I recently went one on one with Chris George, the co-founder and Chairman of the Subscription Trade Association (SUBTA), an organization catered to providing resources and tools to the subscription-based community, and the founder of Get Certified. Chris is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully launched and managed seven businesses and sold two, including Gentleman's Box, a high-end subscription box for men.

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? 

Chris: Thanks Adam, my entrepreneurial journey started when I was 21. I was finishing college and I knew I wanted to start my own business. I started a collection agency called Echo Management and, by age 27, I was named President of the Michigan Association of Collection Agencies. From that first small business, I developed important on-the-job skills that I would not have learned otherwise, like how to build an effective team, how to be resourceful and even how accounting worked. 

During that same time period, I was always purchasing and flipping products online and developed a keen interest in the e-commerce space. This led to my next business, Gentleman’s Box, which I co-founded with my partners John Haji and Paul Chambers and was successfully acquired in 2020 for seven figures. I thought my first small business had a fair amount of challenges but the issues that come with an e-commerce company are in a league of their own. I had to actually develop a product, untangle distribution situations, build a brand into a lifestyle that our customers wanted to be a part of month-over-month, hire a team with complementary skills and allow that team to flourish. 

One of the most important lessons for me, though, was how to build a well-rounded brand from scratch. I had to expand my understanding of the customer experience and learned to market and conduct my entire business through that lens.

Because of our experience with Gentleman’s Box, my partners and I founded the Subscription Trade Association (SUBTA), the first and only organization dedicated to supporting D2C subscription-based businesses. Through SUBTA, we also launched SubSummit, the world’s largest event for the subscription community. We are excited to have a hybrid virtual/in-person event in Dallas this fall.

Adam: What are the best lessons you have learned about leadership and relationship building from your years leading a trade association? 

Chris: Being a founding member of SUBTA has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career because I love helping people work through their business challenges and questions. Along the way, I’ve learned that authenticity is the key ingredient to building great relationships with partners, members and colleagues. That ingredient makes it easier for people to connect with you and, eventually, come to trust you. 

It has also been incredible to see the SUBTA community grow. My partners and I painted a vision that would allow us to share knowledge with others in our industry. I knew many potential members and partners would be on board, but we also worked to bring in a team of passionate people that would buy into that vision as well. To us, it was more important to have a mission-oriented team than a skills-based team, which turned out to be one of the best decisions we made. If you have an idea that can be genuinely valuable to people, it will take off.  

Adam: How did you come up with your different business ideas and know they were worth pursuing? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with and test ideas? 

Chris: I am constantly following trends and paying attention to consumer behavior. When this monitoring leads to an idea, I ask myself if that idea is going to impact a person’s life. If the answer is yes, I get to work on the discovery phase to confirm if the idea is worth pursuing and how I might market it. 

My advice to others is to follow a similar process. Think about who the consumer groups are right now and follow their purchase behavior. What is Gen Z buying versus baby boomers? If you have an exciting idea, make sure to have an honest conversation with yourself or your team about whether this idea is adding value to people’s lives. If yes, then you are already on the right track. Maybe even tease the idea on your social media channels to get feedback before you start researching and building a business plan.

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?

Chris: Each business requires a unique approach but there are a few steps that most can take to determine that approach. First, I recommend doing a SWOT analysis so you can identify what you do well and build on that. Next, you should evaluate your current marketing efforts. How are you bringing awareness to your business? Are you sure that’s where your new customers might be? I find that quite a few businesses tend to keep engaging the same audiences but, if you are looking to grow, you need to expand into new segments.

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader? 

Chris: I believe an effective leader has three defining qualities. First, they care about their employees above all else. Second, they have a clear vision that gets buy-in from their team. Third, they allow their employees to be autonomous. 

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Chris: It is so important for people to cultivate a continuing education for themselves. I don’t care if you are a CEO or an assistant. I believe anyone at any stage in their career should take personal development seriously.

I always recommend reading books and publications like Success or Fast Company for leadership insights. There are also hundreds of great podcasts you can listen to while you walk your dog, work out or run errands. I build this time into my daily routine. I also suggest identifying a leader that you look up to and learn about their journey, what resources they’ve used and how they’ve evolved. 

You can also reach out to a trusted mentor for regular advice or find a mentor if you don’t already have one. For more experienced leaders, taking on a mentee will help you to expand your own knowledge and perspectives. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders? 

Chris: First and foremost, no leader can do it on their own. It is so important to ask for help when you need it, whether it’s from your team or even a peer who has dealt with a similar challenge. Second, learn to let go. Of course your business or organization is your baby, but you need to give your employees the dignity to thrive and learn from their mistakes. You will lose your mind if you micromanage. Finally, don’t be afraid to try new things. One of my biggest regrets is not utilizing social media earlier in my career. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams? 

Chris: Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s best to hire for attitude and culture fit rather than intelligence level. I look for team players who are passionate and eager to learn. In my experience, these types of employees bring a high level of enthusiasm and stick around longer than highly-skilled people who just consider it a job. 

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing and branding? 

Chris: First and foremost, I believe leaders should prioritize purpose over profit. It’s important to remember that this means something different to every person but I encourage entrepreneurs to figure out how they will incorporate giving back into their businesses. For example, in my latest venture called Get Certified, I have committed to donating 100 meals to Feeding America for every one product sold. In previous businesses, I’ve tried other methods of giving back, but this is the most impactful strategy thus far. More often than not, you’ll see a 1-for-1 model, but this is a much more elevated version.

I believe building a brand should be the first priority. If you do it right, you will build a lifestyle with your consumer, which will dictate everything you do in your business.

With selling, it’s important to think of it as building a relationship with your customers, rather than conducting a transaction. Businesses should always be asking themselves if their product or service is something their consumer actually needs or wants. 

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Chris: My favorite piece of advice I’ve received is, “You are going to spend half your life working, so why not do something you love everyday?” I’ve made it my mission to find meaning and passion in whatever I do and I always encourage others to do the same. 

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Chris: I’ve had a dream to create a company with the power to help millions of people. To fulfill that dream, we will provide 100 meals to people in need for every Get Certified hoodie sold. We’re even going one step further by allowing a non-transaction behavior to result in donations - for every 10 followers on Instagram, we give 1 meal. Our goal is to eventually provide 100 million meals. 

I am also excited to create a new type of consumer profile through this business. Our hoodies have received tons of positive feedback on social media, so we know that the Gen Z audience will be a powerful purchase driver for us.


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.

Follow Adam on Instagram and Twitter at @adammendler and listen and subscribe to Thirty Minute Mentors on your favorite podcasting app.