Michelangelo Fortuna’s Post

I quit my job 8 months ago to play around with entrepreneurship. I started three different businesses. The first was a photography business. I made a cool sign and had a catchy slogan. I even thought about where to find the best clients to get. It was fun, and I loved every part of it. I also learned that providing services to small businesses is filled with problems. I would talk to people who swore that the blurry pictures on AirBnB would do better than hiring a professional to take photos. I’ve talked to people who’ll never try paid advertising. I’m realizing that businesses stay small because they have a ceiling. Working with a small business means doing your normal work AND fighting against their ceiling. Now, if I see any start up that hasn't grown much for 10+ years, I know they likely have thesel problems, or they’re in a dying market. These businesses stay stagnant because their owners struggle to learn, improve, and stay focused.

Brands are built bottom up. I am a small business person. I’ve worked on brands from scratch and I’ve been part of launching a new brand within a big business. In the former, you move. You’re a nifty speedboat. In the latter, it’s hard to move. ‘Cause you’re a container ship. You’ve got lots of people to carry. Big engines to maintain. When you’re big And doing something new You’re used to big ways. So you use those. People. Too many. Meetings. Too many. Words. Too big. Acronyms. Why? PowerPoint. Too much. (I am good at falling in to the powepoint trap must admit) Screen sharing. Alignment. And discussion. Much discussion About what you need to SPEND (mad sums on screens at this point) To get it done. Or to get someone else to get it done for you. You’re trying to build top-down. In a smaller business Successful ones You do more doing You don’t have money to spend So you talk about what you need to DO To get it done And you do that. Pick up the phone. Visit a customer. Write the post. Yourself. Often before you’re quite ready. Brands are built bottom up. I believe you have to think big when you’re small and think small when you’re big. On that note I better go do something… * Brands are built bottom up - stealing this line from Chris Maffeo who is a regular reminder of the importance of this in the world of drinks but any world really. #cosmicantlers100 #brandstrategy #smallbusiness #startups

Execution that isn’t aligned with strategic objectives is so often a total waste. Earlier this week, I worked with a founder who had to put her prior agency on pause because the agency offered tactical services from their service menu when what her business really needed was to solidify its GTM strategy. They failed to confirm buyer personas and positioning and delivered channel tactics that burned through startup capital. Replacing an agency is a tough reset for any business, but especially for a startup, and it’s a good reminder that agencies have different strengths and, even with good intentions, might offer what they’re good at rather than what your business really needs. It's super rewarding for me when I can take an objective look at a client's needs and help them turn them into service requirements so that they can hire an agency with specialized expertise to get the work done. #marketingagency #marketingstrategy #marketingresults

DRIFT started out as an agency that supported athlete-owned businesses, helping them launch or scale. It was catered for people like myself, who had big ambitions for life beyond football, but didn't know where to seek support. I had built it with the 99% of athletes who have to work again in mind; who want to build something in parallel with their sporting careers but lack the confidence; and who want someone who they can trust and relate to guiding them. But what quickly became apparent was the increasing demand for start-ups and brands to bring athletes into their businesses. The amount of incoming enquiries I received from brands wanting to tap into my athlete network led me to expanding DRIFT's core services. It became about placing more athletes into the heart of boardrooms and empowering them to use their skillset beyond the pitch, court, course or track. I could see that more and more founders were wanting to lean on an athlete’s profile for marketing campaigns or utilise their unique perspective for product development. And what I have seen since is that taking new products to market with an athlete in your corner is a powerful tool to have in your armoury. But there’s also been a shift in demand for athletes as senior employees, with many being brought in as creative directors or into advisory or C-suite positions. Their voice being taken much more seriously when it comes to business. As an ex-footballer, it’s refreshing to see an abundance of former athletes thriving in various industries away from sport and hiring managers finally recognising the huge value in what they can bring to the table, with their wealth of experience and unique personality traits that have allowed them to thrive in their respected sport. The rise of the athlete entrepreneur and investor isn't slowing down - and I love to see it. 🚀 #athleteentrepreneur #athleteinvestor #transition

What if I told you, I never expected to be starting a new business at 50! Over the years, I’ve had lots of jobs! I’ve been a franchisee with my husband for a courier company, running two depots with 25 staff. I’ve been a Magazine Editor and appeared in over 10 different magazines. I’ve run businesses for others, learning how to be HR, IT, Accounts and the ‘lets get all the compliance together to sell this business’ departments. I’ve run my own online business for 15 years, which meant I built my own website, YouTube channel, build a Facebook group of 25,000 and even grew a team of over 250 people all doing the same thing too. Video editing, going live on Facebook… It’s all contributed to where I am now and when I sat and thought about what I could do - ‘Online Business Support’ seemed to cover most of my skills and experience and didn't give anyone pre-conceived ideas of what I could or couldn't do. So roll back a couple of years ago and my mind was starting the process of seeing how I could use my life (and business) experiences to excite me again! Was I mad thinking of starting a new business as I was approaching 50? Well, some might say yes, but, right now, I can tell you it’s one of the most rewarding (and exciting) jobs I’ve ever done. In just a year, the business has snowballed and here we are a year on and we’ve evolved into specialising into Operations and Launch Management. So if you think you are over the hill, remember we are 2.8 times more likely to found a successful start up…. Save this post for inspiration when you may be thinking of starting a new business. - - - - - - #operationsmanagers #businesstransformation #corevaluesmatter #creativemindset #buildinganempire #ladypreneur #goalgetter #corporatelife #careersuccess #operationsbusinessmanager #onlinemarketingcoach #salespage #entrepreneurs #salespages #funnels #businessmanager #businessplanning#empoweringothersismypassion #ceoofmylife

What if I told you, I never expected to be starting a new business at 50! Over the years, I’ve had lots of jobs! I’ve been a franchisee with my husband for a courier company, running two depots with 25 staff. I’ve been a Magazine Editor and appeared in over 10 different magazines. I’ve run businesses for others, learning how to be HR, IT, Accounts and the ‘lets get all the compliance together to sell this business’ departments. I’ve run my own online business for 15 years, which meant I built my own website, YouTube channel, build a Facebook group of 25,000 and even grew a team of over 250 people all doing the same thing too. Video editing, going live on Facebook… It’s all contributed to where I am now and when I sat and thought about what I could do - ‘Online Business Support’ seemed to cover most of my skills and experience and didn't give anyone pre-conceived ideas of what I could or couldn't do. So roll back a couple of years ago and my mind was starting the process of seeing how I could use my life (and business) experiences to excite me again! Was I mad thinking of starting a new business as I was approaching 50? Well, some might say yes, but, right now, I can tell you it’s one of the most rewarding (and exciting) jobs I’ve ever done. In just a year, the business has snowballed and here we are a year on and we’ve evolved into specialising into Operations and Launch Management. So if you think you are over the hill, remember we are 2.8 times more likely to found a successful start up…. Save this post for inspiration when you may be thinking of starting a new business. - - - - - - #operationsmanagers #businesstransformation #corevaluesmatter #creativemindset #buildinganempire #ladypreneur #goalgetter #corporatelife #careersuccess #operationsbusinessmanager #onlinemarketingcoach #salespage #entrepreneurs #salespages #funnels #businessmanager #businessplanning#empoweringothersismypassion #ceoofmylife

WHAT IS A ‘BUSINESS’? Do you have an idea for a business, but feel put off launching because it’s ‘not perfect’? I always wanted my own business; but thought it meant starting with 5 employees and a polished solution. Now I know, I can set up with a minimum viable product and room to evolve. Start-up owners: anything you’d add to the below? Base assets include: 🙋🏼♀️ One employee (me!) - I can grow over time 💡A distinct proposition - I can adapt to shifting culture 📋 Products and services - I can iterate as I learn ♥️ Clear values - I can strengthen as I grow 🎨 Branding - I can develop to new assets 🏆 Ownership - I can share my earned success with partners Plus, core resources eg website, a great accountant (I already have one!) We put so much pressure on ourselves to create completed solutions. I didn’t like the idea of launching something imperfect, in case it was mocked or pulled apart. Now, as I grow my base of clients and my future brand, I feel far more empowered to simply get going. PS here’s me aged 3, contemplating my future empire and prophetically wearing a jumper saying ‘HURRY UP’. Quite right too. #agencyculture #branding #startup

To mark the anniversary of my business venture, I’ve decided to do a website refresh. Let me back it up. I sort of jumped into #entrepreneurship both feet in. There was no warm-up period. I was ready for a change, yes, but not THAT fast. So I jumped at the opportunity, both feet in, because it was something I always wanted (even if it was way sooner than I thought). Timing, am I right?! Like many small business owners, we often “build the plane as we fly it,” meaning, I didn’t have a lot of time and resources to invest in marketing, at the time. I was just focused on doing the work. But if #processimprovement and #innovation engineering have taught me anything, it’s that the time we spend “ON” the #business is just as valuable as the time we spend “IN” it. So here we are, fully IN. I’ve niched down on my work and got to the point (just like in real life). Thanks to the valuable feedback from my clients and friends, we came up with a brand new website with enhanced features for a better #customerexperience. A shoutout to my friends at MAD Social Agency and JAM Digital Solutions for their patience and mad savvy (no pun intended). Take a second to check it (and them) out. @sandrahodzic.com Maddie Thompson #governmentrelations #policy #strategy

“We love your product but we’ve had a change of strategy.”  Those words signaled the end of my first startup. After two and half years and one major pivot I had found an exit for my social media platform to a major media company.  It was a modest exit where my investors got their money back and I got a job.  At this point, I was the only employee as we had run out of funding months earlier. And then they had a re-organization and the team who was buying us was no longer in charge of the negotiation. That negotiation went on for a couple of more months after the re-org but I knew the chances of it happening were slim. --> It was a product that they really didn’t need. --> I wasn't fully proven out yet. --> It was ahead of its time. So at that point I had to accept this reality and enter another phase of my career. I decided to create a digital media agency. However… --> I had no agency experience. --> I had no budget to hire a team. --> I had no idea what my unique value proposition would be. Within 18 months: --> I had found my niche of customer acquisition programs for publishers. --> I was making more than I would have made at the media company. --> I was working for myself and happy. Sometimes business deals and ultimately businesses aren’t meant to happen.  Don’t dwell on them when they don’t and find a path forward. I see a lot of people on LinkedIn trying to find their path forward. Stay strong. Show your #grit! #businessdevelopment #entrepreneurship

Why did Andrew Ford start Social Star? It certainly wasn’t to relax. From his family's company to the corporate world and now to Social Star, we believe he made the right choice by chasing the challenge. “Riding the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey is where the real growth and joy happen.” 🌊 Starting out all by himself, Andrew helped clients with personal branding. But now, Social Star is a team of 7, working with big-name companies. Not only did he set out to help his clients, but his priority has always been to guide young marketers, helping them find their path and gain real-world experience. Curious to learn more? Watch the full video to see Andrew's journey unfold! 📺 #SocialStar #FounderStory #BusinessJourney #BusinessOwner #DigitalMarketing #Branding