Alexander Kidd became an entrepreneur when he was 15 years old. At 19, he bought his first commercial building.
As an entrepreneur, Alexander Kidd has “started businesses in direct marketing, motivational coaching, industrial manufacturing and importing goods.”
Alexander Kidd also “routinely spends time with large clients helping them develop an up-to-date current strategy in today’s ever-changing world.”
According to Alexander Kidd, Z Group Digital stands out because of their unique management style. He adds that the company models themselves after “Apple or Tesla.”
Alexander Kidd says that Apple makes it “very easy to become a part of their ecosystem because they offer many services that all complement each other.”
This model is why Alexander Kidd has turned Z Group Digital into a “full-service marketing agency.” They “give you great products that constantly deliver across many platforms.”
Alexander Kidd models their business after Apple. He says their company wants to “make it very easy for people to join us, make barriers of entry very low.” They also “give them incredible customer support.”
As an entrepreneur, Alexander Kidd has learned not to listen “to other people’s negativity.” He says that we all have people in our lives who tell us we’re no good.
When they would tell him that he had a stupid idea, Alexander Kidd simply listened to other people.”
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We give you great products that constantly deliver across many platforms. Alexander Kidd, Z Group Digital
Jerome Knyszewski: What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Alexander Kidd: I think our management style is very unique. We model ourselves after Apple or maybe Tesla.
We look at what those companies do and we absorb it.
The one thing you have to look at Apple is that they make it very easy to become a part of their ecosystem because they offer many services that all complement each other.
That’s why we’re a full-service marketing agency.
We give you great products that constantly deliver across many platforms. We model our business in that respect, like Apple.
Let’s be full service, let’s make it very easy for people to join us, make barriers of entry very low, and let’s give them incredible customer support. Let’s give them everything they need.
Jerome Knyszewski: Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. Can you share a story about advice you’ve received that you now wish you never followed?
Alexander Kidd: It’s an interesting thing. I think it rolls back to just listening to other people’s negativity.
It’s not that it’s bad advice, like we all have people in our lives that tell you you’re no good.
Some may not directly say that to you, but they expose it in a way that you absorb it and feel bad about it. And that was an important thing.
I listened to other people when they would say “That’s a stupid idea”.
Jerome Knyszewski: You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Alexander Kidd: First, my relentless stupidity to do things. I mentor a lot of kids, from 20–30 years old. I see me in them.
I see a guy who wants to be something, but has no clue how to do it. Like throwing a dart and wherever it hits, that’s where I’m going, whether I know how to get there or how to do it.
I wouldn’t call it drive, I call it blind stupidity of chasing something. You learn through these decisions.
Second, I don’t worry about risks. Some people think about how certain things will affect their jobs and worry about their success.
I don’t think about that, because I never had a job, so it’s either succeed or succeed. If I don’t succeed, there’s no backup.
But I’m a full force kind of guy. Once it’s time to do it, we do it, no questions asked. You do it until the next better plan comes up.
That was a really strong point for me.
Third, I was raised around a lot of people who were self-employed. For me at a young age, I wanted to be the richest guy in the world.
I don’t necessarily feel that way anymore, but I just wanted to be the quickest at coming up with ideas for business.
In 1992, my neighbor had just got a computer and handed me $150 for plugging in three wires.
I really felt bad for not doing much and handed it back, but he insisted, saying I earned it. That’s what hit me.
From that point forward, I spent a ton of time learning, to be able to do things for others, and looking for how to monetize that. This was pivotal for me.
I listened to other people when they would say “That’s a stupid idea”.
Jerome Knyszewski: Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Alexander Kidd: Domino’s makes pizza and there’s so many other pizza places. And every year a new pizza company opens up.
I realized quickly that you don’t need to have crazy unique ideas. You can take a standard thing and look for the hole and plug that hole and make that your niche.
I’m pretty close with my competitors. I even speak with some of them regularly, I tell them what I’m doing.
These guys are bigger than me and have bigger companies, but they sit there and look at how we do things and commend me for learning how to do things sooner whereas it took them years.
I think something that the competition has to understand is that you can never rest.
Jerome Knyszewski: What are the most common mistakes you have seen CEOs & founders make when they start a business? What can be done to avoid those errors?
Alexander Kidd: I think vision is important — I don’t think they extrapolate. When you do something you look at where you are and where you want to be.
You can learn to be prepared. Though you’re going to find resistance and you’re going to miscalculate things.
And there can be unexpected things like COVID, but you have to try and stay prepared. Always be prepared for what if situations, it’s important to have good plans of attack.
It’s about preparedness. Alexander Kidd
Jerome Knyszewski: In your experience, which aspect of running a company tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?
Alexander Kidd: I think most people think things are going to be easy. You get in and underestimate the challenges. It’s about preparedness.
I think that’s a large part of it. A lot of companies that I consult aren’t prepared for that and they get really stuck on things.
I remember when I would consult with large tech companies, they would be so worried about what Apple is releasing that they thought they had to release watches too.
They would get stuck, and when I offered counter ideas they would show such resistance.
They would always go through with their own ideas, despite consultations, and would fail.
Only to go to the drawing board and repeat the process again in a similar manner. Those are the few things I see companies doing.
Jerome Knyszewski: You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Alexander Kidd: In the United States, we’re indoctrinated in a way to be like robots, and I see it when immigrants come here.
They act a certain way and their kids spend a generation in school to come out differently.
I feel that this system is designed to create a certain type of person who is not really benefiting from the system.
We’re designed to be consumers and borrow money.
There are a few basic successful tips that you can share in a five minute conversation with anyone, but nobody shares them.
So for me, to get this message out to people on a large scale for free, would do the most amount of good.
I want to be able to give them a different perspective from a younger age.
I want to reach them in that age group where you can really be influential and help them achieve their best.
Jerome Knyszewski: How can our readers further follow you online?
Alexander Kidd: It’s interesting because as a marketer I don’t have a great online presence, but my company does.
So you can follow Z Group Digital.
We’ve got a website where we put out a lot of great content. We have a podcast series that we do.
We do it for about an hour every week and we post those. From our website, you’ll get the link to all our socials.
Jerome Knyszewski: This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!
