As an entrepreneur, you know that business is kinda like a roller coaster. There are so many unexpected twists and turns as well as many ups and downs. Well, buckle up because today I am talking to entrepreneur Tony Guarnaccia about how to adapt to surprises and how to ride that roller coaster and ride it well.
Tony was born to be an entrepreneur. His parents owned an Italian bakery, and he says that he was always coming up with new ways to make money as a kid. His life, however, was completely changed when his parents’ bakery business failed. They lost everything. He went to college to study business because he wanted to learn as much as possible so that he didn’t make the same mistakes that his parents did. Tony is one of those unique entrepreneurs I know that actually went to business school.
In his mid-twenties, he created his own baking business making cakes with personalized photos. They took this idea to a whole new level by shipping these specialized cakes across the nation. This business was successful for a time. A few years later, however, it failed. This was when Tony realized he was missing something. He changed gears, working with some of the best companies to learn what it was that they knew that he didn’t.
What did he learn? As an entrepreneur, you need to know how to adapt to the roller coaster. You need to know what is trending now and how to ride that trend. The best businesses have a strategic long-term plan. And though it doesn’t always make sense, there are times when you need to slow down in order to speed up. Listen in to this podcast and ride this roller coaster along with us!
Main Topics:
- How did Tony learn to adapt in order to become profitable?
- How does creating a strategic plan affect your business?
- How do you create opportunity from adversity?
- Why you should stay on top of the trends
Key Takeaways:
- Slow Down to Speed Up
- You don’t have to be the brightest bulb. You don’t have to be the best person. If you’re in the right industry that’s growing, organically, you’re going to have success.
- Where we are today is a function of—like it or not—the decisions we make.