Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Andrew Capland, Founder of Delivering Value, located in Medford, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Hey, I'm Andrew Capland. I run a one-person business called Delivering Value, focused on serving the B2B growth community. I provide career coaching for people who work on cross-functional growth teams - and I help early-stage SaaS companies scale faster as an advisor.
Tell us about yourself
I've spent the last 15 years working at B2B SaaS companies. My journey includes HubSpot, Wistia, & Postscript - and some other startups that didn't make it. My sweet spot is the gray area between marketing, product management, and business intelligence - growth. I've started & scaled growth teams at multiple companies, run hundreds of experiments across the funnel, and made a million mistakes along the way.
Then in June 2021, I made a big change. I left my full-time job to build my own business, Delivering Value. I provide coaching/mentorship for people leading growth teams and advising B2B SaaS companies. It's awesome! Helping others give me energy. I basically designed my dream job.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I originally decided to launch my own business because I was feeling burnt out and unfulfilled in my full-time job. I thought that building my own business would give me more control over my time - and energy. But I always wondered if I could really "make it work." However, this past year was the highest income year of my professional career. I'm incredibly grateful to be in this position. I have basically built my dream job - and it supports my family. That's what I'm most proud of.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
When you run a one-person business, it's easy to wrap your personal identity into your work success. Without the right boundaries, you'll drive yourself crazy. At least I did. Even when things were going objectively well, I'd get frustrated when I didn't land a client that I thought was a good fit. Or when an existing client decides not to renew their contract. I'd take that frustration with me at the end of the day. It would impact my mood at family dinners. And I'd wake up in the middle of the night thinking about it. My coach advised me to get my personal fulfillment from anywhere BUT my business. He preached "high-intention, low attachment." Basically, putting in your maximum effort - without being attached to the result. I even developed a mantra.
"I am not my business! My business is a tool for me to generate money, time, and flexibility to live the life of my dreams. My business can fail - and I can still be incredibly successful and happy. I get fulfillment from many areas of my life." It all sounds good. But, still a work in progress for me.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start building an audience before you have a business. An audience is a huge asset. You can build a group of people that will be excited about your future products. And you can validate your business ideas before building them.
- When in doubt, ship it! Being a business owner, you have to try a lot of stuff to learn what works. The longer you wait to publish (that new offer, service, or product), the longer that learning feedback loop is. Speed is a huge asset, especially in the early days.
- Celebrate every win. Being a business owner can be hard - and sometimes lonely. If you don't celebrate every single win, you'll never make it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://deliveringvalue.co/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/acapland
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcapland/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.