Hey guys, welcome back. It's Tara with today's Top5 brought to you by DefineTalent a Definedlogic service. We are a results driven service working with clients to connect them with quality talent as well as working to make an impact within the recruiting industry. We're here to talk straight about today's professional world with real world professionals, experts in recruitment, job seekers and business owners alike. Have a question for us send it in and you might spur our next
conversation. On tomorrow, Tara Thurber, Director of Talent Innovation, and joining me today to discuss top five tips for the modern entrepreneur is to Tiffon Turner designer at Definedlogic. Hey, Tiffon how are you today?
Doing very well.
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us. I'm really excited to jump into this conversation with you.
Yeah, I'm glad I could be here.
So tell us a little bit about what drove you to establish yourself as an entrepreneur.
Start off, I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur. At the time, I didn't know what an entrepreneur was. At the time, I just wanted to build something that like I had ideas, and I wanted to create those ideas and see them flourish. It wasn't until probably 10 years later, you know, when the Gary V's and a Tony Robbins and all people started coming around toting entrepreneurship, is when I realized, Oh, this this, this is the thing. Cool. But that was
never the goal. It was always just to, you know, see my ideas come come to life.
Tell me a little bit about your background.
Yeah. So I am a creator, I like to say a creator at heart, whatever my tool is, whether it's a computer or a piece of wood, I just have an elaborate imagination. And I like trying to create the things that I think of, and bring them to life. So I guess that all started when I was a kid, I was like a an artist, I was pretty good at drawing. I was the best drawer and maybe like the second third grade.
Yeah
And you know, I wore that like, like a badge of honor for a little bit until other people started getting better than me. But it shifted from that. And into computers. I've always been into video games. And it wasn't until I started coming up with ideas for products for web based products that I was like, Okay, well, if I need to build a website, I need I need to learn how to
build a website. So I would like throw myself into as many YouTube videos I can understanding how to work WordPress, understanding what UI design is. And I will guarantee if I went back and looked at some of my first Web Designs, I would be sick because I just funny and at the time, I'm like, Oh my god, this is amazing. Look at this thing I produced. But obviously I look at it back now. And it's like, ugh but it just goes to show you how far you go when you learn. So it really
just went from that. So the creation of these of these WordPress websites got me into more of the design side of the website. And I started getting into UI design. And then I started looking for jobs in that field. I used to serve tables for a very long time. And that's how I started pushing my career as a designer is through web design and my passion for creating online products.
That's awesome. Now as a designer at DefinedLogic, do you also have a side hustle that you're doing as well?
Yeah, I, I always have side hustles even if it's not with design, like I've always been the type of person that if I realized that I have something I can work with to make some money, I'm going to go for it. So I do you know, I flipped stuff on on Facebook marketplace on eBay, stuff like that. But in terms of like using my design. Yeah, I have projects near here and there. Like, I have a friend of a friend cousin asked for a logo or a website.
Or you know, I recently had one of my good friends connect me with one of his good friends who's looking to build an ecommerce website for his escape brand. So word of mouth just brings it to me and you know, I do them on a weekend and try to make a little bit of money here and there. I'm a huge proponent of multiple streams of income. I can't be dependent on one way to make money because obviously if that ends,then you're out of luck.
Well and it can you know the multiple streams it allows you to continue to grow your creativity, you know, and it allows you to dabble in other areas that may not be you know, air quotes here your day. job, but it allows you to kind of keep exploring yourself creatively and mentally to keep you up and up with, you know, I guess design in general. And then as as things shift, I'm sure it kind of helps as well.
Absolutely, I also feel like it builds my intrinsic value as a person.
Yeah.
It's the same, like the same mentality about having the one job.
Yeah.
If it's gone, it's gone. But if you're somebody that has multiple capabilities, then you know, even if it's a lower level, like you have your main one that you're all in on, and then you have a couple other ones that you're a little bit lower level at, but at least you have somewhere to start and build, if you ever needed to jump into that and have that, you know, have a better understanding of, you know, the very basic opportunities that present
themselves. So yeah, like, I like I said, if there's something that you're interested in, like, dive into it as deep as you can, because you'll never know, in the future, how valuable that interest information will be for you.
Yeah, I also liked what you were talking about, you know, word of mouth, and your network, that and how that brings you business. I think that's really important to always keep those connections going. You know, I feel that networking and, and just putting yourself out there, it's like throwing yourself out there and things will come to you. Right, if you just keep putting yourself out there and putting your, your desires and what you're good at out there as well.
Absolutely, you got to you got to put it in the universe for people to hear it. Like that's, that's that's like, that's 100% of where my my opportunities come from is from my my network on Facebook, and friends and family. And like that, I always say the easiest thing you can do when building your network is to just be nice, just you have to be a good understanding commutative person, because like, yeah, I can build you an amazing
website. But if the process from getting from nothing to the amazing, the amazing website was just a bumpy road, no one's gonna work with you, no matter how amazing the products end up. On the other side, I can bring you a product that's maybe just
a little bit better. But the way that I brought it brought the my clients so much value and just so much personality, and they had such a great time, that they're gonna, you know, say, hey, work with this guy, you know, because there's more than just like what you're producing. It's the whole experience is what people value.
It's the journey, it's the journey. How do you how do you manage your day to day job or, and then also be able to complete and do your side? hustles?
Just got to you got to find time, you got to either got to find it, or you got to specifically make it?
Yeah.
So I'll get up in the mornings before work. And then I'll work at the end of the day and then work on like a Sunday, I try to keep Saturdays completely to me and my family. But yeah, it's just like, and having a specific time set out to do.
Yes.
Like I can't, I was going to go into this later about one of the top fives but like, one of the things that a lot of people do that I noticed is that they say, oh, I'll do it. Yeah, I'll do it. I'll do it. I'll do some here. I'll do some there. But they don't have a set schedule. They don't have a set two hours here in a set two hours there. And you don't realize how much work you get done when you start scheduling
out. And I and that's something I had to learn, I was never a huge fan of scheduling my time. Because I didn't want to feel like I was constraint. That constraint actually helps you to produce more so I suggest doing so.
That's that's a huge one. I mean, time blocking and time management. I know a lot of people have a tough time with I mean, especially if you're getting people reaching out to you from all these different facets. And you want to say yes, right, you want to say yes to the work. But it's it's really being able to block your time and and have that time management skill that can really allow you to keep moving forward and not become overwhelmed or bombarded with work, right?
Yeah, definitely.
What are what are you looking for when growing your company,
I when growing scalability, I'm looking to do the least to make the most and whatever that looks like, depending on you know, on the platforms I use the different third party tools I use, or the people you know I might employ
be employing in the future. I just want to be able to set up systems that are scalable that pull me Out of the work, and puts me at the helm of the ship to guide and have my systems running in the background, you know, whatever I need to do to build a machine that I just throw, you know, the opportunity one in and you know, a payment comes out the other.
Yeah, I love it. And then, you know, talking with potentially hiring or having some somebody work with and for you, what kind of traits would you look for in those types of people?
I feel like, I think that the and I'm only saying this because this is my own personal mentality when it came to me looking for jobs and stuff, it's somebody that's looking to learn, grow as whatever they're, if they're a marketing person, or if they're a designer, who has a passion to
grow. Because with that comes along, you know, responsibility, ownership, you know, growth, taking the time to do the research, because if you have someone that's working for a check, and if at any point that check is not enough of that person, they're gone. If you have somebody that's working to grow, and I'm constantly giving them those opportunities to grow, then that's, that's invaluable. And that tends to which I hope I you know, this is all in, you know, what I think
could happen, but right. I feel like that, you know, it would keep them with with me, if I'm, if I'm growing and moving forward, and they're growing and moving forward. Why would they not want to stay on this on this train on this journey? You know?
Yeah, which I also, before you were talking about, the relationship with a client. And and, and, you know, it's, it's the journey, it's all about the journey and being able to show up as your true
authentic self. So I think, from what you just said, then as well, when looking for another employee or a partner in on a project, that you want somebody that's motivated, you want somebody that's there, not just to make the buck, but to be a part of that, and, and take the journey, not just want to be there for the end result.
Yeah, but, but also, although that's something I'm looking for in a person.
Yeah.
It's also up to me to cultivate that culture, to, you know, to have them be able to feel that way. So, you know, it's it's definitely a two way street, I can't just, you know, check off list, okay, this person is perfect, and then just expect them to continue giving their equity to me without them getting something out of it. Other than, like I said, a paycheck. So yeah.
Awesome. Do you have any advice for self starters within, you know, this COVID era that we're all living in right now.
So generally, for self starters, the number one advice I can give is to start, that's literally the only thing you have to do is just start so many people get stuck on what if can, I don't know this? People gonna look at me, like I'm silly for you know, just start because like anyone who's ever been successful ever, they all have the same thing in common. Starting.
Yeah.
As for as for COVID. Same thing as apply, start, don't use COVID as an excuse to Oh, I'm not gonna go biggest clients because of the season. Because while you're thinking that your competition is doing the opposite.
Your competition is out there.
Always, always when you're sleeping, they're working, even if they're not having that mentality actually helps you, you know, to be that person. Also more tangible, take advantage of social media, if especially in the you know, in the beginning of COVID still now, like nobody communicates in person anymore. everything's
happening over social media. So be there be and be in those conversations, whatever sector you're in, whatever industry you're in, find the community for that on social, get in and just become one one of the gang and you'll be surprised. Once you know, people start to get to know you, and an opportunity presents itself. Then you'll you'll see, you'll see the ROI is tremendous when you're a part of the community instead of trying to try to jump in and then jump out.
Right. Now, as a designer, this is a question that I've got too, because, you know, there's a lot of people graduating college, there's a lot of people out there right
now looking for work. Do you have any websites or you know, directions that you would suggests for those individuals trying or even if they're trying to rebrand themselves, you know, where people looking for portfolios nowadays are, you know, are they going on to I had one client looking at portfolios only on Dribbble, and you know, but then, like, where where's the hot places to go and post your portfolio or to put yourself out there to start?
Again? social media?
Yeah. Yeah.
If if the community is on social, and I'm If you know, get yourself out on social I think, a 90s kid, you know, and I've, for the longest time with like, social media is not my thing. That's right. For the younger, for design wise, since its visual base, like you said, younger generation. I don't do that. Yeah, you know, I like to talk in person, right in real conversation. But like, you can't do that anymore. Because everyone is so social based. So it's like, just just jump into
social. So someone coming out, and I don't even have to tell them because if they're graduating college now, they're probably now eight years younger than me, you know, they should be telling me should have them on here answering that question. Dribble & BeHance. But even Instagram, you know, is really is really, really good place. I wouldn't, I wouldn't say Twitter or Facebook, not that it's you can't get it to work. But like, most of most of the work is
designed based. So you want a platform where it can be shown very well. And I think Instagram, BeHance, and Dribbble are probably the best. best locations? Yeah, definitely.
That's awesome advice. I mean, I know, even, you know, even for individuals that are out there now where they were let go due to COVID. that have been, you know, professionals for 10, 15, 20 years. You know, it's, it's, there's a lot of people looking for work right now. So I feel there. There's a lot of entrepreneurs that have given up because of it because of frustrations and because of their struggles. And there's a lot of people that maybe were with a company for 5, 7, 10
years. And so they're coming back out and trying to rebrand themselves to get back out there and to be self starters again. Right. So I you know, the struggle is definitely real out there. And working with so many different candidates. I think, again, going back to the advice for self starters, you have to start you have to put yourself out there. I was always a big proponent of just continue to keep throwing the dots out
there. And eventually, the end picture will come to fruition, but it's not about the end picture. It's about the journey that we're all going to take or that we're all on right now. Right? And and eventually, if you keep throwing stuff out there, everything starts to connect for one another. So that's a it's a really, really awesome piece of advice.
Yeah, definitely. And also like, and I feel like like you said, People struggled, you know, they either were entrepreneurs or they had a job, and they want to rebrand themselves and put themselves out there. And I think one of the biggest, like roadblocks is themselves, you know, self doubt, saying, you know, even though they've had this position at this job for 15 years, you can't tell me that you haven't learned enough in 15 years to put yourself at a level of expertise to be able to teach
people below you. But for whatever reason, as humans, we we are so we doubt ourselves so often, to say, no one's going to listen to me, like, you know, because we compare ourselves to the people that are way above, but they don't realize that there are so many people that are just starting the journey that you've been on in 15 years, and those people that you need to lead, you're not trying to convince the people that have been in the game for 30, 40 years, you're trying to help the
people below you. So you need to get out of that mind space of I'm not good enough. And like I said, just start.
Yeah, I love that. It's mindset. It's all about mindset, shift that mindset and put on a new, a new pair of lens and look through look at the world a little differently. You know, a little bit of the glass half full, I suppose too, right?
Yeah.
Awesome. So tell me to find what are your top five tips for the modern entrepreneur?
Okay, top five. This is a no this is in no particular order.
Okay
Kind of what I came up with.
Okay
All based off of my own personal experience. Already tapped already touched on one earlier and schedule your time.
Yeah.
Even if it's one hour a day, scheduling it out. You can get so much done, then you would just saying, Okay, oh, I have some time here, let me let me do this next thing, you know, 10 minutes go by, and you have to go do something else. Like if you set time specifically aside and get your ducks in a row, all your other responsibilities out of the way, and set that time to have a solid hour, then that would definitely help you push your business further and you're not
going to see it at first. But trust, you know, just keep pushing that one hour further, further further, and then think back where you were a month ago, two months ago, and then you'll see the change, and then that'll give you the motivation to keep going, it might give us the motivation to upgrade from one
hour to two hours. Next thing you know, you're realizing there's so much time in your life that you were wasting on something that you don't necessarily need, you don't actually need that extra hour TV, you don't need that extra hour of video games, you know what I'm saying? once, once you start seeing the ROI on what you're producing, you're going to get excited, and you're going to want to keep continuing. So schedule that time.
I love that.
Number two, this has to do with if you're starting a business with another person, you have co founder, I find a lot of the times people will, as they say jump into bed with the co founder and not really date. I like Jesus is like a marriage metaphor, like you date somebody before you married them. Unless you're watching married at first sight.
But what what you need to do is, even though you two might seem like you're perfect in terms of you know, he's their left brain, your right brain, their marketing, your design, and it seems like it's just a bit symbiotic relationship, you don't realize it until you actually get into it, that your personalities just don't mix that your your vision for the future. It just isn't the same.
So like, I wouldn't start signing contracts or LLC, or or incorporating anything, until you have realized, yes, this is the person that I know that we can go the distance with.
Amazing. I love that.
Number three, I would say I have a lot of people asking me, you know, I had this idea for this app, how much would it be to build this app? You know? And it's funny because I don't even I don't build apps, you know, but it's, it's funny, people asked me Oh, he does something with computers, you must know how to build that. But they want to they want to jump into building an app before they even realize if anybody wants their app.
Right.
That's something I didn't realize, you know, when I first began my journey was like, just because you have just because you built it does not mean they will come It doesn't work like that.
Yeah.
What you need to do is do the least you can to figure out if there's a market for your product, whether that's which I've done a bunch of times, if it's a say you have an idea for an actual physical product, you could spend a couple 100 bucks to get somebody to mock up what that product would look like, build a website that'll cost you all the 15 bucks, and promote that on social to see if people are like, Oh, I want this put put a you know, a signup form, oh, this is the beta signup when it
releases. And if you see that people are you know, are into it, then proceed on there's no point of spending 10 $15,000 on having an app built, and then three months down the line, it goes under because you realize it was either a was already being done way better than you could ever do it or be it just nobody wants it. So do do your market research that itself is a science in its own, but it's so worth it. Because all you have is time and the last thing you want to do with time is waste it .
I like I definitely like that tip because you know you don't want and it goes back to time you don't want to waste your time and you don't want to waste the money that you would put into it you know by by spending a couple 100 bucks and doing some more research and then diving in such a huge tip for people because again, and I in my in my life I've seen a lot of people put money and all their energy into something and then it not work out and then it also destroys somebody, it could
destroy somebody internally from wanting to do it again. So you don't want that cycle. You want to be able to have the moving forward pieces always going so great. Awesome tip.
Your right. See number four would be chase problems not money. Now I can't say that this. This was you know, my own. I did not come up with this. But I live by it. Yeah. I can't remember who specifically said it's probably just an amalgamation of just the entrepreneurial community. But a lot of people tend to have an idea. And just go, Oh, I think that's a good idea. My, my mom thinks that's a good idea.
Therefore, it's a good idea. But like, a lot of the times, the best ideas come from solving a real problem that a lot of people have. And a lot of the times, it's not sexy. Like, it's not a high piece of high quality piece of tech, a new cutting edge piece of tech, that you might have an idea for, like, I have an idea to build a time machine. But like, we all know that we don't know, I guess. But right now, it's not possible. Like, yeah, it's a great idea,
but like, be realistic. So like, you need to, you need to understand that you got to find the problems in the world.
Yeah.
Find a problem, solve that problem, and make life easier for someone else. And the money will come, it's not the goal, it's the byproduct of that product, and then you won't be focused on the money, that won't be the thing that's driving the ship. It's the, you know, solving the problem? Well, and there's a lot of, and it just feels good to be able to say, Yes, I built something that solving the problems of a lot of people. And that is really, really, really good, at least,
at least to me. And that kind of leads into my unless you want to just something to say
No, no, I love that. I love where you went with that. I couldn't agree more. And but and it also comes back to, you know, being able to enjoy the journey and and, you know, chasing that, that dream or that final solution. But solving the problem, you know, I agree with you as is one of the top it's one of the top because that's where your product is going to come to life is if you can actually solve a problem for the masses, or even if it's for a smaller amount of people, and
then get it out even further. I think that that's a really great tip for chasing problems chasing the problems, not the money. And it really can bring an entrepreneur to show up authentic too.
Yeah, like I said, not being guided by the money, and to transfer into my last one, in order to even see where problems are, you got to have experiences. You just got to, you know, live life to the fullest. Which, you know, sounds like a trope that everyone says, but you honestly do. You have to get yourself out there, there's so many times where I've said, No, you know, I can do that another time. And I end up never
doing it. But with each experience you have with each conversation you have with each community you engage with, you start to see opportunities of problems that you might have never even noticed. If you weren't out in the world, you can't live in a silo and expect to fix the problems of the world, you got to be a part of the world to understand their problems and fix it. So, you know, just just be out there have experiences and I know that's not really pertinent
today with with COVID. And not being able to actually physically be out there and have these experiences.
Well, yeah.
this is not going to be everything. And like I said, there's social experiences don't have to be real world. Like you can have those social interactions via you know, Facebook, Instagram, behance, wherever people are going, have experiences and have fun. Like, I just really enjoy opening myself up to other communities and understanding what they're like. Because selfishly, that just helps me understand and use that as tools for the next opportunity.
Yeah, I love that having fun is is huge and asking questions, you know, being able to have fun and ask questions, because that's gonna help you grow as an individual. And then to take your entrepreneurial self to the next level. Absolutely, yeah, that's a bit that can that be the number six? Sure.
Want to add a question?
Yeah, there's the bonus. The bonus top five tip right there. We've got top six in there.
Yeah.
Awesome Tiffon. Well, listen, I'm really, really pumped that you joined us today. Thank you so much for sharing your top five tips plus a bonus. And you know, walking us through you know your story on how you are and who you are. So really appreciate it today. Thank you so much.
Not a problem. It was It was great. And if you ever need me to swing by again, I am always open to it.
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