You’ve probably read dozens of inspiring entrepreneur stories, all sharing a commonality – going from rags to riches, from being fired to becoming millionaires and so on. What you don’t get to read about are stories of real entrepreneurs who are not millionaires, but whose services, visions, and efforts have helped other business founders become millionaires. What you don’t read about is the real struggle of real entrepreneurs, trying to make the world a better place with their craft. And so, here is a story you might want to read and believe in.

Like everyone else, Samit Patel graduated with the hopes and dreams of making it big. With a degree in Business Management, it was easy right? All he had to do was get a good corporate job, make money, travel the world, and at a later stage invest in his business. But life always has a way of testing us.

Samit graduated in 2009, the period of the Great Recession when up to 45% of global wealth had been destroyed by the global fiscal crisis. Businesses failed. Unemployment soared. Finding a job was next to impossible. But that didn’t deter Samit from his path. He hoped from business to business, went from working at a bar to establishing a business with a partner only to get kicked out and having to restart again.

His dream was to become a millionaire. That didn’t happen. But something else did. His work helped other founders become millionaires. Here is his story.

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Samit Patel, an entrepreneur, a product launch expert, and an international speaker. I run an eponymous agency focused on helping businesses launch to market. Over the years, my team and I have helped raise over $31 million for clients through platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. I love helping founders and businesses gain visibility and successfully launch their products in a fiercely competitive market.

Tell us more about your agency

My agency focuses on founders and businesses in the products and consumer electronic niche launch to market. It’s a highly competitive industry, especially with the fact that 30,000 new products are introduced every year, and 95 percent fail! My job is to help these businesses not only launch successfully but also to remain viable through effective digital marketing strategies.

To date, we’ve worked with some of the coolest tech products such as the Mindset Headphones, the Circadia sleep tracker, and smart lamp and a popular language app called Fluent Forever. I have a strong interest in products, gears, or gadgets that are designed to make people’s lives better, easier, happier!

What inspired you on the road to entrepreneurship?

I stepped into entrepreneurship accidentally. Like every other person out there, I wanted to get a good job after graduation. Coming from a low-income family, that was the safest and rightful path to take. But I guess life had other plans. I graduated at a really bad time. I couldn’t get a decent job. I was working multiple gigs to get by. Then there was this one time where I was helping a nightclub launch an event. I used social media to generate some noise and surprisingly it worked! The event was a massive success.

Somehow, I think that bolstered my path to entrepreneurship. I figured I was good at marketing, specifically focusing on launches. It was and still is an amazing feeling to see a product or an event launch receive an overwhelming response. That thrill continues to push me to work on interesting projects and seeing it come to life. All this said, it wasn’t an easy journey. I had my dark days.

Struggles that didn’t seem to end. Business partnership with a partner who not only cheated but also tried suing me. I am still learning, still struggling, still juggling the demands of entrepreneurship. It never really gets easier.

What is it about the business that sets you apart from others?

Culture. I strongly believe that my company’s culture sets me apart from the rest. And by culture, I mean not just the dynamics of our internal workforce but also our relationship with our clients. We believe in complete transparency. We don’t make fancy promises. We don’t entice clients with secrets to success.

We don’t tell them it’s easy. We take them with us on the journey. We want our clients to know exactly what they are getting from us. This is why our agency is recommended by Kickstarter and Indiegogo (only one other agency in the world is recognized by both) as well as by popular accelerators and incubators.

I think it’s very important to maintain a positive workplace culture in today’s world. People want to feel valued; employees want to feel challenged and respected. We are a small team, with most working remotely, but we’ve seldom had communication or performance challenges. We’re all aligned to the common goal and that’s something very important to me. Having worked at multiple businesses and agencies, I know first-hand how poor work cultures can impact performance and creativity!

What were some of the most important challenges you’ve faced as an entrepreneur?

Oh plenty! Literally everything was like a stumbling block. I mean I started a business without taking contracts seriously. I was naïve, hoping things would work out on its own. Then I didn’t have enough finances to keep me afloat, so I had to pick up on a few jobs, make the money and then inject it into my business. I had to work for free a couple of times just to build a portfolio. I’d be lying if I said it was easy.

I worked hard to get to where I am today and I’m still working hard because this industry is so dynamic and changes are happening so fast that I can’t slack even for a day. I need to always be on my toes, and know what new algorithmic changes have happened and how they impact my clients. To run a marketing agency for a highly competitive niche in a fierce business environment is a huge challenge in itself. It doesn’t really get harder than this.

What are you really proud of?

That I started a business from scratch and have been able to help more people than I’d ever imagine. Every time a client’s project brings in $$$$, I’m proud of the work I do. Every time a product hits its intended market, I’m proud. Every time a product rakes in profit, I’m proud. This work is truly rewarding and I’m proud that I’ve been able to make it happen for so many founders and startups.

Given the choice, how would you have done it differently?

Well technically, I’d have hoped to get a job, learn from the experience, and save enough money to be able to use it in my business for later. That’s the advice I give to budding entrepreneurs too. You need money to be able to do anything in your life, so it’s unwise to quit your job and hope to run a business successfully.

That said, I believe life is about learning from your circumstances. I think all the struggles I’ve been through have made me who I am today and has given me clarity which I’d probably never be able to gain had things gone the smooth way. You do get tired and you do wish sometimes for things to be easy, but then again, what’s the fun in that. This is life. Failing, learning, trying, failing again, trying again. Eventually, the whole journey becomes a success in itself and you’d never want to redo anything to change a thing.

The one motto that has helped you egg on ….

This may sound cliché, but, it’s ‘just do it.’ Quite literally that’s my motto. Things are never going to be perfect. I can’t wait to have a perfect website first to start a business. I can’t wait to have the perfect team member to build a workforce. I can’t wait for the perfect client to earn rewards. You have to be able to see, identify and grab opportunity by the horns. That is not to say a great website, a good employee and a great client are not important – they all are, but they are a byproduct of your efforts, not the starting point of your efforts. The starting point is your willingness to ACT.

Now that you have a successful business running, what’s your next goal?

Inspire one million people! Yep. Growth doesn’t end with a business. Your business is just the starting point. True growth is when you’re able to help people. My goal is to inspire a million people, to push them to bring their dreams to life. Through my speaking gigs, I want to help people get where they want to be in life.

Websites:

https://www.samitpatel.net/

https://joopio.com/

Social Media:

Instagram: @iasamitpatel

Twitter: @iamsamitpatel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samitpatelmarketing/