There was a time when successful businesspeople kept themselves to themselves and what went on behind the closed doors of their executive boardrooms was all very hush-hush.
These days, entrepreneurs are more than happy to cultivate a public persona; they’re influencers in their own right. We often see them popping up in podcasts, posting snapshots of their lives on social media, or even starring in their own TV shows.
They’re also happy to share insights on what’s led them to thrive, which, if you’re keen on making money (and let’s face it, who isn’t) can be quite helpful. So in this article, we’ve curated tips from five successful businesspeople from various industries. Where have they come from, how have they made their money, and what makes them tick?
Steven Bartlett
The Dragon’s Den star started the social media marketing company, Social Chain, shortly after dropping out of Manchester Metropolitan University. He was a millionaire by the age of 23 and successfully exited the business in 2020. His podcast, Diary Of A CEO, is consistently in the UK top 10 and he’s written a Sunday Times bestselling book. And Bartlett believes his track record is down to an obsession with fine detail.
“We’re always trying to think about anything we can do to save £1, one minute, or gain one more view — to an extremely obsessive level,” he said. “It sounds unpleasant but I promise you, if it’s 1 per cent, I want it. That is my religion. My team is sick of me saying it.”
In other words, DO sweat the small stuff.
Payal Kadakia
Payal is the founder of Classpass, the billion-dollar platform that lets users book a fitness class or wellness session at a boutique gym or studio anywhere in the world on a pay-as-you-go, ‘drop-in’ basis.
She believes in the importance of setting new goals constantly.
“I have a very intense goal-setting process that I do every year and I set goals for myself every three months. You can pick a few areas to focus on, but you can’t have it all at once.”
Will Shu
Will Shu founded Deliveroo in 2013 with his childhood friend and software engineer, Greg Orlowski. The food delivery business generated £1.8 billion in revenue in 2021 alone, with its success driven by Shu’s desire to know his business inside out. During a podcast appearance last May, he revealed that he even moonlights as a delivery rider.
“I did five deliveries last night in Notting Hill. I talk to riders all the time. I know what they want. We’re building a business for our riders, for our restaurant-grocer partners and for our consumers. They’re all customers at the end of the day. So a model that works for them is going to be the best thing.
“I want the true experience, I want to understand what the riders go through.”
Christian Angermayer
The fintech mogul is a far-from-average businessman. The 44-year-old billionaire made a fortune betting on a host of futuristic finance fads, including space travel, crypto, psychedelics, movies, marijuana, SPACs, and “life extension.” And the secret to his success is typically off-the-wall.
In an interview with Bloomberg in 2021, Angermayer said that his experience of taking magic mushrooms on a Caribbean holiday in 2015 opened his mind to the point where he “finally understood Bitcoin.” It was, according to the German, “the single most meaningful thing I’ve done in my whole life.”
Marcia Kilgore
Marcia Kilgore has the Midas touch when it comes to beauty companies. The Canadian founded the footwear firm FitFlop, sold her stake in the Bliss skincare brand for $30 million at the age of 30, and handed her affordable cosmetics brand Soap & Glory over to Boots in a big-money deal in 2014.
Her advice is to innovate by focusing on the things that matter to you.
“If I can’t find something for myself, I make it. I take ownership of whatever I do, whether that’s a shoe or a beauty product. I want it to look how I really want it to look. I want it to be the best and to perform with excellence. If it doesn’t I’m not going to put my name on it.”
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