1 – 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.
A) VDX Marketing is a digital marketing agency based in Destin, FL. We focus on website design and driving traffic through local SEO and google Ads, as well as Meta ads. Additionally, we help our customer build customized CRM software to manage, organize, and automate their lead nurturing process. Our goal is to provide business owners with freedom. We help them free up time and resources by creating inbound streams of leads as well as systematizing and automating processes, so they can spend less time working in their business and more time doing things they enjoy.
2 – 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).
A) My name is Ross Vollmer and I have been building and running my own businesses for the past 15 years. I started in the fitness industry in Dallas, TX as a movement teacher and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor. I did my own graphic design, built my own website, and made my own promotional and instructional videos. When COVID hit in 2020 and all the gyms in Dallas closed down, I decided to start offering those services to other business owners and that’s where my passion for marketing was born.
3 – 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?
A) I started in the fitness industry in Dallas, TX as a movement teacher and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor. I did my own graphic design, built my own website, and made my own promotional and instructional videos. When COVID hit in 2020 and all the gyms in Dallas closed down, I decided to start offering those services to other business owners and that’s where my passion for marketing was born.
4 – Q) What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
A) Never stop learning and educating yourself. We live in the era of open-source education. YouTube, podcasts, online courses… there is an unlimited world of knowledge to consume and give yourself an edge.
Don’t get in a rush, it takes time. Just keep showing up every day and doing the work.
Take care of your body. Be physically strong and in good health or you won’t have the energy to compete in the business world.
5 – Q) What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
A) Consistency
Persistence
Self-motivation
6 – Q) How many hours do you work a day on average?
A) It varies widely. Sometimes it’s 12 hours and sometimes its 2.
7 – Q) To what do you most attribute your success?
A) Relentlessly educating myself and sticking with it when things got difficult.
8 – Q) How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
A) I essentially do the same things for myself as I do for others. Since we are a B2B marketing agency, we focus on local SEO and Google ads. We also have a ton of success with business networking groups and referrals from prior customers.
9 – 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?
A) We are 100% bootstrapped, we’ve never taken a loan or sold equity.
10 – Q) What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
A) Staying positive when it gets hard and being resourceful. Look at what your competition is doing, and do more than them. It’s really that simple.
11 – Q) Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
A) Our goal is to grow to over $1 million in recurring revenue and sell.
12 – Q) Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
A) Ironically, McDonalds. Although I am not a huge fan of their product, they revolutionized the business format franchise model which is how we strive to run our business.
13 – Q) How important have good employees been to your success?
A) They are important, but not as important as good processes. If you have the right process, you can plug an average employee into that process and get an outstanding result.
14 – Q) What motivates you?
A) My 2 sons and my parents.
15 – Q) How do you build a successful customer base?
A) By providing an unreasonably high amount of value so they become lead-generators by referring you to others.
16 – Q) What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
A) Freedom
17 – Q) In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
A) Meaningful
18 – Q) Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
A) It’s simple, know more and do more than your competition.
19 – Q) If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be and why?
A) Teddy Roosevelt because I want to know where he got his drive to be successful at so many things.
20 – Q) Who has been your greatest inspiration?
A) Cameron Hanes
21 – Q) What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
A) The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber.
22 – Q) What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
A) Deer hunting is my biggest passion outside of work.
23 – Q) What makes you happy?
A) Watching my boys learn and grow.
24 – Q) What sacrifices have you had to make to be a successful entrepreneur?
A) Stability