"Go with the flow"
The Social-Media Icon, Bunny Barbie, owns and operates a handful of businesses in different industries such as Small Business & Marketing Communications, Education, Merchandise Management Platform, and TV Show Production. She is the first person to EVER create, produce and launch her own reality show, Legally Bunny.
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Table of Contents
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.
Bunny Barbie: My first business was a bottle service company on yachts in Miami. I started it when I was 23 years old and I think it helped develop who I became like. I have always created businesses around things that I am very passionate about and as I’ve gotten older I feel like the businesses I associate with and create are more sophisticated and true to who I am.
You are a successful entrepreneur, so we’d like your viewpoint, do you believe entrepreneurs are born or made? Explain.
Bunny Barbie: I think it is a mix of both including how much drive and grit someone has. I think that everyone has passions that they can turn into businesses but it depends on if that person has enough will and drive to accomplish creating those companies.
If you were asked to describe yourself as an entrepreneur in a few words, what would you say?
Bunny Barbie: I think that I am resourceful, reactive and passionate about the things I spend my time on.
Tell us about what your company does and how did it change over the years?
Bunny Barbie: We are always expanding into new possibilities with our companies. For example, 2 years ago we started with “print on demand merchandise” and now we have our fashion line launching next week! I am the only person to ever produce their reality show, so I think taking things that are supposed to be done in a certain way and disrupting the “tradition” of it is what I enjoy.
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?
Bunny Barbie: You have to assume you might fail. Failure does not mean you are not a successful entrepreneur, it just means the timing might be off or the idea may not be a great one. But you have to keep trying to see what works for you.
Did you make any wrong assumptions before starting a business that you ended up paying dearly for?
Bunny Barbie: I don’t think I made any “wrong” assumptions. Every time something went differently than expected, instead of stopping in that path, I rather took those “hurdles” and embraced the opportunities to take a new direction that was possibly unknown before.
If you could go back in time to when you first started your business, what advice would you give yourself and why? Explain
Bunny Barbie: I would reiterate to myself – go with the flow. Sometimes things happen differently than you had planned out, however that doesn’t mean it didn’t work or go well. There is always a new chance to do something just in various version of the original – keep at it.
What is the worst advice you received regarding running a business and what lesson would you like others to learn from your experience?
Bunny Barbie: Everyone told me to keep my life private and not share my story online. I think being a business owner but also a social media personality, traditionally did not go well together. I know that I would not be where I am today without sharing my life online and I am so thankful I took the leap and did what I knew was right for me.
In your opinion, how has COVID-19 changed what entrepreneurs should assume before starting a business? What hasn’t changed?
Bunny Barbie: I think a lot of businesses needed to change how they had meetings and run day-to-day operations. It didn’t personally affect any of my businesses but I think there is a lot we learned from what we need to do as business owners, when the world is “shut down”, to keep everyone safe.
What is a common myth about entrepreneurship that aspiring entrepreneurs and would-be business owners believe in? What advice would you give them?
Bunny Barbie: A common myth is that you cannot mix business with personal life. However, I blend the two 100% into my life so much that I feel like I am never really working, although I am in reality working all the time.
What traits, qualities, and assumptions do you believe are most important to have before starting a business?
Bunny Barbie: You should always be very passionate about what you are doing. When you really love the things you do day to day, “work” does not feel as daunting.
How can aspiring leaders prepare themselves for the future challenges of entrepreneurship? Are there any books, websites, or even movies to learn from?
Bunny Barbie: Be open-minded. There is always something to learn, even from topics you aren’t directly involved with. Expanding your mind will never “get old”.
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?
Bunny Barbie: I love each avenue I have ventured down thus far. If I had to choose a “job” outside of being an entrepreneur, it would be something I probably am already doing such as being a pilot:)
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?
Bunny Barbie: I would add myself :). I would love to show all of the girls out there that we are powerful women and we should always stand up for what we believe in.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Bunny Barbie for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Bunny Barbie or her company, you can do it through her – Instagram
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.
