F.I.V.E Questions with Executives – Page 2

Conversation with Solu Nwanze, Executive Coach

What compelled you to start Expanded Impact and what has surprised you the most about your journey thus far?

I followed my passion! I have always been drawn to leadership development, leading or founding organizations at school and work to foster learning, development, and growth. A series of activities led me to coaching including meeting my first mentor, Katie Hingle, who is a certified coach, my first coaching experience at the Watermark conference, and my first coaching class with CTI (Coaches Training Institute) while founding a speed coaching program for minority employees at Adobe.

In pursuing my passion, I became aware of the impact of coaching which compelled me to take massive action to become a trained & certified executive coach. As my confidence matured, establishing Expanded Impact was the natural next step. With Expanded Impact, my vision is to navigate established and emerging leaders through self-discovery and personal transformation as they expand their impact to themselves and others. Expanded Impact currently provides executive coaching, leadership development workshops and dynamic talks that spark awareness, confidence, and action.

What’s surprising about my journey so far is how my insurmountable mountains become distant landscapes in hindsight. With every milestone, I best myself and redefine my capacity. This is the possibility available to us all. In short, I continuously expand my impact as I help others expand theirs!

2. What makes goal setting a critical element in achieving success? Why do so many people have challenges setting and exceeding their goals?

Goals setting is critical to achieving success as it defines the goalposts towards bringing your passions to life. Goals and their corresponding actions are the concrete ways to develop skills towards your passion. As Gary & Jay mentioned in “The ONE thing,” passion without skills goes nowhere. When you build your skills, you will see results which in turn, fuel your passion. Increase in your passion leads to developing more skills towards that passion, leading to more results.

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Some common challenges towards setting and exceeding goals that I have observed through my coaching are:

We barely take out time to reflect and set goals for ourselves. Setting aside time regularly, be it quarterly or monthly, is a way to make this part of your routine
We make goals too broad without a plan to measure the outcome, and therefore, lose our zeal. Set SMART goals to ensure you know when you are on-track or not.
We set too many goals leading to a lack of focus, and again, nothing gets done. Or worse, we lose sight of the most important goal. Try focusing on the one important goal first, you’ll learn something that will inform your next best step.
We don’t give ourselves the necessary support structure – be it in accountability partners or triggers that remind us of the what and why of our goals. Recruit accountability partners like a coach or a friend who will hold you accountable without judgment.

3. Why is the cause you are pursuing or problem you are solving the most important for this generation? How would future generations benefit if it’s successful? What is at risk if you do not succeed?

In our fast-paced and noisy lives of today, we drown out our own voices so easily. We are swept by the hustle and bustle of daily activities, politics, gadgets, etc. Coaching is a practice of reflective inquiry that creates space for us to (re)discover our inner wisdom. What happens when we connect to our inner wisdom is we discover self-confidence, we learn to drown out fear and doubt, we see choices, we get unstuck, and we create our path. In essence, we become leaders in our own lives and take up the space we already had but may not always see. The impact is we have more capacity to give love and share our passions with those around us.

If we don’t develop to our full potential, we cannot give/share our gifts fully. We already see the impact of this today. Let’s take the workplace for instance. Imagine what it is like working for a manager who had poor leadership skills. What does that do to your growth opportunities, your ability to learn, your happiness and satisfaction on the job? How much of your intellectual capacity do you really bring to work in this space?

Now imagine working for a manager who is a great leader. Notice how well you would thrive, your higher level of happiness and satisfaction, your eagerness for learning and growth, and the overall value you would add to the company.

Now, multiply the impact in both cases above by five employees. What if those employees are also managers, what is the impact on their employees?

What happens when a disengaged employee goes home? How does that impact their engagement at home? How do they interact with their children? What are their children learning about life?

You see, work and life are all life; your life! And that is what is at stake.

4. Starting a business or even a side hustle can be challenging. What advice do you have for someone struggling with an idea they want to start while balancing a full time job? How would you advice they get started?

Map out what you want to do and most importantly, why you want to do it. Your “why” will be the driving force you will always go back to when challenged.

Then go ahead and develop your goals, starting with what is most important to tackle first, build your test, take action and learn from it. Learn from others who have done something similar so that you stand on the shoulders of those before you and get a head start. Next, get your supporters along for the ride, never go at it alone. These will be the people to cheer you on, offer advice, help, provide contacts, etc., along the way.

But most of all, go ahead and start. I was reminded of this simple advice recently by Aman Gohal, “Just go ahead and do it, don’t overthink it.”

5. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continues to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

Never stop learning. My dad taught me this lesson a long time ago, and it has stayed with me since then. We learn from successes and failures. Being a lifelong learner means being a sponge, always open to new possibilities, and new people. Learning comes from everywhere and everyone!

You can connect with Solu Nwanze on LinkedIn and her website.

Conversation With Chuka, Founder of Divercity.io

The representation of minorities in the tech industry is a topic that should be dear to any reasonable person’s heart. The stats are startling and requires attention and action. According to a 2014 report by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), 83.3% of Tech Executives are white, 1.9% are black, 3.1% Hispanic, and 10.5% Asian. The distribution is similar in Management; 76% are white, 4% are black, 4% are Hispanic, and 13% are Asian. Although these numbers are bleak, the opportunity that comes with workforce diversity is valued at almost $400B says CompTIA CEO, Todd Thibodeaux, as reported by techrepublic. Similar conclusions were reached by McKinsey & Company in 2015 and in 2016 by the Pearson Institute for International Economics, who both reported that “a company with more diverse representation in senior management will likely achieve greater profits.”

A minority tech CEO and Founder that sees the opportunity in diversity is Chuka, whose company, Divercity, was founded with the sole purpose of increasing the representation of minorities in the tech industry as well as other largely underrepresented industries. He approaches diversity from an objective standpoint, and believes there needs to be an intentional attack on diversity in the workplace for their to be a major effect. Chuka advises we shouldn’t rely on the overrepresented to fix the issue; rather, the minority needs to step up because if we don’t push for it, no one else would.

We spent some time going through the F.I.V.E questions, below are the highlights:

Tell us about your background and the early inspirations in your career

I moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2000 and studied Economics at the University of Texas, Arlington. After graduating, I got a job as an Analyst at an analytics company in Dallas. Earlier in my career, I had no idea that being black meant anything in the US and was oblivious to race. I was the only black person at the company and felt there was a higher standard for me. One of my supervisors would watch constantly over my shoulder and drill me about my work. It was a tough working environment. [Interestingly, according to a 2017 study from Kapor Center for Social Impact and Harris Poll, unfair treatment in the workplace is the single largest driver of turnover in the tech industry.] It was no coincidence that a few weeks later, the supervisors called me into their offices and said they have to let me go. I eventually understood the color of my skin and me standing out was different and uncomfortable. Following that experience, I applied and got a job at Deloitte. After a few years, I decided to go back to school and attended MIT, where I obtained my MBA. Following the MBA, I worked at Yahoo, where I ran Business Development Operations for a few years and later joined Ubisoft as the first Analytics Manager. Having also subsequently ran analytics teams at Warner Bros and Unity, I often felt lonely always being the minority and wanted to do something significant about it. This drive led me to build a platform to connect companies with minority professionals. In 2016, my co-founders and I conceived the idea of Divercity. It was that moment I committed to being part of the solution. My goal was to make it easy for minority aspirants to connect with each other for mentorship, knowledge sharing, and recruitment. I’ve been bootstrapped since then and have a team of 10 people across Los Angeles, San Francisco, Lagos, Europe and Australia.

2. What surprised you the most about your journey so far?

As a company in the pre-seed stage, what has surprised me the most is the difficulty in raising capital as a black entrepreneur. The standards are higher and there is a lower level of risk tolerance. It’s an even harder sell when I pitch to black VCs. It may be environmental or racial, but I think it’s a combination of both. The fact is there is a small number of Black VCs, which means there’s an over subscription which means they get a higher number of inquiries from Black founders so they are super selective. You may not even get the gift of a No. This is when you get a response with saying No or check back later. Most times, it’s silence. What keeps me going and excited is that we are trying to solve a problem that is real and relatable. The solution is a necessity, and with necessity comes conviction. The solution will eventually emerge, with or without funding. The timing is good for us, as we’ve been getting a lot of support. With movements such as #TimesUp, #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, #OscarsSoWhite, and other societal awareness, we believe the timing is good for us.

3. What is your unfair advantage?

We’ve built a job marketplace from scratch with diversity and inclusion at the forefront. Right now, a lot of the platforms don’t have that in place – Linkedin, Angellist, etc. In our platform, we encourage you to self identify ethnically and genderly. We are encouraging people to trust us with that information because we can use it to connect them to the right company. Our team is nimble and agile but we are made up of minorities and underrepresented, so we understand the problem firsthand and we have the skillset to build a solution. Even for Diversity and Inclusion Leaders, they can use our platform for better targeting and get faster results. No more trying to travel to career fairs and conferences with hefty entree fees and not to mention, the time spent traveling and travel expenses that can quickly add up. Our main customers are companies looking to increase diversity.

4. What’s been the most pivotal sacrifice so far and what advice do you have for others?

Well, my dad would be the first to let you know that the reason I am not married is because of my startup. Building a company from scratch takes a lot of time and money and more money. I do intend to settle down. I want to have a sense of purpose rather than live a traditional life. If I can have both, amen to that. I feel like I am living my purpose now, and I realize it’s a journey. There are milestones that I reflect on like a successful launch, scale, brand affinity, exit, etc. My main source of joy is being able to facilitate opportunities for people through our platform, advice, funding, and just helping them chart their part towards their own purpose. My hope and dream is to be remembered for having tackled the diversity and inclusion issue and paved the way for aspiring minority entrepreneurs. My biggest fear is that it would take a long time to materialize, and I am not a patient person by nature. Failure is not an option.

My advice is to have resilience and grit. You’ve probably heard some crazy stat that 9 out of 10 entrepreneurs fail. But what you don’t hear is that 9 out of 10 entrepreneurs give up. It’s one thing to pivot, change, or exit, it’s another thing to just give up. There’s a difference between something failing and something taking a while and you making amends to get to your goal. Make sure you’re solving a real problem and I recommend people do something centered around their passion.

5. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continue to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

There are two that stand out. The first is by Winston Churchill – “Never give up.”

The second is from my Dad. He said whenever I drive to make sure I drive for the people around me. Pay attention and be aware of their mistakes. Learn from other drivers around you. Driving is not one dimensional. Most times, you’re usually not the only person on the road. You’re a better driver when you pay attention to other drivers. It ensures you are safe, careful, and observant, not just for yourself but for people around. When I apply that thinking to anything I do, I tend to get success.

F.I.V.E Questions with Zakiya Harris, Co-Founder & CIO, Hack The Hood

It’s impossible to ignore the way technology is shaping how and what we do every given second. You are most likely reading this article on your phone or computer screen, or listening to the audio version thanks to Amazon Polly and cloud computing. In fact, according to a CNN report in August 2018, technology helped America’s economy way more than we thought because the Bureau of Economic Analysis revamped its gross domestic product calculations. The agency incorporated new information about cloud computing, cell phones, and other rapidly evolving technologies. As technology continues to reshape our future as we know it, equal access to this change agent remains unmet for billions of people. This is where Zakiya Harris, and the team at Hack The Hood hope to make an impact. Zakiya is the co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Hack The Hood, a non-profit that introduces low-income youth of color to careers in technology by hiring and training them to build websites for real small businesses in their communities. Hack The Hood wants to equip graduates of their Bootcamp with the skills and resources to find work and earn an income that enables them to live in the community where they grew up. In 2017, they saw a 92% completion rate of their Bootcamp attended by over 330 youth that built over 250 small business websites.

Zakiya is a seasoned leader and is a part of nationally recognized projects such as Impact Hub Oakland, Grind for the Green, and is a Fellow of Green for All and Bold Food. She is also a singer and author. #BlackGirlMagic #BlackExcellence

1. What is your morning routine and how has it contributed to your development as a leader?

My mornings are the most sacred part of my day. I genuinely believe that a strong start leads to a strong day. My morning begins with meditation, working out and setting intentions for the day. I also try to squeeze in a healthy breakfast and a lot of water. My practice has contributed to my development as a leader because, like most people, my day involves giving a lot of energy to others in the form of speaking, emailing, brainstorming, etc.. To do this my cup has to be full. My morning routine is how I fill my cup so that I can support others.

2. What compelled you to start/join Hack The Hood and what has surprised you the most about your journey thus far?

I was compelled to join Hack the Hood because I wanted to give Oakland youth and youth across the Bay Area the opportunity to access the tools that were shaping their future. What has surprised me most about my journey thus far is how quick this project took off. As a co-founder, I don’t think any of us realized how large the void was in the market. The reality is that mainstream education is failing everyone, especially underserved communities. More organizations and companies like Hack the Hood are going to step in to fill this gap to ensure that all young people are on track to obtain the 21st-century skills needed to thrive in the current economy.

If we as a country and a planet don’t create a world where all young people have access to the tools to navigate their future, we all fail. Technology is a critical component in the future of work. No matter what job/career young people today aspire to, technology will be at the center of it. Everyone is an expert in something and technology gives you the opportunity to use your expertise and combine it with technology to solve problems. For example, foster care students are going to feel more empowered to create technology solutions for the foster care industry, African Americans are going to feel more empowered to develop technology solutions to address police brutality, etc. If we don’t give everyone the tools, we risk not solving significant problems in the world. We risk not having a planet for future generations to live in.

4. Reflect on all of the key milestones/proudest moments you’ve had so far in building Hack The Hood to what it is today. Which of these milestones/proudest moments would you say is the most pivotal and why?

Our biggest milestone hands down was winning the 2014 Google Impact Challenge. After only one summer and 19 students, we beat out hundreds of other organizations and were awarded $500,000 from Google. That single act accelerated our work, allowed us to scale in 7 cities and build a community of local small businesses, tech companies, community members and youth. We are still benefiting from the social cache and ripple effect of that award.

5. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continues to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

A mantra that I live by is a quote from Nelson Mandela who once said: “It only seems impossible until its done.” That is something that I live by. It reminds me that regardless of appearances, if you have a dream, you have to just go for it. His life like so many others was a true testament to that fact. Whenever I am facing a challenge personal or otherwise, I turn to that quote to remind me that anything is possible.

F.I.V.E Questions with Stephen Ozoigbo, Venture Catalyst

1. Briefly describe your background- education, experience, etc. What is the most exciting or rewarding aspect of what you do now? What could make it even more exciting or rewarding?

I am a generalist. My background is a hybrid of Technology, Finance and Investments, and International Development. I have been fortunate to live and work in four continents and I consider these experiences to be the backbone of my current status as a Venture Catalyst.

I was born in Nigeria and grew up with an admiration of global affairs. When I emigrated to the US as a young adult, I chose the path of embracing knowledge and learning through any means possible and I immersed myself in a variety of learning activities both online and offline. This propelled me through my first Master’s degree and led me to my career in Banking

With the help of a good friend and mentor, I joined Smith Barney as an Investment Associate intern and worked for four years through the Banking realms of Citigroup. I completed my MBA within the same period and transitioned to Foreign Direct Investment activities with the Government of Catalonia in Europe in 2009. This experience shaped my Venture and International development as it allowed me to design, implement and manage a variety of investment activities across macro and micro environments. Particularly, I started working with Startups and saw the power of entrepreneurship as a key variable for economic development.

I took that experience back to Africa and it has become a core aspect of my day to day as an early stage investor in venture activities, a stage agnostic advisor to venture stakeholders, and an active stakeholder in Africa’s entrepreneurial future.

The most exciting part of what I do now is applying my knowledge and experience on the African continent with a full exploitation of my generalist tendencies and approach. My personal and professional background in Science, Technology and Finance allows me to sit within convening and offer a full appreciation of the levers that need to be pulled in driving African innovation ecosystems forward.

My roles get more exciting as I meet more young Africans that are just as driven and willing to do the same. My perspectives on this and more were shared in my recent TED Talk.

2. Flash back and then fast forward to the present, what has surprised you the most about your journey thus far? What advice do you have for others looking to take a similar path? Is there something you could have done differently to get to where you are quicker?

I have fond memories of great projects, activities and sometimes disappointments. On a personal note, having the opportunity to work with key public sector partners and friends from the Obama White house and Administration, to the US State Department after serving within the Government of Catalonia for five years stands out as one of my most pleasantly surprising paths. On a daily basis, working with young African entrepreneurs to build solutions of the future and seeing THEIR journeys from a lens of venture creation and acceleration is always a thrill.

For anyone else seeking to follow a similar path, I will strongly advise them to embrace THEIR generalist tendencies and characteristics. It comes in very handy in fast paced, international and multidimensional business environments. I also advise that they have good friends that are specialists!

Entrepreneurship is hard. Entrepreneurship in the African context is even harder. I encourage anyone within the ecosystem (or seeking to enter it) to come in with a stomach of steel, strive hard to leave their mark and never relent on their mission towards empowering others.

3. Why is the cause you are pursing or problem you are solving the most important for this generation? How would future generations benefit if its successful? What is at risk if you do not succeed?

The Lions@frica initiative and the DEMO Africa platform and all other programs that we currently have embedded within the African Technology Foundation are quite important in the broader sense of promoting entrepreneurship in Africa. For a generation of Africans that are media entrepreneurs, I also consider our Edutainment Africa platform to be an essential tool for story tellers to amplify the business elements of their craft.

As the African media and technology ecosystems merge and digital entrepreneurs continue to rise from their self taught ecosystems across the continent, their ability to build a product, tell their story and sell it across the world will be a critical aspect of their venture pathways.

There isn’t a viable risk to not succeeding with these initiatives. Rather, I consider that like many others, some stakeholders will be pioneers and not direct beneficiaries – and we will all continue to strive for the Africa that we believe in.

4. Reflect on all of the key sacrifices and trade-offs you’ve had to make to get to where you are today. Which of these would you say was the most pivotal and why?

My personal sacrifices have mostly been around my inability to say NO to service or causes I believe in. From China to Catalonia to Colombia to multiple locations in Africa, I have made a myriad of trade-offs that were sometimes a burden to my personal life but ended up with a rainbow at the end.

Answering a call to service and working alongside key stakeholders at the US State Department’s Office of Global Partnerships on the Lions@frica initiative as well as supporting key public sector activities for the Obama Administration would stand out. Working with my good friends at the Government of Catalonia’s Trade and Investment Office will also stand out. These public sector experiences have enforced my core beliefs that governments are people, and given me a comfort win providing policy guidance to governments all over the world.

Working with young startup founders is very rewarding for me. They are Africa’s future and I am always honored to be a page in their book through mentorship, advisory and investment related activities. Building technology solutions with all of these founders remains a key motivation for me as well.

5. What is the best piece of actionable advice that you’ve received that continues to be source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

I have a daily dose of these, especially since my daily activities are quite amorphous and touch on many parts of the innovation ecosystem. I have a healthy network of mentors and advisors that I reach out to on a regular basis for guidance. I look to my family to stay grounded – my mother and my wife and are biggest fans and critics alike. I seek inspiration in well meaning and self driven innovators from Africa and listen intently to their visions and motivations. Above all else, I am a willing learner – I have grown to learn from all my experiences, both good and bad.

Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn!

F.I.V.E Questions With Deon Greyling, Partner, BTS Middle East & Africa

Briefly describe your background.

I started life as the son of a policeman and a typical upbringing in South Africa – at the time the country was divided along racial lines with major divisions and inequalities. Although my father was a policeman in the old government, he taught me the value of the human being, and treating people of all walks of life with the same focus on potential rather than circumstance. I attended a local university studying B.Comm Law – a unique combination of law and commerce. I completed my LLB (Honours in Law) as well as my MBA along the way. Seeking knowledge, interacting with people and being curious about the world around me has driven my work experiences. I started out as a commercial lawyer (largely the fault of the portrayal of lawyers in a US TV Show of the mid 80’s, called LA Law). I soon realized that life was more precisely worded contracts and endless hours in courtrooms and meeting rooms. I joined BTS in 2000 and started a life of consulting. Working for BTS over the last 18 years has presented me with an amazing opportunity to work with some of the most inspiring people (both internally as well as our clients and partners) and continually satisfy my curiosity on how the world works, how strategies are translated into reality and how great leaders inspire and motivate people to be their best.

Flashback and then fast forward to the present, what has surprised you the most about your career trajectory and what tips do you have for other embarking on similar path?

My career trajectory had me as a managing director of a company at the age of 26 and partner in a global consulting company by 35. A couple of learning along the way:

People are as important as performance – care about your relationships with people as much as you care about results.
Never say “no” to learning opportunities that will stretch you.
Focus on your faith, your family and the future – having something that you deeply believe in, that drives your decision-making and value system creates stability and direction in your life, finding purpose in a cause bigger than you and your meager existence helps keep you humble and grounded in the course of life – focusing on family and the future (and not varnishing the past) helps me understand the reason and motivation for getting through the tough times, and for celebrating the small victories in life. Work and life in general would surely be of little or no value if you only lived for yourself and had no cause or direction
Know your values…never sacrifice or trade your values – no matter what your victory, if you have traded your values, you will always feel empty
Know your value – don’t settle for less than you are worth. People will pay you for the job you do – this is defined by market value for the services performed – but never let your job define your worth.

Why is the cause you are pursuing or problem you are solving the most important for this generation?

Helping people do the best work of their lives by providing them and their organization with the required alignment, mindset and capability ultimately helps build more sustainable businesses, and a better planet. By helping leaders see the long-term impact of their decision-making, and then equipping them with the business, leadership and functional acumen to make the right decisions faster will shift not only companies, but countries and markets. The Middle East and African market contains some of the biggest differentials between the “Have’s” and the “Have nots” – reducing this differential and increasing people’s opportunity to actively and meaningfully participate in a global economy lies in developing people and companies in these markets to continue to grow in competitiveness. What we do at BTS helps accelerate this by innovating how companies and their leaders change, learn and improve.

Why is now the right time for the world to pay attention to the Africa market?

The growth in Africa, as with many other growth markets, is not evolutionary – but rather revolutionary. The biggest misconception about growth economies is that they follow the same learning curve as more mature economies. The rate of learning in these growth economies is accelerating and tends to be more “step-changes” and skipping technology and learning curves as the global economy becomes more integrated and virtual. Companies will be able to immediately introduce new products and solutions – removing some of the barriers for smaller companies (and making markets more accessible). At the same time, Africa is an extremely entrepreneurial continent with amazing diversity of people and thinking – and the global economy now affords a more global contribution both inbound and outbound.

What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continues to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

The best advice I have received is to focus on your passion and what ignites your soul – money, fame or other worldly achievements will follow. Do the work you love, and you will never work a day in your life.

Connect with Deon on LinkedIn.

Learn more about BTS.

F.I.V.E Questions With Chike Nwoffiah Founding Director, Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF)

“Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” Chinua Achebe

When you let someone else tell your story, they’re likely to leave out important details. It matters who controls the narrative; so whatever you do, work hard to control your narrative and tell your truth.

Chike Nwoffiah is on a mission to change the narrative of Africa which is what compelled him to start Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF) nine years ago. Chike permeates an intense amount of positive energy and belief that fuels his drive to get Africans to tell their authentic stories. He has brilliantly guided SVAFF from just an idea to international recognition. As SVAFF heads into its 9^th year (Oct. 4-7, 2018) of screening films from Africa created by African filmmakers, I caught up with Chike to learn more about his drive and what actionable advice he can pass on to us.

1. Briefly describe your background and how you got started.
I was born and raised in Nigeria. I grew up in a very loving home where education was a priority. My love for the creative industry started very early in my life at about the age of 4 when I starred in my very first stage play. I still have very vivid memories of the rehearsals, costumes and the performance to the entire school community of students, parents, and teachers. From then on, I was immersed in theater and this continued through college and beyond. Although in college, I was in business school, my heart was on stage and so for all my years in college, I starred in every play that was mounted by our student theater company. Years later, as fate brought me to Silicon Valley California for further studies and work, I slowly found myself consumed by the chore of a corporate career and while I was making good money as a young (24-year-old) corporate strategic planner, I knew something was missing. My heart yearned for a creative outlet which the hustle and noise of corporate America weren’t giving me. So after about six years in the Silicon Valley corporate world, I began my transition to the creative industry and have never been happier. Today, I run a California based full-service media production company, Rhesus Media Group, with offices in Cape Town, South Africa and Lagos, Nigeria. We provide end-to-end media services to private and corporate clients as well as produce our content. We presently have a feature film, A Rose for Freddy, which I directed, scheduled for release in theaters across Nigeria in August of this year. I also founded the Silicon Valley African Film Festival, an annual showcase of films by Africa’s talented seasoned and emerging filmmakers. The festival was started to confront the sad reality that after over half a century of independence in Africa, most of the continent’s narratives are still told by people who are so many degrees removed from the continent. These historically distorted narratives have led to blurred interpretations and blurred perceptions of Africa, and our way of life. I am convinced that by creating a platform for Africa’s content creators to share their authentic stories with the world, we can engage the global community in a different dialogue about Africa. The film festival has grown in 9 years to become an annual destination event that draws international filmmakers, celebrities, and visitors to Silicon Valley. What I find most exciting and rewarding for me is that I have found a way to live my passion and make an impact in the process. My business school training continues to give me the professional discipline to successfully run my businesses and execute projects, while my talent and skills in the creative arts allow me to share my African heritage on a global stage. I wake up every day excited to go to work. Outside of my beautiful wife and son, I couldn’t ask for a better blessing than the opportunity to make a living doing what I love.

2. Flashback and then fast forward to the present, what has surprised you the most about your journey (with SVAFF) thus far?
The pleasant surprise or the “happy story” about SVAFF is the pace of growth we have achieved in such a short amount of time. The festival has grown from a one-day event that showcased 16 films to a full three days of programming last year with 93 films from 30 countries. Our offering has now expanded to include a fashion show, live performances, food, African market, and in 2018, we will debut our “Virtual Africa” lounge where guests can experience virtual reality content from Africa. The community support has also been stellar as several individuals and organizations rallied around the idea from the very first year and made sure that we kept it going even during the challenging times. SVAFF has become a community-owned event, and this is what I always wished it to be – no one person’s event, but our event.

3. Why is the cause you are pursuing or problem you are solving the most important for this generation, how would future generations benefit if it’s successful, and what is at risk if you do not succeed?
Africa can no longer be ignored in the global economic, social and political space. With a population of more than 1 billion people, expected to double by mid-century, Africa offers an enormous potential market. While the rest of the world is aging, Africa is young with about 20% of the population between the ages of 15 and 24. And while the global workforce may be shrinking, in a few years Africa’s workforce will number some 1.1 billion, surpassing that of China and India.

This huge slice of the global population cannot be reduced to myopic soundbites that only perpetuate historical stereotypes. I am humbled that I have been able to dedicate my work to challenging the complex networks of ignorance, prejudices and stereotypes underpinning Africa’s pernicious misrepresentation in the media as a place of turmoil, deprivation, wildlife, ethnography, the spectacular, bewildering, ambiguous, haunting, and casting Africans as simple folks in need of guiding hands or, belittling noble savages. The recent US president’s characterization of African nations as “s#*#hole countries” is a prime example of this kind of ignorance driven bigotry.

To allow the myopic single story narratives of Africa to dominate our understanding of Africa deprives our children the opportunity to engage with the world’s brightest, most diverse and vibrant minds. Stories inform our perceptions, and our perceptions inform our behavior. Until the global community stops seeing Africa and Africans as “less than”, the balance of social, political and economic power will remain tilted against Africa. In this, therefore, failure is not an option for me.

4. Reflect on all of the key milestones you’ve had so far in building SVAFF to what it is today. Which of these milestones would you say is the most pivotal and why?
We are at a very critical juncture right now at SVAFF as we present our 9th season with an eye on our 10th anniversary next year. In reflection, I think the biggest milestone was year one. Birthing an idea is always the biggest step, getting it out of one’s head and giving it life. Not being sure if it will work, even though one has planned and prepared. We have indeed come a long way, and I feel blessed to be a vehicle that God has used to bring this to my community. There is always a moment at each festival when I stand in total wonder and humility as I watch the sea of people, shuffling about the festival grounds, laughing, chatting, hugging, just carrying on and being animated about films they have just seen or about to see. Those are the priceless moments when I appreciate how something that was once a thought in my head has become a gift to the community.

5. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continues to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?
My father always used to tell me – “If you are really passionate about something, commit to it. If you commit, be willing to give it ten years.” He always taught me to take the long view and stick it out. I am not sure SVAFF could have lasted this long if I didn’t have those words of wisdom constantly ringing in my head.

You can contact SVAFF by sending an email to office @ svaff.org

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F.I.V.E Questions with Ade Adesanya, Co-Founder of Moving Analytics

Multiple studies show that 90% of startups fail. As the co-founder of Moving Analytics, Ade Adesanya takes on this hard truth every day. He calls it “de-risking” his startup. He does this by having a laser focus on solving his customer’s problems while drawing inspiration from the impact his company is having on many lives. I met Ade during a talk about technology and entrepreneurship hosted by the Umu Igbo Unite chapter of Los Angeles. Ade was named a Forbes 30 under 30 and his company has raised $2M in VC funding. We invite you to get into the mind of Ade in this F.I.V.E questions feature:

1. Briefly describe your background and how you got started.

I grew up in Lagos and came to US in 2007 to study Electrical Engineering at the University of Houston. I always had a passion for building things and caught the technology bug early in my college days. In my junior year in college, the Social Network movie detailing Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook’s story came out. The movie inspired me and my friends to find more problems in our community that technology could solve. We agreed to tackle a problem many college students battle with every semester, buying textbooks. We founded a company called Givepals to serve as a marketplace for students to trade textbooks with each other. The idea expanded to other items including, DJ services, cars, boats, and much more. At its peak, Givepals had over 3000 active users at UH; however, the company closed after we graduated and were unable to expand to other campuses due to engineering challenges.

The experience at Givepals inspired me to move to California and immerse myself in an environment where I could learn how to commercialize technologies and improve my project management skills. I enrolled in the Engineering Management program at University of Southern California (USC) and I also got a job at the USC’ Stevens Center for Innovation where I worked with researchers to commercialize their intellectual property into startup companies. Through my job at Stevens, I met my business partner Harsh, who was a postdoctoral fellow who had secured 2 patents for tracking and improving physical activity for chronic disease management. Harsh was looking to commercialize his patent into a commercial product and was looking for some business help in identifying a customer, fundraising and forming a team. Through our research which consisted of interviewing over 200 clinicians, hospital administrators, and non-profits like the American Health Association we discovered a business opportunity in the cardiac rehabilitation industry.

For those lucky to survive a heart attack, cardiac rehabilitation is a program designed to help patients improve their physical fitness, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, quit smoking, and improve other cardiovascular-related risk factors. Research shows patients who do rehab double their 5-year life expectancy and cut their risk of a second heart attack by up to 50%. The challenge is less than 15% of patients enroll in CR programs because there are very few programs which are located far away from people’s home and work. As a result, health systems are also shuttering their brick and mortar CR programs due to the high operating costs and unprofitability. This leads to more cardiac patients dying and getting readmitted within 12 months. Our team realized that there was an enormous opportunity in delivering cardiac rehab digitally through telehealth. This is how we founded the company, Moving Analytics.

2. Flashback and then fast forward to the present, what has surprised you the most about your journey (with Moving Analytics) thus far?

What has surprised me so far is the long sales cycles in healthcare. Our customers are large health systems. When you start, you have this conviction that since you have a solution to such a big problem, they would want to move fast to make something happen. That is unfortunately not the case since our sales cycle takes about a year, and could be longer for more complex agreements. It can be challenging at times because you still need to keep the business going while negotiations are progressing. Managing your expectations for the type of business you are in is important to your long-term success. Activities like the hundreds of demos we used to do when we first started that we thought weren’t working back then are now leading us to get more qualified leads and slowly chip away at the length of the sales cycle.

3. Why is the cause you are pursuing or problem you are solving the most important for this generation?

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death. 1 in 10 people die from heart disease – more people die from heart disease than cancer. However, heart disease doesn’t get as much attention. Our platform and program help reduce the risk of dying from heart disease. As millennials, we live for experiences and want to continue to do that for a long time. If we can solve this problem, it means we would live longer and our parents would live longer. We would spend more time with our loved ones. The fact is there is a benefit to being healthy and there is a cost associated with it as well. Heart disease and heart failure are expensive diseases, and we are committed to fighting and preventing it with our platform.

4. Reflect on all of the key sacrifices and trade-offs you’ve had to make to get to where you are today. Which of these would you say was the most pivotal and why?

Running a startup is a huge commitment of your time, and personal relationships could suffer. We’ve been running the business for 4 years and in those 4 years, I’ve had some special personal relationships that didn’t work out. I’ve had to learn to manage my personal relationships better and realize it’s marathon, not a sprint. I’ve also started paying a lot of attention to my physical and mental health. When it comes to mental health, I try to share what’s going on in my life so my family and friends can help. It’s like you’re bringing them along on the journey.

5. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continues to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

“Don’t build your idea in a vacuum.” Get out of the building and get in front of your customers.

A lot of people have ideas they want to hoard and not talk about for various reasons. The reality is most people do not care about your idea. Knowing this, I always try to socialize my ideas and in the process, I often determine what it is I need help with to take the idea to the next level. It’s interesting because when I share my ideas and where I need help, people would find ways to help me.

For more details, contact Moving Analytics.

F.I.V.E Questions with Ismail Maiyegun, Co-Founder of Hingeto

Hidden in the credits of any successful entrepreneurial story are small fonts of close calls, pivots, rejections, adversities, doubts, failures, etc. Ismail’s entrepreneurial story is no different. He is quick to tell you that the journey is just as important as the destination and having an unshakable self-belief, surrounding yourself with like-minded people, and working your a$$ off will get you farther than you’d expect. Ismail and his team are building a venture called Hingeto, to tackle inventory risk in retail. The Oakland, CA based startup has raised $1.9M in seed round funding to date, and are backed by Y Combinator (W16), Kapor Capital, Cross Culture Ventures, Precursor Ventures, Stanford University / StartX (S16), Comcast Ventures, Andre Iguodala, #blessed & Base Ventures. Hingeto launched with a limited-edition collection of bomber jackets designed by Oakland Raiders superstar, Marshawn Lynch. Ismail was kind enough to make time to share his story with the hopes of uplifting and inspiring other entrepreneurs. Enjoy!

1. Briefly describe your background- education, work experience, etc. What is the most exciting or rewarding aspect of what you do now? What could make it even more exciting or rewarding?

I attended Stanford University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Computer Software. In High school, I got my A Levels in Computer Science, Math, Chemistry & Physics. I started programming in my early teens. After graduating from university, I worked for a financial-technology company in San Francisco that was co-founded by Bill Harris (former CEO of Intuit & interim CEO at PayPal). After spending four years there, I decided it was time for me to work full-time on my own ventures given the success I had enabled for those I had consulted and advised on the side.

My focus is now on Hingeto, a YC company I co-founded. We’ve raised ~ $1.9M to tackle inventory risk in retail.

I also serve as Chairman of the Board of Big Wolf Games, a company I co-founded before Hingeto.

One of the most exciting & rewarding aspects of my current role is to see how the solutions we build based on our customer’s feedback make a difference in their livelihoods. I also, admittedly, love the power I have in being able to bring any idea to life (it remains exhilarating even after almost 20+ years of programming). What would make it more exciting & rewarding is to look in the room and see more people that look like me, armed with the skills to pursue their dreams the way I have been able to.

2. Flashback and then fast forward to the present, what has surprised you the most about your journey thus far? What advice do you have for others looking to take a similar path? Is there something you could have done differently to get to where you are faster?

My biggest surprise has been how methodical building a successful company can be, once you master certain core principles and strategies.

The biggest thing I would have done differently is that I would have saved a lot more money before going on the entrepreneurial journey so that I could avoid contract work while building my ventures. Luckily, while it’s worked out so far for me, I had way too many close calls earlier in the journey that could have been avoided had I invested in having 6 months – 1 year of income stashed away.

But at the same time for me, knowing my personality, not having that cushion, created the urgency I needed back then to be able to build fast, iterate fast, close deals, etc. I don’t think I’d advise other entrepreneurs to do the same, because for me, my “worst case” was that I would find a mini-gig to “re-up” if needed – which would derail me for a few weeks/months but I knew that if need be, I could hypothetically continue finding contract work indefinitely until I figured out the long-term money maker – although that would not have been ideal. I built relationships with some agencies that sent me opportunities all the time specifically for this purpose.

For others looking to take a similar path, I would tell them to start small right now. I’d advise them to begin absorbing everything they can about starting/building a business and to begin surrounding themselves with positive/like- minded-people. Most importantly, I’d advise them to start putting their learnings into action immediately, even if on a small scale. I’d advise them to focus on building mini ventures that can make $10/month, then $100/month, then $1000/month then $10,000/month then $100,000/month and so forth.

It is extremely difficult to predict the future success of your company, but what is more within your control is what happens within the next few months. Then after that, focusing on the next few months after that. And after that. And when you look back 1-2 years later, you’ll find a few things will have happened.
You will have achieved product-market fit on one of the experiments you were running
You will have success on some small (or even large scale)
You will fail, but those learnings will make you more enlightened for the next thing you work on.
You will have built confidence in variety of competencies that empowers you to be a better entrepreneur (or employee or employer)

Hingeto builds no-risk inventory solutions for large retailers & small brands, mainly in the fashion/apparel niche (primarily Streetwear).

A lot of people express their identity by what they wear on a daily basis. Even those not looking to make a fashion statement, express a lot about themselves by what they decide to wear and what not to wear. When my co-founders approached me with the idea they were kicking around (they previously worked at a $130M online retailer and understood the industry very well), I was somewhat hesitant about if this would be something I would be passionate about because I am not one that cared much about fashion at the time.

However, after discussing the idea a few more times & digging deeper into the macro & micro economic implications of the issues such as excessive waste due to excess inventory, shifting consumer shopping habits, business process & logistics issues experienced by large retailers, predatory sales practices that severely impact small brands (many of which were being run by minorities), my interest was piqued. I also realized that streetwear was arguably the biggest driver of fashion trends & culture, outside of luxury.

While these issues were multi-faceted & complex, we identified what we believed was the root cause of many of them: Inventory Risk. To that end, we are building valuable solutions to solve this from a few angles as it isn’t a one-size-fits-all problem.

I hope the work & impact we achieve with Hingeto will leave a lasting legacy & change the way small brands & large retailers work together and to foster a healthy ecosystem that allows all involved to thrive in the modern economy.

I am also the Chairman of the board of Big Wolf Games, a 6-person gaming venture I co-founded before Hingeto. While on the surface, gaming feels as though it provides no direct societal impact, one of the reasons I’m so passionate about games, is their ability to reach a wide audience across all socioeconomic/cultural/ethnic/language backgrounds.

Games also provide a temporary escape/reprieve from the day-to-day hardships many go through. I started programming in my early teens because I loved games so much & wanted to learn how to build them, so games have changed my life.

One thing about games is that building them requires the ultimate blend of a variety of highly skilled competencies (art, animation, engineering – client side & server side, psychology, emotion, user experience, product, etc.). Building a successful game is arguably one of the most difficult things to do, and hence, it is a challenge that stimulates me intellectually (even if I’m not the one writing the code).

Games we’ve built (both internally & as part of joint-ventures) are played by millions around the world which is really awesome. The revenue is also very nice (lol).

4. Reflect on all of the key sacrifices and trade-offs you’ve had to make to get to where you are today. Which of these would you say was the most pivotal and why?

I’ll speak about one big moment for me I had in addition to more general sacrifices/tradeoffs I’ve had to make during my entrepreneurial career.

The big moment was when I liquidated my 401(k) at the time (hence incurred early withdrawal penalties) as well as liquidating the FB stock I had at the time (which I bought right at IPO).

One on hand, these investments would have been worth a nice chunk of change today had I left them alone. However, at the time, I NEEDED the cash to get through another month of payroll, so I did what I had to do. I also always felt that the biggest investment I could ever make was in myself / ventures, and I wholeheartedly believed that I would make 5-10x whatever I was sacrificing by being able to “stay alive” for a few more days/months/years.

At that moment, I felt that it was best for me to withdraw from the stock market entirely and focus on $AIM (my initials & personal stock ticker :-p) & forego any upside I had from holding those positions.

Thankfully, that worked out for me. And thanks to the hustle, I put myself in a position where I’ve been able to generate several orders of magnitude more than what I forewent, but it was very very risky & I would never recommend anyone else do that (unless you have the same mindset and skills to be able to execute).

The next set of sacrifices is around lifestyle. Randi Zuckerburg posits that you can only pick 3 out of Work, Sleep, Family, Fitness, or Friends.

My biggest lifestyle sacrifices have revolved around my lack of balance across these 5 things, particularly early on in my career. In my early 20s, I neglected sleep, fitness and focused mostly on Work, Friends, and Family. I have paid the price for the lack of focus on my fitness & sleep (in the form of random health issues here and there), and I never got to focus on my family as much as I thought I would.

My rationale was always to work hard now (i.e. be in a position to retire in my 30s), so that I could focus on everything else later.

I realized the naiveté of this approach and shifted things in my late 20s where I sought to have more balance across all five areas because the journey was just as important as the destination. I have only recently (I am now 32) been able to feel like I am making real deliberate moves to achieve more balance across these key areas.

All in all, I disagree with Ms. Zuckerburg, and I believe there is a way to achieve balance across all five areas if one is deliberate about their time.

5. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continues to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

One of my early clients from my consulting days once told me that the most powerful I could do with my ventures, is to give myself the financial runway to figure things out because it was just a matter of time before things start to click/work and that it wasn’t an “if it works” but more of a “when it works”. That has stuck with me.

A similar piece of advice I got during my track days at Stanford (unrelated to business) was during a time we were doing a stadium steps workout.

I was struggling badly & felt like quitting the workout, and one of my good friends/teammates said “Just take one more step man. And then one more after that & you’ll get there. Don’t think of how much more we have to do. Just focus on getting through the next step.. then next set and before you know it we’ll be done.”

I’ve taken that mindset shift and applied to many things that feel insurmountable at first.

Other things I do to get me through difficult times is to recite

If by Rudyard Kipling
See it Through by Edgar A Guest

I have those two poems memorized completely and will recite them once or twice a week at any given point.

Connect with Hingeto

F.I.V.E Questions with Modupe Ajibola, CEO of Nigex

Modupe is a serial entrepreneur with an exceptional drive and passion towards problem-solving. A few years ago, Entrepreneur.com put out an article on the “7 Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs” which are Tenacity, Passion, Tolerance for Ambiguity, Vision, Self-belief, Flexibility, and Rule-breaking. Modupe embodies all seven characteristics. Having enjoyed a decade of success at Texas Instruments, he went on to found multiple companies that are now making a difference in the lives of many professionals across North America and Africa.

I caught up with Modupe while he was visiting Silicon Valley to engage Investors and Strategic Partners about his latest venture, Nigex (more info below). What excites me about the Nigex venture is the potential it has to uplift a generation of talented minds in Nigeria, and the rest of Africa.

1. Briefly describe your background- education, work experience, etc.

Modupe is the founder and CEO of Nigex, a proprietary Agile Software Platform that enables resources from Africa to consult seamlessly for global jobs with the backings of a US company. Nigex developed agreements and tools that both consultants and clients can use to facilitate secure vetting, training, managing, and holding resources accountable. Nigex is a cost-effective way to outsource Software Development work without the typical issues of language barriers or requirement miss-alignment.

Modupe is also the co-founder of the award-winning technology and company called OTGPlaya. OTGPlaya connects end-users to digital content by leapfrogging existing bandwidth constraints of internet infrastructure. Since its founding in Austin, Texas, OTGPlaya has won the USAID Africa Diaspora Marketplace Award in 2012 and the 2013 LLGA City Pilot for City-Wide Wi-Fi in Lagos, Nigeria.

Modupe is also the founder of Vision Invent Inc (VI), a leading Design House and technology rep firm in the USA that supports hundreds of Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) customers.

Before forming VI in 2008, Modupe blazed his path successfully at Texas Instruments (TI) and served in several leadership roles. Modupe studied Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University.

2. Flashback and then fast forward to the present, what has surprised you the most about your journey thus far? What advice do you have for others looking to take a similar path?

One could say I wasn’t such a risk taker, but when I found that my job at TI was never going to satisfy my desire to solve problems I cared to solve, I knew it was time to hire myself. So my advice here is to take your ambitions more seriously than anyone’s belief or disbelief in you.

My career at TI grew based on my ability to solve problems which made my job and those around me easier. I remember creating a tool for the Technical Team to use in isolating the right processor for a target client requirements by using a drill down signal chain block diagram system. Management found out about the tool and gave me my first promotion. The advice here is to not complain about what limits you, but find ways to solve and test your assumptions on the solution as opposed to looking to get credit for your unproven ideas.

Entrepreneurship is first about solving problems, but I was surprised to find that it is not sustainable without the right partnerships or resources. I learned this over the years of winning and losing business because of my inexperience with managing expectations. To fix this, I had to give shares of my company away to those who specialized in building a company and team; and before I knew it, everything I did began growing instead of shrinking. The advice here is not to become a jack of all trades and master of none. Master what makes you unique and comes easily to you while surrounding yourself with complementing partners that have measurable track records of success. In picking partners, focus on strengths and ensure you set goals, so everyone knows what to do and when. If a partner misses a goal, you should quickly evaluate the partner’s position and keep or vote them out based on their ability to meet the agreed upon goals.

The power to enable smart African kids is of significant value to me from a business and personal standpoint. I also believe technology is the great equalizer that can help young Africans circumvent government bureaucracy and transcend the corruptible reputation of Africans globally.

The Government and African leaders have yet to realize the goldmine of human brain resources they have, so why not me is what I asked. This realization is why I have decided to invest in the great minds and ensure a paradigm shift based on results and not just words. People tend to believe in what works which is why it is important to prove that a global job market will best serve our young minds.

4. Reflect on all of the key sacrifices and trade-offs you’ve had to make to get to where you are today. Which of these would you say was the most pivotal and why?

My realization about sacrifice is to prepare to lose it all before gaining what you seek. I had to sell my house and shed many cost centers that would have caused me to look back when I became an entrepreneur. You need to believe that you have what it takes to do more than what you have in your possessions, and rid yourself of any potential distractions.
5. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continues to be a source of inspiration in good times and challenging times?

My friend, dad, and mentor, Alade Ajibola shared this with me “Success is a journey and not a destination, so chase your dreams only if the process is fun and rewarding.”

F.I.V.E Questions with Brent Maropis, CEO of Rev.io

Brent is the CEO of Rev.io, a billing and back-office SaaS company dedicated to solving the mission-critical problems of providers with recurring and metered service offerings. In his short time at the helm, the Rev.io team has acquired high-profile clients and accumulated numerous industry awards, including One of the Nation’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For and One of the Best Workplaces for Women.

I worked with Brent at Cbeyond where I witnessed him lead with an unparalleled work ethic. This inspired us to not only pursue ambitious objectives but crush them. If after reading his interview below you aren’t as fired up as me to “get after it” and crush your goals, you may want to check your pulse. 🙂

1. Briefly describe how your background and share the most exciting or rewarding aspect of what you do.

I studied Business and Finance at Elon University in North Carolina. Elon prepared me for a great start to a career in business. A degree, however, just gets you the interview. Elon is a smaller school with a lot of engagement and accountability, so I couldn’t just show up and pass the class. That discipline translated well for me in the professional world. You have to show up prepared or expect to fail.

After graduation, I moved to Atlanta and started at Cbeyond. I didn’t know anyone. I took the opportunity because it was a true meritocracy, and that appealed to me. The harder I worked, the more I could earn. I went door to door to 50 businesses and made 40 phone calls a day. Honestly, I was a terrible salesperson, but I worked hard. I learned about failure and the importance of setting goals.

After six months, I was on the verge of being fired and thought about giving up on the job. But on the last day of the month, I achieved my quota in a single day. This taught me a lot about perseverance and hard work. I never missed my quota again and was the number one sales person in the company during that period. I would later learn that embedded in that experience was the idea that you should fail forward. Failure is an extremely formative, humbling and necessary part of success. Expect it and use it to move forward.

The company grew fast and I was promoted to Vice President at the age of 26. I helped the company open multiple offices across the country. I lacked the experience for the job, but the company believed in me and I was willing to do what was needed to succeed. I believe if you want something bad enough you can obtain it. You must plan, adapt, evolve, learn, improve and push through until it is achieved. I’ve come to believe we can always adapt to our situations. We can always make ourselves better. Also, and equally important, get clarity on what it is you want to accomplish and then build your plans around it. Present those plans to other people, be open to changing it, keep adapting, fine tuning, and making it better, but push through the challenges.

As CEO of Rev.io, I have the best team that I have ever worked with in my career. They are the most talented, transparent, and ultra-authentic group of people I have known professionally. We are completely aligned and going in the same direction. We have problems but we are always working to solve them together. That authenticity and teamwork translate directly into our software and service to our clients. It is so humbling to lead a team that is so focused on helping clients grow in ways they wouldn’t have otherwise been enabled to do. We obsess over providing innovative solutions and extraordinary service. Our team, our service, and our technology come together to power our customer’s business. We grow by being better for our client.

2. Flashback and then fast forward to the present, what has surprised you the most about advancing in your career? What advice do you have for others looking to take a similar path? And is there something you could have done differently to get to where you are quicker?

What has surprised me the most is that if you are humble, and seek help, you will find it very easily. Also, you have to be your authentic self. I was encouraged by the fact that people were willing to help, you just have to ask.

The other surprise was that most people who are wildly successful earned every bit of it. It is a perception that you get lucky, but not really. You can be as successful as you want to be. Success is subjective and it’s based on how you define it. For me, success is the ability to fulfill what you truly want in life. That could be different for two people, but for most, it is likely to be hard, which is why people don’t get there as often as they imagine.

My advice is that you have to do what others aren’t willing to do. Also, never ever think you are bigger than your company, even if you are the CEO. The reality is that if it is a company you really want to be a part of, they likely don’t need you. Entitled people are miserable and people don’t like miserable people.

What I could have done differently was network more often. Networking is key, just go out and network. There are so many advantages of knowing the right people and tapping into your network.

3. What is your unfair advantage and how has it contributed to your success?

I have great mentors in business and my personal life that have taught me about being a leader. It helps to have great examples. I personally don’t feel like I have any unique qualities, I just know that I have had great examples to emulate. There are always people smarter, better or wiser than you, so surround yourself with them. I’ve also learned how to put my people first and always challenge them to be their best. I make sure to put my team first and I am motivated to do that, every single day.

4. Reflect on all of the key sacrifices you’ve had to make to get to where you are today. Which would you say was the most pivotal and why?

Do what others are not willing to do. Move across geographies, industries and sacrifice short-term finances. An inflection point in my career was to gain executive experience that required taking an opportunity in a totally different industry. It was a big risk, but within 2 years I learned how to lead my current company. I learned what to do and not do that shape my company culture every day. Lastly, you have to be willing to sacrifice short-term finances for long-term growth. Often times people are caught up on how much money they are going to make in the short-term and forget the long-term possibilities. In fact, if I wanted to make more money in the short-term, I would not be a CEO now.

5. What is the best piece of actionable advice you’ve received that continue to be a source of inspiration in good times and bad times?

I’ve received a lot of great advice over the years. There are a few that stand out which have been particularly helpful for me:

Without my faith and family, none of this would matter
You need steady goals. Goals help you say “No” to things that may seem important but are distractions. To truly make it, you have to be able to say “No” to some opportunities.
Get a mentor and network yourself.
Learn something new every day and keep getting better.
Take risks. My goals helped me prioritize and take the right risks. Taking risk is about knowing what you want and going after it.

Connect with Brent on LinkedIn

Connect with Rev.io

Biography

Brent is a technology entrepreneur and leader. Brent has a knack for attracting ethical people who have unique strengths and similar ambitions. He has fun providing exceptional value to customers and building a winning culture, while continuously learning about business and leadership. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Whitney, and two kids, Presley and Kolson.

#Donezo!