Life of an Entrepreneur: A Panel Discussion

In case you missed the ‘A Day in the Life of an Entrepreneur’ panel discussion with our very own VenueNow Founder, Jake Dimarco alongside Ryan Hanly, cofounder of Travello App and Ash Reddy, cofounder of Chessmates at the University of Queensland, here are some key takeaways we think you will appreciate.

For most entrepreneurs, a typical day (and night) in the corporate world would involve thousands of emails, phone calls and meetings with the development team, digital marketing experts, investors and potential clients - just to name a few. What differentiates each entrepreneur is how they integrate their core values and life experiences into their business.

Jake @SpareWorkspace

Jake is a strong believer in age being just a number and not a measure of what you can achieve. After graduating from Swinburne University of Technology, he worked for various big names like Apple, Samsung, and Vodafone and was consistently the youngest and best-performing team member. Jake contributes this to persistence, humility and genuinely wanting to help make customers’ lives easier.

In 2014, Jake decided to venture out on his own, starting an outdoors fitness business with his brother. Unfortunately, they were frequently plagued with bad Sydney weather which led to many class cancellations. Jake, being the problem solver that he is, began to look online for on-demand indoor rental spaces which they could book whenever they needed. He noticed how difficult it was, which was what ultimately led to the creation of Spare Workspace.

As an entrepreneur, you’re constantly on the go. It involves a lot of hard work and massive risks, especially if you’re bootstrapping initially. However, at the end of the day, it’s worth it because you are building something from ground up yourself, doing something you are passionate about.  - Jake       

 

Ryan @Travelloapp

Ryan has over 10 years of experience in physical education and middle management. During his time off, Ryan did some international traveling on his own and found it extremely difficult to meet and connect with people - and thus began the vision of the Travello App.

Despite his lack of familiarity with technology and social media platforms like Facebook, Ryan was keen to create this app because he believed that there was a strong enough market and it was a big enough issue. He believes that all skills are transferable as long as we are open to the opportunities.   

Sometimes you need to do things you don’t necessarily enjoy (e.g. certain courses that are of no interest or relevance to your career) but you just need to get through it and do well. This process builds character and it’s apart of reality in the daily life of the entrepreneur. - Ryan

 

Ash @Chessmatesau

Ash is a UQ Bachelor of Commerce and Accounting graduate. After graduation, he worked at Deloitte in Darwin for 18 months before he decided to start his own business - creating and developing a curriculum teaching children as young as 2 how to play chess, through songs, stories and movement.

“I told myself that I would quit my cushiony accounting job as soon as I locked in my  first client. Accounting was something I could fall back on if it didn’t work out. But it did and I wouldn’t have known it would without giving it a shot.” - Ash  

Leaving a comfortable and stable job is a tough choice. But Ash decided that choosing not to pursue his passion (in a way that could generate an income, of course) would be the bigger regret. Ultimately, it comes down to what makes you happy and keeps you engaged.

All in all, there is no one personality, one education or career path that can lead you to entrepreneurship. Rather it’s an ingrained urge to problem solve, live life passionately through action, and a hope to change the world in a positive way through crazy, out-of-the-box ideas.

 

With the importance of innovation, businesses have to constantly evolve in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Jake, Ryan and Ash all shared their own unique strategies for managing stress levels while taking risks and staying motivated during difficult times. They shared how they remain focused on success while being mindful of failure - recognizing when it’s time to shift gears or even pivot if necessary. The speakers also discussed how important it is to stay organized and maintain a positive attitude even when the going gets tough. Lastly, they encouraged attendees to be creative, think outside of the box and turn adversity into opportunity - as these are all essential qualities for growing any business.

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