Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aaron Proietti, founder of Today's Innovator, located in Downingtown, PA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Change agency and innovation are required in all industries, from large corporations to small nonprofits. Today's Innovator helps individuals to grow, teams to innovate, and organizations to transform. We meet our customers where they are and challenge them to develop the muscle required to drive meaningful change.
Tell us about yourself
A few years into my career as a data scientist at a large financial services company, I was selected to participate in a corporate innovation program with an external consultancy. This project changed the course of my career and challenged me to develop new skills in negotiating and championing change. Eventually, I earned the title of Chief Innovation Officer at a global insurer, followed by the positions of Chief Customer Advocate and the Head of the Marketing Innovation Lab. All of these roles required navigating complexity and staying ahead of change, creating space for others to succeed. I left the corporate world in 2016 to start Today's Innovator, abstracting all the hard lessons learned while innovating in the trenches. My learning continues today as I meet change agents from all industries.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We developed a behavioral roles assessment and accompanying workshop that helps teams perform at a high level when innovating. We apply an archetypal coaching approach that challenges team members to change roles fluidly. The assessment provides an understanding of one's own tendencies, and the lessons used in archetypal coaching help the subject to better relate to others on their team.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Particularly in the industry of innovation, the world changes faster than we are able to keep pace with our learning. To stay relevant and to create value, we must make strategic choices on where to focus our attention and, maybe more importantly, where not to.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
First, develop a shared vision that is aspirational, describing what you want to achieve. Don't limit yourself to what is possible today. Set a vision that requires you to discover the path to achieving it. Ensure each team member has a personal connection to the vision statement.
Second, be true to your values. Take the time to articulate the qualities of the environment that you require to attain the vision for your business. Then ensure that your products, services, or programs are in complete alignment with those values.
Finally, always take the time to socialize your vision, values, and any other traits of your business (logos, taglines, strategies, etc.) with a set of trusted advisors and stakeholders. Don't assume that your first pass conveys the meaning that you think it conveys. Invite others who have varying perspectives to critically examine the language and message that you plan to put out into the world.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.todaysinnovator.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/todaysinnovator/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/todaysinnovator
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/todaysinnovator/
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.