Lessons From A Serial Entrepreneur
Echo Wang may very well fit the bill for a modern-day Renaissance Woman.
A successful entrepreneur based in Toronto, Wang serves as CEO for three separate ventures, in three separate industries. She runs Yoga Kawa, a wellness service that makes yoga accessible outside of traditional facilities; the travel publication Cool Travel Vibes; and EpicBooks, a bookkeeping service for entrepreneurs.
Wang shares her insights from starting and running multiple businesses, what it takes to keep up and keep sparking imagination.
Being an entrepreneur is a way of life for me and my husband, so if I think it’s a good idea to try then I just go ahead and try it, since my partner understands and supports me. Don’t they say that some of the greatest entrepreneurs became great because of the number of trials they have had? So here I am; I keep on trying to build different business ideas to see which one will stick.
I’d have to say that the passion and joy in being an entrepreneur comes from building something that the market can truly resonate and benefit from.
I definitely go into the industries that I have passion in. Whether that’s passion in the market that I will be serving or passion in pursuing the skills that will thrive in that industry and passion in teaching and sharing the skills so that I can build a team.
For example, for Yoga Kawa, it was natural. I love yoga and became a yoga teacher. It was a no brainer to combine my business degree and that passion in building Yoga Kawa. I love helping people relax, anti-age, feel good and become healthier—what’s not to love?
The second factor would be market trends. Do I feel the market is trending up with positive growth and increasing demand? For EpicBooks, not only do I love to work with small- and medium-size business owners like myself, I also see software availability and government policy moving in favor of hiring good and dedicated bookkeepers.
Yes, I do have people that come to me with ideas asking me to see if I can see a real business behind it. They don’t always come to fruition once we discuss the risks involved and the time commitment required.
Building a trustworthy, reliable and talented team is the only way to go. And that itself is very hard: finding the right people. There’s no secret—I don’t get to start another business unless the first business has a team that can operate with the standard operating procedure and training that I provided.
If the business can function without me in it for three or four days straight per week, then I get to start or work on another business or project. Sad to say right now, I do feel my family and support system is working overtime in order for me to operate and manage these businesses. I do not delegate more than the average CEO in my stage, so I think I need to delegate more for sure. Work-life harmony is still a challenge for me.
Yes, I am definitely considering more ventures in my lifetime, but definitely not for another one or two years. Right now, what’s on the horizon is to continue to refine the working model for these three businesses so that the operation becomes more arms-length so that I can focus a bit more on the family and keep it that way.
I think retreats would be my next thing where I can combine travel and yoga/wellness together. Just thinking about it makes me excited.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
