Trust Your Team: Interview with Art Shaikh, Founder and CEO of CircleIt
I recently went one on one with Art Shaikh, founder and CEO of CircleIt.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Art: Since I was a young boy, I've always had an entrepreneurial drive. When I was young, I would sell rides around the block on my motorized bike to friends and classmates. The neighborhood parents eventually sidelined my budding business – but it definitely lit a spark. Over the years, I've grown my endeavors to bigger and better things. The concept of CircleIt is my most prized development and one that I hold close to my heart.
The toughest decision I had to make so far was quitting my dream job at Salesforce in the middle of a pandemic to launch my company. It’s always an incredibly tough decision to dive into something unknown, especially when it’s headfirst. Despite dreaming about the thrill of charting our own paths, not many of us are thrilled about the uncertainty, volatile cash flow, or paying for our own health insurance. But if you know in your gut that you want to get your business off the ground, then it’s time to push through the challenges ahead and make it happen.
One of the things that I have learned in this journey has been that you have to know everything first before you start to bring people on. You need to understand how the product is built and designed, how it will be marketed, and who is going to want to use it the most.
Our growth has really been driven by finding the right people, passionate people that know the value of what we are giving to the world.
Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?
Art: In 2011, my father gave me a shoebox filled with handwritten cards and instructions for me to carry out when he passed away. Things like ensuring my mother received flowers on their anniversary, or gifts to be given to his granddaughter, my niece, on her wedding day. Sadly, I had to start this endeavor much earlier than expected, as my father passed away unexpectedly a year later.
In going about the process of delivering these cards and gifts, I recognized that this isn’t a unique problem. My father had made me acutely aware of the fact that everyone wants to be there for their loved ones. They want to be there for the moments that matter the most, but unfortunately, this isn’t always possible. So while I was still working a full-time job, the idea for CircleIt came into being.
The advice I give any potential entrepreneur is simple. Work. Work for some years, and eventually you will start to identify problems that people and businesses are facing. Then, if you can identify a solution to the problem, you will have a potentially viable product to sell. However, it takes experiencing things and people in order to get to that point.
Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?
Art: Early on, the process isn’t very scientific. It involves a lot of conversations with those you trust and that have some experience in life. When I would discuss CircleIt with friends and family, they would all immediately identify with it. I was fortunate enough to be working at Salesforce, which gave me great sounding boards on the technology side of what I wanted to achieve.
The idea for your business doesn’t have to be for everyone. Finding people that might be experiencing a problem and then talking through the solution you’ve developed with them will help you refine what you’re doing and give you an indication if you have a business that can succeed.
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Art: One thing I think everyone needs to do is find the right team. I’ve been fortunate in that throughout this “great resignation” we have lost ZERO employees, and are adding to our staff on a regular basis. This comes from hiring people that are not only passionate about CircleIt but passionate about their field. Our creative team not only wants to build CircleIt, but they are fanatical about making it look incredible.
In order to take your business to the next level, you need to make data-driven decisions, and be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. This all starts with having the right people interpreting the data and leveraging it to make creative and logistical decisions.
Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
Art: I have been in sales my entire career. Product is the first tip I have for anyone selling anything…if you don’t believe in your product, no one else will either. Both sales and marketing require understanding the needs and wants of the consumer, and then delivering that to them.
With CircleIt, for example, we know that the most active and engaged users are going to be those that understand time isn’t infinite. Grandparents, cancer patients, those dealing with Alzheimer’s, and those with dangerous jobs such as police or military personnel, all deal with the same understanding that tomorrow is not guaranteed. And everyone, regardless of their lot in life, wants to be there for their loved ones and the milestones in their lives. Once you understand these things, you can make better decisions with regards to sales and marketing.
On the marketing end specifically, it is key to understand the ins and outs of digital marketing. Because the digital age has made advertising more accessible, it is important to leverage the tools available to you. Social media and search engine marketing are the most powerful tools you can use to market your products and services, but a lot of folks use them poorly. Knowing how to use these tools is just as important as knowing what messaging and creative elements are going to be effective. You can create a dynamite video, but if the right audience isn’t seeing it, it loses its power quickly.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Art: Effective leaders have a vision and don’t compromise on it. If I were to accept every “no” or “can’t” then we wouldn’t be in business anymore. The best leaders also want to elevate their teams. Our team has developed skill sets that are truly valuable. Some members are doing the amount and quality of work that takes teams of 5-10 people in larger organizations.
Knowing that you can’t do everything yourself, but knowing all of the details is also incredibly important for leadership. Understanding the processes that are going on will enable you to help lead the team more effectively.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?
Art: Teams are groups of people, so understanding each member of the team is crucial. Know their strengths and weaknesses on an individual level, but also know the strengths and weaknesses of the team as they collaborate. This will then help you know what pieces you need to add in order to scale more efficiently.
Leading is more about trust than anything else. Building trust with the team is the best way to help everyone get across the finish line.
Managing is about knowing resources and prioritizing. When you know something is a top priority, you can help allocate the right resources at the right time. It makes no sense to have someone working on a “B” priority when an “A” priority is left as an open item.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Art:
Every detail matters. Knowing the minutiae of your product, marketing, sales, and analytics will make you a more effective leader at every level.
Trust your team. When you are building a team and adding to it, know that the people you hired are both passionate about the product or service, and also know that your team are experts in their field.
Don’t hesitate. Patience isn’t necessarily a virtue in starting a company. When you see opportunities, take a shot. If you fail, it is a learning experience.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Art: Find yourself a diverse group of trusted individuals to act as your sounding board. They will become invaluable – especially when you are faced with tough decisions. Starting your own business is the most challenging, and most rewarding, venture I’ve taken on. And I couldn’t have done it without the guidance, wisdom and advice I’ve gotten from my peers.
Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.
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