Gian Frey’s Formative Years and Entry into Interior Design

Gian Frey’s fascination for design began in his early years, growing up in the picturesque city of Zurich. His innate passion for aesthetics and creativity guided him towards a career in design. He took the pivotal step of enrolling in a course of industrial design in Zurich, and from there, his journey embarked on a remarkable trajectory.

Upon graduating, Gian set his sights on Munich, where he joined Architectural Digest (AD) in an editorial and graphics role. His objective was clear: to enhance his skills as a designer and forge a path towards a successful career in the industry. At AD, Gian garnered invaluable experience and delved deeper into the intricacies of styling, a foundation that would prove instrumental in his future endeavors.

However, Gian’s quest for knowledge and growth didn’t stop there. He then ventured to the design hub of Milan, Italy, to at Matteo Thun. In the heart of Italian design, Gian honed his interior design skills, honing his abilities to create masterful design plans and immersing himself in the Italian design culture.

In 2011, Gian Frey took a bold step, driven by an unwavering belief in his talents and a burning desire to make his mark in the industry. He founded Studio Frey AG in his hometown of Zurich. The decision to open his own design studio was not without its risks, but Gian’s dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence served as a steadfast foundation for his future endeavours.

Studio Frey AG: The Pinnacle of Interior and Brand Design

Studio Frey AG, headquartered in Zurich, has firmly established itself as a leading player in the world of interior and brand design. The studio’s offerings encompass a wide spectrum, including interior design, architecture, branding, typography, web development, and consulting. Gian Frey and his dedicated team are deeply committed to fostering creativity and a sense of collaboration within their work.

The studio’s philosophy is rooted in five core values: a personal approach, individual growth, going the extra mile, nurturing friendships, and embracing individuality. These principles underpin the studio’s every endeavour, creating a unique and vibrant ethos that sets Studio Frey AG apart from the rest.

Key Milestones and Achievements

Since its inception in 2011, Studio Frey AG has achieved a series of remarkable milestones. In the early years, the studio was known as Studio Gian Frey and James Dyer-Smith. In 2018, the studio took on the Pan Asian Interior Design project for Suan Long Niederdorf, marking the start of several significant projects.

In the same year, Studio Frey AG was entrusted with the branding and interior design project for Valor Avec, which led to the establishment of 230 shops throughout Switzerland. The year 2020 witnessed the successful execution of 16 co-working spaces for psychologists under the name “We Practice.” Additionally, the studio introduced its first bakery, “John Baker,” signalling a foray into the culinary world.

By 2022, Studio Frey AG expanded its horizons to office design, garnering recognition for its work on the top floor of an office building in Baar, now serving as the headquarters for Campari Switzerland. These milestones showcase the studio’s remarkable growth and its diverse portfolio of projects, ranging from interior design to branding and beyond.

The Studio Frey AG Difference: Unleashing Creativity and Attention to Detail

What sets Studio Frey AG apart in the world of interior design is its holistic approach. The studio provides services encompassing interior, brand, and furniture design, allowing them to guide clients from the initial concept to the execution and survey of the construction site. Every small design detail is meticulously cared for, reflecting the studio’s commitment to excellence.

Studio Frey AG goes beyond traditional interior design; they assist clients in uncovering clarity, personality, and purpose in their brands, enabling them to establish an unforgettable connection with their audience. The studio places a strong emphasis on celebrating details and fearlessly unleashing creativity, a practice that forms the essence of their success.

The Studio Frey AG Client Experience: A Journey from Concept to Completion

Working with Studio Frey AG is an immersive experience, guided by a comprehensive process. It all begins with a consultation, where the studio’s team actively listens to clients’ needs, hopes, and wishes. A cost estimate is agreed upon, and a vision is crafted that sparks creative inspiration.

Once the vision is finalized, the studio undertakes the meticulous planning and execution, ensuring that every detail aligns with the predetermined timeline. Throughout the construction phase, constant communication is maintained with both clients and skilled tradespeople, ensuring the highest standards are upheld while staying within budget. Finally, the moment of joy arrives as the studio delivers a flawlessly crafted space, ready to be enjoyed and cherished.

A Project of Distinction: The MED-Hub Project

Studio Frey AG takes immense pride in projects that merge branding and interior design. One project that Gian Frey is particularly proud of is the MED-Hub project in Zurich. Serving as the city’s first medical co-working space, the project offers treatment rooms and a spa area for pre- and post-operative treatments. What makes it exceptional, in Gian’s eyes, is the seamless collaboration between branding and interior design, resulting in a space that exudes both functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Challenges and Triumphs: A Case of Reinventing Tradition

In the world of interior design, challenges are inevitable. Gian Frey shares a compelling example of a challenging project where the client had reservations about deviating from traditional design conventions. The project in question was the House of Ren, a captivating restaurant that marries traditional elegance with contemporary design. Successfully convincing the client to embrace this innovative approach exemplifies Gian’s ability to navigate complex situations with finesse.

Balancing Client Vision and Design Expertise: The Studio Frey AG Approach

Balancing a client’s vision with the studio’s design expertise is an art that Studio Frey AG has mastered. Gian Frey explains that the studio conducts workshops with clients, carefully analysing their vision and collaboratively finding a common thread. This approach ensures that each project seamlessly combines the client’s aspirations with the studio’s design expertise, resulting in interiors that are both unique and functional.

Leadership Philosophy: Embracing Collaboration and Diversity

Gian Frey’s leadership style is rooted in collaboration and an open-minded approach. He believes that a successful design process is not a top-down one; rather, it thrives on the diversity of creative inputs. Gian actively listens to the ideas of everyone involved, fostering an environment where every voice is not only valued but also contributes to the collective creativity. This collaborative spirit lies at the core of Studio Frey AG’s success.

Trends in Interior Design: A Glimpse into the Future

In the ever-evolving field of interior design, Gian Frey offers insights into current and emerging trends. He emphasizes the growing importance of unique, one-of-a-kind pieces and the shift towards designing office spaces that exude warmth and personality. The idea is to make the office environment feel akin to one’s living room, fostering a sense of belonging and enhancing productivity.

The Future of Studio Frey AG: A Vision of Organic Growth

Gian Frey’s vision for Studio Frey AG in the next five to ten years is to expand their reach with more international projects, further solidifying their name in the global design arena. This expansion necessitates close cooperation with existing suppliers and architects, as well as a greater focus on creative planning and creative direction. The studio’s growth will be organic, driven by their unwavering commitment to excellence.

Gian Frey’s Business Philosophy: Less is More?

Gian Frey’s unique perspective on business is encapsulated in the phrase, “Less is more? Who ever looked at their bank account and said less is more?” His bold and pragmatic approach to business mirrors his ambition and drive for excellence.

Keys to Entrepreneurial Success

Gian Frey believes that open-mindedness and the ability to connect with people are essential qualities for a successful entrepreneur. However, he underscores that creativity alone is not enough; maintaining a delicate balance between creativity and financial acumen is equally crucial. His insights offer valuable guidance for budding entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the industry.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Gian Frey’s advice to those contemplating a career in design is succinct yet powerful: “Don’t copy, be your own creative brain.” This underscores the importance of individuality and innovation in the world of design, setting the stage for a unique and impactful career.

A Culinary Venture and More

As parting words, Gian Frey shares an exciting development—the completion of a Japanese restaurant in Zurich’s city center, Metropol. The restaurant, renowned for its excellent Japanese cuisine, is a testament to the studio’s versatile design capabilities. Gian personally recommends the Sesame Eggplant, Bao Bun, and Spicy Tuna Sushi rolls, a delightful culinary experience that perfectly complements the exceptional interior atmosphere.

Gian Frey and Studio Frey’s unwavering commitment to excellence, dedication to collaborative and innovative approaches, and a passion for the unique and extraordinary have cemented their reputation as leaders in the industry. As they look toward the future, Gian Frey and Studio Frey AG are poised for continued growth and success on the international stage, making them a force to be reckoned with in the world of design.

Despite these obstacles, there has been an unprecedented demand for Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) rooms. The pandemic has reshaped the student accommodation landscape, with students now seeking more secure and dependable options. Cost of PBSA rooms is inclusive of all bills, making them an attractive choice for students, especially due to rising energy costs.

Londonist DMC’s dedication to offering students a smooth and secure experience has gained even greater significance in this context. The agency’s innovative strategies, like dynamic pricing, student portal, and comprehensive services, have contributed to its resilience in these trying times. Moreover, its thoughtful gestures, such as providing a welcome pack with essential items, have played a crucial role in creating a homely atmosphere for the students while they are away from home.

“As the industry continues to recover and adapt to the changing landscape, Londonist DMC’s focus on customer well-being and innovative strategies positions it to thrive in the evolving hospitality sector. The agency’s dedication to providing flexible booking options, comprehensive student support services, and a wide range of experiences through partnerships demonstrates its commitment to meeting the market’s changing demands and delivering exceptional service to its student community,” says Asim Erturk, Managing Director, Owner & Founder of Londonist DMC.

Asim Erturk is an accomplished entrepreneur and the visionary founder behind the Success of Londonist DMC, Londonist Investments, and Uninist. His journey to success began when he arrived in London as an international student on the final day of Wimbledon in 2006, with just £200 in his pocket. He believes that genuine happiness and purpose are found by venturing beyond one’s comfort zone, gaining self-awareness, and fearlessly embracing challenges and risks.

His unwavering determination and creative mindset have led him to become an innovator and a risk-taker, qualities that have played a crucial role in his entrepreneurial pursuits. As a result, Asim’s entrepreneurial journey began with a Pedicab transportation business before finding success at the Financial Times. He is inspired by the words of Winston Churchill, which goes thus: “Success is the ability to move from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm.”

His brainchild, Londonist DMC, is a highly successful student accommodation agency. It offers flexible stay options for students ranging from 2 weeks to 51 weeks. With a global team operating from offices in London, Istanbul, and China, Londonist DMC provides over 2000 rooms in 50 prime locations across Zones 1, 2, and 3 in London.

Asim founded Londonist DMC based on his experiences as an international student in the UK. He noticed a lack of specialized accommodation agencies for students and decided to create a comprehensive solution. His vision was to provide seamless support to students, starting from airport transfers to essential services, making the process of settling into accommodation hassle-free. The student accommodation agency also identified opportunities in the language schools and short-term flexible rentals market. Through customer-oriented service and engaging content, Londonist DMC became a preferred choice for international students looking for accommodation in London.

Today, Londonist DMC, under Asim’s guidance, has garnered widespread recognition and awards for its outstanding service and valuable contributions to the education and travel sectors. His leadership and dedication to the industry have been consistently acknowledged with nominations and awards since the agency’s establishment in 2013.

As the Managing Director, Asim has led Londonist DMC to phenomenal growth, achieving a 150% increase in total capacity in a short time. The agency’s success is attributed to its dedication to making students feel at home away from home, offering exceptional facilities such as gyms, cinemas, computer labs, and various social and study spaces.

Primal Challenges And Roadblocks

During the initial phase of establishing Londonist DMC, Asim encountered several primal challenges and roadblocks. Establishing a strong presence in the fiercely competitive student accommodation market was one of the major obstacles. London has a wide range of accommodation options, so standing out and offering students something special was essential. Next was establishing a trustworthy network of landlords, PBSA suppliers, and property owners’ eager to engage with Londonist DMC. It took substantial work and negotiation skills to build mutually beneficial connections, allowing the agency to provide high-quality accommodation options to student clients.

Develop a solid business plan that outlines your goals, strategies, and financial projections. Be prepared to face challenges and setbacks along the way. Learning from experiences, whether successes or failures, will help you make informed decisions. Remember to stay humble and grounded. Surround yourself with a diverse team and seek feedback from others.

Asim faced various challenges, but his motivation was fueled by his determination to address market gaps and difficulties experienced by international students. He saw an opportunity in the short-term rental sector, particularly the demand for safe, secure, and all-inclusive accommodation with on-site facilities. With a strong vision to prioritize students’ well-being, build beneficial partnerships, and drive growth, the visionary leader developed innovative and forward-thinking strategies to achieve his goals.

As a result, Asim introduced multiple marketing initiatives centered on students’ well- being. He is one of the industry’s pioneers in adopting VR experiences for room viewing. This made it possible for students to tour residences from the comfort of their own homes, which resulted in an astonishing 1200 bookings. The agency’s dedication to catering to students’ wants and interests was made clear by the VR option, which gave customers more control over their booking experience.

Standing Out from Crowds

Londonist DMC stands out in the student accommodation market due to its focus on flexible booking options for short-term stays as short as two weeks, catering to students’ evolving needs. The agency goes beyond accommodation provision by offering comprehensive services such as airport pickup, cleaning, insurance, and more. Its platform serves as a hub for students to access local events, shopping discounts, and sightseeing vouchers, enhancing their London experience.

Londonist DMC aims to make the process of finding student accommodation easier by removing the requirement for a guarantor and providing adaptable payment choices. The agency recognizes the difficulties students face in managing accommodation expenses, so it offers the option to pay rent in installments or select a payment plan that suits their financial circumstances.

Asim and the Londonist team have introduced several innovations to the market. They introduced dynamic pricing to optimize pricing through automated strategies. This data-driven strategy determines the appropriate accommodation price points, improving efficiency and convenience for partners and students.

The agent portal is an innovative platform that contains a wide range of agents, making communication and collaboration with partners more efficient. On the other hand, the student portal integrates with event discovery programs, enabling students to discover local events and experiences easily. It also provides convenient access to check-in, check-out times, and invoices all in one centralized location.

As a result, Londonist DMC establishes itself as a market leader in the student accommodation market by providing distinctive and all-encompassing services, developing a sense of community, and delivering exceptional experiences for students in London.

Meet Changing Customer Demands

Staying ahead of industry trends and meeting changing customer demands are crucial in the dynamic student accommodation market. Londonist DMC prioritizes continuous learning, monitoring global and local student housing markets, and attending conferences and networking events. The agency also engages with industry experts and stakeholders to identify emerging trends to incorporate into its offerings.

Asim says ‘prioritising customer feedback and invests in advanced property management systems and data analytics to improve operations and customer experiences. It implemented dynamic pricing, and its student portal integrates with event discovery, offering students a range of experiences and discounts.

Crucial Factors for a Successful Hospitality Agency

Asim believes that the success of a hospitality agency relies on exceptional customer service, maintaining quality accommodations, efficient operations, and effective marketing strategies. Providing positive experiences, anticipating guest needs, and addressing issues build customer loyalty. Clean, comfortable accommodations leave a lasting impression. Streamlined operations and communication are essential for efficiency. Utilizing diverse, effective marketing channels attracts and retains guests, ensuring competitiveness.

Anticipated Industry-Shaping Trends and Innovations On the Horizon

According to Asim, technology will shape the industry in the near future. Contactless check-ins and touchless tech will be popular for safety and convenience. AI will personalize guest experiences, providing tailored recommendations and amenities for greater satisfaction. Sustainability will be crucial as eco-conscious travelers seek environmentally friendly practices, such as energy efficiency and waste reduction. Moreover, the integration of smart technology will extend beyond guest experiences. Implementing smart systems for energy management, room automation, and data analytics will help optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance overall efficiency.

Key Milestones

Londonist DMC strives to maintain its reputation for excellence in the student accommodation sector.

• Excelling and Providing the Best Student Experience: Its main objective revolves around providing an exceptional experience for its students. The agency constantly enhances its services, introduces distinctive amenities, and fosters a strong sense of community within its residences to surpass their expectations.
• Creating More Ventures with Partners: It is proactively searching for possibilities to establish new ventures in collaboration with potential partners within the education and travel industries, aiming to enrich its range of services.
• Evolving into Londonist Hospitality and Londonist Technologies: As a part of its growth strategy, Londonist DMC has set its sights on becoming a comprehensive hospitality brand, including Londonist Hospitality and Londonist Technologies. By expanding in this manner, it aims to broaden its service offerings and integrate state-of-the-art technologies to elevate the overall guest experience.
• Expanding the Business Model Across the United Kingdom: Having achieved success in London, the agency is now driven by ambitious plans to extend its business model throughout the entire United Kingdom. Its brand name, Uninist, will serve as the umbrella for this expansion, providing students across the UK with the same high-quality student accommodation and exceptional services.
• Strengthening the Global Presence: Londonist DMC’s goal is to enhance its global In the imminent future, it aims to build its brand on a worldwide scale, providing services to students from diverse regions around the globe. By broadening its global influence, the agency’s reputation as a premier provider of student housing on an international level will be further cemented.

In a nutshell, its key milestones for 2023 revolve around excellence, innovation, and expansion.

Significant Accomplishments and Agency Milestones

Under Asim’s leadership, significant achievements have been accomplished on both personal and business levels. His major accomplishments include establishing three successful companies with over 100 employees across offices in China, the UK, and Turkey. Notably, he expanded Londonist DMC globally and increased its room capacity from 800 to 2000, largely through the acquisition of 444 rooms from the North Lodge residence.

Asim’s visionary leadership led to numerous accolades and awards for Londonist DMC in the past 18 months. These include esteemed honors such as the ST Star, Pioneer, and Business Reporter awards and a highly commended recognition from RESI Property Week in the sales and letting agency category.

The dynamic entrepreneur has shown remarkable dedication to supporting British associations that promote travel to the UK. Londonist DMC holds memberships in several prestigious organizations such as the British Youth Travel Association, UKInbound, Brazilian Association of Education Agents, ALTO, EnglishUK, Bossa & Cossa, StudyTravel, and ICEF. These partnerships and affiliations have significantly contributed to Londonist DMC’s reputation as a top student accommodation provider in London within the industry.

Key Qualities and Skills Necessary For a Successful Entrepreneur

Successful entrepreneurs possess a range of qualities and skills essential for their journey. According to Asim, these are determination, vision, strong communication, adaptability, resilience, and the ability to take calculated risks. Combining these qualities and skills provides a solid foundation for a successful entrepreneurial journey. Also, embracing these qualities empowers entrepreneurs to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and create thriving ventures in an ever-evolving business landscape.

Words of Wisdom

As a seasoned professional and entrepreneur, Asim advised, “Entering the student accommodation space right now can be rewarding but requires careful planning and dedication. Embrace innovation as a driving force behind your venture. Stay adaptable to changing circumstances and be open to exploring new ideas and technologies.

Building strong relationships and networks within the industry can provide valuable support and opportunities for growth. Collaborating with educational institutions, student unions, and key stakeholders will offer insights into student demands and industry trends.”

He further states, “Develop a solid business plan that outlines your goals, strategies, and financial projections. Be prepared to face challenges and setbacks along the way. Learning from experiences, whether successes or failures, will help you make informed decisions. Remember to stay humble and grounded. Surround yourself with a diverse team and seek feedback from others.”

“Lastly, keep in mind the greater purpose of your venture. Work for a common dream of positively impacting your target audience and the world. Focus on providing solutions to bring positive change and add value to your customers’ lives.

In conclusion, entering the student accommodation space or any entrepreneurial venture requires careful planning, adaptability, continuous learning, and a commitment to positive impact. Embrace innovation and build strong relationships to thrive in a competitive landscape. You can overcome challenges and succeed in your endeavors by staying focused on your vision and staying true to your values,” says Asim.

Todd N. Robinson, Esq, Founder of Robinson Franzman LLP, is a phenomenal attorney and influential industry leader with a national commercial real estate practice, who offers a full suite of legal services to clients from all sides of the deal – buying, selling, or financing. Under his guidance, the firm experienced a surge in popularity and embarked on a trajectory toward a more promising future.  Todd specializes in equity transactions, including joint ventures, recapitalizations, acquisitions, dispositions, and both borrower and lender-side financings for domestic and international clients.  Mr. Robinson is the head of the Firm’s Commercial Real Estate Practice, Managing Partner, and a member of the Executive Committee.  Firm clients turn to Todd as the go-to lawyer in the industry for commercial real estate transactions on behalf of borrowers, lenders, and private equity investors.

The Entrepreneurial Journey of Todd

In 2012, Todd completed his education at Emory University School of Law and embarked on his legal journey as an attorney specializing in real estate and business litigation. This initial experience served as a strong foundation as he transitioned into transactional law, with a specific focus on becoming a deal lawyer. From the start, the influential leader had a clear aspiration to establish his own firm and cultivate personal client connections.

To lay the groundwork for this, Todd actively networked with fellow lawyers, industry leaders, and business owners early in his career. While honing his expertise as a lawyer specializing in commercial real estate investment and finance, he gradually fostered client relationships that eventually led him to establish his own firm in 2018.

At present, Robinson Franzman boasts a team of 27 attorneys and staff members, earning a renowned standing both within the local community and nationwide as the leading law firm specializing in multifamily investment and finance transactions. The firm’s expertise encompasses securities offerings under the Securities Act of 1933, solidifying its position as the preferred choice in this field.

Dare To Be Different

Responsiveness stands as the foremost advantage possessed by any law firm, and Todd consistently emphasizes this to his team on a daily basis. Given the interchangeable nature of lawyers, if a client perceives a lack of attention from their assigned attorney, they are likely to seek services elsewhere. It is Todd’s number one goal to make sure every RF client feels like the only RF client.

Consequently, Robinson Franzman’s primary objective is to ensure that each client receives its undivided attention, making them feel as though they are the sole focus. To stay ahead of the competition, the firm employs targeted marketing strategies, participating in activities that yield the highest return on investment.

Tackling Legal Challenges in Commercial Real Estate

According to Todd, the economic difficulties that his clients frequently encounter stem from the escalation of interest rates. Commercial real estate transactions and investments are directly affected by the state of the economy. When interest rates rise, it becomes necessary for prices to decrease. Unfortunately, this often leads to stalled deals as buyers are unable to generate profits. To address these challenges, the influential leader and his team offer counseling to their clients on pricing considerations, financing options regarding interest rate caps, and negotiating favorable terms with sellers.

Transforming Obstacles into Pathways to Success

When asked to share some examples of challenging commercial real estate cases or transactions that Robinson Franzman has successfully handled, Todd replied that last year, he and his team successfully completed a highly intricate deal in Texas involving a portfolio of 1000 units over three different properties. The transaction proved to be complex due to the involvement of a Wall Street institutional lender, three properties, and two different investor groups. To ensure the smooth progress of the transaction, they staffed multiple attorneys and paralegals to the deal given the volume of deal work involved.. Despite the challenges, Todd and his team successfully closed the deal, enabling their clients to surpass the impressive milestone of $1 billion in assets.

Key Qualities And Skills Of A Successful Entrepreneur

To thrive as an entrepreneurial lawyer, one must possess a unique set of qualities and skills that pave the way for success in the dynamic and challenging business world. While entrepreneurial endeavors vary widely across industries and ventures, certain key attributes consistently emerge as critical factors for achieving success. According to Todd, for an entrepreneurial lawyer to be successful, it’s important to possess these key attributes. He states, “I like to call it that “fire in the belly.” Never being satisfied or complacent with your current station in your business life. Also, having endless curiosity on how to improve and make your business more efficient. Having a vision and practical goals to achieve are critical. Finally, being able to deliver the highest quality legal product and customer service is critical to success as a lawyer.”

One-Line Quote

When Todd was asked to share a one-line quote that encapsulates his approach to business and his vision, he proudly proclaims, “Robinson Franzman LLP is a law firm dedicated to assisting clients with capitalizing on opportunities and solving complex challenges.”

Key Milestones

Robinson Franzman LLP is currently focused on growth, aiming to extend its services to additional states to advance its clients’ interests and objectives. As the Founder, Todd’s vision includes the firm having offices in Texas, California, Florida, Tennessee, and New York, as well as other jurisdictions driven by client demand.

Upcoming Trends Or Innovations

The impact of artificial intelligence on the property management business is a fascinating area to explore. AI has the potential to revolutionize tenant interactions by addressing concerns, efficiently managing work orders and complaints, and ultimately enhancing service quality. The topic of whether artificial intelligence has the capability to generate legal documents is a subject of ongoing debate. However, Todd expresses his skepticism about the possibility of AI completely taking over this field.

Significant Achievements

From humble beginnings in the basement, armed with only a laptop, Todd has nurtured Robinson Franzman into a thriving law firm. Today, it stands proud as a multiple seven figure law firm with a team of 27 dedicated professionals. Its transaction volume exceeds a staggering $1.5 billion a year, as it diligently serves the commercial real estate sector nationwide. Having successfully closed deals in more than 25 states nationwide, Todd and his team have garnered a reputation that transcends borders. Clients around the globe turn to them for expert guidance and trusted counsel in their ventures to invest in commercial real estate within the United States.

Sage Advice

As a seasoned attorney, and entrepreneur, Todd says, “My advice would be to take the leap of faith and go for it. If you have the drive to succeed and that “fire in the belly,” then you will be successful. Also, always remember the quote: “if you want to go fast, go alone if you want to go far, go together.” You can only do so much by yourself. Having the ability to recognize this and find quality business partners you can trust is of the utmost importance. Also, never let anyone else define your success. Finally, have faith in God and patience in your career – everything happens for a reason, and even setbacks are purposeful, so stay the course and maintain that entrepreneurial spirit even through the hard times.”

When Peter was ten years old, people started saying he would be an entrepreneur. Recalling the past, Peter says, “I didn’t think much of it, but along with my father’s excellent advice, I got a business degree (majoring in business use of IT and information as well as taking even more courses on marketing) and formed my first full-time company while in second year University – which allowed me to directly apply what I was learning to my business.”

Peter began his journey in corporate solutions in 1980, where he established a company that achieved an impressive 75% market share in municipal accounting. Concurrent with that, he had ventures in GIS development before GPS technology became widely used. The seasoned leader also developed a SQL network consisting of numerous master-master databases across North America, specifically for pipeline optimization. During the beta phase of Mosaic, he deployed his initial website and server, which served as a data source for his customers for the following decade. This website replaced the bulletin boards that were previously utilized.

The Inspiration Behind ITIQPro’s Establishment

According to Peter, his inspiration to start ITIQPro came from observing the competition at the time and feeling that he could offer a better product and better service to address a need—the fusion of offline mobile and online base—that was being largely ignored and, amazingly, is still only given lip service by other CMMS companies today. However, he faced many challenges like every other entrepreneur; the biggest was Capital. To overcome this, Capital was privately funded by him and his partner, whom he acquired complete ownership from in 2019. The primary driving force behind the venture was the feedback received from their customers, which played a significant role in shaping their motivation and direction.

Under his leadership today, ITIQPro has a strong presence in the CMMS SaaS landscape, quietly serving various industries and organizations, ranging from small gyms to large enterprises. Their collaborative partnerships with dealers such as Cascadia, Asset Pro Solutions dba Maintenance Connection Canada, MC Global, and Accruent have expanded their reach and reinforced their position as a trusted CMMS provider.

Empowering Organizations with Cutting-Edge CMMS SaaS Solutions

Since its establishment in 2003, ITIQPro has been a pioneer in offering a wide range of Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) SaaS options to a diverse client base, both online and offline. ITIQPro specializes in providing solutions for Asset Management, Work Order Management, Inspections (both internal and for clients), Punch Lists, Purchase Order Management, Inventory Management, Mapping and GIS, IT User Management, as well as sophisticated tools for seamless integration with other systems and offline access when internet connectivity is unavailable.

One distinguishing feature of ITIQPro is its belief in data ownership, allowing customers to retain control over their data without being held hostage by the SaaS platform. This flexibility extends to the choice of SaaS or on-site deployment, with the ability to switch between them as needed.

With an impressive clientele spanning the globe, ITIQPro serves organizations that possess assets crucial to their operational success, conduct in-house or client inspections, and require project management capabilities or snag lists. These customers encompass major shipping companies, renowned corporations like Honeywell and FORTNA, retail giants such as Home Depot, military establishments, correctional facilities, local governments of various sizes, hospitals, schools at different levels, and universities.  ITIQPro has earned a well-deserved reputation in the industry through its commitment to excellence and innovative solutions.

Break The Mold, Make A Statement

ITIQPro prioritizes understanding the unique requirements of different industries and delivering customized solutions instead of focusing solely on technology. This approach has been instrumental in its success, particularly in the field of CMMS. One of the key offerings from ITIQPro is its comprehensive offline/online mobile solution, which supports a wide range of devices such as cell phones, tablets, laptops, and 4K screens. With optimized and customizable background sync, its products provide exceptional user interface (UI) customization, seamless integration with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and comprehensive IT quality user management. By combining the best aspects of SaaS and offline capabilities, ITIQPro creates solutions that are universally accessible and user-friendly across all devices.

Find a need that many businesses have, then set out to help as many of them as you can. While the saying “The customer is always correct” is not valid, “Treat all customers, big and small, with respect”

What sets ITIQPro apart in the CMMS industry is the unparalleled flexibility and customization options its solutions provide. Clients can tailor the UI based on company, user class, repair center, and even individual users. This level of personalization ensures a smooth and intuitive experience for all users, accommodating their specific needs and preferences. Additionally, ITIQPro’s CMMS solutions incorporate advanced features such as preventive maintenance (PM) and predictive data analysis using DataHub. This allows seamless data imports from various sources, enabling companies to leverage actionable insights and effectively save and generate revenue.

Embracing New technologies

ITIQPro has relied on word-of-mouth and direct sales to promote its products and services, which has worked well for the company. However, with the increasing speed of security risks, it is essential to adapt quickly, and SaaS can provide a fast and safe solution for customers if designed and run correctly. Since upgrades can happen quickly with SaaS, and relying on outdated software is becoming too risky.

Peter explains, “A SaaS, for most purposes, provides the possibility of being the best and fastest way to adapt – upgrades can happen very quickly if you design your SaaS and related software correctly. This doesn’t mean that SaaSs automatically give you this benefit, but for those who design SaaSs and run them with this in mind – they provide the safest solution to their customers. The days of buying software and using it until it dies are fading away, there is too much risk in not getting upgraded software on a regular and emergency basis.”

Major Achievements

Peter and his team were successful in a market dominated by outdated technologies and concepts, as well as low-cost, low-value solutions. They provide their customers with a significant amount of value by being at the higher end of lower-cost solutions. They look for clients who will benefit most economically from adopting their software. “We keep our technology up-to-date instead of relying on 20 or even 30-year-old software that is not able to provide value in the security risks and innovative technology that are constantly coming out,” says Peter.

Current Industry Scenario

In Peter’s opinion, initially, COVID-19 had a significant negative impact. Companies that used their software and went out of business obviously stopped purchasing from them. However, by meeting their basic needs, Peter’s ITIQPro has grown its client base, experienced growth in 2022, and anticipates that all losses will be recovered in 2023. Since the exceptional leader and his team have been working from home for a long time, this aspect of COVID-19 had no negative effects on them; in fact, the improvements in meeting and communication software benefited them and allowed them to carry out their long-standing tasks even more effectively.

Key Milestones

In 2023 and beyond, ITIQPro plans to leverage over 20 years of design ideas while prioritizing customer feedback to deliver excellent solutions. It is committed to addressing its customers’ most pressing needs. One major goal for the company is to recruit exceptional programmers who can contribute to a dynamic and customer-focused team, ensuring high productivity.

Chart Your Course With Expert Advice

As a Founder, and veteran professional, Peter says, “Find a need that many businesses have, then set out to help as many of them as you can. While the saying “The customer is always correct” is not valid, “Treat all customers, big and small, with respect” is, I think, a more accurate, though more cumbersome, way of saying what was intended by the statement.”

Analysts in the staffing sector predict that during the next six years, the worldwide healthcare staffing market will increase to over $49 billion. The aging population is growing, and the healthcare environment is changing as a result of the global COVID-19 impact, just two of the many variables that continue to have an impact on the growth of the staffing industry.

Because of the increasing demand for professionals in the medical and pharma industries, many organizations are looking for alternative workforce staffing solutions as a cost-effective way of hiring specialist workers.

Rep-Lite is an innovative on-demand medical sales talent support firm that specializes in providing the pharmaceutical, medical, and surgical industries with customized contract salesforce solutions. Its revolutionary talent management model enables organizations to rapidly establish and scale highly competent sales teams with fewer risks and at much lower costs.

The firm provides a diverse range of talent to its clients based on their particular needs. And, it is adopting an out-of-the-box style of thinking when it comes to recruiting. Additionally, its results-proven contract model has altered the hiring processes of industry giants, including ZOLL, Olympus, Stryker, ConMed, Zimmer Biomet, Boston Scientific, and many more.

The leading staffing solution provider Rep-Lite provides personnel for a variety of professions, including sales representatives, associate sales representatives, clinical specialists, field service technicians, product launch specialists, and more. It works directly with manufacturers in every sector of the medical industry.

Under the guidance and exemplary leadership of Rick Barnett (Founder), Rep-Lite has achieved 20+% growth YOY for the past ten years. And the firm continues to grow and expand by overcoming every challenge and leveraging opportunities.

Meet The Mastermind Behind Rep-Lite’s Success And Growth

Rick Barnett currently heads Rep-Lite as its Founder. He is in charge of leading a process of strategic development that enables manufacturers to achieve maximum potential with limited resources. He initiated and implemented this approach to allow multiple manufacturers to enjoy exponential development within the divisions to which it was applied.

By drawing on his distinctive perspective, Rick created the Rep-Lite contract solution to address the specific issues that medical companies encounter. He has spent decades honing the contract talent management model, leading multiple manufacturers to exponential growth, massive hiring process improvements, and significant decreases in operational costs.

Prior to this, the versatile leader held numerous senior medical executive positions within the medical device arena. Rick is a performance-driven sales leadership executive who specializes in cultivating client connections, creating and putting into practice effective sales tactics, and choosing and training top-notch teams. Presently, he is regarded as a leader with a track record of developing fruitful business development initiatives, maximizing key competencies, and profiting from strong customer relationships.

The dynamic entrepreneur holds a bachelor’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Hawaii. Over the last 25 years, Rick has built businesses with companies such as Stryker and Intuitive Surgical. He is a visionary who commonly recognizes “outside the box” opportunities while driving the current business to surpass established goals which has allowed him to function in a consulting capacity for several top industry leaders.

Providing Valuable Benefits To Clients

The seasoned professional, Rick along with his team, are constantly responding to the needs of their clients. The needs of clients drive their activity. So, by employing their talent pool resources as a plug-and-play solution to reduce open jobs, the clients increase front-line revenues. His firm, Rep-Lite lowers costs, relieves the stress of maintaining headcount, and hastens the employment of driven professionals.

Hence, Rep-Lite has become their preferred choice. The clients enjoy various benefits offered by it, which include: ready candidates, a broad on-demand talent pipeline, a 50 – 70% reduction in the cost of attrition, preservation of executive time and resources, and a 96% conversion rate from Rep-Lite to the client. Rick proudly asserts, “We help our clients to build and scale their teams with  Fewer risks, Saving time, and Saving money. Our model offers a new age, unique process in which our clients have much more flexibility and efficiencies than ever before.”

As risk, expectations, and competition continue to rise, the firm is dedicated to setting the standard for the provision of outsourced talent to its sector. It has the solutions which clients require, whether it is an expert team or vendor support. Although there are many hiring and recruiting companies that serve the medical and pharmaceutical industries, relatively few of them adopt both methods for a hybrid strategy. This makes Rep-Lite stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Rep-Lite Founder’s Source Of Motivation

Each entrepreneur’s journey to starting their business is unique. There is no “one size fits all” idea or approach that can be used by everybody who wants to start their own business. But some peculiar things really do matter when it comes to motivating and driving people to start their own businesses.

Here, Rick replies when asked to share his source of motivation, “It is our driving mission to help candidates find amazing careers for themselves and their families while driving market share for our clients.”

Facing Challenges Head-on

Every entrepreneur has to face numerous challenges when building his business or company. Similarly, Rick has encountered many challenges as well. He says that their model is unique, requiring them to continually educate their clients and the candidates.

The Current Industry Scenario

Being a seasoned professional in the medical device arena, Rick has observed that finding the right people to join the organizations is just one part of the battle. The growing talent shortages in these industries have placed companies under increasing pressure in the last few years. Hence, it is more than important for the medical and pharmaceutical industries to keep looking for different ways to improve how they attract and keep talent.

Although change is difficult, it is necessary for the future. Understanding how to retain their existing and future talent could be the key to running their businesses smoothly. Plus, they can lure talent through different perks such as offering a positive culture, competitive wages, and benefits, promoting a healthy work-life balance, recognizing employees for their work, and establishing clear advancement opportunities.

Set Key Milestones

Every company sets milestones to achieve them. Similarly, Rick’s firm, Rep-Lite has set milestones to attain it. The firm wants to keep growing by being a wonderful servant partner for its clients. It is aware that when its clients’ needs evolve, it must change along with them in order to remain relevant.

A Special Advise To The Budding Entrepreneurs

As the Founder of a leading staffing solutions providing firm, Rick gave advice to budding entrepreneurs. He says, “Never give up! Be tenacious! Make sure you serve your customer well.”

One-Word Or One-Sentence Description

When asked to describe himself in one word or one sentence, Rick replies that he is the best combination of “Believer, husband, father, servant leader, persistent.”

Furthermore, in order to give customers and employees peace of mind, companies must commit long-term to their cleaning programs, which requires investing in well-trained cleaning staff and efficient cleaning products and solutions.

This is where Australian company Jaymak comes into the picture. The B2B commercial cleaning business — led by Mark Mackenzie (CEO) — has been providing hygiene and energy-saving solutions for the hospitality, healthcare, and food industries since 1998. The company’s mission is to develop and implement the highest quality preventative maintenance programs and ensure clients’ needs are met to the highest standards.

One-of-its-kind Hygiene Business

Presently, Jaymak is the only hygiene business in Australia with an internationally recognized certification ISO 9001 Quality Management System and ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System. The company distributes its customized products and services through a franchise model with trained, territory-based franchisees servicing its steadily expanding client base.

I believe that you’re not just buying a Jaymak franchisee within your defined territory, you’re actually buying into the Jaymak family, and each and every franchisee needs to be willing to support each other and work as a team. This mentality is becoming increasingly more important as we sign up more and more National corporate customers.

Mark proudly asserts, “Infection control, HVAC&R cleaning, and food safety management are specialized fields, and in the current COVID environment, the hygiene and cleaning industry is experiencing exponential growth. All of our work complies with ISO 22000:2018 and ISO 9001:2015, covering a risk management system based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) for the provision of specialized cleaning services to the hospitality, healthcare, and food sectors”.

Furthermore, the industrious leader and his team have developed their own Business Management Software, which involves a Service App, customized online quoting, scheduling, and reporting system, as well as an online training and resource system for their franchisees and master franchise licensees. This guarantees continuing adherence to and coherence with service delivery requirements.

The Beginning Of Mark’s Entrepreneurial Journey 

When an aspiring entrepreneur takes the plunge into starting their own business, whether going solo or becoming a franchisee, there are often a million and one things to think about or set up. And income may become one of them. The same thing happened to Mark.

After earning his university degree, heading off on a 2-year backpacking hiatus, and then returning to Australia, his entrepreneurial journey officially began. While traveling, Mark realized that he didn’t want a “9-to-5” job and wanted the liberty to make his own decisions. However, he had to make some money first.

Following this, the industrious leader began working as a chemical salesperson in the hospitality sector and rapidly formed strong relationships with several of his key Sydney customers. “During one of my monthly sales calls, a customer said to me, “Mark, if you could find a way to stop mould from growing inside cold rooms…. you’d make a fortune!” recalls Mark.

The seed was sown, and his journey in R&D began. During this period of change, his wife provided income, and Mark used his father to bounce business plans off. As a result, Jaymak was founded following several years of product research, experimentation, and business model creation.

Fast forward 24 years, Jaymak is now counted amongst Australia’s largest commercial HVAC&R hygiene companies. Under his leadership, the company has carved a niche in the market and gained trust from its various clients. Today as an experienced entrepreneur, Mark says, “The quote I love and sums up my entrepreneurial spirit is the quote by the American Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.””

Overcoming Challenges

Starting a new business from scratch as an entrepreneur is challenging for everyone. Jaymak CEO Mark also faced similar challenges when starting out. However, the biggest challenge was separating himself from the core day-to-day operations of the business.

During the first ten years, the versatile leader spent far too much time working in the business rather than on it. Over time, he discovered how to assign tasks to staff members with various skill sets to grow the brand. “It’s essential to have the right management team around you. I believe we’re in the most exciting phase of the business to date with an excellent head office team who are all extremely driven, knowledgeable, and have great vision,” says Mark.

When Mark first started franchising, he was very naive and believed every franchisee who invested in his brand would share his passion for entrepreneurship and success. But now, things have changed. Their selection criteria have evolved over time in an effort to locate the right personalities that fit the Jaymak business.

“I believe that you’re not just buying a Jaymak franchisee within your defined territory, you’re actually buying into the Jaymak family, and each and every franchisee needs to be willing to support each other and work as a team. This mentality is becoming increasingly more important as we sign up more and more National corporate customers,” states Mark.

Qualities of A Franchise Partner

As the CEO of the leading B2B commercial cleaning business, Mark states, “To try and ensure all our business partners and franchisees are successful, we like to offer licenses and franchises to people that share our values and beliefs.” These include:

• A passion for life and people
• Willingness to try new things
• Entrepreneurship
• Positive and Optimistic
• A team player
• Treating adversity as a challenge
• Service and quality orientated
• Sincerity in their approach
• Willingness to comply with systems and procedures
• Being passionate about Food Safety and Customer Service

Here, the key is to ensure that every business partner and franchisee has an opportunity to work with Jaymak.

CEO’s Outlook On Current Industry Scenario

According to Mark, Jaymak offers various services to the healthcare, hospitality, food manufacturing, and distribution industries. He, along with his team, was fortunate that their work in the healthcare and food distribution sectors continued—even intensified—during the pandemic while the majority of the hotel industry was put on lockdown.

Like everyone, they experienced some mobility restrictions with access to sites and movement across state borders. However, they could still serve a sizeable section of their client base since they were recognized as a provider of “essential services.”

Since most businesses have resumed full operations during the previous six to nine months, there has been a significant increase in demand for professional hygiene services. Mark asserts, “We are currently seeing unparalleled growth. The biggest issue we are faced with now is the recruitment of enough franchisees and employing enough staff to manage the steadily growing workload!”

Sustaining and Maintaining Quality Services

To ensure quality services are delivered to their clients, Mark and his team have been working hard over the past two decades. However, a considerable amount of work was completed in 2006, when they initially received ISO22000 accreditation. The ISO framework has been the key compliance structure to maintaining operational consistency with their products and services throughout the franchise network.

Additionally, Mark made a large investment in the continued development of their business management software, which has been essential in systemizing their franchisees’ adherence to their operational procedures.

Future Plans

Jaymak is a far superior service provider to any of its rivals in the hygiene and infection control industry due to its ISO accreditation and cleaning procedures. “The 24 years of experience and expertise in the hygiene industry provides Jaymak with the ideal platform in this post-pandemic period to grow our brand throughout Australia and the world. We have commenced discussions already with potential franchisees in New Zealand and have also engaged franchise consultants to assist us in offering Master Franchises in the UAE, Singapore, and Malaysia,” says Mark.

Over the next 12 months, Mark anticipates continued double-digit growth in Australia, while in New Zealand, he anticipates 1-2 new franchisees and at least 2 Master Franchise licenses in other countries. In the current market, Jaymak’s franchisees have the potential to grow extremely quickly.

As an illustration, a new franchisee took over an existing Jaymak business and grew it by 400 percent in just a year. In the last 18 months, another franchisee took on various territories within the Sydney market and has doubled the size of that business. Mark believes that the franchisee’s commitment and determination are essential for this kind of growth.

A Piece Of Advice From CEO

Being an experienced entrepreneur, Mark advised budding entrepreneurs, “Running a business is not easy, and success is seldom built overnight. It is often a rollercoaster ride with some amazing highs but also some lows. As the business owner and entrepreneur, the best part about it for me was that I controlled the ride. It’s important to enjoy the journey and celebrate the wins along the way. Surround yourself with good people who share your dreams and keep you balanced throughout the journey.”

Franchisee Testimonials

Testimonials build a strong credibility for any business. And here are some positive testimonials given to Jaymak by its valuable Franchisees.

“Working as part of the Jaymak network has brought me the independence to grow my business with assistance from the team at head office, great operational advice, usage of the trusted Jaymak brand and access to their tailored service system. This makes my life easier so I can focus on growing my business across the state. The progress of the business across all sectors has been spectacular including hospitality, health care, industrial and food processing. In only a few short years, I have been able to grow my business tenfold. In an environment where hygiene is top of mind, this is the business to be in!”

Tony – Jaymak Franchisee, Geelong

“I have owned my own Jaymak franchise for a few years now and the assistance I have received from our parent company has been extremely helpful in developing my business goals and drive business growth. When help is required, I just have to ask and there is a whole Jaymak network of franchisees to assist along with head office. I find it particularly rewarding when we receive good testimonials and referrals from our happy customers which helps drive business growth as well.”

Washington – Jaymak Franchisee, Sydney

To retain their existing and mostly loyal customers, and to gain new ones, especially millennials, Retailers have to offer services where customers choose to want them, both through online and offline channels, with zero friction while paying for goods or being eligible for rewards and offers. This is where Epipoli, an innovative Retail Fintech company established by Gaetano Giannetto is setting the standards for next generation retail platforms in Europe, and across the world. Epipoli enables retailers offer their customers a slew of digital products and services from third party service providers all integrated on the Epipoli platform and delivered through a retailer branded mobile application. The mobile application enables multiple payment methods, rewards, coupons, mobile checkout, and the customer’s entire purchase experience, both online and offline. The platform bears inspiration from the best of Asian mobile Super Apps like WeChat, Alipay and Grab and is developed in collaboration with KargoCard, a company with operations in Asia who powers the payments experience for top tier convenience stores like 7 Eleven and Lawson in Asia. The KargoCard platform processes over $2.5 billion in annual gross merchandise value across 250M customers across China, Japan and other markets in Asia.

One-Of-Its-Kind Italian- Based Company

The company’s name Epipoli derives from the Greek word epi-polis, which means “upper town,” is also the name of the Syracuse neighborhood where Archimedes’ Castle was built. Founded in Italy, the innovative fintech company is the market leader in retail payments and engagement solutions. In Italy, it was the first company to offer prepaid Mastercard and gift cards, a business it soon expanded across several other countries in Europe. Epipoli aims to preserve its uniqueness in the European market by combining cutting-edge technology paired with deep retail expertise and highly curated consumer experiences. Epipoli recognized the power of payment services delivered at point-of-sale to retail customers, as a powerful engagement and retention tool for the Retailer as well as a low-cost acquisition channel for banks and financial service providers. The Epipoli platform and service was built around this hypothesis of demystifying fintech for the retail customer and delivering these services seamlessly as part of the Retailers branding.

Epipoli operates two strategic business line in complete concert with each other.

• Wallet As a Service – WaaS

Epipoli provides a Retailer branded mobile application which offers payments, rewards, coupons, ticketing and travel services, FX and even crypto currencies all integrated with the retailer’s suite of core retail services.

• Platform As a Service – PaaS

Epipoli provides a uniquely integrated, cloud native, API first platform for Retailers to provide a compendium of services on a single stack, which enable engagement and digital solutions delivered across physical stores as well as online, as a compelling and profitable retail category. For third party service providers, integrating their services to the Epipoli platform is very lucrative as it extends their services to a strong network made up of 400 Partners at more than 70,000 points of sale across Europe reaching more than 4 million customers.

“In the role of category captain of this innovative family of products, Epipoli manages the assortment of the Gift Cards for Engagement, Incentives and in the stores of the network, on which Epipoli has implemented a dedicated display with the most important local and international brands offering a comprehensive assortment from “A” to “Z”, from Amazon to Zalando,” says Gaetano, speaking about the Epipoli retail gift card mall program.

The innovative fintech company is happy to serve over 200 corporations and 10.000 SMEs from various industries, including BNP Paribas, Bridgestone, Carrier, Carrefour, Coca-Cola, Electrolux, Esselunga, Hype, L’Oreal, Nestlè, Samsung, SPAR, Vodafone, Xiaomi and many others.

Meet The Multi-Talented Leader

Gaetano began his career at Procter & Gamble in the sales and merchandising division after serving as an artillery lieutenant in NATO. He was one of the “fathers” of Spaceman, the revolutionary planogramming and category management platform launched in more than 18 nations worldwide in 1988. The innovative leader worked as Managing Partner and then Vice President Industry Food & Retailing EMEA when Spaceman was sold to Nielsen in 1991.

He joined NCR Corporation in 1998 and was appointed vice president of EMEA and AustralAsia. Gaetano’s 20 years of professional experience in the international retail industry in Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States supported the intuition that led him to start Epipoli in 2000, one of the top global Fintech companies of which he is today President.

Passionate about multi-media, the multi-talented leader created and published “Conquering the new consumer – the Category Management guide,” the first digital book ever realized about retailing, and “Like free radicals: marketing without patterns,” which focuses on consumer behaviors and social changes.

Facing Challenges Head-on

Two essential components of Epipoli’s DNA are innovation and execution. Gaetano’s tenure at P&G taught him the essential strategies for breaking into markets and upsetting the status quo. “In Italy, it is not easy to change the way of doing as Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the author of “Il Gattopardo” published in 1958, because “changing everything in order to change nothing” is one of the typical behaviors,” says Gaetano.

It was pretty difficult to launch gift cards in Italy in 2006. Gaetano recalls, “To convince content partners and retailers to join this revolution for retailers, Epipoli developed a “demonstration case incorporating a mini display with US gift cards” to get every retailer aware of the project, and almost every company accepted the idea: Epipoli didn’t introduce the gift cards but a new retail category. Gifts cannot be explicit in value in Italian etiquette and common sense; very different from US pragmatism.” Since then, even though many of the US giants have expanded the gift card category across Europe, MyGiftCard is how the category is known; just as Nutella means chocolate cream.

Epipoli has been bold with product innovation, even when there has been market resistance in the early days of launch. It took three years to implement the Mastercard prepaid debit card that Epipoli had conceived in 2009. What a shock it was for customers to buy a prepaid Mastercard product   in a store, and ten years later, Epipoli Prepaid Card was chosen as the top financial services product sold in grocery stores!

Offering Solutions To Different Target Audiences

As the Founder of Epipoli, Gaetano says, “We are a company with an incredibly broad target audience.” As a retail payments platform, the company is B2B2C player with services at 3rd party digital channels, and through the shelves of large-scale retailers. As an engagement company, it provides B2B2C professional services to Corporations to acquire, engage and retain their customers. As a branded currency issuer, Epipoli is a strong international player in the B2B market, increasing this position also through the complete acquisition of Reward, a company that is specialized in gamification and incentive solutions to interact with employees and customers in a smarter and more attracting way.

Future Goals

Epipoli has consistently made investments over the past three years to accelerate its role as a force behind demystifying fintech and democratizing access to financial services. Epipoli has extended its customer base to over 42 countries.  Partnering with KargoCard, Epipoli’s reach now extends across all of Europe and Asia and soon in the USA. There are other new projects in the works, and in the next three years, Epipoli plans to generate an equivalent amount of revenue across Americas, Europe, and Asia. In order to do this, Gaetano and his team are preparing a fresh investment round to continue the M&A program and spread the Italian method across many other countries.

A Piece of Advice from CEO Gaetano

As a seasoned entrepreneur, Gaetano advice to budding entrepreneur, “Never give up is my mantra, because you learn more from mistakes and business scarves than from successes. It is not important how many times you fail, you must have the desire to get up having in mind that nothing come without Sacrifice, Resolution, Focus and Ethics.”

Meet The Multi-Talented Leader

Misha is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience working for Fortune 500 companies in several different industries, including private wealth, telecommunications, sports entertainment, and luxury goods. She brings a distinctive and dynamic viewpoint to each organization, and they all profit from her wide range of experiences throughout her career.

The visionary leader is renowned for driving growth, maximizing operational excellence, and developing pipelines. Her viewpoints are widely respected, and people trust and respect her opinion. She was in charge of a $200 million annual marketing budget in her last corporate role. She was also in charge of financial reporting, product management, and marketing. Misha has backed numerous state and municipal government initiatives.

 Everyday, I wake up the first thought that comes to my mind is: YOU HAVE A CHOICE AND A CHANCE. What that means to me is that today might hold the chance I’ve been waiting for my entire life. Each day I choose to work the hardest I can achieve my dreams.”

Today, she serves as the Founder, President and CEO of 3T Consulting Group. Her responsibilities as President include overseeing daily operations. As the CEO, she is responsible for management consulting and top-notch staffing within the company’s current and potential clientele and for identifying solutions, including program enhancements, add-ons, new business, and expansion, while improving client and business return on investment.

Misha handles DE&I with an emphasis on ongoing improvement and client expectations. She also ensures that teams swiftly reach scope and prioritize decisions that help balance customer and business objectives. The women entrepreneur manages the employees, executives, and finances of the business and assesses its performance. She identifies and resolves organizational challenges, acknowledges inadequacies, and implements solutions while negotiating and approving agreements and contracts.

Misha says,“I frequently facilitate vendor relationships and identify key weaknesses while working with the vendors to strengthen processes and policies within business operations. I identify key performance indicators for the organization’s human resources and talent management functions, and assess the organization’s success and market competitiveness based on these metrics.”

A Professional Consulting And Staffing Firm 

“Our company started as a virtual assistance company 12 years ago. At that time, I was still also working in a corporate role,” recalls Misha. In 2017, she decided to devote most of her attention to 3TG Staffing Solutions and took on the role of CEO there full-time. At that time, there were only three part-time employees and a few active contracts, and it was just time for her to be a full-time CEO.

Marcus L. Dorsey – CFO, Mirah Young – Executive Director, Misha Ford – President & CEO

Today, 3T Consulting provides professional consulting. And 3TG Staffing Solutions is a branch of 3T Consulting that focuses on providing the government and Fortune 500 companies with optimal business solutions by aligning people, processes, and executing orders across all industry verticals.

Its laser focus and equitable approach to organizational cultures ensure effective programmatic strategy, efficient planning, and on-time execution. The company offers comprehensive solutions with over a decade of experience in business operations, including process improvement to reduce time and cost.

Converting Challenges Into Opportunities

The staffing industry is exceedingly complicated and demands agility in a constantly changing market where long-established processes are readily collapsable and the economy is constantly fluctuating. It makes Misha’s job an interesting yet difficult endeavor. Each nation, society, group, and individual is a complex adaptive system that adapts to those around them, and this complexity presents Misha and her team with ongoing problems.

They have a choice. Either they react to things as they occur or see them as opportunities to learn and develop their potential to create things out of them. Complexity forces Misha and her team to learn, develop, and create with what is emerging if they are to survive, live, and flourish today and tomorrow.

Source Of Motivation

When asked to share her source of motivation, Misha says that her grandmother had the most significant impact on her life. She was a self-made businesswoman who had nurtured nine children and more than 20 grandchildren while also owning a physical store. She (grandmother) taught her (Misha) so many approaches to culture and about variety in all its forms. Her principles surrounded her and still guide her every day.

Faced Challenges By Women

Being a woman, a mother of two daughters, and a seasoned professional with more than 20 years of experience in Fortune 500 companies across several different industries, including private wealth, telecommunications, sports entertainment, and luxury merchandising, Misha has had many opportunities to learn a lot about human behavior in a business setting. Her experience has shown the visionary leader that businesses will advance more quickly and dramatically if they address culture and give employee engagement top attention. While urging women to lean in and raise their hands can be helpful, they must also demand that companies take action to address the issue.

As a women entrepreneur, Misha has always wanted to be known for her business acumen and willingness to put in a lot of effort. However, she has found that it can be challenging for women. She believes, unfortunately, many individuals now assume that in order to thrive and be appreciated at work, one must be unkind, forceful, and unapproachable. ”As a woman of color, I believe I can speak for women of all races and affirm that we face similar types and frequencies of microaggressions. Ultimately, organizations need to do the deep cultural work required to create workplaces where all women feel valued,” says Misha.

The Role Of Mentorship To Aspiring Women Entrepreneurs or Professionals

“We have a 501c Rhonda’s Girl Foundation (RGF), which inspires young girls to believe anything is possible. We teach them to take control of their own career path and education while bringing innovation to the community. We want to open doors, provide a guiding light, provide time to talk through employment situations with them, share similar experiences of your own with them and be the non-judgemental sounding board they need to reach their own conclusions,” says Misha.

She wants to emphasize the fact that individuals shouldn’t be intimidated because they didn’t grow up in a posh neighborhood, didn’t have parents of a certain status, didn’t come from a particular background, didn’t attend the proper school, or weren’t introduced to the right people. She and her team make sure that these individuals understand that their goals are what count and that they are here to guide them and hold their hands while they travel.

“This is our simple vision for RGF. I was so insecure for so long, and now my insecurities are no longer taking over my life. I had to learn to be brave, and I want to share that truth with others,” states Misha.

Current Industry Scenario

Increasing merit, introducing more incentives, and realizing that hybrid work is here to stay are challenges Misha and her company, 3TG consulting, currently face. Misha and her team put a lot of effort into developing strong leadership and a culture of trust among the current staff and potential job candidates. They place a high value on employee engagement, well-being, and productivity, as well as work hard and smart to take good care of staff members and supply their clients with talent who are outfitted with the knowledge and behavioral tools necessary to produce excellent performance.

Future Goals

In the next two years, Misha wants to build a training facility that will guarantee that her company provides the community with advanced training and upskilling. She wants to give the underserved talent in the community the chance to reskill and compete for fair-wage jobs.

Facing a new set of challenges

In the initial months when the world was in lockdown, businesses were left scrambling for a way to get work done virtually and remotely. Those who had already placed their bets on technology and were open to hybrid work experienced a smoother transition. The others were overwhelmed, to say the least.

The other challenge that businesses and brands are facing is the sudden labor shortage and what everyone is referring to as “The Great Resignation.” COVID has made people picky about the kind of work they would like to do. It has opened the door to a host of worker preferences where people want more money and greater work satisfaction. They demand greater flexibility as they face childcare/caregiver issues. They want to work remotely to address health concerns and ensure a greater work-life balance.

Next in line is about supply chain issues. Shipment of parts and products from overseas are drastically delayed, impacting the ability to fulfill customer purchase orders and service requests. This is leading to more challenging, emotionally fraught interactions. And the next area is concerning consumer preferences for interaction. While so many consumers would engage with Brands in local storefronts or by phone, the happenings of the last 18 to 24 months forced a higher use of digital channels (e.g., chat, email, SMS, social media, IVR, and bots). Today, the way consumers interact with brands has become a habit and it’s never going back to the way it was before.

Innovation for Customer Experience

As a result of the new landscape, brands need innovative ways to serve customers, understand their needs, and creating solutions to ensure their success and happiness. For years, brands have relied on traditional business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions to augment their own in-house customer support services and deliver a great customer experience (CX). However, the majority of those traditional BPOs were negatively impacted through the pandemic, and most are still trying to recover. Just like all others in Q1 2020, BPO providers with brick-and-mortar contact centers were forced to do an immediate lift and shift to work-at-home. While some were more successful than others, the perceived competitive footprint with brands was heightened. And yes, the BPOs are also facing the labor crunch like every other industry.

The complete scenario has led to new innovations and outside-the-box thinking as the gig economy becomes the future of work and a key solution for managing dynamic demands created by unforeseen events or seasonal capacity changes. For brands, it means a flexible approach to meeting customer demand based on their current needs and constituting the “gig customer-experience operations,” or Gig- CX. For those seeking new opportunities in the pandemic era, it means increased flexibility, greater work satisfaction and full control of their options.

The rise of a Leader

Arise Virtual Solutions is the leader in Gig-CX management and a true market disruptor. The company elevates CX through a technology and support platform that connects brands to the largest network of gig-economy Service Partners in the BPO industry. Innovations in dynamic scheduling allows brands to deliver up to 200% intraday flex so they can be there for customers. Highly innovative virtual learning programs keep teams aware of customer needs so they offer new solutions that grow the share of wallet and increase revenue up to 6%. Gig-CX Service Partners select brands they love and deliver empathetic, personal care that creates enduring relationships and up to 34% higher net promoter scores. Coupled with their unique CX Maturity Model that takes customer service to new heights, the Arise® Platform keeps brands essential and growing.

The Advantage of the Arise® Platform

It has become intensely incumbent on Arise to differentiate how Gig-CX truly differentiates from the work-at-home BPO solution. There are some key areas:

 Resources

The Arise® Platform provides Brands access to a network of more than 70,000 mature, experienced Service Partners that helped to deliver 126% of capacity during COVID-19. This is unlike traditional BPOs facing labor shortages even with a remote work environment.

Scheduling

The Arise® Platform allows brands and Service Partners to schedule support in 30-minute intervals, reducing the unproductive time by 17% and providing maximum flexibility.

Efficiency and Flex

Using Arise’s proprietary scheduling system, Gig-CX Service Partners on the Arise® Platform can deliver brands up to up to 90% utilization and 200% intraday flex capacity.

 Virtual Learning

 While global studies have found that 20% of all new learners have poor learning experiences that negatively impact their work, Arise is helping to certify 54% more new learners year over year. It has also helped to decrease curriculum time by up to 40% and speed to proficiency by up to 30%.

 Quality

 While 58% of consumers contact customer care more than once to resolve an issue, the Arise® Gig-CX Platform– along with older, more mature, and experienced Service Partners, CX Maturity Model, and sophisticated Service Partner engagement toolset – help brands achieve up to 6% increase in revenue with reduced abandons and improved customer satisfaction and net promoter scores.

The Driving Forces

Unprecedented times call for innovative solutions led by incredible leaders. And Arise has not just one, but two amazingly inspiring forces to reckon with. Judith Rodriguez is Senior Vice President & General Manager, Customer Success Delivery, and Diane Marques is Vice President, Learning Design & Delivery (LD&D).

At Arise, Judith leads a team responsible for delivering both operational results and executing strategy for its customers (both Clients and Service Partners). Her journey has been both exciting and challenging as the dynamic industry has always kept her on her toes. She has been able to build lasting relationships beyond the professional with customers. But at the same time, she feels the industry is very competitive, and delivering beyond KPIs is critical to show the value an organization brings to the partnership.

Diane, in her role as VP, LD&D oversees the Global Learning function at Arise, helping various Fortune 500 companies to exceed their CX goals by leading best-in-class learning design, development, and delivery in the virtual space.

On a personal level, Judith considers Diane as a person of many wonderful attributes, and the one that stands out most to her is that she is genuine. She feels that Diane has a high level of emotional intelligence and her ability to connect with people early on in a professional relationship is a gift rarely found these days.

And as per Diane, Judith is an amazing leader and an expert in her field. What she admires most is how Judith supports others. “She gives credit where credit is due, she is open to new ideas and is creative with solutions. She encourages different perspectives and acts when needed. I love learning from her and watching her interact with others and the business.”

Here’s more about the leaders and their views on different aspects of business and life.

What inspired you to be in this industry?

JUDITH: When I started, I had no idea what a BPO was but I needed a job and started as a junior Account Manager supporting customer service for a fast-food restaurant. I really enjoyed the dynamics of the industry and felt a great level of satisfaction when we “won.” I realized then that this job could be a great career.

DIANE: Developing and educating others to deliver on genuine, exceptional CX experiences is important to me. I believe that people make a difference and as leaders we should look for ways to invest in people, being in this space allows me to do that.

What has been your greatest challenge as a woman in this industry & how have you addressed it? 

JUDITH: My greatest challenge as a woman has been ensuring that my voice is heard in a male-dominated industry, particularly at the C-level. While there are many women, there are far less C-level women leaders than men, despite there being many women running and executing within all functional areas. We, as women, need to break through the old adages — that women are too emotional; that we’re some sort of expletive word when communicating directly; that decisions should be made for you by men because time and social norms have allowed it.

I say NO Ladies! We are passionate, committed, and strong! We should not apologize for who we are, nor should we allow others to negotiate for our future. It took years for me to realize you need to value yourself first and you will be at that table!

DIANE: Remembering that I have earned a seat at the table, that I belong and that my voice matters. Throughout my career, I have gone through phases of just doing what was expected, not pushing back or sharing my real thoughts or ideas. While it took some time, I have overcome this by remaining open to feedback and forgiving myself for mistakes. I have allowed myself to continuously learn and grow while both appreciating and respecting my unique style. I am in my role to share my perspective, so I do. But I also make sure that I do it with respect for others, commanding it in return.

As women leaders, how do you encourage diversity and women in your respective departments?

JUDITH: While it’s important to encourage diversity and promote women within my own department, as a part of Arise’s Executive Leadership Team, and as a Latina woman, I feel a greater responsibility to build more opportunities for inclusion and diversity across every level of every department across the organization. This is why I felt it important to establish and play a leadership role in two key endeavors at Arise.

The first is the Arise Diversity, Equality, Inclusion, and Belonging Committee. It’s not only okay but necessary to see how people are different from one another. This committee aims to bring greater awareness to and appreciation for all that makes us unique. Through our efforts, Arise has had exposure to influential speakers such as Maika and Maritza Moulite, authors of One of the Good Ones. We’ve also had powerful presentations from internal staff members, discussing their experiences as people of color facing adversity in both the workplace and society as a whole.

I am also incredibly proud to be leading WE@Arise, the organization’s group for women’s empowerment. Here we aim to connect women with internal mentors to provide support and promote growth. Through open dialogue, guest speakers, connections to female-focused professional organizations, and more, we’re ensuring that women’s voices are heard more loudly and clearly than ever before.

With both of these working groups, as well as one-on-one mentoring, and overall team leadership, it is my goal to help deserving individuals break through the glass ceiling and achieve the greatest success!

DIANE: I strongly feel that over the last few years we have seen a significant shift in systemic change. While so many organizations touted the importance of diversity and inclusion, few were really putting it into practice. Today’s the day to make a difference and it is important for me, as an executive, to not just foster an environment where people of different genders, races, nationalities, and sexual orientations and identities are present, but to lead by example and make sure they are truly heard.

For me, it starts with education. Given where I grew up, there wasn’t a lot of diversity, so I recognize how important it is for me to listen and learn from others. I want to better understand other people’s experiences so I can find ways to make them feel more comfortable and secure, helping them to feel more trusting and engaged.

Next, it’s about promoting leaders. As Judith mentioned, we work in a world that is heavily dominated by male leadership despite countless studies showing that diversity leads to better talent, more innovation, better decision-making, and a more engaged organization as a whole. As a woman, I feel it’s my personal responsibility to “lean in” and support other women who have the potential to succeed. Whether it be through strong mentorship, connecting people to appropriate professional organizations, or giving women the opportunity to shine so their success can open male minds, I want to do for my team members, even my company, as I wished other executives had done for me.

How does the digital landscape impact the way your departments’ function?

Judith & Diane:  For decades, technology has played a role in transforming the way we work. In the 1990s, the power of email and Ethernet propelled workplace communications. In the 2000s, mobile technology changed consumer behaviors while the “dot com” era continued to explode. Today, technology has been fully integrated into every aspect of our professional lives and that’s no different at Arise.

As CXM leaders it is our job to look at technology and digital-based solutions in a new light. We see it as the key factor that drives strategy, value-added services, and operational services. Digital technology is used in everything from sourcing talent, to learning and development, connecting securely to brands, as well as enabling and supporting Service Partners on the Arise® Platform.

What’s a one-line quote that best describes your approach to business and your vision.

JUDITH: For me, it’s really my least favorite word – Mediocre. I hate being told you are within the average of everyone else and I should accept the reality. If I had to pick a quote, it would be “Be fearful of Mediocrity” – Jonathan Ellery

DIANE: “We are all just people, working alongside other people.” People, across all levels, are needed to create and execute strategies to meet and exceed business objectives. Involving others, staying focused on the goal, and being able to measure results is the foundation. When we treat others with respect, even if we have different perspectives, and laugh a little along the way, it makes us all better. We are all just people at the end of the day. I think we forget that sometimes.

What would you advise the budding entrepreneurs?

JUDITH: As you think about the future, truly learn from history – there are so many similarities we are experiencing today that we lived in the past. Let’s not dismiss these happenings but ask how we might learn and grow from them so we can take our ambitions it to next level; and do so with our own, unique touch.

DIANE: Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. Stand out, take a chance, and stay open to learning from others. Doors open and close around us, don’t be afraid of that! Embrace it, for it is our experiences that make us stronger. My father always told me that when you work hard and do the right thing it matters. He also tells me “go, go, go you can do this,” and that we have to remind ourselves of that all the time.

Under their leadership, here’s what we can expect from Arise.

The Arise® Platform is very much at a tipping point of growth. As the team speeds to success, their goal is to help brands be there for customers, be aware of their needs, and be essential to their success and happiness, while providing Service Partners the flexibility that they crave. The aim is to help brands optimize their costs with secure technology that reduces their environmental impact and to provide Service Partners with a wide range of opportunities to be their own bosses and structure work the way they want to and the way that suits their lives.

Arise’s long-term innovation goals are to define the future of customer experience management. In that, Arise looks to be the central platform for the gig economy, fostering greater opportunities for a diverse world of entrepreneurs. They expect to reduce learning time and enable complex skill sets by infusing exciting new digital technologies. They are looking to reinvent customer care by designing task-based engagement models. Arise’s strategic roadmap is paving the way for an improved Service Partner experience, from registration to service. And they will ensure a delivery of care that builds greater confidence and trust with customers as they redefine the nature of virtual-first security.

If what we eat is who we are, then we must eat good and healthy to stay so. But health food is often notoriously boring and bland. Moreover, it might consume more time to create a perfect healthy platter that takes care of all the nutritional needs. So more often than not people look to supplements. In North America alone, the dietary supplements market size had been valued at USD 50,118.6 million in 2020. From 2021 to 2028, it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6 %. Increasing consumer awareness, growing demand for preventive health products, the rising number of fitness centers are all key growth boosters for the market. Helping people achieve their nutritional goals to lead a healthy and disease-free life through healthy and delectable supplements is the Supplement Group USA.

The Leader

Leonard K Armenta Jr heads the Supplement Group USA as its Founder and CEO. Leonard is a 22-year veteran in the Supplement/Functional Food industry. He has helped build many companies including MusclePharm.  In June of 2020 he met his business partner David Lovatt. They soon acquired SINFIT Nutrition and since then they have acquired or started from scratch 14 different companies.

As an entrepreneur, Leonard is all in for his business. He’s willing to work when others are sleeping or taking a break.  However, he does make it a point to have a proper work life balance.  He always makes sure to take the time he needs to be with his kids and family. He feels this keeps him grounded. “I guess what I am really trying to say is that make sure you are willing to go all in on your business and make sure that you spend time with the ones you love.  The balance will make your business more successful,” says Leonard.

He feels, as an entrepreneur, one must “Do what you love, what your passionate about, something that helps others and then you will give all you have to your business.” He also offers his advice for the budding entrepreneurs saying, “Make sure that your business idea solves a problem or a need in the industry you are looking to become a part of.  Know that you are willing to give everything you have to your business and lastly never try to be a know it all. Take advice from those who have been there and done that.   Learn from those who you employ and do it without an ego.”

Sustainable Health Solutions

Supplement Group strives to bring new and exciting products to market on a regular basis. Its current brand list runs the gamut across all Health and Wellness categories; from functional food brands to extreme sports supplementation. It offers many products with unique supplement profiles and patented ingredients.   It also has a Patented sparkling protein water called Fizzique where there is nothing on the market like it. The group constantly tries to innovate its look and products to stand out from the rest.

What makes Supplement Group unique from other brands is that it owns brands in the beverage, supplement, and functional food space.   They have 14 brands to offer their customers so that they can be a one-stop shop.  Their goal is to have the top-selling most innovative company in the industry and have a full-service business from A to Z to achieve it.

Its most popular brands are Storm Lifestyles, American Metabolix, SINFIT Nutrition, and Fizzique. While American Metabolix is an award-winning brand and one of the fastest-growing premium supplement companies, Fizzique is arguably the clearest, cleanest, most refreshing protein drink ever.

Braving the pandemic and competition

The biggest roadblock Leonard and his team have faced so far is launching in the peak of Covid. The company was founded in the year 2020. Leonard initially struggled with the supply chain, but with his team, he was able to overcome supply chain issues and has not had many issues moving forward. The team had heard how so many companies dealt with this exact issue and they are really proud with how they were able to resolve problems.

When it comes to taking on competition and strategizing for it, Leonard prides himself in not being a know it all.  Everything he does for his business comes with a collaboration with his team.  He knows that if they are sold on what they are doing, they will be more successful and will work harder than ever to make sure that things are done right. He adds, “I have an open-door policy for my team, and I encourage them to challenge me when they don’t agree with something I have planned.  Having outside eyes looking in on your plan is a must-have.  For instance, our brand STORM Lifestyles.  I had an idea in my head of where I wanted it to go and what I thought about it, but my marketing team thought they could take what I had wanted and make it even better.  I turned my all-female marketing team loose and they made the brand what it is today which completely exceeded my expectations.”

For a Healthier Future

In the near future, Leonard sees himself still running the company and building an even bigger team with more brands and innovations.  Supplement Group is also expanding internationally with the intention to deploy brands overseas as well.   The Group’s goals are to stay on the path of growth they are on and to keep innovating in the industry.  They want to be one of the biggest players in the space.