or phone out of my pocket. Yet Uber made this “wow!” experience possible and disrupted an entire industry. Now imagine walking into a retailer, picking out a few items and leaving without taking your phone or wallet out of your pocket. Wouldn’t that be a “wow!” experience? And wouldn’t that be disruptive to the industry? It is coming.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Love this question! I have been in Silicon Valley for 20 years, and it is a wonderful place full of bright, ambitious, creative people who continue to carry the flame of optimism and idealism. And with that idealism comes a firm belief that new technologies solve problems. While that is certainly true, there is a denial of — indeed, a blindness to — the possibility that new technologies also create new problems.
Let’s say I go to my favorite pizzeria one night, indulge in a few too many glasses of Chianti, and start engaging in antisocial behavior. I begin yelling at the servers, I throw epithets at other patrons, and I bully the cashier to give me the meal for free because, I argue, “our currency is worthless.” How long would it take until I am removed from the pizzeria?
Now, let’s say I go home and log onto an online pizza-oriented chat or social media string. I continue my tirade, casting aspersions on others and expounding on obnoxious currency theories. How long would it take until I am removed?
I assume the response is different. The very behavior we abhor in the real world is somehow condoned online.
I would like to see Silicon Valley — indeed, the internet as a whole — adopt a user standard of conduct and develop technology to support it.
The Future Is Now: Nadir Ali Of Inpixon On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Hiring great people is hard. It’s very hard to know if you are hiring the right person until you hire them and work together. Or you can have great people, but they might not be right for the job you have open at that time. It takes time to find the right team in the right seats at the right time.
As a part of our series about cutting-edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nadir Ali.
Nadir Ali is CEO of Inpixon (inpixon.com, Nasdaq: INPX), an Indoor Intelligence™ company.
Nadir Ali leads Inpixon with a collective two decades in enterprise software, business analytics, and information technology. Mr. Ali first served as Vice President of Strategic Programs at Sysorex from 1995 to 1998, wherein he ushered their transition to Vanstar and managed over $1 billion in multi-year contracts. This marked his trajectory intomergers and acquisitions totaling $150 million. He then shifted gears to Isadra Inc., an e-commerce software start-up, as VP of Finance and Marketing. Before stepping into Sysorex Consulting Inc. as President, he spent three years as Managing Director of Tira Capital. For over 15 years, his executive-level roles at Inpixon (formerly Sysorex) tapped into the $12 billion industry of indoor positioning and data analytics, growing to $23 billion by 2021. A University of California Berkeley 1989 alum, Mr. Ali earned a BA in Economics.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Being based in Silicon Valley, it was impossible not to be surrounded by exciting startups. Many of my friends are involved in building cutting edge technology, and while I’d been in IT for a long time, I caught the bug and wanted to build something exciting. As a systems integrator reselling third-party products, I was on the lookout for interesting technology to buy and build into a business.
When I found AirPatrol’s basic location sensor technology for a real-time security use case, I was intrigued. As I dug into it, I realized there was immense potential and real value in the data that this technology could capture. We immediately acquired that company, which is now Inpixon, and started building out the data analytics platform to leverage all of the powerful location data that it captured. That has led to what we now call Indoor Intelligence, and what started me on this exciting path.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Once, I was meeting with one of our clients — a large US military agency — and they explained to me the value that our indoor location technology brings to them in ways that I never expected. The customer talked about how our devices detect and locate connected devices that come into their facility, and how that allows them to ensure that those devices are registered or approved. He then explained to me that if any of the devices in the facility were hacked, classified information that impacts our actively deployed soldiers could be compromised.
I was floored! I knew that our technology was meaningful, but I never thought about the sensitivity of the data that we were protecting in the indoor spaces here at home. I have a nephew in the Navy, and I know how much families of military service people worry when their loved ones are on duty. It’s important for us to do everything we can to support and protect the people risking their lives for us. In that moment, the impact of what we do hit home, and I’ve never been more proud of my team and the solutions we provide our customers.
Can you tell us about the cutting edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
We’re proud to have built a platform that offers better indoor intelligence than anyone else on the market. The Indoor location market is very fragmented. There are lots of small vendors doing Wi-Fi analytics or maps or capturing location data from cameras or other IoT sensors. No one was providing an integrated solution with all the key elements so that’s what we focused on. We built or acquired the key technologies and pulled it into one platform creating a much higher value proposition for our customers.
Our most exciting recent breakthroughs include:
More precise positioning moving from three meters to centimeters of accuracy;
Comprehensive transmission coverage beyond just Wi-Fi or BLE to include any RF signal including cellular, Wi-Fi, BLE, UWB, RFID, and more;
Better algorithms for positioning precision;
Advanced integration with maps and analytics to provide actionable insights.
I’m glad you asked this question, because our vision is to use indoor data for good. I can’t think of a more relevant time than today to use this data for good and help protect people as we battle COVID-19 globally. Our solution helps people with safety and security. Our workplace readiness solutions support contact tracing, physical distancing and workplace hygiene efforts to make workplaces safer for employees. Our solutions also improve healthcare worker and patient safety with asset tracking technology and intelligent navigation to help prevent disease transmissions. In today’s world, any opportunity to help keep people safe and healthy is one that is worth pursuing, and we’re proud to provide the solutions that help to achieve that goal.
How do you think this might change the world?
Harnessing the power of indoor intelligence can change the way we experience the world inside our built environment. I often think about how we can make smartphones truly smart, or any other connected device for that matter. You shouldn’t have to ask your devices for information, it should be served to you as you move from one location to the next, providing meaningful, helpful content based on the context of your location. It should anticipate your needs and provide safety and security as you move through the world. This removal of friction can happen at scale with a combination of our location data, contextual information, and applied AI analytics. If we think about the impact GPS had in making people’s lives easier, we’re overdue to bring that experience to indoor spaces.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
Every technology leaves room for abuse. In this case some may believe that there is tension between the significant value that can be realized with the data obtained with the use of our technology and the privacy rights of the individual. However, Inpixon is very focused on balancing the need for security with the right to privacy. There is value in the data we collect to provide our customers with safe and enhanced experiences, but there are also ways to leverage that data for good while also protecting individual privacy rights for example by taking measures such as ensuring that any personally identifiable information is masked unless there is a real security-related need to identify users. Our customers also care about protecting privacy rights and we work collaboratively with them to ensure that they have options to address privacy related concerns in connection with the use of our technology in their buildings.
Was there a “tipping point” that led you to this breakthrough? Can you tell us that story?
There wasn’t necessarily one major event that tipped the scale for us, but rather a culmination of the determined focus on delivering on our vision. On day one, we didn’t have all of the pieces in place, and we didn’t have all of the answers, but we were committed to our vision and understood that this was important and valuable technology. We saw the opportunity to build an integrated Indoor Intelligence solution that differentiated by offering a comprehensive platform solution versus our competitors which were only able to offer single components of the solution. The fragmented nature of our industry presented an opportunity to bring the puzzle pieces together, to integrate the key elements into one platform and create a stronger value proposition for our customers.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
We believe that as people come to understand the importance and value of indoor data and the many ways it can help them with their operations, safety, marketing and more, there will be a wave of widespread adoption. Indoor data is too valuable to be ignored, and while COVID-19 has created more awareness around the availability of this information, this goes well beyond one public health use case. Across industries, most CEOs will come to see this is valuable information that can help them grow top line, cut their costs, and provide safety and improved experiences for customers and employees.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
We’ve invested in traditional marketing and PR strategies as we grow, including extensive lead generation activities as well as thought-leadership initiatives like our Reclaim the Workplace roundtable with CNN. But I think the key is always to stay focused on our customer’s needs and problems and provide the best support we can. From product management to engineering and customer success, the primary focus has always been on our customer experience. Our customer’s exceptional results speak volumes to the value of our solutions, and showcasing their results has been the best way we’ve found to build awareness around our business.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I’ve been fortunate to have had very strong mentorship from the businesspeople in my life who have helped shape my career. First is my father, Mohammad Akber Ali. He came from very humble beginnings in Pakistan but had a dream at a young age that he was going to be different and change his circumstances. He envisioned moving to America and having five children who were going to attend UC Berkeley. He quickly built his career as a successful entrepreneur in a variety of businesses along the way, moving first to the UK, then to America, where he had five children, and two of them (including myself) decided to attend UC Berkeley. His determination, ambition, ingenuity, and belief in himself has been an inspiration to me all my life.
The second person to whom I am quite grateful is my father-in-law, A. Salam Qureishi. Salam is best known for being the ‘Moneyball guy’ for football. He was a statistician by training who built the first computerized scouting and draft player selection system with the Dallas Cowboys and, subsequently, other NFL teams. He then built a highly successful systems integration business which is where I learned the ropes in the IT world. He provided me with strong business skills and served as an exceptional role model for giving back to society.
It’s nothing new to see the hunger and passion immigrants have to build a better life, but these two men in particular became very successful entrepreneurs, creating hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in assets, paying their taxes and living the American dream. I consider myself truly blessed and lucky to have them in my life.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
We all do our part as individuals to give back to the community in various ways. I also believe that one of the biggest impacts I can make is through what we’re doing with Inpixon. Our vision is to do good with indoor data. We truly believe that, and are working to bring about good across the world. If our contact tracing solutions can prevent the spread or transmission of a disease, that’s bringing goodness to the world. If we can secure our soldiers on duty, that’s bringing goodness to the world. That’s why everyone at Inpixon is so committed to seeing our technology deployed — that’s what employees like about being a part of this company and why they care about their jobs. Together, we want to bring this goodness to the world as best we can.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.
Focus on the Why? Why are you doing this; why are your customers going to buy your product.
Read Ben Horowitz’s book — The Hard Thing About Hard Things — It contains lots of great practical lessons for business leaders in there like:
“Spend zero time on what you could have done, and devote all of your time on what you might do.”
“People always ask me, “What’s the secret to being a successful CEO?” Sadly, there is no secret, but if there is one skill that stands out, it’s the ability to focus and make the best move when there are no good moves.”
“That’s the hard thing about hard things — there is no formula for dealing with them.”
3. Hiring great people is hard. It’s very hard to know if you are hiring the right person until you hire them and work together. Or you can have great people, but they might not be right for the job you have open at that time. It takes time to find the right team in the right seats at the right time.
4. Be ready for the naysayers. Lots of people will say it’s not possible, or tell you to give up, seek opportunities to call out your mistakes and there will be mistakes but most importantly own them/learn from them but don’t be discouraged or give up because of them….be determined to keep moving forward if you really believe in it.
5. It can be a long road; the more typical path is not usually the overnight success you usually hear about. Just like anything you must put in the time, adjust and adapt to challenges, and pivot as needed. But persevere, and you will get there.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
One of my favorite words is niyat in Urdu. It means ‘intention.’ Those closest to me know that I bring this up frequently. I think the world would be a better place if we thought about intention before we made assumptions about what someone else said or did. This definitely has applications in the business world, and I see it inside our company and others, but it is also very important in everyday life. If we could all give each other the benefit of understanding intentions, perhaps there wouldn’t be as much vitriol and polarization in our communities as we see today.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
It would be another quote from Ben Horowitz: “Great CEOs face the pain. They deal with the sleepless nights, the cold sweats, and what my friend the great Alfred Chuang (legendary cofounder and CEO of BEA systems) calls ‘the torture.’ Whenever I meet a successful CEO, I ask them how they did it. Mediocre CEOs point to their brilliant strategic moves or their intuitive business sense, or a variety of other self-congratulatory explanations. The great CEOs tend to be remarkably consistent in their answers. They all say, ‘I didn’t quit.’”
As this relates to me, every business I was involved in faced challenges and difficulties of various types at some point. As a CEO, there have been plenty of times that we faced challenges and people inside and outside the company suggested we quit and shut the business down. That’s just not who I am. I don’t give up that easily. I was determined to find a way forward. I had employees and their families who were counting on me and so quitting was not an option. A few years ago, we had an offsite and we asked everyone to come up with their superpower…..mine was “perseverance.”
Some very well-known VCs read this column. If you had 60 seconds to make a pitch to a VC, what would you say?
We are a public company, listed on Nasdaq (INPX) so may have a slightly different audience but the message would be the same. In today’s world, the value of information and access to data cannot be understated. The ability to use data to inform decision making at every level is critical to the operations and success of any organization, whether public or private, in any industry, for any vertical, in any geographical location throughout the world. And even more valuable than just more information, is better, more precise, more accurate information. There are statistics available indicating that on average, people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, even before COVID. That’s incredible and almost unbelievable! With this understanding, just imagine the wealth of information that can be gained from having greater visibility into indoor spaces.
Inpixon’s Indoor Intelligence solutions allow organizations to harness the power of their indoor data by providing key decision makers with critical tools to access actionable indoor intelligence allowing for smarter, more informed decisions in order to drive results. Inpixon’s technology combines the positioning of RF signals emitted by UWB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular devices, with intelligent mapping and AI-powered analytics into a single Indoor Intelligence platform offering valuable insight about an organizations indoor premises that would otherwise not be able to be leveraged. Organizations in various industries and sectors including enterprise organizations, government, healthcare, hospitality are able to leverage our technology to solve for a wide range of use cases including wayfinding, visitor analytics, asset tracking, cybersecurity, collision avoidance, man-down, social distancing, contact tracing, targeted cleaning, and more. Not only are we able to provide our customers with more information, but with comprehensive locationing using multiple RF signals and precise positioning from 3 meters using Wi-Fi to 30 centimeters with UWB, we are able to provide our customers with better, more accurate data about their indoor locations.
While the pandemic shelter-in-place resulted in some slow-downs in the second quarter of 2020, since 2018, Inpixon has experienced over 65% in revenue growth year-over-year. In each of the last two years we have been recognized by Gartner, in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Indoor Location Services, most recently in 2020 as a Visionary, in addition to winning several industry awards validating our innovation leadership. In a highly fragmented market that is poised for significant growth, we believe we are one of the only available technologies that can offer an integrated indoor intelligence platform providing customers with an end-to-end solution for smarter, more secure indoor spaces using mapping, positioning and analytics.
Be Transparent: If you want people/customers to trust your brand/products, you have to be honest. Transparency shows your customers honesty. Transparency lets your customers know you’re not hiding something from them. For example: When we had claimed our products to be cruelty free, We had worked with third party organization called Leaping Bunny to actually have them take a deeper look into our products and the ingredients so that we could truly claim the same and bring trust & transparency to our customers.
As a part of our series about how to create a trusted, believable, and beloved brand, I had the pleasure to interview Parth Patel.
As a male who loved skincare routines and maintaining the health of his skin, Parth found that he was constantly undergoing negative criticism and judgment from his family and friends. With the strong belief that skincare is universal, Parth launched Bodhi Beverly Hills as a skincare line for all humankind.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
There has always been judgments in the society that skincare is for the delicate and fragile. Being a guy who loves to take care of his overall skin health and look, I was constantly undergoing negative judgements from my friends and family for my passion and love for skincare. That is what inspired me to create an essential line of skincare for everyone that delivers tangible results that you can feel and see. Skincare for humankind.
Can you share a story about the funniest marketing mistake you made when you were first starting Bodhi Beverly Hills? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I would not call this as a marketing mistake, but definitely an opportunity that I missed i.e. When we were working on developing our skincare formulas and the core of the brand, We did not market our brand enough to our target audience until the launch date.
I think that it was a shot that I missed of not marketing the brand and it’s story to gather enough audience when we were developing.
Lesson learned: It is must to gather enough audience and data before you actually launch your products. Basically, It is important to launch your brand first then the products, This way when the time comes to launch your store or product and your customers can actually buy the products you don’t have to go looking for you potential customers.
What do you think makes Bodhi Beverly Hills stand out? Can you share a story?
Each brand has that one thing that makes it stand out from other brands, There may be many skincare brands but each brand shares a different story and mission. When it comes to BODHI BEVERLY HILLS, We truly believe that skincare is for everyone, Men, Women, You, Me & All. As skincare in traditional times was being marketed to the fragile and delicate but it’s not the truth and as times changed humans started to become aware that it had nothing to with masculinity. Everyone needs skincare and I believe that it is as important as physical and mental health. I take skincare as a part of overall health and wellness.
Bodhi Beverly Hills, was founded by me and my best friend in our small studio apartment in Beverly Hills. Back then when we had just graduated from college, We didn’t have any funding or any support of VC’s. It all began with a laptop and our credit cards. We were not sure if we were going to be able to payback but it was truly our passion and true diligence to make clean skincare and wellness products for all, to awaken the humankind.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
We are currently working on few very exciting projects which will give BODHI a whole new look (you learn and you apply right?). It’s has been over a year and half now and we have definitely learned a lot about skincare issues and concerns that people are facing with skincare products available out in the market.
We are currently working on improving our existing formulas as well as some great new formulas that will be targeting skin concerns like aging, dark spots & acne. Our formulas has always been plant based and still be plant based.
In a nutshell, how would you define the difference between brand marketing (branding) and product marketing (advertising)? Can you explain?
Brand marketing and Product marketing are two faces of the same coin, And when it comes to marketing, I find this statement indisputable. The distinction between the two is considerably straightforward — products are objects that can be sold for money, while brands are the embodied persona of the companies that sell them. Despite working towards the common goal, i.e., to build an image of an organization in the market, you will often see both the departments in a company knocking horns with each other with regards to what deserves the highlight or I should rather say, the bigger chunk of the budget.
Can you explain to our readers why it is important to invest resources and energy into building a brand, in addition to the general marketing and advertising efforts?
Brand Marketing, in a way, is about highlighting your brand while promoting the product or service. It definitely takes time and is not something that happens overnight but, Its main task is to link the brand’s identity value and personality with the audience through communication. By employing an efficient brand marketing strategy, your company can design brands that go far beyond showcasing product features and display brand values or intangibles.Brand Marketing is a more practical approach because it helps in building an emotional connection between the brand and the product.
Some of the benefits of Brand Marketing that set it apart from product marketing are • Helps in positioning yourself in a crowded space, especially if there are too many competitors involved.
• Helps in building up sales effectively as well as customer loyalty.
• Helps carving a distinguished identity in the market, which highlights the USP’s and product differentiating factors.
Can you share 5 strategies that a company should be doing to build a trusted and believable brand? Please tell us a story or example for each.
When building a company, most founders first think about their product and making money. But it’s not only about your product that’s important but it’s about your brand and how your customer think about your company. You definitely want your brand to be associated with positive quality and traits, Honest and Trustworthiness are some of the most important traits.
1. Be Transparent: If you want people/customers to trust your brand/products, you have to be honest. Transparency shows your customers honesty. Transparency lets your customers know you’re not hiding something from them. For example: When we had claimed our products to be cruelty free, We had worked with third party organization called Leaping Bunny to actually have them take a deeper look into our products and the ingredients so that we could truly claim the same and bring trust & transparency to our customers.
2. Be willing to answer questions: There are more away than ever for your customers to contact your company and they will. Whether they reach out on social media, customer service portal or by phone, they should be able to get an answer to their question. Some times having an FAQ’s on your company website helps earning trust. When you answer customer questions, you’re being transparent and authentic. Customers are more likely to trust authentic businesses. For example: When we (BODHI BEVERLY HILLS) initially launched, We had our customers asking questions about our product via. Emails, Social media as well as website chat support. We gathered all the commonly asked questions and added to our FAQ’s page along with customer support emails and options where they could reach out if they had any other questions that were not answered in the FAQ’s.
3. Build relationships with customers: Instead of just being another company that creates a product and tries to sell it to customers, create relationships. If you build a personal relationship with your customers, they’re not going to consider your brand a stranger, but a friend. Loyal customers stay not for the product, but because of how the company does it. For Example: When you are an online/E commerce brand, It is hard for your customers to walk in your store, talk or ask questions. We at Bodhi, When a customer or any potential customer, brand follower etc comments on social media, messages or even emails we take each and every conversation as an opportunity to earning trust and reply them within a timeframe of 24–48 hours. As a founder, I personally email our customers after their order to get a feedback on their entire brand experience, From visiting our online store to making a purchase and it’s delivery.
4. Include testimonials: If you want your customer to trust your brand, show them what other customers are saying about your brand. Display great customer reviews on your product, website, and social media. Sharing testimonials and customer reviews will show new customers that your brand is honest and trustworthy. For Example: Add a reviews tab on each of your product page, When a customer makes a purchase, Email them personally to have their honest feedback/review on not only products they purchased but also the entire experience they had while making a decision to make a purchase and asking them if they can add the same on your online store. This helps to show other potential customers and viewers that your brand is honest and trustworthy.
5. Work with other trust brands/influencer: Pair up and work with established brands/influencer that fall under the same niche as yours and are trusted by their customers/followers. Pairing up with a trusted brand will quickly build customer trust in your brand if you deserve it. If a trust brand is willing to pair with your company, their customers will know that you are also trustworthy. For example: Bodhi partnered and collaborated with numerous skincare influencer and reviewers where they shared our products which helps us with not only great brand awareness but also earn trust within their followers.
In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job building a believable and beloved brand. What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?
My response to this question will be as an observer and an entrepreneur. In my own life I tend to be attracted to numerous skincare brands like YouthToThePeople or Biossance for various reasons. But apart from my line of business that is talked about here and as an entrepreneur, Lot of times I get a lot of “I want to be like Coca Cola”, “ “I want to be like Apple” when I ask my fellow entrepreneurs what companies they want to be like.
I personally admire YouthToThePeople and truly look up to them when it come to skincare brands. I have been following them since development stage of our brand. Skincare market is huge worldwide and I would say that brand has truly emerged to new level even in such crowded market. I have been foreseeing their growth and all I can say Is I am truly amazed with the work they have put in.
In recent years, there has been a massive growth in e-commerce & startup industry just like when the Dotcom boom took place. With lot of people getting into online business and e-commerce, and lot of the very same exiting out, It has definitely been hard to set our products and over all brand apart in such crowded space but I would say when you create a brand and are willing to make an effort and take your brand to a level where you plan onto. I think one cannot replicate other brand and I wouldn’t suggest doing so even if it was possible as each brand is different. I would say, one should learn from things other brands or companies do to become a beloved brand and be authentic to your own brands core. There is no such thing as over night success. It definitely take repetitive efforts over time to build a truly believable and beloved brand.
In advertising, one generally measures success by the number of sales. How does one measure the success of a brand building campaign? Is it similar, is it different?
If your only measures of success attach to the short-term return on media spend investment, you will not build a brand.
Brand building is when a company seeks to enhance their brand’s image or equity via strategic marketing and ad campaigns. Promotions, PR stunts, sponsorships, and thought-leadership are all examples of brand building campaigns in action.
Digital age is the best thing to happen to brand building, Digital age has added a complex layer to brand building that wasn’t possible 20 years ago. As a company’s presence can now be found on a number of digital channels like social media pages, websites as well as through apps, all of these channels allow a company to case wide net in terms of customer touchpoint which can be used to track overall campaign effectiveness.
Before beginning any brand-building campaign, it’s important to first determine the campaign’s goals. What would success look like for this particular campaign? Are you trying to raise brand awareness or do you want your campaign to result in a specific action?. Measuring the success of any campaign comes down to data. Let’s say for example you want to create brand awareness you must:
1. Study growth in direct traffic to your store
2. Track your earned media value
3. Measure social media activities
4. Search engine popularity
What role does social media play in Bodhi Beverly Hills’s efforts?
Social media plays different role for different organizations however The role of social media with Bodhi Beverly Hills is extremely important as it falls under beauty and skincare, It helps us increase the amount of exposure we receive and increases traffic. Social media also helped us in building over all community and build longterm trust and transparency with existing and new customers. It is one of the most important channel to constantly stay in touch with skincare consumers and communicate with the target audience. It helps us in building meaningful connections with our audience online. It has definitely helped us communicate with our audience in real time on a sincerer level and let their voices and ideas heard.
What advice would you give to other marketers or business leaders to thrive and avoid burnout?
I would say that every needs different ways to thrive and totally depends on a personal level. I would also say that one cannot not avoid burnout but can play it around because yes it’s okay to get tired and frustrated but avoiding it will not help you thrive.
Taking care of your self is must. Keep challenging yourself even with things outside of work. Take personal time, It could be with family, friend or may be alone. It always great to reconnect with people you care about most.
Delegate, the more you delegate, the more time and mental energy you will have to focus on the work you do best. This doesn’t mean hiring full time team, but the process is as simple as starting with a list of things you could have an assistant team member or an intern take over.
Remove negative people from your life. Be it ending your relationship with a vendor who is a source of constant frustration.
Practice gratitude
Practice meditation
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Patience is also a form of action.–Parth Patel
This is one of the sayings I keep telling my self when I feel frustrated or overwhelmed. The process of building a successful brand or company in general is long and it doesn’t happen overnight. I had to keep reminding in tough situations that patience is the key to success. Traction and movement are not the only form of action but Patience is also a form of action.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
@bodhibeverlyhills on Instagram & Facebook
Thank you for your time, and your excellent insights! We wish you continued success.
Making Something From Nothing: Kola Tytler Of Dropout and HypeAnalyzer On How To Go From Idea To Launch
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
The hardest part is getting started: after the steps above, what’s left is overcoming the fear of failure. Wanting to start a business from abroad while studying medicine raised loads of eyebrows amongst those close to me, however I do have to say that many were supportive.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Kola Tytler.
Kola Tytler is a 27-year-old versatile entrepreneur. In addition to his role as the CEO of his company, Kola is also a practising medical doctor in the NHS and a student at the University of Birmingham where he is currently completing his MBA.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
My pleasure. I was born in London to Nigerian immigrants and moved to Latina (a town near Rome, in Italy) before the age of 1. I grew up and spent most of my childhood there, other than a year in Crema (another small town near Milan, in northern Italy) between the age of 8 and 9, after which we returned to Latina. Growing up I was pretty much always a very curious kid with a strong love for reading and I really enjoyed going to school, which was reflected in a strong academic track record right until the end of high school. My passion for learning is something that defines me till today. Other interests that I developed included playing basketball, football as well as chess and video games (mostly sport ones). At the age of 16 I suffered a very-near fatal drowning accident which resulted in an intensive care stay (and a big scare for my parents!!!). Since then, I have made a life imperative of mine to live every day to the fullest. In the following 3 years I volunteered in foodbank, charity social and social centres before moving to the UK to study medicine at university.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Most people that know me well would agree that I have a very high level of self-confidence. I will quote late Kobe Bryant in saying that “If you don’t believe in yourself no one will do it for you”. I grew up in an environment where I quite regularly felt “different”, both physically and mentally, and this at times did result in me being at the receiving end of not-so-nice comments which had me questioning whether my inability to complete a task successfully was due to some innate characteristics. I naturally developed not only a relatively thick skin, but also the strength to accept that at times it is important to go past others’ comments and go ahead with what you believe is right.
I have several examples from my life on this, one that particularly resonates is from when we launched the YEEZY Mafia news outlet (2016) despite negative comments on it being a Twitter page focused on a single line of sneakers and a “waste of time” according to people I was close to at the time. We persevered due to the potential that we saw and today, although I am no longer involved, YEEZY Mafia is the world’s first (by traffic and social media following and engagement) news outlet for Kanye West’s line of sneakers. I got even worse feedback when talking about dropout in the months before we opened.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I regularly watch TED talks and find a lot of them inspiring, the one by Josh Luber (later founder of StockX, a unicorn that deals with streetwear exchange) pushed me into researching alternative assets for investment purposes. More than the content of the videos, I am interested in the communication styles and the way people are able to generate discussion by sharing their stories.
“Pursuit of Happiness”, starring Will and Jaden Smith, is one of my favourite movies. It pushed in me the idea that the purpose of life is to be happy and to really ask myself what is it that makes me happy. Everyone will have their view on this, but for me it is creating, organising and running projects that produce visible results. The scene at the basketball court in the movie about not letting ANYONE take away your passions and dreams accompanies most days of my life.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
To me, the first step of translating the abstract (idea) into something tangible (a product or service) is to move away from the idea itself and start focusing on execution. There is a galaxy of distance between thought and action, theory and practice, ideas and execution. From my experience the best way of practically going about creating something is to think about the journey needed to achieve the realisation of the idea, break it down into smaller, manageable steps and critically question what problem may arise during each. It is definitely worth to discuss those with others and start thinking early about what team will be required. It is very rarely that an idea can be turned into something without a team. It is a good idea to think about how the process is best analysed, for me it is by drawing maps and flowchart and determining how necessary the completion of a step is in order to move onto the next, thus determining where to focus my and the team’s energies and resources.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
As far as ideas go, in this day and age it is well possible that whatever one comes up with, has already been thought elsewhere. It is important to accept this early in the process and focus on what makes our idea better, more innovative or more convenient than what’s already out there. In terms of practically searching for similar existing options, one should of course search for similar keywords online, ensuring to look on social media as well as on relevant blogs and the common search engines (i.e Google, Bing, Duckduckgo). If nothing is found, one should also be realistic enough to ask themselves why no-one thought (or executed) it before and determine if we have the confidence and willingness to go as far as it takes to get things done.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
The hardest part is getting started: after the steps above, what’s left is overcoming the fear of failure. Wanting to start a business from abroad while studying medicine raised loads of eyebrows amongst those close to me, however I do have to say that many were supportive.
It takes time: I am sure it is possible to create and generate overnight successes, however I equate creating a business to building a house rather than playing the lottery- while you may buy a single ticket, win and become instantly rich, the chances of this happening are so small that I would never recommend counting on it. On the other hand, building a house requires planning, choice of materials and finishes as well as of course strong fundamentals and inputs from several specialists. One should expect this to take time and appreciate that things may be slow and occasionally corrective measures may be required. Even though it took just some months for dropout to get national recognition and wide exposure, the work behind the concept and the operations dates back years. What we created is effectively the fruit of me and my business partners’ life experiences.
Team is integral part: no one can do it all. Even the most talented of painters and inventors needed help and feedback of others to get things done. For as much as we may love our idea, this can very easily lead us to tunnel vision and a struggle to identify flaws and bottlenecks. Having a team means that tasks can be delegated and a higher efficiency in operations which may be done at the same time by different people. In dropout we use a system where everyone can provide feedback on operations and then the responsible person of that process decides based on the comments.
Be ready for ups and downs: I have never heard of a business which is a complete smooth ride from start to end, being ready (mentally and practically) for when things go south is necessary. As the pandemic, especially the first wave, hit hard in northern Italy, we had to strengthen our e-commerce and digital presence to ensure the business remained viable despite closures.
The reward is unimaginable: seeing your idea grow and becoming a viable business is one of the best feelings I experienced (and still feel!). Overcoming challenges allows one to grow as a person and give a more positive outlook to life in general.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
I would recommend writing it down, our instinct is amazing however moments of inspiration may leave us for some time before the creative drive hits again. Once it is on paper/notepad/laptop/something retrievable, I would sleep on it for a day or two before starting with thinking about what the execution will entail and designing an overview of the required steps. I would then research online and via family and friends to see what or which of the mentioned steps makes the idea better than the most similar thing already existing. I would then move onto setting a goal (making social contribution? Becoming rich? Solving a world-wide problem?) and depending on that designing an initial operations plan, business plan, setting up a team etc
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I would say this really depends on the specific project. Hiring such consultants early may mean following less of the creativity and spirit that gave birth to the idea and getting closer to the traditional business development models. I would say however that if one has a strong budget, it is likely to be beneficial to have feedback from someone with formal competence in project-building.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
As someone who started and ran a profitable business without any form of external funding (although we have recently completed our first round and are now VC-backed), I would say that it depends on the founders’ goals and vision of the product/service/company. The honest reason dropout was bootstrapped is that at the beginning we had what I now call a “business plan” and very little credentials for others to trust us with generating revenue (let alone profit). After having established the name as a strong brand and viable business, VC funds are invaluable in providing backing for faster and exponential growth. One thing I would definitely say is that one should treat VC money as if they were theirs and only think about going that route if ready to invest themselves. The reality is that also securing investment is a long process, full of technicalities and often needs some pre-commitment or kickstarting amount from friends and family anyway. Why would strangers back you if your own or those close to you don’t?
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I have attended several podcasts and panels and given several talks in schools in Italy as well as providing interviews for 3 dissertations on the topic of sneakers and streetwear resale. I think that sharing my experience is useful for young creatives who don’t know where/how to start developing their ideas or simply to motivate them to get going and getting started. I plan on getting involved more in charity work and promoting financial literacy amongst high school students in the future.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I am highly passionate about widening participation and giving platform to individuals from underprivileged (and underrepresented) backgrounds to set-up their own businesses. I think we need to do this slowly by introducing more financial education programs in schools. There are a lot of outstanding individuals out there with huge potential who could do a lot better than I did. I happened to have very high self-confidence and determination to supplement my vision, but I know that many struggle with barriers to their full capacity that we, as a society, can and need to do better to demolish.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I have had the privilege of meeting many of my inspirations already that this comes difficult, however if I had to pick one right now it would be Dan Gilbert. Mr Gilbert is an absolutely incredible entrepreneur, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as well as Quicken Loans and, together with the previously mentioned Luber, StockX. Although covered in plenty of interviews and pieces, I would love to hear first-hand about the process of setting up teams and scaling innovative businesses.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Prepare. Prepare yourself for adversity and visualize yourself pushing through and becoming stronger. Then, when you’re faced with a problem in real life, you’ll know how to get yourself in the right mindset.
As a part of my series about “Grit: The Most Overlooked Ingredient of Success” I had the pleasure of interviewing Rick Musson.
Rick Musson is a consultant with InsuranceBlogByChris.com. He’s a 20-year law enforcement officer who strives to make the world a better place every day. When he’s not protecting his community, he’s making memories with this family.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what events have drawn you to this specific career path
My dad was a police officer, and I spent time around the office with him when I was growing up. When I was in elementary, my friends and I would ride our bikes through town. I’d know my dad was working and might be out on patrol. I so badly wanted to be doing the same things as my dad.
So, my friends and I would pretend we were out on calls and patrolling the streets, all the while keeping our eyes out for the real police so we could really feel like we were working together on the force.
Can you share your story about “Grit and Success”? First can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?
I was interested in traffic, so I decided to take a police motorcycle 80-hour course with no experience riding a motorcycle. It was the most difficult police training that I’ve had completed, both physically and mentally.
As you’re learning to push the motorcycle to its limits, you lay it over a lot, which can be physically and mentally draining. Falling hundreds of times can be discouraging, and when you feel the bike going down, you already start dreading picking it back up.
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
First, I prayed a lot for strength and determination. I also turned to my dad who is a constant source of encouragement. He pushed me forward, told me not to get discouraged, and believed in me, which is powerful.
Finally, I was determined not to be a quitter. Part of that determination is my upbringing, and part of it is who I am. I had a goal, and I was committed to doing whatever it took to attain it, even if that meant getting back on the motorcycle for the thousandth time and trying again.
So how did Grit lead to your eventual success? How did Grit turn things around?
It didn’t matter how many times I fell; I got back up just as many times. With determination not to give up, the skills I was learning and practicing started to click, and the course became easier and easier. I began to improve, which encouraged me to keep on going.
I passed the course, spent ten years serving the community on a police motorcycle, and taught many others the skills they needed to do the same. I got so much enjoyment out of riding, and every day experienced the benefits of the grit it took to get through that class.
Based on your experience, can you share 5 pieces of advice about how one can develop Grit? (Please share a story or example for each)
#1 — Persevere. Sometimes life is easy, but often it’s not. You are guaranteed to face adversity but how you handle those challenges, unfair situations, and hardships is what makes you succeed or fail in life. When you’re prone to give up, give it another try.
Take it one attempt at a time. If your second try is unsuccessful, do it again, and so on. When I’d fail at performing a maneuver on the motorcycle, I’d listen to the tips from my instructor and try again and again until I could master it.
#2 — Pull yourself up. If you examine your life and your past and see a pattern of quitting, you probably need to start exercising and growing the tiny bit of grit you have. It’s never too late to start. And you’ll never fall too many times if you always pull yourself back up.
When I was taking my motorcycle course, I had to get up over and over again. Eventually, I stopped falling, and riding became fun, making the perseverance totally worth it.
#3 — Press forward. Getting stuck in a rut is easy. However, pushing yourself forward takes grit.
Several years after I finished motorcycle operator school, I had improved my skills enough that I wanted to push myself forward and attended a motorcycle instructor school.
I had to push myself more than I ever had before and had to go through the challenging learning curve once again. Still, I finished, and not only did my riding skill improve, but I also developed a love for teaching others and the knowledge and experience to do so effectively.
#4 — Pick right. I could have said, “make good choices,” but that would have ruined the alliteration. I had to choose to keep a good attitude. I had to decide to listen to the instruction I was given. If I had chosen to ignore those who were helping me, I never could have made it. And if I had decided to focus on my failures, I would have given up.
For life in general, your choices affect the direction of your life, and if you make the right choices, you won’t give up, and you’ll find success.
#5 — Prepare. Prepare yourself for adversity and visualize yourself pushing through and becoming stronger. Then, when you’re faced with a problem in real life, you’ll know how to get yourself in the right mindset.
Preparation begins with your mind. Being mentally prepared before embarking on a journey will help you strengthen your can-do, never-quit, full-of-grit attitude.
One of the instructors I had said to enter every situation knowing you will win before you fight. Preparing your mind before every situation will lead to success.
Many components go into success, but without grit, even the smartest and most talented people will fail.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped you when things were tough? Can you share a story about that?
After my years on the motorcycle for the police department were over and I returned to patrol, I was sad to leave traffic, and I thought no one had noticed my dedication. But then, one of my peers told me he appreciated how I had built the traffic unit and dedicated years to working on the motorcycle, investigating crashes, and keeping the roads in my city safe.
Hearing those words of encouragement showed me someone had noticed, helped me focus on my accomplishments, and encouraged me to keep a good attitude rather than feeling burned out.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I work on the street every day to make my community safer, but I also have reached a position where I get to educate. I work with new officers to train them to make wise and safe choices, I train seasoned officers in the basics and new techniques, and I get to work with the public to help them understand law enforcement.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
I’m working with another officer on a situational awareness group for our department. It will help officers get on a team and be involved in developing safety plans for events and it will help the community by increasing safety and security at public events.
What advice would you give to other executives or founders to help their employees to thrive?
Establish and develop trust with your employees. If your employees trust you, they’ll want to do good work and strive together to reach common goals.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Pedestrian safety is a serious issue, and often, pedestrians assume they’ll be ok if they’re using a crosswalk. Sometimes they’re not, but if they would have just used their eyes before using their feet, they could have stayed safe.
So, I would start a campaign focused on educating the public to look before they leap when crossing a street.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from coming up to bat.” -Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth held the record for home runs, but he also had the highest number of strikeouts. No one remembers the strikeouts, though. I know that I cannot cower in fear, but instead, I need to face every situation with my whole heart in it to be successful.
Meet The Disruptors: Arun Jain Of Intellect Design On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Less is More : Remove redundancy and focus on what matters the most for users. In other words, reduce complexity and keep it simple.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Arun Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of Intellect Design Arena.
Arun commenced his entrepreneurial journey by setting up Nucleus Software in 1986. In 1993, he founded Polaris Software Lab, which recorded a CAGR of over 100% during a seven year period 1993–2000. This path of deep domain expertise, vision and planning began in 1993, with just $250 and a dream. His journey was guided by two strong beliefs — (1) ordinary people coming together to achieve extraordinary results (2) the power of the organizational subconscious in realizing the vision. Intellect Design Arena Limited is his third venture, in pursuit of his vision to make India the IP Capital towards the next growth wave for the IT Industry. Arun’s passion to create a technology product powerhouse from India made Intellect a reality. As an evangelist of Design Thinking, his brainchild — FinTech 8012, the World’s First Design Center at Chennai dedicated to Financial Technology came into being.
Arun has been nominated as the Chairperson of the Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Information Technology Ranchi, Jharkhand, India by Hon’ble President of India. He is entrusted with the responsibility of the Chief Mentor of the FinTech Centre of Excellence at STPI, Chennai setup by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Govt. of India in association with the ELCOT, Govt. of Tamil Nadu. He holds/ has held prestigious positions in various other forums like National Software Product Mission (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology), National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Madras Management Association (MMA), and the Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC).
A social engineer by nature, Arun has been working towards creating a better community. Ullas Trust, founded in 1997, with the purpose of igniting young minds and guiding them to realizing their dreams, has since reached out to over 2,60,000 children from the economically challenged sections of Government, Municipal and Aided Schools. This brainchild of Arun provides vital professional skills to adolescent children across the country nurturing the “Can Do” spirit among the young minds.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I am an engineering graduate from Delhi School of Engineering in 1983. Soon after in 1986 I started Nucleus Software (a provider of lending and transaction banking products to the global financial services industry) with two other partners Yogesh Andlay and Visnu Dusad. In 1993, I moved to Chennai and founded Polaris Software. Polaris Software went on to become a very successful company in the banking technology sector. In 1999, the company became a public listed company and had more than 12000 strong workforce with presence in more than 25 countries.
In 2014, Intellect Design Arena was born out of the demerger of Polaris. The purpose of Intellect Design is to help global financial institutions with state-of-art technologies and products. At the same time, I am also leading Mission Samriddhi (means prosperity), a social enterprise striving towards empowering rural India in solving their problems through design thinking.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Intellect is a cloud-native, multi-product financial technology company that believes in solving complex problems to revolutionize the financial industry through the use of exponential technologies. Our core speciality lies in using design thinking to tap into the potential to solve challenges in the financial industry. All our products are composable, contextual and leverage modern technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analytics, delivered through APIs and an omnichannel UX. All our products and offerings are driven by our strong research and development. Our strong dedication to research and development combined with our extensive use of design thinking to drive transformation has empowered us to design for the future of the financial industry. To sum it up, our work is based on four exponential technologies;
Technology#1 : IDX — The intelligent Document extraction and Fabric data services for Machine learning.
Technology#2 : iTurmeric — The complete API Management, Integration and Orchestration for modernizing Legacy and moving to Cloud infrastructure.
Technology#3 : Contextual Banking Operating system (CBOS) — We built over 400 microservices and 900+ APIs in a common sandbox which helps Banks to design their product around Customer personas in a Composable manner.
Technology#4 : Canvas Technology to design and build with Zero code the Customer experience layer for Interaction and Analytics together.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
As with any growth journey, we have committed our fair share of mistakes. I strongly believe that the act of committing a mistake can be excused, however choosing to not learn from that mistake cannot be excused. A deep sense of humility is what ensures that we convert those mistakes into business wisdom and apply them to ensure that we stay ahead of the curve.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I come from a very humble background. I studied in a government school. In India, mostly students coming from government schools are a bit low in confidence. I was no exception. I was fortunate to have my first mentor Mr. Shailendra Jain. He guided me through my schooling to my professional journey. He taught me the value of self — belief and helped me in believing in myself.
My second mentor was Prasad Kaipa, famous executive coach, CEO advisor and public speaker. He helped me realize that the ego is one of the biggest pitfalls in a successful professional journey. He helped me to let go of my ego, which helped me a lot during the first decade of my career.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
There can be a long debate on what exactly disruption is and when it is right or wrong. These responses can be highly subjective. However, in business any disruption done where a better customer experience is the focus, that disruption is good or right disruption. For example, the banking industry, where all the disruptions make life easier for banking customers. At the same time, the healthcare sector with new technology fueled innovations are helping patients to get better faster through better diagnostics and treatments. On the other hand, any disruption focussed on expertise that does not add to the final customer experience is a ‘wrong disruption’.
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
I am a staunch believer in Design Thinking. According to design thinking, asking an appropriate question is more important than getting to a solution. The foundation of design thinking lies in empathy with the customers. Design Thinking is in the DNA of Intellect Design. We believe that good design is at the heart of better business. Design Thinking allows us to connect Business, Technology and Operations of a bank uniquely and engineer solutions that drive unprecedented value, making it a joyous collaborative experience. I feel that the laws of design thinking are the best advice that I have received:
Less is More : Remove redundancy and focus on what matters the most for users. In other words, reduce complexity and keep it simple.
‘Last 2% is 200%’ : Empathize with the user. Be alert to understand unstated requirements to provide differential service(s). Fulfillment of unstated needs creates the wow factor. Differentiate from the market: the 2% differential will make more than the cut.
Apply judgment between 1000gm, 100gm and 10 gm — Identify the best idea (1000gm) that is 10X more effective than the second best idea (100gm) and 100X more effective than the third best idea (10gm). Understand why it is important to rate exponentially and not linearly.
Slow is fast — To succeed in business, it’s important to figure out where you’re going before stepping on the accelerator. Take the time to understand the problem, including the skills and knowledge you lack, before executing.
‘Can do it’ : I do not think I need to explain this. A positive attitude is a non negotiable. Positive attitude helps you to think more about the solutions rather than problems.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
You are absolutely right. Stagnation can be the biggest enemy of creativity and progress. We need to keep on re-inventing ourselves in order to remain relevant in the changing world. On the business front, we are working towards moving Intellect Design from product to platform company. This transition will help us to gain a significant market share at the global level.
Mission Samridhi is very close to my heart. We are applying design thinking to design an integrated framework for rural development. This piece will revolve around personal development at panchayat level — panchayat is the local government system in India. It is the smallest unit in the large Indian democratic system. Panchayat is a group of five people chosen by a village to govern. Any meaningful change in the Indian villages can be brought through these panchayats only. We are working closely with some of these panchayats on social, economic and ecological development. We work on the simple principle of celebrate, connect and catalysis. As a next step, we are trying to help ‘last mile’ customers through design thinking, science and technology.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
I have a very strong affinity towards books. I have read many books on various subjects pertaining to business, design thinking and human behaviour. If I have to pick one book that has impacted my life, that will be Presence by Peter Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers. The book explored the nature of transformational change. It introduces the idea of “presence” — a concept borrowed from the natural world that the whole is entirely present in any of its parts — to the worlds of business, education, government, and leadership. This book helped me in understanding human purpose and transformation. Human Transformation leads to organization transformation which is responsible for disruptive technologies.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I am an admirer of Walt Disney. The way he changed the world with his stories and storytelling needs no words. Walt Disney has said that “If You can Dream it, You can do it”. The quote encourages me to dream big and then to work to achieve them. My work with Mission Samridhi is something like that only, where I have dreamt of development in all the Indian villages. The other quote which is very close to my heart is “Love, allowing the other to be a legitimate other”. This quote has helped me understand the humans with empathy for which compassion is critical.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
You are absolutely right about the power of a simple idea. “We have no idea of our (human) capacity to create the world anew.” — I believe in these words. I have always put great faith in people and their capability to ideate. Mission Samridhi, Intellect Design all were born out of an idea. If I could inspire one movement, that would be to urge people to feel and think with compassion and empathy. If we start thinking of solutions with empathy, all the decisions whether professional, personal or business related, will lead to a better world with lesser problems.
How can our readers follow you online?
I am present on LinkedIn only. Very soon, I will be present on other platforms like twitter, YouTube etc. You can also follow Intellect’s LinkedIn page as well, to know about all the company.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Marques Ogden Of Ogden Ventures: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
The Importance of Responsibility: I made a promise to my wife after I was fired from two jobs in the same week that I would take one day to mope, and then I would be responsible and get my life back on track in June 2013. Without being responsible to her and my family, I wouldn’t be who I am today.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Marques Ogden.
Marques Ogden is the founder and CEO of Ogden Ventures LLC. In 2003, he was drafted into the NFL as an offensive lineman, and after five years of playing in the league, he decided to retire and pursue a career in construction and contracting. At the age of 27, Marques founded a construction company called Kayden Premier Enterprises. The company had fast growth but eventually went bankrupt, losing almost 2 million dollars on one project in 90 days.
During his darkest hours, he pulled himself together, got a part-time job as a custodian and with hard work and determination is now an inspirational keynote speaker, executive coach, best-selling author, podcast co-host (The Lev & Marques Show) and marketing leader, helping to build the success of others. Visit MarquesOgden.com; Follow Marques Ogden on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I grew up in Washington DC in a single-parent home raised by my father, Shirrel Phillip Ogden, and my older brother Jonathan Phillip Ogden. My dad was one of the first African American bank managers. He was a role model and provided a great childhood for my brother and me. We were raised to value education over sports, respect women and ourselves and always work hard for what we want.
Unfortunately, by the time I got to high school, my father had kidney failure and developed many health issues, so our family struggled to survive. My brother ended up getting drafted to the NFL, and that changed everything. After graduating high school, I attended Howard University and later went on to join my brother in the NFL. After retiring from football, I became an entrepreneur.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
The funniest mistake I made starting out was when I was speaking for a client, and the PowerPoint stopped working correctly. I blurted out a message that didn’t match up with the PowerPoint slide, and that was so embarrassing at the time, but really funny today!!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
My father Shirrel Phillip Ogden was my North Star and best friend. I remember when I almost flunked out of Howard University as a freshman, and my dad told me that if I didn’t shape up, he would pull me out of school. I told him, “you can’t do that, dad!” He said, “if you aren’t going to value the education opportunity you have, I won’t let you waste Howard University’s $125,000 of scholarship money on you!” That was the best feedback I ever got, and it turned my life around for the better.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
When I started my business, the purpose was to help others succeed in life where I failed! That was the primary purpose for this business, beginning in September 2013. Help people learn from my mistakes so that when they grow their businesses, they have resources and tools and avoid a failed trajectory like mine. I teach people how to fail forward if they do fail.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
I tell my team to focus on their strengths and control their mental focus! When people focus on what they can control and not on things they can do nothing about, that’s when great things can happen. Great leaders can be active listeners and people who serve a cause that is greater than themselves.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
In 2015, I almost gave up on my speaking career because I was frustrated I hadn’t gotten any paid speaking jobs for over two years. But I never gave up because I didn’t want to let my father down! He passed away in 2006, and I wanted to honor him with my work as a speaker. So that is my WHY…Why I didn’t give up on myself when times got really hard during the early part of my career as a speaker.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
Leaders set the tone, and calm leaders are the most effective. Cognitive leaders who remain calm during adversity and don’t let emotions affect their mindset are the ones who prevail.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
A leader can inspire their team by complementing them and being someone who listens to them. When people feel valued, they feel like they can move mountains!
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Be direct and authentic. People can tell if you’re trying to beat around the bush, so being direct is the best way to be. Not being direct could cost you more in the long run.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
Change is a constant, so the best way to prepare for unpredictable environments is to be someone who can pivot when times call for it. Leaders who can pivot and adapt are the ones who accomplish their goals.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Have a unified alignment around a shared vision! When everyone has an alignment around a shared vision, you can succeed in any environment.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
Three common mistakes I’ve seen other businesses make when things get tough are:
Not knowing their business
Not being properly funded
Not knowing how to pivot when times call for it
Entrepreneurs should always keep in mind the goals they want to accomplish.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
I try to excel at sales conversions through the process our company created:
Strong
Action-Oriented
Layout Your Why
Efficient
Strategies
This system of closing sales has helped us grow our brand, even through challenging times that came about due to Covid.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
The Importance of Focus:
In my life, every time I was always focused on the task at hand, that is how I was able to succeed! That’s how I got my first paid speaking job in April 2016 with Miller-Motte College in Wilmington, NC.
The Importance of Accountability:
The minute I was accountable to myself, after my spoiled milk moment as a custodian, was the minute I got myself in the right mindset to be successful in my life as an entrepreneur.
The Importance of Responsibility:
I made a promise to my wife after I was fired from two jobs in the same week that I would take one day to mope, and then I would be responsible and get my life back on track in June 2013. Without being responsible to her and my family, I wouldn’t be who I am today.
The Importance of Value:
In New York City, at a big speaking job, I learned the importance of the law of value. Your true worth in business is derived from how much more you give in value than you take in payment! Once I learned that law, business got so, so much better.
The Importance of Authenticity:
At a big job in San Diego, I learned that the best gift we have to offer others is ourselves! And now I live by that law, and it’s helped our brand in every way you could imagine.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Leadership is the art of getting people to do what you want done because they want to do it!” — Dwight D. Eisenhower
This quote is powerful to me because it depicts the importance of servant leadership.
You work hard at marketing your business, to gain visibility and exposure and secure speaking engagements.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need to Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Debra Jason.
A national speaker and author of Millionaire Marketing on a Shoestring Budget™, Debra Jason speaks to organizations that want to fast forward their marketing skills so that they increase their visibility, nurture a steady stream of happy clients, and grow their businesses. A direct response copywriter, operating her business The Write Direction for more than 33 years, she also works with you to write compelling marketing messages that captivate and convert your prospects into loyal raving fans.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I was born and raised in Queens, New York. In my younger years when asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, my answer was “an actress.” From elementary school through junior high I performed in musicals like The Music Man (I played the role of Amaryllis), The Sound of Music (I was one of the Von Trapp children), Brigadoon, etc. Then, I auditioned forThe High School of Performing Arts and, sadly, they turned me down. When that happened, I tucked my dreams away.
In 1976, I moved to Boulder, CO to attend Graduate School in the field of Communication Disorders. So I know about the art of communicating (and miscommunicating). Fast forward to 1989 when I discovered my niche. I realized that I wanted to be a copywriter “when I grew up!” That’s when I opened my doors for business as a freelance direct response copywriter. My copywriting business, which in addition to speaking, is still in existence today, is called The Write Direction.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I started my copywriting business there was no Internet, no social media, etc. At that time, I had to find a way to get my name out there, increase my visibility and boost my credibility. I did that by using public speaking as a marketing tool (remember, I wanted to be an actress so public speaking wasn’t one of my fears).
I delivered presentations to the local Chamber of Commerce and other professional organizations and I taught Continuing Education programs for the University of Colorado Boulder and the adult learning division of the Boulder Valley School District. Many years later, I transitioned from public speaking to professional speaking. Most recently, I served on the Board of Directions for the Colorado chapter of the National Speakers Association.
You might say that, as a speaker, my dream of becoming an actress has been realized — it’s simply taken a different shape and form than I imagined as a child. I may not be a movie or TV star, but I do get to make an impact and inspire others when I deliver a presentation.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
I won the Judge’s Choice Award as a contestant in “Dancing with Boulder Stars” — a fundraising event for the YWCA of Boulder County. Based on the popular TV show, this event matched business professionals (i.e., me) with professional dance instructors. My instructor and I danced a side-by-side Charleston. The judges later said they awarded me the honor because, of all the dancers who performed that evening, I had to learn every single step alongside my instructor. (If you’d like to watch it, here’s a link to the video of my performance — I’m on the right side of the screen. https://youtu.be/5ZrCTRGpwL0)
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The one that comes to mind has to do with my copywriting business. I once sent out an email and the subject line included the word “your.” However, it should have been “you’re” — that’s a common faux pas many folks make. BUT I’m a copywriter and while I knew better, I didn’t catch the mistake until after I had hit the “send” button. One of my email subscribers actually unsubscribed from my list because of the typo (I knew that was the reason because that person messaged me about it).
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
When I started my business my mentor was Eugene (Gene) Schwartz. A colleague of mine referred me to Gene during a time when I was living back in New York. When I returned to Boulder, Colorado I continued to work with Gene. He was there for me whenever I had questions as well emotional upsets. He always knew the right thing to say to keep me on track.
I was touched when he sent me a note saying this, “Debra, you are an enormously talented marketing person . . . I deeply feel that you are far more than a copywriter. You have the required toughness and fortitude to be an excellent and supremely successful entrepreneur.”
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
If you don’t give it a try, you’ll never know if you would have been a success or not. I actually think failure is a stepping stone along the path to success. If you find something doesn’t go as planned, you can go back to the drawing board and make improvements. Or you might decide to shift and go in a different direction that leads you where you want to go.
In addition, when you want to strengthen your speaking skills, look for a Toastmasters chapter in your area. They are extremely beneficial in helping members boost their confidence and self-esteem around speaking in front of a group.
If you’re interested in walking down the path of professional speaking, then look for a chapter of the National Speakers Association in your area. You’ll connect with like-minded professionals and access many wonderful resources to help you succeed on your journey.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
Marketing and writing with heart, not hype. My mission is to not only inspire you, but to empower you with cost-effective business-building strategies that help you increase your visibility and grow your business. I believe marketing, like life, is about building and nurturing relationships. I encourage my audiences to make relationship-building a priority in both their personal and professional lives.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
Thanks a million for those kind words. What’s exciting me right now is expanding my presentation about “Dancing to Success.” I share the highlights of that program here as it relates to speaking, but I’m considering whether or not I can develop it into a longer program, maybe a workshop where everyone can have fun dancing and being inspired at the same time.
An aside to this, is expanding my creativity with art. At the onset of the pandemic, I began painting with a medium known as alcohol inks. After posting images of my work on social networks, some folks started to reach out asking to purchase my work. Due to the response, I’ve continued to journey down this artistic path. How fun is that? Perhaps it’s a topic I can turn into a presentation about how adversity can unexpectedly lead us in new directions that bring positive change. We shall see . . .
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my favorite quotes is about being persistent. It comes from Calvin Coolidge. “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
When I started my business there were many ups and downs, days when I went from being elated to thinking, “What am I doing?” However, I kept on going. I was consistent and very persistent. I believed in myself and did not give up — and here it is more than 30 years later.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need to Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
You work hard at marketing your business, to gain visibility and exposure and secure speaking engagements.
However, there are days when — like many businesses — marketing makes you crazy. You get frustrated because maybe that proposal you thought was a shoe-in gets turned down, or that check doesn’t arrive on time from your client and it throws you off beat.
Take a deep breath and D-A-N-C-E. DANCE is an acronym highlighting five steps to guide you toward putting one foot in front of the other and getting your rhythm back. Then, you can help people in the best way you know how, which may be through speaking.
D is for Dream. You have a Dream. Maybe that Dream is to speak at a corporate event, at an industry conference, or simply to feel comfortable delivering a presentation in front of your colleagues or clients. Whatever your Dream, you then need the Desire to pursue that Dream and to do so with Determination. You have to be consistent and persistent.
A is Authenticity. That word is used a lot, but it’s about being genuine. It’s about being true to who you are on the stage (or in front of a group) and off the stage. And I’ll add, it includes being genuine on the phone and off the phone. I had a meeting planner call me once and I said, “I’m curious. What was it about my materials that prompted you to pick up the phone and call me?” She responded, “I call everyone because I’ve gotten on the phone with some people and they sound like wet fish. I want somebody who is going to have the same energy on the phone as they do off the phone and on the stage as well as off the stage.”
Now perhaps you’re like me and you suffer from the ailment I call “comparisonitis.” You’re on social media and see that your colleague is heading off to the Bahamas for a speaking engagement. And where are you going? Podunk, Iowa. Maybe Podunk is a really nice place, but I suggest you do what author Scott Stratten says, “If you’re authentic to yourself then you won’t have competition. Just be you.” I add, come from your heart and be true to yourself.
N is for Nurture. As I say in my book, “Millionaire Marketing on a Shoestring Budget™,” when you Nurture yourself, you Nurture your business. You might hear folks say, “You have to do the 24/7 hustle. You’ve got to hustle.” The only hustle I want you do is the renowned disco dance known as the New York Hustle (back in the height of the ‘disco days,’ I was a DJ and a disco dance instructor.)
What are you doing to Nurture yourself? Many of us freak when our cell phone batteries are running low. You frantically look for a charger or charging station. We all worry about recharging our phones, but what about recharging ourselves?
If you don’t Nurture yourself, you’re going to burn out. What do you love to do outside of work? Dance? Paint? Write? Hike? Yoga? Meditation? Whatever it is, be sure to take time out for yourself. When you Nurture yourself, you Nurture your business.
C is Create Connection. Create Connection in your network and through your Communications and, do so with Confidence (two more Cs). And, that’s not just with the way you talk to your audience, it’s with your colleagues as well. Have you ever received referrals and/or recommendations from your colleagues?
When you’re Communicating with Confidence, that feeling shines through and Creates Connection with your audience. Michelle Gielan is a speaker and researcher who studies positivity and she says, “Any time we make an investment in social connection, we not only combat loneliness, but we feed our success at the same time.”
E is for Engagement. When you’re presenting, you want to make sure the audience is Engaged. When I present my program called “Dance to Success Even If You Have Two Left Feet,” I show the audience the 6 steps to the popular disco dance, the NY Hustle. I get them to stand up and follow the dance steps with me. Fellow speaker Dan Thurman juggles swords. Or sometimes he does flips onto the stage. These activities Engage people, but I also say Engagement happens when you are Energetic and Enthusiastic (two more Es). And, that comes across in the tone of your voice when you’re speaking to your audience.
If I got up to teach dance steps and said in a flat, monotone, and boring voice, “Hello, we’re going to dance to success even if you have two left feet. So please get up and follow me. 1–2–3–4–5–6.” I probably would have lost you at ‘Hello.’
You can Engage your audience with activities, but you can also Engage them with your Energy and Enthusiasm when you’re speaking to them.
To recap: D is for Dream. You have a Dream and a Desire to pursue it with Determination.
A is for Authenticity. Be true to yourself when you’re on and off that stage.
N is for Nurture. Don’t forget that when you Nurture yourself, you Nurture your business.
C is for Create Connection in your Communications and do so with Confidence.
E is for Engagement. Be Energetic and Enthusiastic.
Next time you’re preparing to speak, keep these five steps in mind and remember that you too can dance to success even if you have two left feet.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Breathe! Before you get up to speak take a quiet moment for yourself. Take a deep breath in and exhale with a sigh. Do it three times and your body will start to relax. Remind yourself that you’re there to serve others in the best way you know how. And keep in mind, that the audience wants you to succeed because they’re there to learn from you.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
You might say I started a movement toward positivity, without even trying. For many years, each morning on Facebook, I started my day by posting a beautiful image I had photographed (i.e., flowers, landscapes, ocean, etc.) along with an optimistic message or question. I didn’t realize how many people looked forward to those posts. They would tell me online, but I’d also run into people in person and they’d say, “I love your morning posts. They always inspire me.”
At one point in time, I thought about stopping. I asked my followers for their input. They unanimously said, “Don’t stop. Your optimism always starts my day on a positive note” (which became the name of notecard sets I later created with my images and affirmations).
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
The person I’d most like to have lunch with is my mother. Sadly, she passed onto the spirit world more than 30 years ago. Therefore, she was not alive when I started my copywriting business or when I began speaking. At one point in time years ago, she started her own real estate firm along with several of her girlfriends. Therefore, she served as one of my entrepreneurial role models (along with my dad). I’d like to know, if she were here today, that she is proud of me.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
LeAnn Brazeal Of Missouri State University On The 5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
AUTHENTICITY. It’s stressful to try to be someone you’re not, and audiences can tell when you’re not speaking authentically. Celebrities take a lot of heat, especially on social media, when they give a statement or speech that seems ghost-written by a publicist or legal team. Audiences want to know your words are yours. You don’t want to be unprofessional, but audiences like to see a little personality, maybe in the stories you tell or the way you smile at them. Be yourself. You’ll feel more comfortable, too.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing LeAnn Brazeal.
LeAnn M. Brazeal, PhD, is an associate professor and director of public speaking in the Department of Communication at Missouri State University. She is co-author of the books Public Speaking: Essentials for Excellence and The Primary Decision: A Functional Analysis of Debates in Presidential Primaries. She’s published numerous research articles and book chapters in outlets, such as Social Media + Society, Argumentation and Advocacy and Repairing the Athlete’s Image: Studies in Sports Image Restoration. An award-winning teacher and debate coach, Brazeal writes and speaks on a variety of topics in communication, including public speaking, political communication and public relations in times of crisis and scandal. Her work on public speaking and civic engagement has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up on a small farm just outside of Springfield, Missouri. I’m an only child and our family worked a lot, so I spent a lot of time with my nose in a book, helping with the farm or running around outside. It was pretty unusual for the time, but my mom was the parent who worked outside the home, doing data entry for a real estate company, and was an avid reader. She took me to the library every Saturday without fail and let me read whatever I could get my hands on — science, biographies, mysteries, you name it. Dad was self-employed, long before it was fashionable, and worked from home on various businesses. Since he worked from home, he was in charge of me during school breaks and summer vacation. I tagged along with him wherever he went — cattle auctions, rental properties, that kind of thing — and got to see how business worked. I also saw how you can work both with your hands and your mind, and I have a great appreciation for both. I credit those experiences with helping me think creatively about work and careers, especially in an era of side hustles and Great Resignations.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was in high school, I was asked to give a public reading of a short story I’d written. The small audience, mostly parents, crowded into the school library and sat patiently on folding chairs while we kids shared our work. As far as I was concerned, the audience might as well have been a bunch of hungry lions, because I was just that terrified of public speaking. I gripped the podium as if it were a life vest and my knees were knocking together as I read my story.
Then, people in the audience started laughing — not at me, though. At my jokes! They thought I was funny! I relaxed and I began to understand that the audience and I were in this together. But that experience showed me that I needed to face my fears and learn how to do this well. So, I signed up for a public speaking class, which led me to join the speech and debate team in high school, and then again in college, and those experiences led me to where I am now.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
It’s not any one story that sticks with me so much as an accumulation of stories over the years. I’ve found that if you hang around after you speak, you’ll almost always have someone in the audience who approaches you, often shyly, and wants to tell you his/her story. Those moments are incredible. To think that what you’ve shared resonates with others and helps them think about their own life in a different way, well, that’s pretty special. Or maybe what you’ve said gives someone else the courage to find his/her own voice. Each story is interesting to me and I always feel honored to hear them.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I started out as a high school teacher, and one of our lessons was on using presentational aids in a speech. A bright and energetic young man gave a speech on pets and brought his two ferrets as presentational aids. The speech went well, but toward the end, the ferrets got the wiggles and leaped out of his arms. They zipped around the room, too fast for us to catch, and scurried under the radiators every time we got close. I went to shut the door, trying to figure out how I was going to explain a couple of loose ferrets to my bosses, and saw my assistant principal making his rounds. One of the older kids said, “Everyone sit down and look normal!” So, when the principal poked his head in the classroom, he saw a class debating current events from the newspaper. The ferrets, thankfully, stayed put. The assistant principal looked around the room, his face telling me he knew something was amiss, but he finally closed the door and went on his way. Laughter erupted. It was a close call, but it brought us together as a class.
There’s an adage in the acting world, “Don’t work with kids or animals!” Similarly, I think the lesson is to always practice your speeches with your presentational aids so you’re comfortable with them … and they don’t escape. And, in a larger sense, don’t be afraid to let someone you’re working with try something unusual. The experience may turn out better than you expect.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Beyond my family, my high school speech and debate teacher was critical in helping me get where I am today. When I started her class, I was kind of a nervous wreck. I was a shy kid and sure I would fail. My first speech was on the first day of class. I thought, “What kind of teacher does that?” It was just an introduction, but when my turn came, I could barely remember my own name. I fiddled with my clothes and could hardly look at the class. I probably ran back to my seat when I was finished. I don’t remember much, but I do know it was the longest 30 seconds of my life. I was sure I was going to fail this class. But my teacher saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. She had high expectations, but also offered practical advice and encouragement. She wouldn’t let me give up when I was struggling to succeed and helped me develop a growth mindset. Without her, I would not be where I am today.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
A lot of people think public speaking skill is something you’re either born with or you’re not, and that’s a myth. Public speaking is a skill that you can learn and develop. Like sports or art or music, you have to be willing to practice and push yourself to become better. Even if you’re an introvert, you can become a fantastic public speaker. I was terribly shy as a young person, so if I can do it, anyone can.
What drives you to get up everyday and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
I do a lot of teaching and coaching these days, and my focus is on transformation. I love to see people grow more confident and do what they thought was impossible. Public speaking terrifies people. But if you can teach people how to do the thing they thought they could never do, you’ve opened up the world for them. Then, they can go out there and do so much more.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
I’m excited to start working on my new book about the ways individuals and organizations speak publicly about scandals and crisis. There seems to be new examples every day. I’ll also be revising my book on public speaking fairly soon.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.”
I read this in a book as a child, but it resonates with me so much more as an adult. I’ve had a few health issues over the years that have set me back, and through those I’ve learned how to carve out time for myself without giving up on my goals. It’s hard when you’re used to going at full steam all the time, but sometimes your body knows what you need better than you do. Just don’t give up.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
1. AUTHENTICITY. It’s stressful to try to be someone you’re not, and audiences can tell when you’re not speaking authentically. Celebrities take a lot of heat, especially on social media, when they give a statement or speech that seems ghost-written by a publicist or legal team. Audiences want to know your words are yours. You don’t want to be unprofessional, but audiences like to see a little personality, maybe in the stories you tell or the way you smile at them. Be yourself. You’ll feel more comfortable, too.
2. CONVERSATIONAL STYLE. In other words, talk with your audience, not at them. Great public speaking is conversational. There was a time when serious, formal speeches ruled the day, but audiences today want to feel a connection with you. They’ll be a lot more receptive to your message and you’ll feel more relaxed when delivering it. This is Oprah’s superpower.
3. APPROPRIATE PRACTICE. This is my most-resisted piece of advice. Inexperienced speakers want to “go over” a speech in their heads to prepare. But you wouldn’t ask a football team to practice by going through plays in their head, would you? Public speaking has a physical component and getting on your feet helps you practice your speech the same way you’ll be giving it. It also gives you a chance to practice gestures, eye contact and other aspects of body language.
4. PASSON FOR YOUR TOPIC. Often, you’ll see a person light up when he/she is talking about a favorite hobby or a TV show. Speaking about something we care about gives us an “enthusiasm advantage” that draws audiences in and entices them to listen. It also inspires us as speakers to prepare well for the sake of our message. Even if you don’t choose your own topic, it helps to find some aspect of it that grabs your interest.
5. CONTENT YOU’RE PROUD TO SHARE. Do your legwork ahead of time. Research well, organize your thoughts, and bring in facts, examples, stories and expert analysis to support your ideas. Once you have a foundation, craft a speech that will leave your audience on the edge of their seats. Invite them to solve a mystery, take a trip or make the world a better place with you. Creativity matters. When you have content you feel good about, you will be more confident and enjoy sharing it with your audience.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
By far, the best piece of advice is practice, practice, practice. Practice on your feet, in front of a mirror. Practice with your slide deck or other presentational aids. Practice until you are comfortable with both the content and your delivery. People like to avoid what they’re afraid of, so the most anxious speakers are the least likely to practice. But stand up and face that fear, and it will make your whole experience better.
Also, seek opportunities to speak. YouTubers will tell you that your first few videos aren’t going to be very good, but you have to keep making them to improve. Public speaking is the same way. Offer to speak to small, friendly groups and consider asking for feedback afterward. Organizations like Toastmasters can also offer opportunities to speak often. Take a class or bring on a coach.
Finally, focus on your message. If you focus too much on your audience, it’s easy to get inside your own head and overanalyze everything they do: “Am I boring? Are they falling asleep? Do they hate me?” To stop that internal monologue, focus on the message you’re trying to covey rather than the audience’s reaction.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would love to see a movement where people listen more. Public speaking is just one part of the communication process. The other part involves the audience listening with an open mind, processing the information and offering feedback. I think the world would be a much better place if we were better equipped to listen to one another, really listen, and see where others are coming from. That could open up space for dialogue. On some things we’ll never agree, but, in spite of everything, I believe we have more common ground than it appears.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
@lbrazeal on Twitter.
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
I’d love to visit with the cast of Critical Role, especially creative director Marisha Ray. They’re a group of voice actors who started out playing Dungeons and Dragons and have built their game into a wildly successful worldwide transmedia company with a critically acclaimed new series on Amazon Prime.
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Meet The Disruptors: Dr Adam Power Of Front Line Medical Technologies On The Five Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
“Don’t quit your day job.” My day job was being a vascular surgeon and many people wondered why I was taking such a big risk outside of my area of expertise in the entrepreneurial space. Even though I was initially told this in jest, I truly embrace these words now because my day job enables me to have a unique perspective on how the medical devices that we are developing affect those on the front lines.
As a part of our series about business leaders who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Adam Power.
Dr. Adam Power is an Associate Professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Power completed a general surgery residency at McMaster University and a vascular surgery fellowship at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Power’s research interests include innovation and medical device development, and he is Chief Medical Officer of Front Line Medical Technologies Inc.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
The most unique thing about me is that I am not unique. I have an identical twin brother, who is also a surgeon and has pushed me to be a better human being from day 1. We both went to medical school and diverged when he went into urological surgery and I ultimately ended up in vascular surgery. We jokingly say that we are both human plumbers… I deal in the red and he in the yellow.
When I was in my first year of surgical residency, I didn’t want to do the typical chart review research that most junior residents do. I have always been inventive by nature and figured it was as good a time as any to light up my creative juices. I ended up inventing a new medical device that helped with minimally invasive surgery. I filed a patent, prototyped the device at a local machine shop, piloted the device in animals, and presented an abstract of the research at an international meeting. I then waited for the industry to come knocking … but they never came. So, I went knocking! In those initial elevator pitches, before I even knew what an elevator pitch was, I learned very quickly that I needed to learn the language of the industry to better convince others of my ideas. I, therefore, pushed pause on my surgical residency and went to Cambridge University to complete a Master’s degree in BioScience Enterprise. I also had my first medical device startup company in the UK and learned an immense amount about what it takes to make a successful company.
Fast Forward a few years and a few patents later and I met a Ph.D. Biomedical Engineer named Asha Parekh, while I was working as an academic vascular surgeon in London, Ontario, Canada. Asha and I shared a passion for innovation combined with the desire to make an impact in patients’ lives, which was the beginning of Front Line Medical Technologies Inc. We both realized that if we were ever going to see one of our inventions help a patient in our lifetimes then we were going to have to do it ourselves.
Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?
Surgeons are taught to use existing tools to accomplish a certain task. We are told that if you can’t accomplish the task, then you aren’t a good surgeon. “A good carpenter never blames his tools.” I think my work is disruptive because I tend to blame the tools (at least a little bit) and then try to come up with something better. I believe that simplifying medical devices to accomplish complex procedures is key to treating more patients with fewer complications.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake that I made when we were first starting is that I kept looking for jobs for my partner Asha, “in case this whole thing doesn’t work out.” Even from the beginning, she has never wavered in her belief that we would succeed. The lesson I learned is to choose your co-founding partners wisely. People are the reason companies survive and not products.
We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?
I think my biggest mentors are my patients. They have taught me valuable lessons in the past and continue to teach me every day. As a vascular surgeon, I, unfortunately, must operate on very sick patients who are often bleeding to death, like in major abdominal bleeding following a trauma. You only fail a patient once before you are ignited to find better solutions. Our company has developed technologies that help very sick patients, and they are who I think about when we face any barriers.
In today’s parlance, being disruptive is usually a positive adjective. But is disrupting always good? When do we say the converse, that a system or structure has ‘withstood the test of time’? Can you articulate to our readers when disrupting an industry is positive, and when disrupting an industry is ‘not so positive’? Can you share some examples of what you mean?
I think positive disruption in the medical device industry involves providing for improved patient outcomes delivered in a cost-effective manner. The better the outcomes and more cost-effective the treatments, the more disruptive they are. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to know these hard endpoints with a new disruptive medical device technology because it takes time to accrue the relevant data. This is why I have always been drawn to helping the sickest patients with the most difficult problems from both a clinical and industry perspective. The burden, therefore, falls on the innovators to help save patients that never had a chance before or simplify treatments to make them more affordable and have wider applicability. The burden should never fall on patients or healthcare systems to bear the brunt of a treatment that might not “stand the test of time.”
Can you share five of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.
The best words of advice I have been given were said to me more as a joke from various colleagues when I was starting this whole entrepreneurial journey: “Don’t quit your day job.” My day job was being a vascular surgeon and many people wondered why I was taking such a big risk outside of my area of expertise in the entrepreneurial space. Even though I was initially told this in jest, I truly embrace these words now because my day job enables me to have a unique perspective on how the medical devices that we are developing affect those on the front lines.
We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?
We are busy building a pipeline of products through our research and development activities. We are innovators at heart and love solving new problems to help patients. Our goal is to become a global leader in circulatory support medical devices.
Do you have a book, podcast, or talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us? Can you explain why it was so resonant with you?
I am a big fan of Sam Harris and his podcast Waking Up. I think that making sense of this chaotic world sometimes requires us to slow down and just be. He has many lessons on meditation that I have found extremely valuable. I also just finished the book “Four Thousand Weeks” by Oliver Burkeman, which really helped to put my life goals into perspective.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Be kind to yourself.” It is impossible to go through life and not make mistakes and have failures. I think we all need to be a little easier on ourselves when this happens.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Give more in this life than take. If the balance was shifted more toward others than ourselves, the world would be a better place.
Give responsibility. By forcing people to make decisions, they develop and realize that they “can.” They will not always be right but it’s the only way to get them to develop.
As part of our series about the “Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Istvan Beres. Istvan Beres is CEO of DanAds, which he co-founded in 2013 with Peo Persson. As the world’s leading provider of self-serve advertising platforms, DanAds is helping to pave the way for a more transparent advertising ecosystem.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I moved from Transylvania to Sweden as a 14-year-old and founded my first company while still a teenager. From there, I helped turn a record store with two locations into a national chain with 25 locations at its peak among numerous other ventures, including stints at CDON and United Influencers. Today I am the CEO and co-founder of DanAds, the world’s leading provider of self-serve advertising platforms for the publishing industry.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
My first job was at a music store. The day I started, I showed up in a full suit and tie. Everyone at that time worked in worn, over washed free merch t-shirts. The lesson learned was that you should adapt your attire to the environment you’re working in. Everyone was looking at me like I was in a zoo.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
I come from an entrepreneurial family, where my father was always a role model for me. But during the journey, there have been many people who have helped. My biggest “help” came when I was 18 and feeling a little crooked in life. One of my teachers wanted to challenge me in every lesson. It was almost like bullying, but he helped me realize that I can do anything and that I can do it better than everyone else. Without a doubt, this was the biggest influence in my life.
Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven businesses” are more successful in many areas. When your company started, what was its vision, what was its purpose?
The first company I joined (a chain of music stores) was, at the time, the biggest in Scandinavia and had a strong brand and position in the market. But they were broken by a technological change. Music, games, movies, and books began to be distributed digitally, primarily by illegal services such as Napster and Pirate Bay. These services forever changed the industry and people’s view of owning something versus having access to something. Availability became greater than ownership, quality, or even the law. When I started DanAds, we had the same goal. We wanted to change an industry that is extremely manual, sluggish, and old-fashioned. It is still the same goal to disrupt that governs all our decisions.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion. Can you share with our readers a story from your own experience about how you lead your team during uncertain or difficult times?
You have to trust your employees and let those closest to the customer and market make the decision. For example, during Covid-19 we let those who wanted to work from home or remotely do so. But at the same time, we let those who did not have the conditions to work from home due to children, small apartments, etc., work in an office with large areas where they could comply with the recommendations of the authorities and feel safe.
Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the motivation to continue through your challenges? What sustains your drive?
Never. I have had to start my life over three times. The first time was when I was born. I was born with a cesarean section, and the doctors sent me home with my parents and said that I would die within a couple of hours or days. Evidently, they were wrong! The second time was when we moved to a new country. I was 14 years old and had to leave all my friends and material things to start again in a new country where I did not know the language or culture. The third time was when I was 40 years old and filed for bankruptcy. I lost everything and had to start over.
I have always had two important “guiding stars”. First: however bad you have it or think you have it, you still have it better than 99% of the world’s population. I have a loving family, friends, and my health. Second: if it were easy, anyone could do it, and then you would not be needed.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
The most important thing is that you share your vision, challenges, and goals with your colleagues. If you do not get along with your colleagues, you will lose their trust and indirectly the opportunity to run your company.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire, motivate and engage their team?
Do as you expect them to do. Be a good role model. First at work and last out. Make sure you are available. If they trust you and the company’s role they will trust themselves and feel that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
What is the best way to communicate difficult news to one’s team and customers?
Always see that the glass is half full and not half empty. In all situations there is something positive. Concentrate on that and not on the problem. Anyone can find problems. Finding solutions to the problems that exist is much more important. So, never present a problem — present a solution.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
Always focus on what you can influence. What you cannot influence is not interesting. You simply have to adapt to it. For me, a concrete example right now is the situation in Ukraine. I employ a large number of software developers in Ukraine, and of course, the possibility of conflict with Russia is a big concern. We make contingency plans where possible to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff, but at the same time, it is largely out of our control. We do our best to be straightforward, honest and adapt as quickly as we can to changing circumstances.
Is there a “number one principle” that can help guide a company through the ups and downs of turbulent times?
Concentrate on what you can solve. The rest will be resolved in some way, and it is out of your control anyhow. No need to waste time on that.
Can you share 3 or 4 of the most common mistakes you have seen other businesses make during difficult times? What should one keep in mind to avoid that?
Some try to solve what they cannot influence. Others do not dare to make a decision. It’s never good to let others make your decisions, which happens if you wait too long and hope for a solution. Stop trying to make the 100% safe decision, there is usually no such thing.
Generating new business, increasing your profits, or at least maintaining your financial stability can be challenging during good times, even more so during turbulent times. Can you share some of the strategies you use to keep forging ahead and not lose growth traction during a difficult economy?
I try to think in new directions. Do not let old decisions, culture, or “that we have always done so” guide your decisions. Just because no one else has done it or others have tried it and failed does not mean it does not work. In difficult times, you have to look up and try something new while not losing focus on your old customers, which is usually a company’s most important source of income, but you usually forget about them.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times? Please share a story or an example for each.
Always partner up with people who love what you hate. If you love what you do then you usually do a much better job.
Trust your employees. They always do a better job if they feel confident.
Delegate. Do not try to micromanage everything. You will not have time.
Give responsibility. By forcing people to make decisions, they develop and realize that they “can.” They will not always be right but it’s the only way to get them to develop.
Create a culture where it is OK to make mistakes, as long as you learn from your mistakes and do not do it again. In this way, people dare to challenge themselves and develop.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Concentrate on what you can solve. The rest will be resolved in some way, and it is out of your control anyhow. Usually, you try to fix all the problems in the world but of course, you can’t. So, no need to spill time and energy on things that are out of your control. For me, this is very much my reality. For me, this was my reality in an industry where change was beyond my control. My everyday life was to solve the profitability of my companies, not to try to change an industry.
Surround yourself with people in the business but do not try to become them. Learn from them but remain true to yourself. So many new speakers see who people have deemed “gurus” in the industry and they try to emulate their speech pattern, dress, movements, etc. Don’t do that. If they wanted to hire that person, they would. Be you.
At some point in our lives, many of us will have to give a talk to a large group of people. What does it take to be a highly effective public speaker? How can you improve your public speaking skills? How can you overcome a fear of speaking in public? What does it take to give a very interesting and engaging public talk? In this interview series called “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker” we are talking to successful and effective public speakers to share insights and stories from their experience. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly Charles-Collins.
Kelly Charles-Collins, CEO of HR Legally Speaking, LLC, has the unique ability to make difficult and sensitive topics more approachable.
She’s a powerhouse attorney and expert on disrupting unconscious bias, bystander intervention, and courageous conversations. Kelly leverages her 20+ years of employment law experience, intuitive perspective, and engaging personality to empower leaders to stay on the right side of the next #hashtag movement.
Kelly is also an author, TEDx speaker, founder of the Ladies Who Leverage Global Network & Mentoring Accelerator, podcast host and magazine publisher. She and her award-winning TEDx Talk — The Bystander Effect: Why Some People Act and Others Don’t have been featured on ABC and CBS and podcasts and she’s been quoted in several publications, including Forbes, Fast Company, Women’s Wear Daily, and Thrive Global.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I had a wonderful childhood. I was born in St. Andrew Jamaica. Shortly thereafter, we moved to New York where I lived until the age of about three. We then moved back to Jamaica where I thrived in school. Fun fact, in Jamaica I went to school with Bob Marley’s children and Ziggy Marley was my classmate. At the age of nine, my family relocated permanently to Miami where I lived until I was sixteen and went off to college in Providence, Rhode Island. I have an older sister who is my person — my confidante and coach. I’m also blessed that my octogenarian parents are still alive, married and in good health.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
In 1995, I began practicing law. After several years I realized that being a lawyer was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. So, while practicing, I did other things like taught college and law school and ran my own business. In 2016, while practicing law in Miami, I was recruited by a law firm in Tampa. It was a great opportunity to expand my horizons and I’m always up for a change. About one year in, I began to get an itch. That itch to move on. They say people have a 7-year itch, but I seemed to consistently have about a 3-year itch.
One day, I was sitting in a deposition and all I could think about was — what am I doing here? I’m destined for more. I have so much more to offer to the world that I couldn’t with the confines of the legal profession. I wanted to create a bigger impact and I knew I could no longer doing that practicing law. So, at the end of 2017, I create my 2018 to do list. On that list, among other things, was to become a professional speaker, write a book, and do a TEDx. All three were to be accomplished in 2018. I had no real idea of how this was going to happen. But the one thing I know is that when my vision is clear, I’m unstoppable.
I began to research how to become a professional speaker and landed upon a local chapter of the National Speakers Association and joined their Speakers’ Academy. I then decided I would write about something I had being speaking about and dong for years — workplace investigations. That became my first book. Then one day on Facebook, a woman popped up on my feed talking about coaching people to become TEDx speakers and I connected with her. I eventually hired her, and I got accepted to two TEDx stages — I ended up only doing one. I accomplished all of this in an 11-month period while practicing law as a trial attorney full-time.
While in the speaker’s academy, I started to develop my profile as a “professional” speaker. I had obviously been speaking as an attorney for many years, but I now wanted speaking, not lawyering, to be my profession. I got to building.
Then October 22, 2019, rolled around. [This is a whole story in and of itself.] But the short version is, that morning something moved my spirit and caused me to utter the words, My Freedom Papers. Later that day, I was asked by my partners to come to their office and told that by the end of the year, I would no longer be employed because they could not afford to pay me. I mean I always knew I was priceless (LOL). But this was not a surprise. They just didn’t realize I knew what they had in store and was ready for it. As much as I had been planning my exit, so were they. They just did it first.
And therefore, on January 1, 2020, my professional speaking journey began.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Being able to openly discuss race and racism in the workplace. As an employment lawyer, those topics have been taboo topics, never to be discussed. However, considering George Floyd’s murder, we were able to take the plastic off the good furniture and have open dialogue. This has been one of the most rewarding things in my speaking career. The ability to have honest conversations about hard and often hurtful topics with the agreeable and the disagreeable.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Wearing the wrong shoes. I wore very high heels to one of my events. I also wore them before the event and had to walk what felt like miles in a huge convention center. My feet started going numb on the stage. I could hardly move. I was wishing and praying nobody could tell. I’m sure they could. I powered through it and as soon as I got off that stage, those shoes came off. But it was so far gone, that even walking barefoot was a challenge. Lesson — Wear comfortable shoes — mostly I wear blingy slippers. Change into my shoes right before I get on stage. Immediately put my slippers back on once I’m off stage. And yes, I do that even when people come up to meet me and speak with me. Remember, I said be you. And that’s me.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are so many people. But if I were to choose the one person who has made the biggest impact on my business as a professional speaker, it would be my coach and friend, Dawnna St. Louis. Having practiced law for over 23 years at the time we met and 20+ years as an employment lawyer, you can imagine I had lots of things about which I could speak. I was having a challenge with narrowing that down. When I met Dawnna, I had nine topics I said I would talk about — NINE!! Totally crazy.
Dawnna said — uhm no you won’t. You can have three. What??? So, we worked diligently to narrow down my niche to three topics. At that time, those topics were Unconscious Bias, Bystander Intervention (which was the topic of my TEDx), and workplace investigations (the topic of my book, which had been published by then). Whew that was such a relief.
We then homed in on Unconscious Bias as the signature topic because I could leverage my expertise as an employment law attorney. Next, we talked about setting my rates. Up to that point, I had been charging about $5–7.5k for my speaking gigs. But Dawnna immediately put an end to that. My rate was $10k and I needed to be able to say it and shut up. It was little scary at first, but I knew she was right. That was in early 2019. As of summer 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, my rate is now $20k. When I think of that in comparison to being billed out as a lawyer at a rate of $175–300 per hour, it’s mind-blowing. But this change and Dawnna’s coaching, has allowed me to make more money than I did as an attorney in a shorter period, doing something I love while also making an impact. Don’t get me wrong, I loved practicing law — well most of the time — but the impact was missing.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging and intimidating. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
Yes! First accept that failure is a necessary journey on the road to success. We all fail. The key is to look at the failure as a lesson. I always say “sit, don’t stay.” What I mean by that is when things happen in life, sit to acknowledge it, but whether it’s celebrating or brooding, you can’t stay there. Progress requires forward movement.
Second, make sure you understand that speaking is a business. So, while it looks great when you see people on stage or on video or wherever, that is just the delivery part of their business. There’s a whole lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to get them there. You must be willing to do the work.
Third, before you embark of this journey, you must know what you are going to speak about, who you are going to speak to, what are you going to charge, who will pay you for what you are speaking about, what is the value you will provide. That value is what gets you paid.
Fourth, you must have a depth of knowledge about your topic. You must be able to discuss and answer the most obscure questions or at the very least know where to direct people to get the answer. It’s not enough to just be able to repeat what people can find on Google or decide that you are now a “X” speaker because that is the hot topic. You must be a subject matter expert — regardless of what you’re speaking about.
Fifth, surround yourself with people in the business but do not try to become them. Learn from them but remain true to yourself. So many new speakers see who people have deemed “gurus” in the industry and they try to emulate their speech pattern, dress, movements, etc. Don’t do that. If they wanted to hire that person, they would. Be you.
Sixth, stand in your power when it comes to getting paid. So many speakers steal from themselves by unnecessarily speaking for free, charging rates that are too low, or discounting their rates out of fear and a scarcity mindset.
Seventh, understand that there are different speaker business models, and you need to choose the one that suits you.
What drives you to get up every day and give your talks? What is the main empowering message that you aim to share with the world?
My goal with my talks is to open hearts so people can change their minds. As the mother of a son who is a victim of police brutality, this is vitally important to me. If I can open people’s hearts and they can open other people’s hearts, my desire is that the ripple effect decreases the chances of my son becoming the next hashtag. As the Black mother of a Black son, this is truly a matter of life and death to me. That’s really it. It’s that simple.
You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?
Right now, I’m thinking about how I can more creatively reach more people to discuss these important topics outside the confines of the workplace. I no longer speak about workplace investigations. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the many, many listening sessions I facilitated and continue to facilitate for companies, I wrote a book “Conversations Change Things: The “PER”fect Framework for Courageous Conversations and now train on this topic.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I belong everywhere I am, but I don’t belong everywhere. It reminds me that I am powerful at my core. That any place that I find myself, I absolutely belong there. I don’t question it. Others might, but that’s on them. However, I also realize that I don’t belong everywhere. That means that not everyone deserves my presence. This helps me protect my space and peace and be able to show up as my best self for those who I am supposed to serve.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Public Speaker?” Please share a story or example for each.
You must know what you are going to speak about, who you are going to speak to, what are you going to charge, who will pay you for what you are speaking about, what is the value you will provide. When I narrowed my niche — going from nine topics to 3 — and homed in on who my ideal client was, my value increased. I became known for being an Unconscious Bias expert by everyone. This has allowed colleagues, families, friends, strangers to speak my name in rooms I’m not in. One of those, resulted in me having my first 6-figure month in 2021.
Whatever your rate is, you must be able to say it and shut up. You can’t be afraid to demand your rate. I remember I received a call from someone who found me on LinkedIn who wanted to me to do a virtual training. This was during the pandemic, so people were just getting used to virtual. What was also happening is that people were losing speaking gigs and in turn deeply discounting their rates just so they could work. I didn’t want to do that because whether in-person or virtually, the value I deliver is the same. When I was asked my rate, I can’t say I wasn’t nervous. But I have an unwavering belief in my value, and I believe in doing it scared. So, I said the rate and shut up. The potential client said they didn’t usually pay that much but she also believed in my value and was going to go to bat for me. She did and I got my full rate.
Be authentically you. That means in everything. The way you dress, speak, wear your hair, whatever. Don’t try to be anyone else. As a lawyer, I was used to wearing suits and when I first started speaking, I kept that up. But that’s not who I wanted to be as a speaker. I wanted to be my down to earth, approachable self. So, I show up as me. Some days that is a suit, other days, it’s denim. I might have on heels, or it might be a fashion sneaker type of day. Whatever it is, it’s authentically me.
You must have a depth of knowledge about your topic. You must be able to discuss and answer the most obscure questions or at the very least know where to direct people to get the answer. It’s not enough to just be able to repeat what people can find on Google or decide that you are now a “X” speaker because that is the hot topic. You must be a subject matter expert — regardless of what you’re speaking about.
Who you say you are on social media, your website, marketing materials, etc. must be congruent with who shows up for a client. As I mentioned before, I had been planning my speaker business journey for about 2 years before it started in earnest. During that time, I was diligent about building my speaker brand. I did such a good job that when I announced in 2020 that I was a full-time professional speaker, I had people say they thought I’d already been doing that for 2 years. That’s because what I put out in the world was completely consistent with who I showed up as on stage.
As you know, many people are terrified of speaking in public. Can you give some of your advice about how to overcome this fear?
Practice. Confidence will help you overcome fear.
Learn to do it scared. You don’t have to be fearless. Just be courageous.
When you get on stage or right before you begin to speak virtually, take a deep breath to center yourself.
Don’t worry if you make a mistake. The audience has no idea what you were going to say, so just keep going.
Embrace that you’re the expert. That’s why they are there to listen to you.
You are a person of huge influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
For my speaking business, a “Silence is Not an Option” movement — one where people speak up and speak out even if they don’t think what they are witnessing impacts them. Inaction is indifference and, in our silence, lies complicity. Much of what happens, happens because good people are silent. Our silence empowers and emboldens perpetrators of bad behavior. And we know that what we ignore festers. This is why I’ve been brainstorming about how to take my show on the road, literally. I believe that conversations truly change things and that has been evidenced by the listening sessions I’ve facilitated. I have the idea, just need the sponsors. Know any? LOL
Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!
Oprah. Because like me, she is an excellent listener which results in being a good question asker. I want to build an empire like she has using my voice and my expertise to educate, entertain, and empower. It’s why I launched my Ladies Who Leverage Podcast and Ladies Who Leverage “Visionary Life” Magazine. Those are focused on women entrepreneurs, which is my other business. But I’d love to talk to her about the best way to leverage all of this as movements to create lasting impact in the world.
Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?
Facebook and Instagram — kellycharlescollins and ladieswholeverage
Linkedin: kellycharlescollins
Twitter: hrlawattorney
This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success
I appreciate that. Thank you for the opportunity to share my story and journey.
