Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ross Simmonds, Founder, and CEO of Foundation Marketing Services Inc., located in Dartmouth, NS, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Foundation marketing is a content marketing firm that works with B2B SaaS companies. Our clients range from up-and-coming startups that have recently raised a series A or B round all the way through to publicly traded cloud companies that have fundamentally changed the way that their industries operate and exist.
Tell us about yourself
My first taste of entrepreneurship started when I was in high school when I was selling doo-rags for my locker. This was my first taste of business, and it gave me a deep understanding of how to deliver value to people in exchange for money. I always wanted to have as much control over my time as possible, and entrepreneurship was something that I believed could get me closer to that point. It turned out that I happened to grow up in a time when the internet was a thing, and I was lucky enough to learn at an early age how to create content on the internet and connect with people. This was through a fantasy football blog that I ran in the university, which eventually transitioned into a marketing blog that I use today - rosssimmonds.com. I believe that content shapes culture. I'm inspired by the idea that the ideas that I share and create today can influence people for years, decades, and hopefully, centuries to come. That motivates me to continue to create and develop stories that hopefully will live long after I'm gone.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is to be able to create a successful business without needing to pick up and leave Nova Scotia. I live in a small province on the east coast of Canada, but I work with clients from all over the globe and have a team that is also spread out all over the globe. The fact that I am able to do this while staying close to family, friends, and a community that I hold close to my heart, I feel proud to have built Foundation to be a global employer as well as a global partner for so many brands.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing that comes with being a business owner is the ability to turn it off. Your mind is constantly thinking about how you could have approached something differently, how you can improve a process a little bit better, how you can navigate an opportunity or an obstacle a little bit differently, and so much more. It is very difficult to really unplug. That said, I love everything that I do, and I love the work, and I wouldn't want it any other way. The fact that I'm so passionate about the work that I do that it is difficult to turn off is more of a blessing than a curse.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Ignore all of the rules around trying to set up - getting a business card, getting a company registered, getting a website set up, etc. Just get close to a sale. The first thing you want to do is sell something. So get your customer or get someone to swipe a credit card; that's the first thing you want to do.
- Drop the ego. Don't get caught up in the idea that you're gonna be the next Steve Jobs or Oprah Winfrey. You need to put the ego at the door and start promoting yourself and trying to get in the rooms that are going to open up opportunities.
- There are no borders. Don't feel like you are constrained to the people you know today. You can go outside of your local area and do business with people on a global level. All you need is Wi-fi, a little bit of hustle, and the humility to be able to send someone a DM or an email asking for what you want.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://foundationinc.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ross.simmonds
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecoolestcool/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecoolestcool
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosssimmonds/
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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