Richard Simmonds of NewBrandYOU

Name: Richard Simmonds                           

Location: Johannesburg, South Africa    

Company: NewBrandYOU

Favorite Tweeter: @AlphabetSuccess

1.    1. Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.

               

Strategic Communication Expert. My mission is to be and I am an Influential RuleBreaker & ChangeMaker, during the second half of 2013 I was listed amongst the top 10 social influencers in Africa.

2.   2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

I started my business so that I could help people solve their communication problems. I look for people with communications as a strength and not a qualification to work with me in my business. Our combined strengths help our clients become better communicators.

3.   3. What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?

One of the biggest successes I have been involved in is the @N3Route project, they are the ‘Worlds Most Social Road’. The client gave me free reign to accomplish the goal of communicating with their users to the point that they were world class. I have trained the internal staff to think like we did and communicate to be social. Freeing up this time enables us to help other companies become better communicators.

4.    4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

Tim Fargo @AlphabetSuccess inspires me because I have not met a better nurturer of people in all my time. Tim is an entrepreneur and despite making his fortune already still nurtures people as if he was looking for business in a traditional sense, nut he is not and that’s what makes Tim unconventional.

5.    5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

We are yet to see what the power of true authentic influence can have on the world. This influence is one that is communicated and I will be there helping the top influencers in the world communicate more effectively.

6.   6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?

The ability to solve peoples problems, you need to be able to identify and help people solve their problems. If you cannot solve problems, you are simply offering a service and no one will pay big money for a service.

      7. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

You need to be able to communicate and many people seem to think that is the ‘gift of the gab’ but in reality it is the ability to listen and listen beautifully to people. You will then find out what their problems are.

8.   8. What if your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

My favorite entrepreneurial book of all time is ‘Re-Imagine’ by Tom Peters. The book opens your mind to what was old and what is new. When you get the spirit of the book to always look what people did as to what they should be doing, you begin to align yourself to be able to solve people’s problems.

My lesson was “Don’t try convince clients they've got problems. Find clients who know they've got problems and solve those problems.”

Entrepreneur Profile - John Maddox of Serious Startups

Name: John Maddox
Company: Serious Startups, LLC
Location: Nashville TN
Favorite Tweeter: @dasjoshua

1.Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.

John is a serial entrepreneur, who has built and exited multiple companies, has a strong background in technology, digital marketing, business logic and strategy. He has worked with startups to publicly traded multi-national companies, and now as a tech startup investor, enjoys making a difference in the lives of entrepreneurs trying to make impact with their ideas. He and the Serious Startups team now take on mobile and web application startup ideas for equity positions instead of requiring the founders to have raised seed stage capital.

2.Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

Serious Startups as a business model sprang from being constantly bombarded with great startup ideas as the owner of a traditional interactive agency. After realizing the cost of design, development, marketing etc to launch their startup, most founders become either discouraged and give up, or try to gain seed stage investment and get turned down. Often not being able to get early stage investment comes from not having a working prototype of the idea. This led to many of them asking the idea to be taken on for equity.

Over time it became apparent that it was a smarter business model to look at taking on and growing great startup ideas for equity and long term ROI vs short term profit of the traditional client/vendor relationship.

Serious Startups now reviews startup ideas on a regular basis, and if a good relationship is formed and the team likes the concept, it is designed, developed, and launched for equity instead of upfront capital.

3.What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?

I once closed a deal for nearly a million dollars in less than 24 hours. What made it possible is my ability to connect with people on a human level and also look at everything in business as part of the other person who is involved life.

4.Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

Cade Havard. He has built great wealth in multiple industries while starting from nothing. Oil, healthcare, publishing, technology; just to name a few.  One of his inspirational statements and business philosophies is what I call a  “Cadeism”. My favorite is “I don’t want to do what you do better, I want to do what you’ve never even thought about doing”.

5.What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

There will be a massive shift in the technology industry as more professionals realize that it is more profitable to take direct stakes in tech startups as partners not vendors, and will shorten the amount of time to get proof of concept and market viability.

6.What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?

If you are an entrepreneur, you business is your life. You never turn you mind off and it consumes you. Just make sure you understand that unless you are able to share that same vision you have with your team, chances of making it through the hard times is very low. If you treat them right and they share your passion and vision, it’s amazing how they will rise to the occasion in your time of need.

7.What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

Never let fear of failure stand in your way. So many people think they are “safe” in their traditional job. Reality is you are LESS safe than if you start you own company. If business goes down, you have no control of being laid off or keeping your job. As an entrepreneur, you can control your own destiny and its up to YOU if you succeed or fail.

8.What is your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

My favorite book Blink by Malcom Gladwell. While it is not directly on entrepreneurship but more on decision making, it truly opened my eyes to making quick but sound decisions as an entrepreneur which has helped me make significant pivots in business and achieve success.

Entrepreneur Profile 6 - Tim Fargo of Alphabet Success

Timothy E. Fargo
Company: Alphabet Success (www.alphabetsuccess.com)
Favorite Tweeter: @Tom_Peters
Link to Tim's Book: click here

1. Provide a 2 sentence biography of yourself and/or mission statement.

Define yourself lest others provide the definition for you. If a guy like me can do it, so can you.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

My business is sharing what I learned in building a 300+ person business in less than seven years.

That sharing might take the form of someone buying a copy of "Alphabet Success" or it might be a consulting arrangement with a company that wants assistance with growth issues.

My differentiators are: a) I'm providing actual experience having grown and sold a decent sized business b) believing that the most important elements of "success" are pretty elementary. Most people need to avoid unforced errors. And c) wanting to give people the tools they need and let them get on with it.

It need not be complex. Simple has always worked best, and in spite of innovation the core of every great business is a simple efficient model.

3. What is one challenge you’ve experienced with your business and how have you overcome it?

In the current business it would be a stretch to say I have overcome my biggest challenge, which is relative obscurity. We'll answer that one next time.

At my former company, Omega Insurance Services (an insurance investigation firm), a major challenge was the perception of investigators as “shady operators”. Through embarking on a mission of educating insurance companies through articles, speaking and seminars, we were able to overcome that challenge and position ourselves as a thought leader and a reputable firm.

4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

He's not often thought of as an “entrepreneur” but I'd say Warren Buffett. He took Benjamin Graham's investment ideas and turned them from a bottle rocket in a space ship. His temperament plays an important role as he isn't easily spooked by markets.  However, I think he embodies the idea of taking a few key measures and beating the heck out of it. Too many people are almost disappointed with the simplicity of business. It isn't extremely complex, but we sure work hard at making it that way.

5.    What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years? 

This is a funny topic for me. Obviously delivery devices and methods are in constant flux, but human nature is pretty steady state. As crazy as it might sound, I think the core of getting people focused on the actual goal versus other minutiae is likely to remain pretty unchanged. Certainly online learning continually grows, as do enhanced interactive teaching methods. That's the change area I suppose.

6.    What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?e

 You need to be slightly, to perhaps seriously OCD. Sounds weird, but getting a start-up right is normally a consuming task. If you're not possessed of some serious drive the boot-up phase is going to grind you to dust. There are exceptions, but I'd say being extremely focused is usually essential.

7. What if one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

Be extremely careful. The mantra of “You can do it” is likely true in some utopian sense. But in reality there are considerations like capital constraints, expertise blind spots, and the inevitable “reality check”. Sure, it is great being your own boss. But it can be daunting. In the end, you decide, and you live with that decision.

Bottom line? If you can live with the absolute worst case scenario, and have been honest with yourself in planning (including getting good honest feedback), then go for it. Going against long odds is romantic, until you're broke, at which point the romance fades.

8. What is your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

Jungle Rules: How to Be a Tiger in Business,  by John Imlay. It's the story of a turnaround in Atlanta. It lays bare much of the nuts and bolts it takes to make a business go. Perhaps my favourite element is its lack of romanticizing the process. There is certain amount of grit in most businesses which is often glossed over in biz books. John's pretty clear about reality.

Best lesson?: In the nasty event of needing to “downsize” don't slowly bleed the company. People get completely spooked by terminations, so if you have to cut back try to be as aggressive as is tolerable. Do it once, explain why, that it is NOT going to be ongoing and get everyone calmed down and back to work. Having had a staff of 300+ at Omega I can vouch for the merit of avoiding your staff wondering about their jobs daily.

The reality is that if you slowly eliminate the staff piecemeal, the first to leave are often the best, since they have the best “opportunities”. So you may end up with a smaller staff comprised of a less than optimal team. Plus it's really hard to work while you're looking for a new job.

Awesome book.

Entrepreneur Profile 5 - Meet Gary Bizzo

Name: Gary Bizzo
Company: Bizzo Management Group
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Favorite Tweeter: @GeorgeMoen

1. Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.

Gary has Coached or Mentored over a 1,000 businesses and has consulted with numerous multinationals. He was President of the BC Entrepreneur Development Association for 5 years, an advocacy group of 10,000 Canadian entrepreneurs. He is a APEC Certified Business Counsellor from Acadia University.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

I'm a paid Mentor. Actually I use a hybrid approach to working with business people. I'm a coach when the client wants me to work with them through problems, a counselor when they want me to show them the way and let them find the answers, a consultant when they want me to tell them what to do and a mentor when they can trust me because I have been there and one that.

3. What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?

I read an article in the Globe and Mail that had no traction. It was about how charities needed transparency in their finances to be trusted. I ran with it on my blog and Twitter and got the attention of CTV, after CTV started on it an MP from Toronto introduced the bill, Bill C-470 to parliament making charities show transparency. I know how this came down because in Dec 2011, I was asked to go to Ottawa where I presented a brief to the House of Commons about social media and my observations of what 'donors' wanted from charities. The bill passed 300-2.

I learned anyone can make a difference and I liked being an agent of change.

4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

Richard Branson. He once walked into a room of his advisers and said “I want to start an airline, do it” and walked out or so the story goes. An entrepreneur comes up with the idea and works on the business not in it as Michael Gerber says.

5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

More coaching will be one-on-one via video chat, although it is being done now it will just be more readily available for everyone.

6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?

Listening to others and not thinking you know it all

7. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

Pick a great idea, make it better and create a business plan.

8. What if your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

Michael Gerber's classic book, the eMyth, where he says you must work on your business not in it, i.e. Joe's Garage will always have Joe doing the work because he can't delegate it others. When he has people working for him he is an entrepreneur, before that he is self employed.

Entrepreneur Profile 4 - Carthage Buckley from Coaching Positive Performance

Name: Carthage Buckley
Company: Coaching Positive Performance
http://coachingpositiveperformance.com
Location: Ireland
Favorite Tweeter: @thejaytray

1. Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.
I'm a Stress and Performance Coach who helps professionals and organisations to achieve optimum performance. I work with professionals who strive for continuous improvement and optimum performance in both their personal and professional lives, helping them to eliminate stress and maximize their performance.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?
Coaching Positive Performance is a Stress and Performance coaching organisation which assists organisations and individuals to transform their potential into the results they desire while remaining true to their values, purpose and identity.

We do this by helping our clients to identify sources of stress and develop strategies to eliminate them (where possible), or to manage them. We then help them to create a clear vision of what they want to achieve, create an action plan for its achievement, and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully implement that plan. This allows both individuals and organisations to maximise their performance and improve their health, wealth and happiness.

I started the business because I felt there was lack of resources and information which educated business people about the true nature of stress and its relationship to performance. Amongst the things that I found most annoying was the common acceptance of the myth of good stress. What is commonly referred to as good stress is actually pressure, and there are significant psychological and physiological differences between the two. I believe the concept of good stress to be both incorrect and harmful, and the acceptance of this concept is symbolic of the lack of understanding of stress amongst the business world.

3. What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?
When I first decided that I was going to launch my own business, I spent many months preparing a business plan. I aimed to follow the traditional type of business plan. About a week before I was due to launch, I reviewed the plan and realized that this plan was not going to allow me to create the life I desired. The business might achieve some success but if I could not live the life I wanted, what would be the point. The most courageous decision I have ever taken, and the greatest success I have achieved in business was to rip that plan up and start again.

I started again, focusing on building a business that represented my values. The process of writing the plan was easier and faster and I now have a business which is a true expression of who I am and what I have to offer. My life is also more in tune with the life I desire and I see no reason to believe that I cannot fulfill all of my goals.

4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?
The entrepreneur whom I most admire is not somebody famous, it is an old school friend called Mark Kerrigan. Mark is joint owner of Vehicle Conversion Specialist Ltd, in Huddersfield, United Kingdom. The company has experienced steady growth since it’s inception.

The reason why I admire Mark’s achievement is because I have not just seen the end result; I have seen the years of graft, the amazing work ethic and the sheer ambition that has driven him forward. From our schooldays, Mark was committed to the family business in our home town of Clara, in rural Ireland. He spent 15 years learning the business inside out. Then, he was willing to take a big risk and move to the UK to pursue his ambitions of starting his own business.

Some entrepreneurs feel the need to tell you how good they are, others, like Mark, just work hard and demonstrate their ability.

5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?
I see a great deal of growth in my industry over the next 10 years. Where previously people learned a great deal of their life skills within their community; these communities are now being lost to a more remote, mobile and fast moving society. As society continues to change at a hectic pace, people are going to need more support to maximize their opportunities and protect their wellbeing.

6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?
Authenticity. Your business is not just business. It is an expression of who you are and the values you hold. It is the manner in which you will serve your purpose and serve this world. Your most important goals will be heavily influenced by your sense of self. You cannot achieve these goals if you do not stay true to who you are.

7. What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?
Don’t be a perfectionist. There are many things that you do not know. There are many more things that you don’t yet know that you don’t know. The real fun and sense of fulfillment does not come from the end result. It comes from the journey and the process of self-discovery which you undergo along the way. So, don’t wait for the right moment to arrive because it never will. Take a deep breath, step off the ledge and give it your best shot. As long as you have a vision, commitment and a willingness to learn; you can learn everything you need to know along the way.

8. What if your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?
I would have to choose, ‘The Art of Happiness’ by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It may seem like a strange choice but I believe that your business is just an extension of who you are. When you embrace your entrepreneurial spirit, you allow yourself the opportunity to fulfill your purpose. In doing so, you allow yourself to experience happiness. This book will help you to remember what is truly important to you, when times get tough. If you lose sight of what is important to you along the way, you might make a lot of money but you will never be truly successful.

Entrepreneur Profile 3 - Elizabeth Blake Thomas

Elizabeth Blake Thomas
Company: U+ (www.uplusproject.com)
Favorite Tweeter: Arianna Huffington

1. Provide a 2 sentence biography of yourself and/or mission statement.

Having been involved in the creative industries since I was 4 years old, I believe young people need creative influences in their life to enable them to fulfill their potential.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

I am founder and creative director of U+ which is a free initiative for young people that enables them to show, share and sell their work turning it from talent to enterprise. It is all about empowering young people.

3. What is one challenge you’ve experienced with your business and how have you overcome it?

When we have an individual that actually sells a piece of their work or is able to actually take their creative hobby to the next stage. One of our members is currently running his own animation club and another one is filming his first series. We are able to help young people because we believe age is irrelevant and it's down to passion, tenacity and perseverance. We then give them the right contacts.

4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

Kelly Hoppen is very similar to me in that we both started in 15/16 years old in our first business. I set up a theatre school. She lost her father, my parents divorced and so my father left and I learned determination. At 54, she is running her own empire and this is all sorts of things from book deals to tangible business items. This is what I would like to be doing.

5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

I'm hoping education will be completely turned on its head as its been the same since the industrial revolution. Children need to learn in very different ways and need to be accepted for being different.

6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?

Passion and understanding of the industry and absolute determination to change things.

7. What if one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?

Choose an industry you know a lot about and if it can involve your family in some way it means you get to see them! My company's ambassador is my daughter Isabella blake Thomas.

8. What is your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

My favourite book is one I'm writing called The ripple effect. It's for mums who want to start a business and so it's points are short and to the point!

I also love any books by Malcolm Gladwell!

Entrepreneur Profile - Matt Cheuvront from Proof

Today's profile is of Matt Cheuvront from Proof.  You can follow him on twitter at @mattchevy.  His website is http://www.proofbranding.com/.  Thank you, Matt!!

1. Please provide a 2 sentence biography for yourself and/or mission statement.

Matt Cheuvront is the founder of Proof - a full service branding house based in Nashville, TN. A self-made entrepreneur, writer, thinker, and craft-beer-drinker, Matt has helped countless brands companies, organizations, and individuals build their brands and effectively tell their stories.

2. Describe your business and why you started it.  What is it that differentiates your business model from others?

Proof is a full-service branding firm. This means that while we do creative and strategic work including logo/identity design, website design and development, print design, video production, and marketing strategy - we do all of these things through the lens of branding, ensuring we have a solid understanding of every brand we work with, and providing clarity and positioning for each and every client we partner with. Our distinction is both our commitment to a holistic branding process, and in the clients we work with - folks who are doing meaningful work. As we call them: Purposeful, passionate brands.

3. What is one example of success you have experienced in your business and what characteristic helped you achieve it?

The success of Proof lies in remaining deliberately focused on our WHY. We are intentional about what we say “yes” to - and more importantly, when we choose to say “no”. Growing WELL in favor of growing FAST has led us to do more meaningful, quality work. It certainly isn’t the quickest path to fame and fortune, but it is, without a doubt, the clear path toward personal and professional fulfillment.

4. Which entrepreneur inspires you and why?  What industry do they work in and what accomplishment is unique to them?

That’s a great question. I certainly can’t point to just one - but I do look up to other branding shops like Matchstic, Foundry, and Grain & Mortar. What stands out about these companies is, again, their commitment to the craft. They’ve grown well and remained intentional about the work they do and clients they take on. They present themselves very well, and just as we strive for, they’re focused on creating an overall experience for each client - moving away from the standard, traditional “transactional” model of a formal agency.

5. What is one development you foresee in your industry in the next 10 years?

I think people will start to “get it” - and by that I mean, more and more folks are starting to understand and appreciate the value of overall BRANDING - how all the pieces come together (logo, web, print, etc.) - and are accepting to firms who take that more holistic approach, as opposed to cherry-picking services. We’ve gone through the period of style trumping substance - but now we’re really moving into a more intentional space where substance is paramount. Simple design with bold, effective, engaging copy - that’s one example of the way I believe we’re moving. In short, the public is getting wiser - and with education as to any product or service at their fingertips ala the good old fashioned information superhighway, it’s that much more important that we’re getting wiser with them.

6. What trait is most important to succeeding in entrepreneurship?
Show up. Every single day. Entrepreneurs see opportunity when others see obstacle. The most important thing you can do as a business-owner is to keep showing up. Even when it’s incredibly challenging - and when it might be easier to take the easier, more complacent route - keep showing up. Bring your “A” game and keep trying - tinkering - experimenting - asking - and hustling. The most successful entrepreneurs are doing what they love, which inspires them to show up every single day.

7.  What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering starting a business?
Do it. Seriously. I know that sounds lame but if you WANT to start a business, the only thing you have left to do is to actually do it. ACTION is the only thing that separates dreamers from doers. In a more tangible sense, write down, tangibly, what you need to get there. What kind of support do you need? Where do you need to be financially? What staffing will you need to get started? Can you get started on developing a product? Define where you want to go (and pick a goal date to be there) - and then clearly articulate all the steps it will take to get there. Pick one, and get to work. Take things one at a time and just start moving!

8. What if your favorite book on entrepreneurship and one lesson you learned?

Simon Sinek’s Start With Why is a huge inspiration to me. In everything we do, we always - ALWAYS - seek to start with why - understanding every brand’s story and building from there is the essence of what we do. Others that have recently inspired me and/or I’m currently reading: Steal Like an Artist, Rework, Designing Brand Identity, and Die Empty. All excellent.