Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Drew Amato, co-founder, and CEO of Mullybox, located in St. Clair Shores, MI, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Mullybox is an eCommerce business that helps golfers get the most out of their game. Golf is expensive, difficult, and complex. Mullybox makes it easier by offering a variety of subscription products that help golfers look better, save money, and improve their golf game.
Tell us about yourself
With a few partners, I started Mullybox as an MBA student at the University of Michigan. I had always been passionate about entrepreneurship and golf, and I noticed an opportunity to intersect those passions when I saw some of the success stories of other eCommerce subscription businesses, such as Dollar Shave Club and Birch Box.
While on the golf course one day, after a tough round when I ran out of golf balls, I thought to myself how it would be easier if all of the things I needed for golf just showed up at my doorstep, and alas, Mullybox was born.
Each day I come into work with this in mind, and it's extremely motivating when we get feedback from customers about how excited they are when Mullybox shows up on our doorstep. I know that everything we do is critical to ensuring that, when our customers open their boxes, Mullybox exceeds their expectations.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
After four years of building Mullybox as a side hustle last October, I was able to raise funds and go full-time. This accomplishment was long overdue, but in the past six months, it has been clear that our business needed additional time and resources. Being able to focus more energy on the business has enabled us to take on more game-changing projects in the past six months in more ways than we had in the prior four years. We've already rolled out a ton of new products, features, and offerings, and it feels like we are just scratching the surface of unlocking the potential in our business.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Let's be clear, being an entrepreneur is really, really hard. From the outside looking in, it might seem like a lot of fun. And it may be fun if you're into masochism, but when you see how the sausage is made, especially early on, it's UGLY.
One of the best attributes that come to mind as an entrepreneur is tenacity. If you are thinking about starting a business, the best advice I could give you would be to welcome failures and challenges as part of the process. They are unavoidable, and if you don't hit walls, you're probably not pushing the limits hard enough. The best entrepreneurs are tenacious and are able to persist through the many challenges and failures that they will inevitably face when they are building your business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- As mentioned above, adopt a mindset that welcomes failures and difficulties with open arms. If you're not hitting walls, you're not pushing the limits hard enough. Hit the wall and find a way to break through it.
- Make sure you surround yourself with the right team. Now that I am able to focus on my business full time and we have been fortunate to be able to bring on new team members, it is clear how much of an impact the team can have. The team is the foundation of a company. Make sure you have a strong team with diverse skill sets.
- Identify your north star. Once you have the right team and a tenacious mindset, you need to make sure that your efforts are aligned toward a common goal. Ensure you pick something that is meaningful rather than "we want to achieve $xM in revenue by 2025." As someone once told me - numbers and money follow. Pick a north star for your business that aligns with your company's values and solves a problem for your customer, and the numbers will follow.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://mullybox.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amatoat/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewamato1/
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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