START UP’s Post

Shout out to all the start up founders out there. It’s lonely out there for us and we don’t get enough credit. We do what no one else can and what no one else is willing to do. We have superpowers. We turn challenges into triumphs. Keep pushing forward. I've got your back. #StartUpLife

I made this mistake for 8 years as a new entrepreneur and it nearly destroyed me. Make sure you don’t do the same: Fresh out of college, I had the typical entrepreneur mindset: Build the next unicorn and make a ton of money. I didn’t care what kind of business I built, as long as it was successful. Big mistake. I jumped into my first startup with no real purpose behind it. Guess what happened? After two years of chasing clients, spending countless hours on flights, and closing mind-numbing deals, I felt completely drained. I thought the successful exit would bring relief, but it just left me feeling worthless and empty. Did I learn from it? Nope. So I started my second venture. This time, I focused on impact—providing clean drinking water in the Dominican Republic. The mission was great. We saved over a million plastic bottles. But here’s the thing: The business didn’t align with who I am. It was deeply rooted in engineering—supply chains, manufacturing, and complex systems that I wasn’t really passionate about. I was passionate about the mission but not the process. I wanted to build connections, lead people, and drive social change, not oversee technical operations. Here’s what I finally learned: I spent 8 years chasing the outcome, but real fulfillment came when I built a business around who I am, not just what I could do and that’s when everything changed. Now, I’m building communities of changemakers to amplify social impact together—and I’ve never been happier.

I can't believe it's been 6 years since we took the plunge and started Olive. It's been a wild ride with some of the highest high points and toughest challenges I've ever faced. I wouldn't change it for the world. With the all the lessons I've learned over the years, I would certainly change some of the decisions we made though. So many lessons to look back on. Some top of mind: - Once you make a decision, act quickly. Delaying the decision will only make it more difficult to execute effectively. - Focus on racking up small wins. Those small wins will add up to big success in the long term. If we put too much emphasis on the big end goal, we can miss the necessary successes on the way there. - Slow and steady can be the best strategy. It can be easy to get sucked into the growth at all costs mindset but more often than not, slowly and methodically building a healthy business is the best long term strategy. - Enjoy it! It can sometimes feel like the world is crashing down and being a founder feels like the hardest job in the world. It's not. It's bloody hard and it takes a certain type of person to do it, but if you're a founder of a profitable, $1M+ ARR company, it's up there with the best job in the world. Make sure you take the time to step back and smell the roses. To celebrate 6 years, I thought I'd share a throwback pic. This was in our first official office on Burrard St in downtown #vancouver. Designed for 1 person, we got 6 of us in there and this is where the V1 of Olive was born. It's also where we hosted Vancouver's shittest mixer at startup week. 15 people, boxed wine, dominos, and no AC. All in 200 sq ft. It really was the worst mixer ever. But perhaps the most memorable. Thanks to everyone who has helped build and supported us throughout the years and in particular, the 6 year day 1 crew Dan Harrison, Tania Barresi, and Shosuke Doi. Freshii, we're still waiting for that deal to close btw... #founders #entrepreneur #startuplife

Every day, our partner Republiken help startups and scaleups grow through a handpicked team of specialists in digital marketing. Data driven advertising combined with communicative content, strategic web development and a strong brand focus equals an unmatched marketing powerhouse. We know that the startup life is tough, so if you ever find yourself doubting your entrepreneurship, watch this pep talk from a fellow startup founder: Jakob Hedlund from Knodd (who are also alumni from Connect)! https://lnkd.in/dw4mmEiU

Wolves die alone. In the last 6 months I’ve watched a lot of business partnerships fall apart or out right end. Founders picked the wrong partners. And then they picked the wrong team members. And their root failure cascaded all the way through their ventures. Wolves thrive when their packs are smart, balanced, loyal and ambitious. So do your partnerships. Sounds pretty simple. And yet time and time again businesses don’t achieve traction, momentum or longevity because they underestimate the importance of a good partnership. As an investor, the founding team are critical to the early decisions to invest time, money and other resources into a startup. As a consultant, figuring out ‘who’s who in the zoo’ helps shape how to balance an engagement. Alignment is everything. Sometimes the founder or CEO is running the company with no regard for the smart people around them. In most of those cases, their businesses falter. Yes, a wolf pack needs a leader. But corralling a team to work together, focussed on the venture’s mission takes a leader who understands the individual value of each member of their team, and how to effectively coordinate their contributions. “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.” 🐺 George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) #leadershipdevelopment #entrepreneurship #wolfpack #teamdevelopment #getitright

Huge shoutout to Zoe Ratnam! At Drenlo, a software development company working with startups and SMEs, we were struggling to find the right clients. The ones we got often didn’t have the budgets we needed to grow, and we were missing out on clients that truly fit our profile—startups with funds and SMEs that invest in innovation. Enter Zoe, with her incredible communication strategy. Zoe didn’t just give us the usual theory-heavy advice. She intimately understood our business—our goals, budget, network, and the very real challenges we faced. She took the time to research and craft a practical, actionable strategy that we could implement from day one. The results? After implementing just one-third of Zoe’s strategy, we closed over $50,000 in sales in just five months. Keep in mind, Drenlo started only nine months ago, and in the first three months, we had zero revenue. Zoe’s insights turned things around for us. If you're looking for someone who understands your business, is outcome-focused, and delivers strategies that truly work, Zoe is the one to trust. Her work has made a massive difference for us, and we’re just getting started. Thank you, Zoe!

Everyone is always so positive, but I could really use a little support as I sit here for the 2nd day in a row of no one walking through the door. I try and find the little specks of glitter each day, but some days it's really hard. #smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #startingabusiness #frustration

What entrepreneurs seldom consider in the beginning stages of their startup is whether or not their business partner is truly the right person. THEN, they fail to allot time and investment into ensuring that their partnership thrives and runs effectively. These decisions are the Trojan horses that will either be the reason your startup fails or succeeds.

 “It is always the start that requires the greatest effort.” -James Cash Penney We all have something we need to start, especially in our professional lives. The hardest part is taking that first step. Remember, our world is constantly evolving. If we don't keep moving forward, we risk getting left behind. #StartNow #GrowthMindset #NeverStopLearning #QuantumHealthBenefits

Anil Chowta Sir has been a mentor to me for the past year. He's an amazing person working on an extraordinary startup. I interact with him regularly, and I always learn something new. Thank you Sir, for being an inspiration to many young entrepreneurs like me! Keep doing the extraordinary work you always do and keep inspiring the world. Here are the top three lessons I've gained from him: