Sara Helmy is a professional marketer and entrepreneur. In 2011, at only 22 years old, Sara founded Tribu, an advertising tribe with some serious digital marketing capabilities and a deep love for stellar design.
To date, Tribu has received over 100 industry awards for its work from organizations such as the American Marketing Association and the American Advertising Federation. Tribu’s work has been featured in prestigious publications and media outlets such as Good Morning America, Yahoo!, Buzz Feed, The Economist, and E! Entertainment News.
In addition to Sara’s role as CEO of Tribu, she serves as an Official Member of the Forbes Agency Council and is the proud mom of toddler Annie and baby Solly.
For more details, visit the Tribu website here.
Here, we sit down with Sara to learn a bit more about her journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. Tell us a little more about your journey as an entrepreneur – how did you get started?
Sara: I began Tribu quite unconventionally. I was 22 years old at the time and madly in love with digital marketing, which was emerging (2011). I did a short stint as an Operations Manager at another agency and very deeply wanted to dive head-first into an agency that specialized in both branding and digital because I believed the combination would be incredibly mighty for businesses and knew it was the way of the future.
I believed intensely in the relevance (and measurement) of digital, the power of a marketer with numbers on their side, and the potential in the technologies empowering those capabilities for the first time. I was completely obsessed with search engine optimization, social media, branding, and inbound marketing. I didn’t see many agencies specialized in digital at the time in my hometown (San Antonio, Texas) so I decided to start my own.
Another aspect that drove me forward is that, a few years before starting Tribu, my dad, unfortunately, passed away. He fought through a five-year battle with cancer (which we all know is quite ugly). That was a factor as well. An experience like that teaches you that life is short at a totally different level than simply hearing a phrase.
I knew that Tribu was what I wanted to do, so I invested every bit of savings I had into it, and the rest, as they say, is history. That history, for me, was driven by organic growth and the people who bravely offered us a chance from the get-go. I learned this: if you cherish every opportunity (obsess over the value you deliver to others) and continually bet on yourself and your entity, organic growth happens.
Q. What entrepreneurial tricks have you discovered to keep you focused and productive?
Sara: You have to trust others. It’s easier said than done, but learning to trust others, their ownership of their role, their ideas, and their desire to do good things will help you stay focused on what you do best.
The reality is that a business can’t scale if it’s always the founder’s ideas or hands that solve the problems (and all businesses have problems) and get big things done. There’s truth in the wise phrase, “If you want to go far, go together. If you want to go fast, go alone.” So, trusting my team and verifying their work is the biggest productivity hack I know.
Q. How do you stay organized with such a busy schedule?
Sara: An excellent chief of staff goes a very long way. I’m deeply thankful for ours. Investing in a Chief of Staff and spending time with them so that they can understand not just your needs but the needs of the organization as a whole is a big difference maker (and not just to me, to everyone). I learned that from a mentor and it’s made a lot of great things possible in Tribu.
I also believe in critical process, and I believe critical process doesn’t mean every process. It means the processes that allow us to work effectively and efficiently. How we assign tasks and delegate to one another in a company is a part of the critical process. If everyone does it according to the process, we all know what’s on each other’s plates and that saves critical amounts of time. We can also see when there’s not enough time and solve that proactively.
Another tip is to fearlessly nix meetings that aren’t impactful and set loosely structured recurring meeting times for things that always need to happen. Other hacks: Plan your schedule in advance. I plan mine every Sunday, and I try to see conflicts in advance and then make decisions rather than try to navigate through an impossible situation.
Q. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?
Sara: I think I would name it “How to be a productive rebel.”
Q. What motivates you?
Sara: I never want to look back one day and regret not doing something because I was scared, that’s one of my main sources of motivation. I don’t believe in taking stupid risks, though, I believe in taking smart risks. What matters is trying something and seeing how far I can go with it. Even if you don’t land where you imagined you would…if you land, that’s exciting.
Another thing that motivates me is that I care about others, and I believe in brands, so I always want to do the best I can. I’m also motivated by the way that business and creativity collide in the forming of a brand, and I think it’s beautiful that Tribu is a business that can take good care of people. Knowing that my work helps others is a great driving force.
Q. What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made?
Sara: I would say working with good people who have drive is one of the best investments. Teach them what you can, and learn from them too.
Q. What key activities would you recommend entrepreneurs invest their time in?
Sara: Learning. Never get comfortable and believe you’re an “expert” at something. Maybe you are, but that expertise goes out the window if you stop learning. I believe entrepreneurs need to constantly consume books and articles and form strong mentor circles and deep relationships with peers who can exchange wisdom and ideas.
Also, invest in structure and process. It’s not the most fun part of the “visionary” aspects of entrepreneurship – but if you want to scale and truly create value, structure and process are absolutely critical.
Q. What is your ‘one-sentence’ piece of advice you’d like to give to someone who wants to become an entrepreneur, coach, or business owner?
Sara: Never stop learning and surround yourself with great mentors because you’ll need advice. It’s best to keep trustworthy, experienced people around you and make them feel absolutely confident and comfortable delivering tough feedback. Other people have done it before and found success. A lot of information is available if you are brave enough to ask for it and show your gratitude when it’s shared!
To keep updated with Sara and her journey, connect with her on Instagram.