I help small & medium-sized E-Commerce businesses craft and implement effective marketing strategies to grow their business and increase ROI rapidly. Over the past five years, I’ve been able to build & scale multiple E-Commerce businesses utilizing social media marketing, specifically through Facebook, Instagram & TikTok advertising.
The one thing that has moved me forward the most in the past years is investing in myself, whether that means coaching or mentoring. Every investment I made 10x’ed my growth and opened up a multitude of opportunities ahead of me. I strive to do the same for current and aspiring online business owners.
Q. What piece of advice would you give to college graduates who want to become entrepreneurs?
Yash: There’s a small window here in the next few years where you have a lot of opportunities to try things, and fail at some things, and make some bad decisions, and make some really good decisions. But be wary that that phase doesn’t go on forever because, like it or not, the choices you make now — yes, even today — will shape the person you are today, ten years, and twenty years from now.
The bubble of college is great protection for a few years, but hopefully, you will spend your time wisely. Have you thought about your passions? What are the things that light the fire inside of you? What are you enthusiastic about? Have you spent your time exploring and learning about these things? This is important because the word “entrepreneurship” is often times thrown around in our society nowadays. People do it for the wrong reasons. I’m telling you…if it’s to make money and only to make money, don’t do it. It’s not worth it, and even if you “succeed”, it’ll be short-lived. Do it because it excites you every morning to get out of bed. Do it because you have a vision…a purpose. The money will inevitably be a buy product.
Lastly, take risks. Don’t be afraid of f*cking up. You’re supposed to, especially in your early 20’s. The thing is, most of you don’t have a lot of baggage right now. Don’t worry about the judgment you’ll receive from your family, friends, and peers – have that tunnel vision and go all in! The greatest lessons are learned from these mistakes, after all. Go high risk, high reward, baby!
How to Construct an E-Commerce Strategy That Will Last(Opens in a new browser tab)
Q. If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Yash: Let’s put it like this; if I lost everything I have right now (money, my network, tools, resources, etc), I would just start over. I know for a fact I would get to the point where I am right now in half the time. That’s because now I know the roadmap to get here and even beyond. Of course, this is all hypothetical, but it’s most definitely true!
If I were to be truthful with my novice self, I would’ve definitely asked for help earlier on. I remember losing money when it could’ve been avoided – I’m talking about thousands of dollars every few weeks. Now that I think, I was in such a rush to achieve results, and that’s not how it works. And because of this mentality, I would spend money irresponsibly, all to “hope” for an ROI.
Working with a mentor to develop proper intuition and strategy is something I never made the leap toward until being in business for over 18 months. Had I had more self-awareness and taken this actionable step earlier on, the cards would’ve played out differently. Nonetheless, better late than never, as they say.
Q. What are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Yash: Let’s keep it straight-up and sweet:
- Resilience
- Empathy
- Communication
Yash: I am not putting these in any order of importance. Depending on the specific business or work of line, each one might carry a different weight. However, I know EVERY successful entrepreneur displays all 3 of these. Also, note that some of these may be instilled more in one depending on the environment, how she/she was raised, and a bunch of other factors. I have no doubt though that they can be developed and strengthened over time – The same way how one can get good at riding a bicycle…that, too, is a skill.
Q. What entrepreneurial tricks have you discovered to keep you focused and productive in your busy schedule?
Yash: Time blocks. Time blocks have helped me immensely to keep organized, focused, and accountable.
I’ve now developed the habit 3 years of writing down my daily tasks, and to-do’s the night before. This brings clarity to the table for me personally. You can go old school and use pen & paper to do this or use the hundreds of effective calendar software out there. I simply use the ‘Notes’ in my iPhone.
Your daily routine should consist of a balance between work & personal habits. Also, make sure you take breaks during the day to help your brain recharge to increase your overall work efficiency. I work better in smaller deep-focus work segments of 40-70 minutes. And when I say “deep focus,” this means absolutely NO distractions…there is no comprising on that. No external browsers or tabs, phone, or outside noise. Suppose certain background noises like brown noise or frequency beats help you, then so be it. People claim to work 14-16 hour days all the time and flaunt that to receive credit and appraisal. While days like those will certainly be required in this game of entrepreneurship, every day shouldn’t be like that. I mean, the end goal is to free yourself, correct? The freedom of time and location – at least, that’s what success is to me. Anyway, see how much you genuinely accomplish in two or three “deep focus” work sessions next time.
Q. What key activities would you recommend entrepreneurs invest their time in?
1. Establishing a Daily Routine
Many successful entrepreneurs develop, grow & maintain their businesses in different ways. Even though they have different methods that contribute to their success, there is one thing that all entrepreneurs have in common: A daily routine.
How you do one thing is how you do everything – you can say I almost live by that. It’s true, though! Everybody has a different environment they live in. Find a productive routine for your work and your body, and repeat it as many days in the week as possible.
There are tons of routines that you can choose from. Some folks work better when they wake up at 4:00 AM, and some people work better when they stay up until 2:00 AM and wake up at noon. There’s no “right or wrong,” I believe. Test things and double down on what works for your business and lifestyle goals. Usually, it takes a few days to build that initial momentum and about 2 to 3 weeks to have a habit intact.
2. Exercising
Daily exercise is definitely something that you should include in your routine – even if this is walking or lightly jogging for 20 minutes around your neighborhood. Exercise undoubtedly increases your productivity both short and long term. I personally lift weights about 4 to 5 times a week, and as a result, my body produces more ATP. This gives my body more energy to exert physically, of course, but it also makes more energy for my brain, which boosts my mental output.
Physical activity makes the blood flow more to the brain, which makes you more focused and creative. Working out most days of the week requires discipline and commitment. And the last time I remember correctly, your business needs the same from you. Having that relentless mindset in the gym carries over to your work. Eventually, they’ll complement each other just perfectly.
Physical exercise stimulates the development of new mitochondria within your cells, meaning that your body can produce more ATP over time. That gives you more energy to exert yourself physically, but it also means more energy for your brain, boosting your mental output. When you look good, you feel good; it’s simple. The cognitive benefits associated with exercise are a brainer…no pun intended there!
3. Invest in Yourself
I’ll keep it real – the success of your business falls solely upon your shoulders. Once you’re complacent, you’re digging yourself the grave. Many fall into this once they reach a certain milestone or don’t get the desired results. I am in no means saying not to reward yourself, by the way.
You should always strive for more ways to better yourself mentally, spiritually, physically, and, of course, financially. After a really bad breakup, I had 2 years ago; I almost lost myself afterward. This means I let myself loose in a lot of areas. Since then, I’ve really been able to get in touch with myself and tap into spirituality. I enjoy this, and I know for a fact, that I’ve been able to see the results in my overall life, let alone my business. Since then, I’ve invested multiple people 5 figures in courses, coaches, etc, when it comes to meditation, sleep, productivity, and religion.
And of course, it doesn’t have to consist of spending money always. There are tons of free resources & tools on the internet now. Utilize them to your advantage! Audiobooks, videos, podcasts, e-books…I mean, the list goes on and on. www.udemy.com is an extremely vast marketplace for courses in almost every industry at an affordable price or even for free.
These investments will help you become the best you that you can possibly be, and your business will flourish as a result.