Q: Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: We love to help businesses succeed through a modern marketing approach, embracing mobile & digital channels to reach a fresh new audience of prospects and customers. Were headquartered in East Rockaway NY, just outside of New York City, and through the use of technology, we are able to do business with companies from all over the country. We specialize in mobile solutions for businesses that need to enhance their digital strategy, through mobile websites, marketing, applications, landing pages, social media and advertising that is also mobile-minded. We can help any small-medium business reach a wider audience online, and connect with their subscribers in innovative ways. We package businesses so that customers want to do business with them at the end of the day.
Q: Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans: Having previously operated a wealth management business for 10 years, Evan understands what business owners want. With his Series 7 license, Evan handled the financial planning and Investment needs of a group of clients, whose assets at their peak were over 200 million in management. Most of these clients were business owners. After a career shift, Evan decided that technology and mobile marketing were the place to be, and Peak Evolve was born. Evan is certified through Hubspot Academy in Inbound Marketing, and is excited about what the future has to offer for Peak Evolve.
Q: What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans: Over time, I noticed a shift in the way people interacted, both in personal relationships and in business. Take a look at Millennials. At 76 million, they are the largest generation, and they’re spending is over $200 billion a year and rising. Their lives revolve around the mobile phones. Apps and software are replacing a lot of old jobs that have not evolved, and I felt that helping business owners attract new clients through modern web design and marketing was a great opportunity that I felt I wanted to make my new career.
Q: What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans: 1 – Write everything down, use apps like scribble post or apple notes, but write down your thoughts, and re-read them to stay on top of your tasks. We’re constantly overloaded with information, and if you don’t write it down, it very difficult to remember the important stuff.
2 – Collaborate with others, with competitors, with potential sources of referrals, and politely ask for feedback and how you are doing as a professional.
3 – Keep a small mirror on your desk and look in it when your making calls. “What you see, is what they hear.”
Q: What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: 1 – Have no fear of stepping outside of your comfort zone.
2 – Time management
3 – People Skills – recruiting, relationship-building, sales & marketing
4 – Knowing how to make adjustments to your lifestyle to accommodate driving the business forward
Q: How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans: Between 10-15 hours a day
Q: To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans: Understanding what customers want by listening to them, and explaining the solutions to their problems and concerns in a manner that they can digest and understand with honesty and sincerity.
Q: How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans: It’s a combination of networking, direct sales, and a mix of digital marketing practices. We track calls from our PPC ads, we have subscribers to our blog and we get word of mouth referrals as well.
Q: Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans: Self Financed
Q: What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: Go to work every day and do the work you are supposed to do the best you can, and do not give up on doing this.
Q: Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans: Operating with multiple teams in a larger headquarters as well as some satellite offices, while servicing the website design and digital marketing needs of small & medium businesses nationwide. And who knows what kind of methods or technologies will be out in 5 years from now. I would like to add new ventures and services in the future as well.
Q: Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans: I really have to say Apple Computer. They revolutionized the global lifestyle with their products over the last 10-15 years. I love using my iMac, my iPad, my Macbook and of course my iPhone 6+ that never leaves my side!
Q: How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans: Absolutley! A trustworthy and competent employee goes a long way, sometimes they don’t come on the first, second or third try. You have to keep trying and working it out until you find the right individual.
Q: How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans: Giving up is a relative term. I prefer, move to the back or one of the several side-burners. I rarely give up on a tactic because I think things through before trying them out. So I know there is a reasonable chance at success before trying something. I’ll adapt or refine my approach and if its more time consuming than something that is working, then I’ll spend less time on it, or choose a time that is not an optimal sales or client time to work on it.
Q: What motivates you?
Ans: Integrity, Efficiency, Thinking outside the box
Q: What are your ideals?
Ans: To be respected as an insightful, resourceful and solution-providing business owner
Q: How do you generate new ideas?
Ans: I talk with people smarter than me, I read blogs, I overthink a lot and write some ideas down, and I scroll through twitter haha
Q: How do you define success?
Ans: Accomplishment is a change in someone’s mindset, it could be 1 mind or a million, if its changed, than you have succeeded.
Q: How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans: Consistency and Integrity
Q: What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans: That I can listen to my music loud in the office without my boss telling me to turn it down? No really, It’s that I have the power to work on my business, and make a difference in my own company every day.
Q: What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Ans: When that first client’s website went live
Q: What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Ans: There’s relatively no difference on a personable level. People are people and everyone has different feelings and values. Some people have different abilities and preferences, as some like to follow their own path and some like to follow the herd. Some people can handle the high risk/ high reward relationship that comes with entrepreneurship while others prefer to avoid it for more security. There’s no right or wrong way at the end of the day.
Q: What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Ans: We are very modern and laid back. I am very considerate and respectful with all employees, partners, freelancers and vendors and always maintain the same from all of them. But work is extremely serious, I don’t have time for people that are unsure of themselves.
Q: In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Ans: Fascinating
Q: If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Ans: I would approach my content marketing slightly differently. In the beginning, I was trying to appeal to all people. I’m more focused now, and my target customer is more narrowed, so I would market my services a little better that’s for sure.
Q: How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Ans: It has been hectic for sure, especially with 2 young kids at home
Q: What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Ans: Its scary to think that new technology could come out that could reinvent my whole industry, and every few years, I do have to evolve somewhat to stay at the top of our game, but its part of the business.
Q: How did you decide on the location for your business?
Ans: Lucky for me, my office is in my hometown, with my house being a quick 5 minute walk around the corner.
Q: Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: There is no pattern. Hard work is the pattern. You get lucky in business, that’s for sure and luck plays a big part of it, but you have to create your opportunities to become lucky, and that comes with hard work.
Q: If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?
Ans: Steve Jobs. He’s brilliant. I’d ask him why he put his foot down about certain decisions on apple products in the past, and how he led a massive company to achieve the great accomplishments they made.
Q: Who has been your greatest inspiration?
Ans: I find inspiration in the relationships I build with clients and contacts. Making them more successful or impacting someone else’s day in a positive way is all the inspiration I need.
Q: What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
Ans: I like Anthony Robbins. I read a few of his books and they motivated me to take charge of my goals and to
Q: What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
Ans: In the beginning, you tend to think that specific single events or tactics will be a turning point for your business. These things do not happen hahaha It takes strategy, consistency, and you have to diversify your marketing efforts, and then monitor results
Q: How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
Ans: Keep a close eye on everything
Q: What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
Ans: I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years, but lately I just enjoy spending time with my family
Q: What makes you happy?
Ans: Discovering new talents and abilities I didn’t know I have
Q: What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans: I’ve had to sacrifice a lot of time and events with friends and family as well as my social life. It’s not personal and I would like to spend more time with my friends and family but hopefully in the future I’ll be able to delegate more and be able to do that.
Q: What’s your Unique Value Proposition?
Ans: Peak Evolve Mobile Web Solutions offers a dedicated marketing approach, fresh technology, personal service for very reasonable costs. Our websites update automatically and our marketing plans are stacked with valuable services. With Peak Evolve web design services, you never have to develop another website again! We will work long and hard with a business to help them obtain a steady supply of new leads and customers through much more than just Website Design, but the design of the website is the foundation upon which all digital channels operate. It’s the key to marketing.
