"You and your employees must grow with the business or find someone who can."
Welcome to another insightful session of ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Today, we are excited to have the opportunity to converse with an entrepreneur who has made significant strides in the corporate learning industry, Andrew Scivally.
Andrew is the co-founder of ELB Learning, a pioneering company in the eLearning industry that he started with his brother. Initially, they set out with a simple idea: selling multimedia assets and templates for popular eLearning authoring tools. However, in the process, they ended up creating an entirely new industry.
Today, ELB Learning has grown exponentially, offering a comprehensive suite of products and services that enhance corporate training experiences, including gamification, virtual reality, authoring tools, learning platforms, video-based practice, custom course creations, and staff augmentation.
Away from his thriving business, Andrew is a family man, dedicated to his wife and nine children. An avid runner, he enjoys tackling trail runs and would welcome company on these adventurous outings.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Andrew Scivally: Before there was ELB Learning, there was eLearning Brothers– an eLearning template business I founded with my brother. We were both in the corporate learning field, and we knew we could help other professionals create better eLearning content with the right tools.
It seemed like such a simple idea; selling multimedia assets and templates for all the most popular eLearning authoring tools. What we didn’t realize at first was that we were creating an industry that didn’t exist yet. It was a huge risk, but I knew if I didn’t take the leap, I would always wonder “What if?”
Today, ELB Learning has grown tremendously and offers a full range of products and services, including gamification, VR, authoring tools, learning platforms, video-based practice, custom course creations and staff augmentation.
Outside of the “ELB Learning” world, my life revolves around my wife, nine kids, and running. Hit me up if you’d like to tackle a trail run together!
If you were in an elevator with Warren Buffet, how would you describe your company, your services or products? What makes your company different from others? What is your company’s biggest strength?
Andrew Scivally: Most corporate training is terrible and we want to change that. ELB Learning helps companies create better learning experiences for their employees and customers.
With creation tools for virtual reality, learning games, video coaching, mobile learning and much more, we can help you drive real results.
What advice do you wish you received when you started your business journey and what do you intend on improving in the next quarter?
Andrew Scivally: Find trusted, loyal confidants to hear about your ideas, struggles and rantings. It’s good to get out of your own head.
Here is a two fold question: What is the book that influenced you the most and how? Please share some life lessons you learned. Now what book have you gifted the most and why?
Andrew Scivally: I’m not much of a “book” guy. However, I do love podcasts! One of my favorites is “How I Built This.” It’s inspirational to hear about others’ journeys and how we all feel the same emotions on this entrepreneurial roller coaster.
I’ve learned that you had better really believe in your vision, not be too hard on yourself, and have good people around you or you won’t make it long in a startup.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Andrew Scivally: Business is a bit crazy right now. It’s up, down, sideways…I’m never quite sure what our clients, employees, interest rates, or inflation are going to do next. More than ever, it’s time to run a solid business.
Basic blocking and tackling. Gone are the days of “negative cash-flow / don’t worry about profit” days. You must make more than you spend. Sounds like an absurd concept, but it was lost over the past few years.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Andrew Scivally: You and your employees must grow with the business or find someone who can. I’ve noticed that as the business gets bigger, my role has changed. I’ve begun to wear fewer hats, and the remaining hats have morphed their shape, color and size.
For example, as a small startup, I was very much in the weeds and was involved in every aspect of the business. I had a “gut” feel for the health of the business. Nothing really happened without me knowing.
Now that the business is five times larger than it was just 3 years ago, I’ve noticed that the skills to run a 500-person company are very different from a start-up. Setting the vision and getting buy-in have become the most important ways to drive and focus the company.
Financial metrics and data have replaced the “gut” feel for company health. Trusted managers now get into the weeds and ensure that things happen.
Some people are good at adapting and evolving into these changed roles. Some are not or might get to a certain spot and “tap out.” You need to be real with yourself and know when you’re still a fit and when you’re not.
What does “success” in the year to come mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Andrew Scivally: We’ve acquired six companies in the past three years. Lots of integration and figuring each other out. I feel like we’ve been building this amazing car and driving it around the neighborhood.
My kids tell me that you “baptize your car” when it hits 100 MPH. So, success this year would be to get this car out on the freeway. “Let’s baptize this thing!”
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Andrew Scivally for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Andrew Scivally or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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