Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Glenn Cressman, chief client officer of Sherpa Marketing, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
You want more. More highly qualified leads. Leads that drive increased revenue and a demonstrably better return on investment. Sherpa's full-stack, in-house team is relentless in its pursuit to provide industry-leading, integrated marketing solutions that achieve positive results. The type of results that you want more of.
Our clients come in all shapes and sizes. We work across a broad spectrum of industries and with companies both developed and burgeoning. Our solutions are custom-tailored to our client's specific, unique and important dreams and aspirations. We start with the question, "What does success in this industry look like to you?" then work backward from there.
Tell us about yourself
I love marketing. I studied it in business school, launched my career in the marketing department of one of Canada's 'Big 5' banks, and haven't looked back. Specifically, I am driven by solving for my clients this one fundamental question: "Who are you, what do you do, for whom, and most importantly, why would anyone care?" Only once brands have a compelling answer to that question do they have any chance at building market share.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
To me, success is shared. I only feel good about the work I've done if my clients feel good about the work we've done together. This manifests itself in client retention. Whenever a client asks me how we can do more together, I consider that an immeasurable accomplishment.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Placing your faith in others. As a business owner, it's natural to think that you are the one that knows the business best and the only one that can do it right. But to grow and prosper, you need to allow people to pick up where you left off and will enable you to focus on the future of the business. And as the one that's likely invested the most financially, the more people you bring on, the more revenue and profit you're sharing with others, which can be hard, especially since it's not possible for them to care about the success of the business as much as you do. That emphasizes the need to find people who are qualified to do the job and motivated to succeed and achieve greatness!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Have a compelling answer to the question "Why would anyone buy this?" and make sure your competitors don't have the same answer.
- Hire (and get advice from) people smarter than you (which means admitting there are people smarter than you!)
- Before you're finished with the current idea, start thinking of the next idea.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.sherpamarketing.ca/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShareOMarketing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenncressman/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.