Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in marketing but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Arthur Greenberg, Founder of Greenwich Engine, located in New York, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Greenwich Engine is a boutique marketing consultancy serving leaders in technology, finance, and the built environment. Our practice blends brand strategy, creative development, and growth marketing to create immediate impact and sustainable growth for your brand. We are constantly absorbing new technologies, techniques, and skills to ensure we are always improving. Our top priority is superior client service. We are thorough, curious, and creative. We dive headfirst into your world, listen and learn, and work with you to articulate a vision of success with measurable performance goals.
Tell us about yourself
Prior to starting Greenwich Engine, I spent nearly a decade working in luxury real estate marketing. I built and executed digital marketing strategies for some of the world's most distinctive properties and the global brands behind them. I developed a deep appreciation for the built environment and the incredibly talented people who bring new structures and spaces to life. You may be surprised to learn that, despite what you may see on social media or television, luxury real estate developers strongly dislike spending money on creative marketing and advertising.
The assumption is often, "if you build it, they will come." I wish that were the case, but it isn't! So, I learned to reach incredibly specific audiences while operating on shoestring budgets - and get results - in a highly regulated vertical (housing). This required being nimble, proactive, and thorough. It also required explaining advanced marketing concepts and technology in a clear, digestible way. These skills helped me tremendously when I moved into the tech world - first, for a D2C housing company and then as Head of Product at a prop-tech startup. I loved the energy and dynamism of these startup environments. And yet, I found that I was missing the satisfaction that comes from helping clients and earning their trust. So, I founded Greenwich Engine, where we apply our experiences in specialized marketing and product management to work for clients in real estate, technology, finance, and hospitality.
What motivates me? I want to do excellent work for people and brands that I admire and respect and bring new skills into our practice to make us more effective.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
This might be boring, but any time our clients express gratitude for our contributions to their success, that's a big win.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I like to learn, and I have a need to understand. This helped me as an individual contributor at other companies. However, as a business owner, I have to be strategic about when to indulge these tendencies and when to trust and delegate.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Talk with the people who you'd be leaning on for support while you start your business - and make sure you're prioritizing your relationships with them as you build. Even if it's your company, all success is shared, and you will need your network - family, friends, and professional contacts - behind you if you are to succeed.
- Work at a pace that sustains your physical and mental health. That means setting boundaries and taking breaks. You can still work really, really hard and maintain a decent work-life balance. If you are one of those "rises and grind" 7-day-a-week people, that's great - but for many of us, it's unsustainable. There's nothing wrong with working 5 or 6 days a week and maintaining reasonable hours. Life is too short!
- View everything as an opportunity. Don't have the resources to hire someone for something? Well, congratulations - you get to learn a new skill. A client wants you to do something out of your wheelhouse. That's great - it means they trust you, and you should find a way to be great at it as long as you can make the numbers work.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://greenwichengine.io/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenwichengine
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenwichengine/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greenwichengine/
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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