Red Canyon Media: Travis Thorpe Interview by Aaron Gonzalez
Inspired By Travis Thorpe’s Recent LinkedIn Posts
I started a company in 2009, then sold it in 2014. I built it from nothing to $35mil in revenue as CEO and Founder. I was then fired 1 year after I sold the company.
I wasn’t a yes man. I wouldn’t follow a path I didn’t believe in. I won’t do subpar work. It’s not all about taking as much from a partner/client/customer without giving value back. I believe the customer should come first.
I am an entrepreneur at heart. My passion is to help Agencies and Resellers give the best value possible to their clients. We don’t have a team of high executive salaries. We don’t even have an office. I do have the most dedicated, experienced, passionate team anyone could ask for.
Our product is 80% cheaper than our competition. The products we offer are 100x better in quality and we are built to scale. On top of that, we are letting agencies and resellers use our software workflow and reporting for free.
What has 22 years of startup experience taught me? Arrogance will stunt or even kill your startup. Don’t get me wrong, I have been guilty of arrogance and I have even hired arrogant people that stunted the growth of my startup. It is worse the more power those arrogant people have.
Before, when I was the founder of the struggling startup I mentioned above. We were on the verge of closing our doors. I was targeting a large reseller in the yellow page industry. I flew out to pitch them, but they already decided on a competitor. I even gave one of the decision-makers a ride to the airport to visit our competitor and finalize their partnership.
Little did I know that a few weeks later the competitors President flew to this yellow page company thinking he could strong arm them into doing something they didn’t want and effectively killed the deal.
Out of the blue, they called me and I flew out to see them again. They wanted to meet for dinner. The bill was over $500 and I knew the company card wouldn’t work, so I had to use my personal card. That is when they told us we had the contract. That contract was worth $12 million a year with 80% margins. As far as I know, they are still a client eight years later.
Q: What inspired you to take the entrepreneurial path in helping bring value to your clients?
A: My ideas are usually very disruptive. I take a look at what is available and think outside the box to come up with solutions. I love disruptive companies, like Uber ride-sharing and VRBO vacation rentals by owners. Even WeWork, work-sharing spaces. I used a work-sharing space to start the last company I founded.
Q: Aside from being able to be 80% cheaper than your competitors, how have you been able to differentiate yourself from others?
A: Marketing companies need flexibility. Every company has a vision of what their company is and what it does. I want to be able to fit into every marketing company and give them exactly what they need. Our competitors don’t understand that and they are missing out on their potential.
Q: What advice would you give to others who seek to step outside their comfort zone and take the entrepreneurial path in their respective careers?
A: I have people contacting me all the time asking for advice. I always tell them to go get some experience. Learn from whoever you work for. Sometimes it is not what to do. I have worked for some backward companies in the past and helped me become a better leader and mentor.
Q: WHAT Are You Doing Today With Red Canyon Media?
Today, I am happy to be building the Red Canyon Media umbrella of SaaS products to help provide high-quality solutions at low-costs for a variety of SEO white-label partnerships. From marketing agencies to marketing giants, we are here to help you scale and more easily answer that always pending client question of, “What have you done for me lately?” Contact us today and let us bring your brand to the next level.
The post Entrepreneurial Passion: An Interview With Travis Thorpe appeared first on Red Canyon.
