What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
I wanted to create the life that worked best for me and make an impact on others’ lives. I wanted the freedom to follow the life I believed in, and not the life others wanted for me.
I also love the thrill of building something that might not work but putting all of your time and energy into it anyway. Entrepreneurship gives you the thrill of getting to see something you built succeed.
If you could start over, is there anything you would do differently?
I would hold people accountable to high standards from the start. I would double-down on the belief that relationships are the most important aspect of work. That’s always been our belief, but I think there’s more we could’ve done early on to reinforce that. I would also hire and delegate a lot sooner, instead of spending so much time on work that could’ve been done by someone else.
What has surprised you most about running a business?
You can’t trust that everyone will follow through. I’ve learned that you need to hold people accountable, having incredibly high standards and refusing to waver on them. People aren’t bad, but you can’t assume that everyone will be true to their word just because you will be.