Day: June 18, 2018

Tell us your name and a little about yourself.

My name is Chirag Kulkarni, and I’m the CMO of Medly, a digital pharmacy that hand delivers prescriptions anywhere in New York City the same day, for free. Previously he’s helped companies like Expedia, LinkedIn, and Alexa with digital marketing. Forbes named him one of the top 25 marketing influencers.

What exactly does your company do?

Medly is a digital pharmacy that delivers prescriptions anywhere in New York City for free, all you pay is your regular co-pay. Our vision is to democratize access to bettering our customer’s health, starting with prescriptions.

What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

One of the toughest challenges was shutting down a project called Insightfully. What I learned is there are products that are painkillers or vitamins. Insightfully was a vitamin, or in other words, a product you could live without. By doubling down on my skillset in digital marketing, I moved much faster, in comparison to spending time on an area where my skillset doesn’t lie.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?

Find a mentor, someone who is ahead of you and follow them. Learn from their mistakes, failures, and successes.

Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?

My grandfather is someone I deeply admire because he embodies the definition of generosity and selfless giving, qualities that I try to embed into my daily life.

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?

Neil Patel was one of the people that got me into digital marketing in the first place. I’ll always be grateful for his advice and help.

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

The greatest success in life is the ability to be content and at peace with any situation in life, regardless of it being positive or negative. A balanced state is a state that helps someone regulate their mind and make the correct decision.

Tell us your name and a little about yourself.

Sama Jashnani is the Co-founder and CEO at DownToDash (DTD). She has been a speaker at TEDx, New York Advertising Week and other events. She has previously Co-Founded an e-commerce company and has worked with global marketing firm Lowe Lintas and Partners. Sama also received a full scholarship to study her masters in Marketing & Strategy at Warwick Business School. While at college, Sama also co-founded a social enterprise that helped rural women in India provide home salon services that enabled them to become financially secure.

What exactly does your company do?

DownToDash is a millennial-focused app that connects people in the same location based on what they are down to do, whether it’s workouts, sports, movies or other activities. Users can post specific plans, for example, play Tennis on Thursday at 5 pm at McCarren Park and other users can join. Apple Store: https://apple.co/2HnLuw4 Google Play Store: https://bit.ly/2FrQSSl

What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

Lack of Funding – In the venture capital space, it is essential to have product-market fit and sufficient traction. However, it is hard to get that product-market fit without funding and it creates a chicken and egg situation. Therefore we thought of innovative ways of generating revenue through advertisers and events to sustain the business and reach a level of product-market fit. 2. Marketing with a minimal budget – It is extremely challenging to get users without a massive marketing budget. Therefore I found non-traditional ways to do marketing for DownToDash. I created partnerships with other startups, events and other companies to do cross-promotions with them. I also created a fun and valuable campus ambassador program for students to promote the app at college campuses. Lastly, I always leverage social media by using Twitter search, Facebook groups and LinkedIn to do marketing.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?

It’s alright to fail and get rejected: We are bound to make mistakes. Failure is actually an opportunity to learn and makes you stronger. When you fail, you just have to reflect, reinvent your strategy and find the courage to try again.

Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?

The entrepreneurs around me and I work with in New York. The startup ecosystem in New York always inspires me to work harder and be more focused. I love learning from the founders around me and am amazed by how dedicated and passionate they are.

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?

Yes, my parents are people I am most grateful towards who helped me to get where I am. They always believed in me and supported me, even when I did not believe in myself. My Mom has always been an example of a strong woman who never gives up, which inspired me to do the same.

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

When I was in college I co-founded a social enterprise where we empowered rural women to deliver salon services at people’s houses. These women could afford their son’s education because of something that I created.

Tell us your name and a little about yourself.

Paige Arnof-Fenn, Founder & CEO of global branding and marketing firm Mavens & Moguls based in Cambridge, MA.

What exactly does your company do?

Mavens & Moguls brings world-class marketing to organizations that need expert talent to help them with their toughest branding, research, advertising, and communications challenges. We work on both a project or retainer basis to find the right words and pictures to tell a compelling story to help sell more of your products and services.

What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

For me it was admitting that the people you start with are not always the ones who grow with you. The hardest lesson when I started my company was not getting rid of weak people earlier than I did in the first few years of my business. I spent more time managing them than finding new customers. I knew in my gut they were not up to snuff but out of loyalty to them, I let them hang around much longer than they should have. It would have been better for everyone to let them go as soon as the signs were there. They became more insecure and threatened as we grew which was not productive for the team. As soon as I let them go the culture got stronger and the bar higher. “A” team people like to be surrounded by other stars. It is true that you should hire slowly and fire quickly. I did not make that mistake again later on so learned it well the first time. I wish I had known it even earlier though but lesson learned for sure!

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?

I was lucky to get a lot of great advice but it really is a marathon, not a sprint so do not set arbitrary goals like being named 30 under 30 or 40 under 40 because it may take you longer than Mark Zuckerberg to hit your stride and that’s ok. Most people take many detours on their career path before finding their true calling. Don’t be disappointed if you get to 40 and are still exploring because the journey really is a great adventure so enjoy it! Don’t be scared to fail, just learn from every bump in the road so you make better mistakes next time, that is where you learn the most! You learn to do by doing. Course correct and pivot along the way, it makes for a fun career path. Prospective customers can come from anyone anywhere anytime so you should always be on your best behavior & make a great lasting impression. Be nice to everyone & make friends before you need them, you never know who is in or will be in a position to help! It is true you should never burn a bridge, that really is great advice and I can tell you dozens of stories over the years where that has served me well. You just never know when your paths will cross again with old colleagues, former bosses, etc. Kill them with kindness and don’t ever burn that bridge, trust me it pays off! Also, be the best prepared at every meeting, work your butt off and smile.

Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?

So many people have inspired me and been role models including both my grandfathers and dad who all had interesting careers and were entrepreneurial in their own ways. I love reading about leaders like Sara Blakely, Arianna Huffington, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson too. They all hit bumps in the road and kept finding ways to pivot and course correct until they succeeded.

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 have been so fortunate to have mentors, teachers, and a supportive family to help me get to where I am today but the person I am most grateful for is my husband who I always know has my back and I can trust to give me the good, bad and ugly. He is with me in good times and bad and I know I can count on him which is priceless.

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

To me, success = happiness and I am genuinely happy spending my time and doing work I enjoy with and for people I respect, not wasting my time. Having a meaningful life I enjoy.

Tell us your name and a little about yourself.

My name is Jake Melton. I am the founder of The J.B. Melton Group. I am a speaker, entrepreneur, author, and minimalist. My book “Minimalize to Maximize Your Happiness: Cut the Crap” is currently in the final editing stages and will be launched here sometime within the next two months! I am a husband, father of two little ones, and enjoy helping others find greater peace and happiness by clearing the clutter in their lives. I like to spend any free time I get (rare when running my own business and raising two little kids) reading, playing basketball and volleyball, trying out new restaurants, BBQ, and hitting the movie theaters.

What exactly does your company do?

I am a speaker and coach. I help business owners and human beings minimalize their lives to maximize their happiness, success, time, and purpose. I provide keynotes, workshops, and seminars based on these topics, and do one-on-one coaching with clients to help them “minimalize their business” and minimalize their lives.

What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

The first, was in my personal life when I lost my father in 2014. This off-set my course a bit as it took a heavy toll on my life. I still deal with the tragedy of it each day, but I had to learn that I can’t do anything about it. I must use his ability to help me and do something to bless others. That’s what he would want. I used what my father taught me about pursuing my dreams (as life is short and we don’t ever get to go back and redo it) and utilized the speaking and communication skills he taught me to create this company. My initials are JBM, and so were my father’s. That’s why my company is called The J.B. Melton Group, LLC.—In honor of my dad. Another challenge I faced was unemployment (several times). I had terrible luck when it came to working for someone else. I was always hired on at the worst times or I was told my role would be one thing and it wasn’t. After my family experienced not one, not two, not three, but four (yes, four…) series of being unemployed, I decided to stop letting the comfort of working for others dictate the success and direction of my life and career. I wanted to stop allowing others to control my future and wanted to build my own. Lastly, I have Tourette’s Syndrome. Being a public speaker and having Tourette’s can be a really difficult thing to cope with. Others ask me how and why I do it. I’ve learned that it’s something I have no control over and I will not allow it to hold me back from attaining my dream. I recognize that if I did allow it to hold me back, it would be selfish as I wouldn’t be able to help others improve their lives.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?

Don’t allow someone else to dictate your dreams because you want to be comfortable or you feel you’ll be judged by building your own business or doing what you love, whatever it may be. There is always money to be made doing what you love, you just have to find the right business model and the right way of selling what you do. Don’t let others’ opinions and actions influence the path you need and want to take. Be happy and do YOU because time is never refunded.

Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?

For me, it’s my beautiful and supportive wife Emilie, my mother Stacey, my father Jeffrey (in memory of), my great-grandfather LeRoy Speirs (in memory of), Dean Martin (in memory of), Justin Furstenfeld, The Tenors, and Jesus Christ.

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?

In running my own business, there isn’t one person in particular, but I’d have to thank all those bosses and managers that caused me grief in the past and put me in poor positions. You know why? Because if it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t have had the audacity, tenacity, and motivation to create something better for others. So, thanks to them for sucking! Haha.

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

My wife and kids. My marriage and my family. They are the happiness I see each day. The effort I put in and the up’s and down’s are fully worth it because of them!

Tell us your name and a little about yourself.

My name is Ernesto Gonzalez, Founder and CEO of Probus Sway, LLC. I have founded 7 companies in different industries, from manufacturing labels and packaging for Fortune 500 clients globally to healthy pet food products in the Latin American market. But I am more passionate about my last co-founded venture, where we are working in solving global challenges for underserved communities. Our primary focus is to bring drinking water to 1 billion people who currently have no access to this vital resource.

What exactly does your company do?

Manufacturing and converting labels and packaging, healthy pet food, atmospheric water generators, e-commerce, and more importantly, solutions for 1 billion people in underserved communities

What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

The financial crisis of 2007-2008. It was a very challenging time for us. We had recently financed a multi-million dollar equipment to manufacture units for a Fortune 500 client. The equipment we purchased was defective and by the time the manufacturer was able to repair it, significant debt had accumulated. Caused by the financial crisis, banks were not looking at any refinancing structures. I had never seen bankruptcy so close. We went through foreclosures and repossessions, leans and levies. But with the advice of a client and now my partner and great friend Mike, and my operations manager Eduardo, we restructured. Sadly laid off 50% of our payroll, negotiated with vendors, government, and finally, after 2 years we were back in shape stronger than ever. We maintained most of our suppliers, clients and a fantastic team of people.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?

To surround myself with smarter and more experienced people than me, and always ask them for advice before making any major decision.

Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?

In global leadership, I would have to say Warren Buffett. Started to work at a very young age like I did, with great vision. Made bold moves and took high risks, but always with success in mind. He did not only do the things he enjoyed but had to take action when things were not going his way. He almost bankrupted and had to jump in to save more than one of his investments from collapsing, and always came out stronger. He did not only get to the top but was able to stay there, which is even tougher. After being one of the richest men alive, he donated most of his money to charity, changing and improving humanity for forever. My mother and my great aunt are my heroes, though. After my father passed away, they had to sacrifice everything, the car, their possessions and their house to give my brothers and I an education, shelter and food. They were and continue to be an example of all obstacles that can be overcome by the power of love.

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?

Michael Nixon. He believed in me at a time when most people did not. Bankruptcy was looking more real than ever. He invested in me and what I believed in, and after 10 years I am happy to say I did not let him down. We make a great team together and he has been an awesome teacher.

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

Having changed the way I measure success would be the most rewarding thing. I used to measure business success by adding dollars. The more money a business could make, the more successful it was. I don’t believe that anymore. I do believe money is necessary for any business, but it should not be the target. Instead, it must be a consequence of doing a good job. The better job you do, the larger the consequence will be. The true target to measure business success should be counted in people you positively affect. Imagine being able to affect in a positive manner 1 billion people by improving their lives. Obviously doing this has a cost, and selling the solution through a product or service has to be part of the equation. But can you imagine selling the solution for 1 dollar per person? You would have 1 billion dollars. The difference is you would be a billionaire by consequence and not by goal. It changes everything, from the way you make decisions, to the way you make strategy, to the people you chose to be part of your team. Now imagine saying you are a billionaire, but not for having 1 billion dollars, but for having changed 1 billion lives. Isn’t people count the greatest currency there is?

You can contact Ernesto by clicking the link(s) below.

Linkedin

Tell us your name and a little about yourself.

Marco Buzzi founder AIRsana® Solution for indoor air quality

What exactly does your company do?

By creating a specific machine to sanitize air conditioning systems to improve quality of life and at the same time to better manage their environment and their energy consumption. AIRsana® solved all these problems. WHO BENEFIT FROM AIRsana® Hospitals, Airports, Offices, Schools Hotels … The project is currently the Governments invest heavily in policies and funding to sensitize people to the serious problem not yet solved

What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

my experience has helped me to overcome all the challenges starting from patents to the entry into the world of outdoor air quality that still today is not well known by people and is a problem to face now

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?

to prepare well that it would not be easy at all

Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?

MBGF AIRsana is a research and development company -specific climate systems HVAC. My specific device it’s patented as an industrial patent and utility model. The device is a unique and revolutionary machine in the cleaning industry and home at a worldwide level. That means we are discovering a “Blue Ocean market” where there is a little o no competition and therefore incredible business opportunity for both the MBGF SHAREHOLDERS’ and manufactures companies purchasing or using our patents. HVAC: “The results show the enormous potential that will have air conditioning in the future”, University of California – Berkeley National Academy of Sciences. AIR POLLUTION IS GLOBALLY THE MOST SERIOUS RISK TO OUR HEALTH: According to the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO ), every year 4.3 million deaths are attributable to exposure to pollution indoor and outdoor air pollution 3.7 million. 55% of the causes are the air conditioning systems not cleaned and sanitized. According to the Climate Europe Foundation “In the European Union, the cost in human lives of poor air quality is higher than that of road accidents, making it the first environmental cause of premature death in the EU” Also, when temperatures rise triggered the alarm legionella. These problems are not solved with regular maintenance that deals with the mechanical functionality of the system and is limited to cleaning and/ or replacement of coarse filters. IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DEVICE: The device is usable by non-experts, is of small dimensions and can be used in structures with the permanence of people. The device is used by a single operator and is designed in different sizes, for B2B and B2C market. MARKET OF HVAC MARKET TOWARDS THE SANITATION HVAC: The proposed device is the first and only device in the world to make the sanitation 99.9 % of air conditioning systems so we are approaching a new market

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?

Yes, my Wife

What do you see as your greatest success in life?

My Family