In this ongoing series, we are sharing advice, tips and insights from real entrepreneurs who are out there doing business battle on a daily basis. (Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Tell us about yourself and your business.
My name is Livia Anne Guarnieri, founder of TROIKA360. I am an SME (subject matter expert) and a proprietary strategic consultant in the OEM (original equipment manufacturing) space. I work with vehicle manufacturers at a corporate level. If an OEM wants to know what type of service providers are out there and if they offer viable solutions, I will help them find one that best fits their needs.
Alternatively, I may build them a boutique solution so they aren’t tied to something that doesn’t serve them long-term. I also help service providers of all types understand how an OEM works internally so they can create better products and services. It’s very niche, but the need is very real.
What inspired you to launch your own business?
Becoming an entrepreneur wasn’t what inspired me to create my business. My business was created out of necessity when I felt I had no other options. I worked for a well-known company in a forgotten department that had been in the red for quite some time. By building relationships with customers, I could take that departmental deficit and turn it into a multi-million dollar asset. Looking back, I believe they took me on as an employee to create credibility in the department, raise the valuation, and then sell it. And this is exactly what ended up happening. The only problem with the company’s plan is that these customers weren’t their customers; they were my customers. I had long-standing relationships with all of them, and these customers asked me to find them an alternative solution.
Some people experience an “Aha!” moment that results in starting their business. For me, it was less of an “Aha!” moment and more of an “Oh shit!” moment. I was completely blindsided, but I knew I had to make it happen because it felt like it was now or never, and I was not about to let my customers down.
What has been the most challenging part of growing your business?
One of the most challenging moments was when I had to re-pitch my request for a proposal response to the same people I pitched to just a few weeks before against the same candidates. It felt like the longest day of my career. But what I proved that day, above all else, was my unique systems, unique methods and lifelong expertise. None of those things were in any way attached to any of the other solutions out there; they were distinctly my solutions. So, I was able to build a completely boutique system without the backing of a larger corporation. However, it also meant I had to find the partnerships that fit this boutique system. My only requirement was that it had to provide value to the OEM first, not to the service providers I was bringing in.
Related: ‘We’re Curating Happiness’: How This Entrepreneur Is Transforming the Wellness Space
What is something you think many aspiring entrepreneurs think they need but actually don’t?
I think many aspiring business owners feel pressure to do it all right at this second. Although you should always strike while the iron is hot, doing it just to do it won’t help. You don’t need an immediate office, a fully built-out website or a brand-new computer. What you need is passion and persistence. Building your business should feel like something you were born to do. You have to wake up every day, look at yourself in the mirror, believe with your whole heart and tell yourself out loud, “This is going to work out because this is what I was meant to do.”
I truly believe that your belief in yourself is what makes others believe in you as well. With my business, I had to put it together very quickly, but if I wasn’t truly passionate about doing it for the greater good of the industry versus the greater good of myself, I don’t believe I could have achieved my success. I also never allowed myself to speak negatively into the universe because the universe is always listening.
Related: All True Entrepreneurs Share This One Personality Trait, Says the Founder of Spicewell
Was there a moment when you saw this business was going to be a success?
In the end, when my industry saw that I was working towards rising the tide instead of just my boat, customers began to seek me out instead of me seeking them out. My business built itself because I stayed humble. Even when achieving things far beyond my expectations, I stayed humble and grateful. I did the work instead of basking in the glory. I believe that is what it means to be an entrepreneur. Find your niche, make sure your work is distinctively yours and be true to yourself and not your ego.
Any advice for entrepreneurs looking to carve out their own behind-the-scenes niche business?
The best advice I can give budding entrepreneurs wanting to do this work is that strategic consulting happens in silence, in the wings and shadows and out of the spotlight. When you move in silence, your competition has no idea you’re even in the game, and you can use that underestimation to your benefit.
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In this ongoing series, we are sharing advice, tips and insights from real entrepreneurs who are out there doing business battle on a daily basis. (Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Who are you and what’s your business?
My name is Kim Bjørn, designer, musician, author, and CEO and founder of Bjooks, a Danish boutique publishing company, operating worldwide creating hardcover books on music technology, artists, and makers. Since 2017 we’ve published only seven titles, but have sold tens of thousands of them all over the world, to world-known recording artists as well as hobby musicians, students, and nerdy tech people admiring a good old physical book. We’re known for packing inspiration and information into beautifully designed books that no one saw coming.
What inspired you to create this business?
After years of teaching interface design, and also playing music, I started asking myself “Why do these electronic instruments and interfaces look the way they do?”. There has been very little tradition and a lot of invention in this area of electronic instruments (unlike acoustic instruments like the violin for instance, which has looked and worked pretty much the same for centuries). So I started “collecting” images of instruments and interfaces, driven by my curiosity and the fact that I couldn’t find any literature about this. I guess that was my aha moment: No one had created what I wanted to have, so I had to create it myself; a book about interface design in electronic music.
Related: It’s Never Too Late to Launch Your Dream, Say These Skincare Entrepreneurs
What has been your biggest challenge and how did you pivot to overcome it?
My biggest challenge was that I didn’t believe enough in myself. It took years with sketches in the drawer until finally there was a window of opportunity when the legendary electronic artist Jean-Michel Jarre came to Copenhagen. A friend of mine had a connection, so I would be able to meet with him for 15 minutes. I decided that that was my moment: I wanted Jarre (my childhood hero) to write the foreword, and I wanted to know what he thought of the idea. But I only had a week to create a mockup of the book cover, sample pages, and a description of the project.
After working around the clock, when we finally met, he loved the idea and there was an instant connection. As soon as he was onboard, the rest was much easier. I had belief in myself and the project became all fired up. I kind of started out in blue ocean, as it was the first well-illustrated book on this topic, and no one had ever seen this kind of book for a worldwide community coming. However, there was a worldwide niche. I never thought I’d make old-school hardcover books for a living, but even in these hi-tech times, I believe people treasure physical objects even more — especially when they’re well-made and when a lot of passion has been poured into them.
When it comes to tapping into creativity, do you have any methods that work for you to break through writer’s block?
Yes! I have to say, I blocked several times during the creation of my first international book — what if it was a crazy bad idea?! However, at some point, I said to myself: “You know what? I will regret it to the end of my days if I don’t give this a shot.” So I made a yellow note and stuck it to the top of my computer screen with this sentence: “Just write it badly!” I realized I just had to write something, and that I could always correct it, delete it, write something else, and so on. This way, at least I got something down, and many times it didn’t read that bad after all.
Related: You Don’t Have to Be a Business Owner to Think Like an Entrepreneur
What advice would you give entrepreneurs looking for funding?
Regarding where to look, I’d recommend crowdfunding as you get instant validation of your idea. However, create a community first, then launch the campaign. When you have social proof you can always go to investors for your next product. Remember, this doesn’t necessarily need to be “that” million-dollar idea – it may very well come after you get some experience under your skin. I’ve never had red numbers, never owed anything in the company. I also created a concept of working with brands that then funded part of the books.
In terms of preparing for your pitch, know your numbers inside out. Check the competition and be thorough in your research — you want to be sure you’ve not missed something obvious. Be humble (I know; it’s a Scandinavian thing). I’ve often seen people believing that they’ve created something the world has never seen before, being cocky about it, only to lose all credibility because they hadn’t done their work properly. Part of that is researching and knowing who you’re talking to. Always be grateful for the time people spend listening to you and your crazy dream — especially when they start actually buying your products!
What does the word “entrepreneur” mean to you?
Hard-working, self-made, creative, and innovative spirit — with a burning desire to make the world a better place no matter how small or big your idea or world.
What is something many aspiring business owners think they need that they really don’t?
Honestly? Investors and a plan. I see way too many people who think that this is the only way to get something started, to grow, or to reach the dream. What you really need is discipline, resilience, and an honest, objective look at yourself and your idea. Then you have to be flexible and willing to reach your goals in other ways than you first imagined. Things seldom happen the way you plan them to happen.
Is there a particular quote or saying that you use as personal motivation?
“Just do it!” We all know where this comes from, and I’ve always loved that quote. It doesn’t get any simpler than that: Not in the mood? Just do it. No money or education? Don’t let that stop you. Not sure if you’re gonna make it? Just. Do. It. It’s the only way to learn what not to do. It’s the only way to get closer to your dream. Just take one step at a time, and one day you’re there – even if you’ve walked backward a few times, stepped on something, or walked down wrong paths. Just write one word, one sentence, one page, and suddenly one day there’s a whole book, maybe even a whole life. It’s really that simple.
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