Liam Kennedy, Founder of Mantra Global a UK-based Digital Marketing agency that provides Social Media Marketing to eCommerce business owners. since Opening its doors Mantra Global has gone from strength to strength using Paid Advertising ( PPC) and SEO to propel their clients to new heights.
For more details, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Liam, to know a bit more about his journey as a marketer.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Liam: Life! I always dreamed of being in the military but unfortunately due to an injury, that dream got cut short. this moved me into a brief spell of being homeless barely able to afford anything at all, I started working multiple jobs at once, but I just always thought to myself I was missing something, life didn’t need to be this way, this is when I took an interest in the likes of Grant Cardone, Robert Kiyosaki, Warren Buffet, Just Pure Business, and finance powerhouses! this is when I realised that the life I want just complete control over my own destiny whilst helping whoever I can along the way.
Q. How did you get started?
Liam: The trusty notepad and pen! after realising that I want to start my own business I decided to write down everything that I’m good at, sales, marketing, customer service to name a few after this it was just research, research, research, I used to work for a company that taught every day people to start their own “E-commerce” business’s so naturally looked into that but didn’t have the capital to start it, this is when I realized I could still be in the space but from a marketing, Prospective helping others who do have the capital for eCommerce stores to build their brands up, I started networking with people in the space, learning everything I could about marketing and the business its self. didn’t matter if it was youtube, books, Q/As with marketing company’s already in the space, or courses I Was there I was doing it.
Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? What steps did you take to overcome it? What did you learn?
Liam: Personally for me it was time, I didn’t have much capital, to begin with, so I couldn’t hire anyone to do “outreach” and I was already working a full-time job Monday to Friday and being a DJ on the weekends for my local pubs and clubs. so this was a challenge, to begin with as I was sending the odd cold email out to potential clients here and there but nothing really stuck! After about 2 months of no meetings at all, I took a step back and just looked at what time I was wasting where and how I could better use it. this is where things really started moving I was working from home so I used my lunchtimes to make calls to potential clients follow up emails to people who hadn’t responded to my first email and then in the evening’s straight after work I would be sending out emails to businesses across the UK and America also to try to generate what I could, if they didn’t respond to any emails at all I would then connect with them on linked in and message them there also I was so determined to make this work. I guess what I learned is it takes resilience to start any business going, you’re going to get a lot of no’s you’re going to get knocked down so much and it takes time to get your name, your brand, your business out there! you need to be able to pick yourself up dust yourself off and never forget your reason why you’re doing it in the first place and show people you are a business they can trust.
Q. What is the Most Memorable Thing You’ve Done Since you Started your Business?
Liam: Registering as an actual business! being in the position I had been in homeless, no money, no real career only low pay jobs only just getting by signing the business name receiving the authorization of everything, and actually being a “business owner” in my eyes felt such a big step for me I was finally ready to get my name out there and help people reach their goals, their potential and really make a difference in peoples business’s and lives.
Q. What is one book you recommend, and why?
Liam: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, this book changed everything for me, being able to understand the different styles of life and understand everything Robert teaches through his book and videos just opens your mind to another level
Q. What are your top 3 favourite online apps, tools, or resources and what do you love about them?
Liam: LinkedIn, Instagram, and Zoom!
I had never really used linked in before so it was a key way for me to really get myself out there as a professional in my space, to connect with business owners, other people in my trade, and just network on a business level giving out my knowledge where I could and really show my and Mantra Globals Potential.
I love Instagram, Being in ” social Media Marketing” I love just looking through business pages looking at the pictures they currently use and captions and hashtags trying to grow themselves naturally compared to Paid Ads. It’s great to see.
For Me, Zoom has changed the game! being able to hold meetings with people looking for help globally without having to waste time traveling and everything that used to be involved with business meetings really helps, your ability to just sit down get to a business’s pain points work out how you’re going to help them and make some real difference so much quicker.
Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Liam: It Isn’t so much a “legacy” for me it’s more a case of what can I do whilst I’m here, Starting a business is hard , VERY hard especially if like myself you did it with little to no capital no help, nothing! you sort of feel alienated don’t really know where to turn so if I can come in and help as many businesses with a key part of their business and be a part of their growth and remove as many pain points they have then that’s my legacy.
If I make a name for myself along the way and Manage to Leave something for my family along the way that’s just a bonus.
Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Liam: The moment you realise business is about people, not sales your business will thrive, always look for the next person to help not your next sale.
You don’t build a business, you build people and then people build the business.
To keep up to date with Liam and his journey, connect with him on Facebook.