How to go from working in your business to working on it – a guide for first-time business owners — First thing first — which of the 3 ‘business owner’ categories do you resonate with the most? Worker Owner Player Owner Master Owner Before I explain each category, let me tell you a story. The toils of a first-time business owner When you start any new professional endeavour, especially opening a new business, you spend your time…

Master this one branding principle to attract customers and establish better culture and internal team rhythms. — Growing up, my grandmother imparted countless nuggets of wisdom to me. Many guide my life today. One such principle guides your life too. As well as your business and overall success. She told me early on that I should avoid talking about these three topics: Religion Politics Sports (I’d also…

What if I told you that you could build a successful business in an industry you know nothing about? — So many people (who’d make great entrepreneurs) dream of starting a business. Ideally, working with something they love. But they don’t. Maybe the industry is highly saturated and competitive. Maybe they need lots of upfront capital to begin. So they carry on working for the man. Wearing the employee mask…

We all face struggles. But one ability separates people who eventually achieve their dreams from those who don’t. — What do people who launch million-dollar companies have, that others, who struggle to make ends meet, don’t? Is it luck, talent, or something else? In June 1984, a boy was born in Soviet Russia — me. I grew up living in a small 2 bedroom apartment. My mother, grandmother and…

At just 10 years old, I might have become one of the youngest ‘entrepreneurs’ ever. Accidentally — As entrepreneurs, we want our idea to be the only one. The never-heard-off-before idea. The world-changing business. But a 10-year-old me would tell you that’s nonsense. Let me share a story of how I started my first ‘business’. The origin story of Ilya the entrepreneur At just 10 years old, I might have become one of the…

Build a more innovative and compelling business with these unique lenses and perspectives — You know that positively annoying time when everyone you never asked shares their take on what your New Year’s resolution should be? That’s right — the beginning of every year. Well, I wasn’t going to miss the boat. And at the beginning of this year, I published 23 ideas to…

How can compelling company culture impact on the success of your business? And how can you implement it in an actionable way? — A CEO of an organisation recently told me: “Thanks to your brand strategy work with us we’ve had our eyes opened to the importance of branding and the constant input required to make sure we are reaching our maximum potential.” As a solopreneur, you can correct a few inconsistencies or…

Prompts to help re-energise your 2023, looking through different aspects of building a brand and a business. — The New Year is a terrible milestone for starting something new. Why? Because without a proper plan for a consistent effort, that initial burst of new energy eventually fizzles out. The New Year deceives us. Our strategy, goals, objectives, key metrics, and actions should be reviewed and tracked continuously. …

Whether you think they are complete nonsense or are indeed useful, let me share what 5+ years of working with brand archetypes have taught me — the good, the bad, and the ugly. — Almost 8 years ago to the day, I was sitting at a round table as a brand agency owner was introducing me to my new team. I felt excited, nervous, and scared, all at the same time. That meeting was later described as baptism by fire by my manager and…