"Don't be afraid to make mistakes that's the only way you'll learn."
Brian Kelso is the CEO and founder of BSK Data and Electrical PTY LTD. They have expertise in digital marketing, SEO, content marketing, conversion rate optimisation, online reputation management and blogging.
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Thank you for joining us today. Please introduce yourself to our readers. They want to know you, some of the background story to bring some context to your interview.
Brian Kelso: Hi, I’m Brian Kelso, I am the CEO and founder of BSK Data and Electrical PTY LTD. We have expertise in digital marketing, SEO, content marketing, conversion rate optimization, online reputation management, and blogging.
You are a successful entrepreneur, so we’d like your viewpoint, do you believe entrepreneurs are born or made? Explain.
Brian Kelso: Potentially dangerous courses of action that are supported with liability and self-inspiration are critical to the achievement of entrepreneurs. Individuals are not born entrepreneurs, they become entrepreneurs. Everything begins with the 10,000-foot view. The psychological image of what a person tries to achieve throughout some period.
If you were asked to describe yourself as an entrepreneur in a few words, what would you say?
Brian Kelso: I like to think of myself as someone who steps up on their activities and leads themselves. Someone who perceives that when things get hard, it’s a test that assists me with growing a business visionary and making the business more grounded. Entrepreneurs must be self-starters to help their organizations scale quickly in the present vicious business world.
Tell us about what your company does and how did it change over the years?
Brian Kelso: My company used to focus only on digital marketing but, over the years I hired the best people that helped me to grow the interests of the company. My company became successful because of my team and our hard work.
Thank you for all that. Now for the main focus of this interview. With close to 11.000 new businesses registered daily in the US, what must an entrepreneur assume when starting a business?
Brian Kelso: You only need a couple of things –
- Confidence to take the first step that is to open a business
- Stick with the plan
- Work harder than you’ve ever done
- Choose the people you want to work with wisely
- Be a team leader and not a boss. Don’t order people to work, work with them.
Did you make any wrong assumptions before starting a business that you ended up paying dearly for?
Brian Kelso: I never used to make any business plans. All I knew was that I should just go with the flow which eventually started as a loss for the company as we often got confused about our focus and aim.
If you could go back in time to when you first started your business, what advice would you give yourself and why? Explain.
Brian Kelso: Make business plans. No matter how successful your company gets, always have a plan in mind and have an online presence.
What is the worst advice you received regarding running a business and what lesson would you like others to learn from your experience?
Brian Kelso: The most horrible advice that I received was a year after I started my business. Someone told me that to get noticed and successful you need to invest more even if you don’t have a plan. This advice made me lose a lot of money and I hope no one else will make the same mistake. You’re not lacking investment if your business is failing, you’re lacking technique.
In your opinion, how has COVID-19 changed what entrepreneurs should assume before starting a business? What hasn’t changed?
Brian Kelso: At a time marked by huge monetary vulnerability and with their incomes impacted by control measures and huge drop sought after, new companies become much more monetarily delicate and need support for their transient liquidity needs, basic for their endurance. This still won’t complicate the fact that online interaction is much easier and has a vast impact that hasn’t changed even after the pandemic.
What is a common myth about entrepreneurship that aspiring entrepreneurs and would-be business owners believe in? What advice would you give them?
Brian Kelso: Don’t take advice from people who don’t know anything about your business. The biggest myth is to believe in successful people. All you need to know is that your business, choices, interests are different from theirs, don’t be afraid to make mistakes that’s the only way you’ll learn and not by listening to other people’s opinions.
What traits, qualities, and assumptions do you believe are most important to have before starting a business?
Brian Kelso: Investment, confidence, plan. I think with these 3 things anyone can start a business.
How can aspiring leaders prepare themselves for the future challenges of entrepreneurship? Are there any books, websites, or even movies to learn from?
Brian Kelso: I think most leaders prepare themselves by looking at the blind spots of their company and overcoming them.
If you are an entrepreneur you should watch these movies:
- The social network
- The wolf of the wall street
- Boiler room
- Money ball
- The pursuit of happiness
I also recommend these books:
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
You have shared quite a bit of your wisdom and our readers thank you for your generosity but would also love to know: If you could choose any job other than being an entrepreneur, what would it be?
Brian Kelso: I think I would’ve become an animator as I always found it fascinating to create something so beautiful out of scratch.
Thank you so much for your time, I believe I speak for all of our readers when I say that this has been incredibly insightful. We do have one more question: If you could add anyone to Mount Rushmore, but not a politician, who would it be; why?
Jane doe: For me, it would definitely be Barack Obama. He’s someone who is kind and has had a huge impact on everyone’s lives.
Mike Weiss, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Brian Kelso 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 Brian Kelso or his company, you can do it through his – Website
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