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Peter Coultas is a serial entrepreneur and founder of The Goodie Bag. According to his AngelList profile, he invested in Alibaba and Facebook pre-IPO.
Read the interview we did with him below!
1. In five bullet points or less, describe your typical day and/or routine.
– I typically start my day off by answering e-mails and updating the blog as well as checking other sites.
– Meetings in person, via Skype, and conference calls with retailers, artists/celebrities, interview subjects, bloggers, etc. and of course, return calls.
– Depending on circumstances and time of year, traveling and/or attending trade shows, industry events, parties, charity functions, concerts, or Masonic meetings.
– Once the day/night has quieted down a bit, I tend to read a book while drinking a nice cup of tea as well as read the news to catch up on what’s going on in the world.
2. When did you realize you wanted to pursue your dreams?
Fashion has been my passion and soul since the millennia started. High school saw me sporting BAPE, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, names my peers couldn’t even pronounce. Fueling my passion, acquiring the necessary skills to be first rate, and taking a step of courage were all I needed to not only pursue my dreams, but now live my dreams. It all started when I was 16, and I keep dreaming bigger and striving for the next leg of my journey daily.
3. What keeps you motivated and inspired?
I am motivated and inspired my team, family, and the people around me. Seeing how hard they work and hustle to get things done, pushes me into putting myself in a position to help them out. I am driven to open doors so they better themselves and their lives while allowing them to likewise pour into me.
I continue to set new objectives and complete them for both myself as a person and the business.
Tackling new projects and embracing fresh opportunities also keep things interesting; I enjoy the challenge and chance for growth and prospect of building on and learning new sets of skills.
4. What is the biggest obstacle you have encountered and how did you overcome it?
I’d have to say that my biggest obstacle to date was starting out so young and getting people take me seriously in the industry. Part of this has been putting together the right team. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to operate at our current level or continue to grow as quickly and effectively as we been fortunate enough to do.
As far as overcoming it, it just happened naturally as fellow peers in the industry and friends alike began to realize I have taken the time to learn the ins and outs of the industry and truly pay my dues to attain success.
Building an effective team has taken a bit of trial and error, but I’m very satisfied with our core team at the moment of Eric Ing, Kristian Ward, James Raleigh, Amar and Aman Syal as business partners, as well as a hugely dedicated support team: Abbas Jama, Albert Egbo, Brandon Rea, Eddie Khalatian, Eli Ridder, Jason Lucas, Matvi Fridman, Melissa Robyn, Peter Craig, Reid Dykstra, Sean Getti, Tom Nearing, Turahn Gilliam, Tyler Burley, and Tyson Holmes among numerous others, who without we couldn’t make everything happen.
Mark Sarson, Sean McKenzie, and Yafet Tadesse of Opulence (our company and mobile-app currently in development offering the first concierge app targeting both the general public and the affluent elite); Kevin Lyons of Lyons Grand Jewellery; and Douglas Rocchio are crucial partners in external ventures and a huge part of my business family, moving everyone towards greater success.
5. What are some of your career highlights?
I’m fortunate enough to say we have many highlights to speak of. If I were to name a select few, I’m hugely fortunate to be able to travel around the world due to my business, where I played crucial parts in the launch and development of GoodWood, Bloodbath, Nous Sommes, Wood Shock, ih nom uh nit, and many other brands. I’m also extremely proud of the blog myself and my team have built up.
The Goodie Bag has transitioned from just a sales, marketing, and distribution company to offering the likes of PR, graphic & web design, artist bookings, talent management, and SEO. This all-encompassing service will only further the relationships and ventures that I’ve already enjoyed and that’s very exciting.
On the upcoming horizon, I will be investing in a members-only club in Toronto, ON this Fall. I am working with my business partner Mark Sarson of The Opulent Club to bring an exclusive club to Canada’s top city, filling a much-needed establishment gap for the elite.
We’ve been blessed with the opportunity to tour with musicians and work with them in numerous capacities from PR & marketing to styling and even helping some get signed to major labels.
Talent management has also been huge and allowed us to work with talents such as Astor, Billy Jackson, and Tom MacDonald. If you haven’t heard of them all yet, believe me you will.
Success is what you make it to be, for me it’s a journey to the top. Some of my favorite highlights and moments are seeing the brands and companies we work with flourish and become a success in their own right. I love the fact that I’m able to help people to chase after their own dreams as well as to teach and help them learn and grow their business to become that much closer to living their dreams. It gives me a great satisfaction in knowing that I’m able to help a lot of people and businesses in such a positive way.
6. How do you stay ahead of the curve?
By keeping an open mind and constantly learning (whether it be from peers in the industry, family, friends, books, etc.) as well as staying as up-to-date with trends and the market as I can and being surrounded by an amazing team and group of people.
We live in the age of technology, where almost all information is readily available at our fingertips so it’s important to utilize it as much as possible as well as to seek out guidance from industry leaders and peers.
Our goal isn’t to follow the trends but to set them. One person described us as “curators of culture”.
7. What advice would you give to those chasing a dream?
Make sure you’re passionate about what you do, believe in your product/service, and just trust yourself and be confident about it. No matter the odds stacked against you and if there are those who doubt your ability to achieve your dreams, never give up. Listen to your gut. Persevere and prove them wrong. The future awaits.
8. What are your hobbies? What do you do to relax?
I like to discover new products and culture through shopping. I quite enjoy reading, whether it be a business book or a biography. I truly believe that you should never stop learning and should aim to learn something new each and every day. I’m an avid traveler, both for business and personal ventures. I enjoy learning about different cultures, eating different foods, and most importantly learning about the history of places I visit. I’ve been extremely fortunate to travel to over 25 different countries across several continents numerous times in my young life and these experiences allow a unique type of self-exploration that I’ve come to love. To relax, all it takes is a nice book, a cup of tea or glass of Macallan or the company of close friends and family.
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