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If scaling a business is on your to-do list for 2019, you’re in luck. We asked our community of entrepreneurs to share their top piece of advice for growing a business. After sorting through all the responses, we chose the entrepreneurs whose stories inspire the most. Use their tips grow your company and brand.
Mark Denham – Pocket Space
In 2017, we wanted to enter the modular privacy room (phone pods etc) business to help expedite the need for rapid installation of various modular rooms for the commercial office environment.
The current open office layouts do not address the needs for privacy. There is nowhere to go to have small private meetings and private phone calls. In 2018, we introduced our new Studio series, a collection of pre-configured kits for private modular spaces, made from 90% recycled materials. These kits can be installed in a matter of hours instead of weeks and months for standard construction involving major business interruptions.
We have some exciting groundbreaking plans for 2019 addressing personalization and safety…stay tuned.
“For those of you who are going through challenging times, whether it be your startup or extreme growth pains of an existing business, you are not alone (although we may think we are). Raising your hand and asking for help is a good thing to do…there is no shame in that at all.”
Website:
☎ 415-915-2010 or ✉ mark@sourceworkspace.com
Gene Swank – Propellant Labs
Gene is a serial entrepreneur who has built and scaled companies across numerous verticals. He is currently the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Propellant Labs, an international online incubator that mentors startups around the globe. Under Gene’s leadership, Propellant Labs has seen exponential growth with a portfolio of over 50 startups, and a combined estimated valuation of over $100,000,000. Gene also serves on the Board Of Directors for several organizations and is the current board treasurer for Harbor Springs, a division of Springs Charter Schools, headquartered in Temecula, CA.
“Gene believes, that the key to success is surrounding yourself with good, passionate, experienced people that aren’t afraid to take action. Gene says, that while you want people on your team who are hungry, they can’t be starving. Don’t forget to be humble and regardless of your title, you should never be too proud to pick up a broom. It keeps you grounded and reminds you that every single person is essential to the success of your company.”
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geneswank/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gene.swank
Twitter: https://twitter.com/geneswank
Igor Bekker – MADE OF
MADE OF® organic-first personal care brand that features a portfolio of baby care products certified to the NSF organic standard. EWG Verified and Gluten Free Certified.
“Business ethics and transparency are more important than ever. Partner with vendors that share your vision and mission. Partners that believe in you will make development and execution go so much smoother. With MADE OF® we built a supply chain of manufacturers and agencies that support our mission of ULTIMATE TRANSPARENCY®. It was important to us for our suppliers to operate as an open book. It took a while to build the right relationship but as soon as we identified the partners the process took off quickly.”
Austin Netzley – 2X
Austin Netzley – Founder and CEO of 2X, a business accelerator helping 6 and 7-figure entrepreneurs implement the systems and strategies necessary to double their business in 90 days.
Put the right systems, structure and team in place one piece at a time, and scale fast by working on the high leverage activities, not the nitty gritty details.
It took me too many years in business to figure this out, but the shift is priceless!”
“My advice to entrepreneurs is that the sooner you can get out of the day-to-day operations of your business (and stop doing everything yourself), the sooner you can get what you really want out of your business: the freedom, the impact, and the growth that you know is possible.”
Jill Tupper – The Corporate Triathlete
Jill Tupper is the CEO of The Corporate Triathlete Body + Mind + Business.
As an Entrepreneur, Professor & Keynote Speaker, Jill draws upon her adventures in marathons, triathlons, rock-climbing, out-rigging, traveling the world and climbing Kilimanjaro to inspire others to take on this triathlon of life with goals, guts and grit.
Her global experiences in working with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, Ethiopia and beyond, backed by breakthroughs in neuroscience, proves the revolutionary power of purpose in work & in life.
“Business is a marathon, not a sprint. Remember to take care of yourself physically, mentally and connect to your purpose daily. Otherwise, it’s easy for entrepreneurs to burn out.”
Beau Henderson – Rich Life Investors
Beau Henderson, CEO of The RichLife Advisors, is a financial advisor, syndicated radio host, master certified success coach and bestselling author. He writes and speaks internationally helping people create success with both money and life.
“The most important thing I’ve learned is the importance of investing in others on the journey to building a 7 figure business. Give your time. Nurture your relationships. Create unique experiences. Don’t wait until you’re making enough money, until you have a better job, or until you’re retired to start leaving your legacy. Start now.”
Janine Zappini – Gutsii
Janine Zappini Co-Founder and CEO of Gutsii is a conscious food pioneer and certified health coach. Janine Zappini is the founder of Gutsii and Simply Raw, Australia’s first 100% raw snack bar. Specialising in designing healthy foods for the past seven years, Janine has been on a mission to turn the tides in how easy it can be to make a great food choice and bring the worlds of convenience and functional foods together. With her qualifications as a health coach and a focus on integrative nutrition Janine is a treasure trove of nutrition, food and healing yourself with small changes and new choices.
“Failure is part of success, as long as you learn the lessons behind that experience. Failure’s are opportunities to be used as empowering tools for your goals, guiding you back on your path. Entrepreneurs are worriers, we never give up!”
HeatherDeSantis – Publicity for Good
Heather DeSantis is a Top Millennial publicist and CEO of Publicity for Good, a purpose driven public relations firm for food and beverage companies. Heather combines market foresight, strategic timing, and organic interviews to generate millions of earned media impressions from outlets like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BBC, iHeartMedia, Business Insider, Inc, and more. Heather not only was the former Miss Ohio International but she also started a PR software company called Press Demand.
“Public Relations is the fastest way to grow your business and increase visibility. Businesses of all backgrounds, sizes, and structures now hold the keys to Public Relations. What was previously reserved for the ‘big brands’ is more accessible than ever…if you know how to trade this social currency. As a brand, engage your community, attract new traffic, and grow your reputation.”
Website: https://publicityforgood.com/ Website: http://pressdemand.com
Bjorn Oste – Good Idea
Bjorn Oste CEO of Good Idea Drinks and founder of Oatly.
“You need to “be and live” your product. We’re on a mission to make the world healthier. Among other things, that means that we must be transparent and honest in all we do. We will not only say that our products are “good” or “healthy”, we must also be able to prove it.”
Chris Wiser – The Wiser Agency
Chris Wiser is the Founder and CEO of The Wiser Agency, a Digital Marketing, Coaching & Sales Agency and Wiser Organics, an all Organic CBD line of products, with both based in Austin, Texas.
“The single largest piece of advice I can give entrepreneurs is honestly one word. EXECUTE. Put a plan in place and execute that plan literally to exhaustion. Initially, success will come slowly but long term and thorough execution will always win.”
Michael Huey – He-Fluence
Certified Elite Trainer for American Council of Exercise for 15+ years; 20+ years in the gym industry as a trainer certified in: Sports Nutrition; Weight Loss & Weight Management; Anti-Aging; Injury Prevention & Post-Injury Rehabilitation; and much more;
“If I were to give any advice to up and coming entrepreneurs it would be three things: Focus on your health, build lasting relationships, and don’t be afraid to chase that 7 figure income.”
Website:
Roy Taylor – DRIV3
Roy Taylor is a 7-figure millennial serial entrepreneur who committed to living his life by the motto “Life By Design”. In 2018 he invested in multiple companies based around his priorities; health, wealth, & happiness. Roy now teaches others how to do the same, while scaling his ventures to 7-figures. Roy is the co-owner of DRIV3, the premier Los-Angeles based Exotic Car rental business.
He also co-owns Ceeze (@ceezemc) a custom shoe company, which made shoes & bags this year for celebrities such as Lebron James, Tekashi 6ix9ine, Rich The Kid, and been featured on Hypebeast & HighSnobiety. His other ventures include his DTLA clothing print shop TektonLand (@TektonLand), a cannabis company Magic Pipe (@mymagicpipe), & his inner circle where he mentors upcoming entrepreneurs
“In 2019, it’s time to focus on digital businesses and automation- the world is moving faster, people are more connected, and statistics show people are buying more than ever via their smartphones! That, combined with the fact you can make money doing practically anything you actually enjoy. It’s a sign to start taking advantage of online businesses and start living the life you dream about!”
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roytaylor
Ibrahim Al-Haidos – FURSAN
Ibrahim is the Founder of Fursan, a luxury handbag brand in Qatar that is quickly becoming known around the world. Last year, Al-Haidos made a big splash in the U.S. media making appearances in iconic business magazines like Forbes and Entrepreneur. Ibrahim often uses Instagram where he has racked up 127,000 followers to help him reach a global audience with his brand
“When building your brand never underestimate the power of visual storytelling. The most recent studies in online consumer behavior show that people engage the most with posts that contain beautiful imagery.”
Website: fursan.qa
Instagram: @ibrahim_alhaidos
Jeff Engel – Snacktops
Over the last 18 months, I have had the chance to spend time with Jeff and gain a better understanding of who he is and why he continues to succeed. Jeff’s diverse experience globally in business, as a US Navy SEAL, as a collegiate swimmer, and as a young kid riding his bike to swim practice, helped form the framework to deliver business wins –in both small, scrappy entrepreneurial roles and in executive leadership positions in large corporations.
Jeff was fortunate to have roles within award-winning organizations to include Sales, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing and overall accountability for multiple business units simultaneously around the world.
From an early age, he learned how to get figuratively (and literally) knocked down (or out), get back up and be wiser from the experience. During my time with Jeff, he said the most valuable lesson he learned happened during his first year at the United States Naval Academy where he learned the 5th Law of the Navy: paraphrased – you are only as strong as your weakest link (member or process of your team/network). (BTW – The SEALS, business and family reinforce that valuable lesson continuously)
“Keep learning and growing with passion and curiosity. Even if you are an expert, continue to drive to be smarter than you were the day prior. Learn how to grow your personal and company’s resiliency. With resiliency, you will learn and advance to the next objective faster and more effectively. Today’s actions define your future. Your reputation defines your future. Do not be short-sighted. Do what is right so that your family is proud of the legacy you leave them. In today’s term, your legacy is your brand.”
Jeff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffengel1/
Snacktop LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/snacktops-inc./?viewAsMember=true
Sarah Elkins – Elkins Consulting
Elkins Consulting Inc. provides communication coaching for individuals and teams, using the Gallup StrengthsFinders assessment as a tool to encourage self-reflection and personal responsibility. We also provide keynotes, workshops, and conference break-out sessions with themes of storytelling as the functional backbone of communication. Elkins Consulting hosts the No Longer Virtual (#NLV, #nlvatlanta2019) conferences, bringing online relationships offline to learn from each other face-to-face and connect beyond the keyboard (#connectbeyondthekeyboard).
View the agenda, and register for one of the few spots left for NLV in Atlanta 2/21 & 2/22/2019: http://elkinsconsulting.com/nlv-atlanta-2019/
Visit the Elkins Consulting website to learn more about how your stories, told well, will improve your relationships and your bottom line: http://elkinsconsulting.com/storytellingcoach/
“Invest in yourself – attend at least one conference each year to meet your network face-to-face. Your most important relationships are those who trust you, who know you, and who want you to succeed. The second degree connections you make as a result of having a solid first-degree network are the bread-and-butter of your business.”
Did you make this list? Feel free to share this inspirational infographic on your website and social media. Please link back to the article whenever possible.
The application fees for this list were sponsored by: Social Marketing Solutions
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