Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in professional training and coaching but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Peter Drage, Founder, and CEO of Creators Lodge, located in Graz, Styria, Austria.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is a coaching and consulting platform, which I called the "Creators Lodge." I focus on strategy development, organizational development, and business development. My main customers are in the automotive industry and tech branches (in Austria and Italy).
Tell us about yourself
My name is Peter Drage; 41 years old, living in Austria with my wife and three kids. I am an experienced executive, founder, and entrepreneur with a strong people-centric approach. Overall, I co-founded six companies, mostly in the automotive and tech industry. Focusing on automotive and e-mobility industries, I have proven success in managing international teams, innovating ideas, business development as well as sales in an intercultural environment. As the founder of the success platform "Creators Lodge," I cooperate with business professionals to focus on the people-centric development of company and sales strategies and support to streamline organizational processes to achieve targets.
I am considered a visionary and charismatic leader, entrepreneur, and creator, willing to take calculated risks to achieve company goals. In 2021, I made an important decision and quit a well-paid job at a big company (to which I sold one of my own companies) because I felt I was up for something new. Having spent so much time working in smaller and bigger teams (mostly as the leader, managing director, etc.) I decided that it was time to be a solo entrepreneur for the first time in my life. My vision is to select the people I work with (for sure, my partners but also customers) based on their mindset. I want to work with people that are passionate, trustful, and fun to work with (in other words: I am tired of working with assholes…).
It motivates me to see how my customers streamline their strategy, commit, and successfully grow their businesses based on our collaboration.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is that only after one year as a solo entrepreneur, I am working internationally with amazing clients that are inspiring and challenging. I am proud that I was brave enough to follow my passion and make myself self-employed, and I have made good progress. I am also proud that I still find the time for my family, kids, sports, friends, traveling, etc. For me, there is way more to a successful life than just professional business!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Being a business owner is challenging but also rewarding. Initially, it was really hard to trust in my abilities, even if I was quite successful with my previous businesses, but I always had colleagues and co-founders. Now, I work alone, so I am 100% responsible for the outcome I generate. It's sometimes hard to maintain a relaxed, confident, and open mindset, but that's what you need if you want to be open to opportunities.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Number one: Don't plan too much; start doing something. Sure, you need to have a clear vision and a strategy, but you can spend years on market research, competition, etc., but at a certain stage, it's not getting any clearer. This means you also have to trust your gut feeling, you have to stay open for opportunities that pop up (and if they do – go for it), and you must accept that no one knows how the world (your market) exactly looks in five years from now.
Number two: Orient yourself on a reasonable role model. I've seen so many entrepreneurs struggle because they compare themselves with the top of the top only. But you have to accept that sometimes you make just very small steps, sometimes you will fail, and sometimes you won't reach your target. This leads me to number three…
Number three: Commit! Even if it's harder than you initially thought (and that's the case 99% of the time), commit and go for it, and sooner or later, you will be successful!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://en.creators-lodge.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-drage-unternehmens-transformer/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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