"Having an open-door policy only works if people are willing to walk through it."
Oliver Feakins is an entrepreneur at heart and a digital marketer by trade. These characteristics have propelled him to a prominent position in an industry with no shortage of shooting stars. As President and Partner in Track 5 Media, Oliver sets and leads the company’s direction in product development, revenue generation, and traffic acquisition. Track 5 Media manages an established portfolio of profitable online lead generation brands in multiple verticals.
Oliver is active in numerous digital marketing trade groups and speaks at industry tradeshows across the county. Locally, Oliver started the Lancaster SEO Meetup, a local, 300 member, online marketing resource group for small business owners and other internet marketers looking to increase their knowledge. With a true passion for startups, Oliver has mentored and judged multiple Startup Weekends and is a member of The Founders Network. Oliver was also asked by Harrisburg Area Community College to assist in developing HACC’s Entrepreneurial Studies Degree. As a Google Certified Individual, Oliver holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Albright College and an MBA from Lebanon Valley College. He originally hails from London, England, and is married to his loving and beautiful wife Nadina, a native of Argentina.
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Before we begin, our readers are interested to know about how you got started in the first place. Did you always want to be where you are today or was it something you were led to? Share with us your journey.
Oliver Feakins: I am the son of an entrepreneur who worked tirelessly throughout his life. I remember his working during, vacations, college visits, and weekends (at times). I remember thinking that if this was what being an entrepreneur was like then I wanted nothing of it. I went into sales and marketing at a young age and accidentally fell into an opportunity when a friend of mine had a side hustle that was failing to make money. I immediately saw the weakness in the process and offer to become a partner with him and I would help fix it. Twelve years later that company has high seven figures of revenue and 26 employees. In my experience, sometimes you don’t choose to become an entrepreneur, it finds you. I’ve loved and embraced being a CEO and work hard to have a work/life balance for my family. I feel like this is my calling and I’m so glad I did it.
Tell us a bit about your current focus. What is the most important thing that you’re working on and how do you plan on doing it?
Oliver Feakins: At twelve years in I feel like I’m finally becoming comfortable in my skin as a CEO. My current focus is leadership training for both me and my executive team so we can function better as a team. I’m also working with a consultant to help me communicate the company vision better and be able to obtain constructive feedback from my peers. Having an open-door policy only works if people are willing to walk through it. Personal growth and leadership skills are my current focus.
Some argue that punctuality is a strength. Others say punctuality is a weakness. How do you feel about it, please explain.
Oliver Feakins: I think punctuality is a strength. It shows respect, dedication, and discipline.
How important is having good timing in your line of work and in the industry that your organization operates in?
Oliver Feakins: Timing is extremely important to maximizing opportunities and staying competitive within the industry. It can be challenging to communicate that timing to an organization if they do not fully understand the entire business landscape. Adding that “context” is critical in getting everybody on the same page.
Founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, states “Timing is everything in life, and it’s particularly crucial in entrepreneurship. People often equate success with luck, but it usually comes down to impeccable (and carefully mapped out) timing”. Do you agree with this statement? Please answer in as much detail as necessary.
Oliver Feakins: I completely agree with this statement. Having a strategically aligned timeline allows you to move at the speed of business.
As a leader/entrepreneur/CEO, how do you decide when to put the pedal to the metal and when to take a break? How do you time the key moments in your career?
Oliver Feakins: Depending on what stage of life your company is in or the landscape in which it operates there is an appropriate pace that is required. While it is common in a ‘startup’ phase of a business to move at an expeditious pace it’s important to take a step back to reflect on the work that has been done.
Branson also states “If you’re starting to feel like you’re just going through the motions and losing sight of why you started, it might be time to take a break”. But how do you decide when to take a break?
Oliver Feakins: Taking a break usually happens when things go wrong. If your company is facing roadblocks, losing productivity, or losing its competitive edge it may be best to take a step and ask “why?”. If a company continues to bulldoze through issues without taking a break there is little hope of fixing underlying issues that exist.
“When you’re thinking of starting up, ask yourself: ‘Is the community I want to serve ready for this idea?’ It could make all the difference!” Would you like to add anything to this piece of advice for all the aspiring entrepreneurs?
Oliver Feakins: When launching a startup it is important to know your market and its pain. Being able to ease their pain without introducing new pain points is imperative. Product research and user testing are essential in developing a new product in an established market. Make sure you’ve spoken to members of your market and know it like you are in it!
COVID forced many businesses to adapt fast, some did so successfully, others failed, it was a lot due to good or poor timing. What are some of the big lessons you’ve learned during the pandemic?
Oliver Feakins: Covid was a great lesson in meeting the timeline and demands of your markets and adapting to your landscape. Our company had to turn the company upside down to keep the business moving forward and minimize loss. Ultimately we learned how to incorporate flexibility into our ethos.
Before we finish things off, we would love to know, when you have some time away from business, what is one hobby that you wish you could spend more time on?
Oliver Feakins: Over the years, I’ve struggled with finding a hobby that I can truly enjoy and take my mind completely away from work. Recently I’ve obtained my private pilot’s license and I’ve found that flying allows me to challenge myself while taking all my focus. I love it!
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Oliver Feakins 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 Oliver Feakins or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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