Matthew Kolinski : Entrepreneur and Strategic Partner, Helping Entrepreneurs in Staffing and Recruiting via Comprehensive Soluti

Matthew Kolinski : Entrepreneur and Strategic Partner, Helping Entrepreneurs in Staffing and Recruiting via Comprehensive Solutions for Back-office Management

After running a traditional staffing and recruiting firm for 4 years, Matthew Kolinski realized that there is an operational advantage of large staffing firms compared to start-up staffing firms and he wanted to level the
playing field. He took his experience of running the back-office operations for his own firm and used it as the foundational stone of USA Staffing Services in the year 2010 as a Back Office Partner for entrepreneurs in the staffing and recruiting space. Since its inception, the firm has been helping entrepreneurs with the back-office operation of their staffing firms and allows them to focus on nurturing customer relationships and increasing sales to drive revenue. Matthew Reports that “I wanted to level the playing field for my friends who were offering better recruiting services by giving them the same services of a “corporate” back office but at a reasonable price”.

The man behind this brand, Matthew Kolinski an entrepreneur, physician, and thought leader. He started his first business at the age of 16 and throughout the last 20 years has had most of his impact in the Human Capital Management arena. Specifically, he has been in Staffing and Recruiting for over 15 years and he has invested in HR technology platforms to improve employee satisfaction within certain industries.

Mr Kolinski recently released his book in May 2020 called “Work-Passion-Live Balance: Finding Fulfilment Through Zones of Efficiency” because he wanted to take his experience of improving his life satisfaction and share it with the world.

“I have wanted to write about my experiences for several years because I want to bring hope and enlightenment to those who are going through struggles. Life satisfaction is more than a feeling, it is a method of approaching life that brings more happiness and satisfaction. The philosophy that I created called Work-Passion-Life Balance is an approach to utilizing relationships in your life to maximize your own life. The most important relationship is the relationship with yourself which I focus on throughout the book”, Matthew further shared.

As part of Matthew’s passion of being an entrepreneur himself, he is actively involved as the President of the Local Tampa chapter of the global organization called Entrepreneur’s Organization which has 16,000 members worldwide.

About the Company & Service Portfolio

USA Staffing Services, LLC created the Authorized Dealer Program which is a back-office platform other staffing firms. It is an operational partner that runs the back-office operations that focuses on staffing firms who are doing less than $5MM in payroll per year. The owners of the staffing firms are typically entrepreneurs who are growing the business and need operational assistance to grow. They provide the payroll processing, workers compensation, payroll funding, AR management, and all responsibilities regarding compliance for payroll taxes.

Clientele

For USA Staffing Services, the main clientele includes those entrepreneurs who are starting up recruiting and staffing firms. Typically, the operational workforce overhead associated with starting up a staffing firm is significant and costs more than the profit they make, however with the Authorized Dealer Program via USA Staffing, it becomes reasonable for staffing firms to grow quickly to $5MM in payroll before needing to bring on a team of operational support. At the level of about $5MM in payroll, it is reasonable to add internal staff to continue the growth or they can stick with the company’s service as they continue to grow.

From the CEO’s Desk

“Our challenges with growth have been similar to other businesses in the industry including brand management and meeting client needs. For all staffing firms, Cash flow and Workers Compensation are the two vital components for sustainability and it is challenging for new businesses to develop stable solutions early in their business. Volume in terms of increased payroll processing and invoicing solves both of these issues and now that we are larger, we take measures to ensure our Authorized Dealer Partners have the same leverage we have when it comes to pricing and solutions”, said Matthew while talking about the challenges he suffered in the early days of business.

“I have been an entrepreneur and businessman from an early age, but it wasn’t until 2015 that I identified myself as an entrepreneur. This help came from members of the Entrepreneurs Organization that I met while I attended the INC 500 conference in 2015. When I was a child, my parents pushed me to be better in terms of grades, athletics, and focus on achieving goals and I am thankful for their impact on my work ethic”, he shared when asked about the inspiration behind his entrepreneurial journey.

Suggestion for Companies to Create a more Balanced and Equal Industry

Matthew recommends that all staffing firms take these two pieces of advice:

Pick an industry to specialize in and diversify your clients (not diversify your speciality)
Obtain 50% of your take-home revenue from Direct Hire Placements (Perm recruiting) and 50% from Temporary Staffing Placements.

Daily Routine

“I wake up typically around 6:45 am because my daughter wakes up. I have 2 kids (1 and 3 years old). I spend the first hour of the day with my family and I enjoy playing and cooking breakfast. I drop off my daughter at school and head to the office at 9 AM for our team’s daily huddle and check-in. Mornings are typically reserved for follow-up and working on pricing/projects/situational solutions. The afternoons are typically reserved for meetings and follow-ups. I try to be home by 5 PM daily for dinner with the family and then the kids are in bed between 7-7:30. I spend time with my wife for the rest of the evening”, asserted Mr Kolinski.

Favourite Books
• No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings
• How To Lead by David Rubenstein
• Great by Choice by Jim Collins
• Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins

Road Ahead

Over the past 11 years, USA Staffing has worked with over 400 entrepreneurs in the staffing industry and provided opportunities and solutions to grow their business. Their products and services are improving on a weekly basis and they believe they are the best back-office solution for staffing firms in the market today. Now, Matthew and his team look forward to continuing to talk with entrepreneurs and business owners who want to grow their businesses.

A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

The world needs more female entrepreneurs because of the innovation and solutions that they can bring to the economy. The approach to business takes confidence in yourself to know that you have a solution that others need and secondly it is important to build a team who will support you as you grow. In my experience
the Business world significantly benefits every time we increase diversity in the board room and leadership teams.

Ali Zaidi: An Ardent and Compassionate New-Age Problem Solver at Revolutionizing the Healthcare Insurance Industry with Aafiya

Established in 2013, Steered by an expert professional, Ali Zaidi, General Manager, Aafiya is a specialized integrated service provider for healthcare management. Bearing the name which stands for “good health”, Aafiya was started with the mission to facilitate comprehensive health insurance services of high-quality standards to all the sectors of the population.

While the stakeholders were considering making health insurance mandatory in UAE, it was vital to support the insurance companies to manage and facilitate a smooth claim process and take care of entire operations- That’s when Aafiya came into the picture to provide comprehensive health insurance services.

Health Insurance became mandatory in 2014 and Aafiya came next year. It is the hub that connects insurance companies, policyholders, and health care providers. While it has a basic role to work as an administrator, it understands the need to facilitate cashless service at the time of medical necessity.

The team is committed to patient safety and emerges as a trustworthy healthcare facilitator in the region. In a very short period, it has carved its niche in the third-party administrator (TPA) sector and has been recognized as a specialized integrated service provider for healthcare management.

LEADING WITH TECHNOLOGY

Machine Learning can review large volumes of data and discover specific trends without any human intervention. For instance, a human can process 200-300 claims but when it comes to ML it can scale up to 10,000 claims per day
Through its algorithms, Machine Learning technology gains experience and keeps improving in its accuracy and efficiency. Currently, the accuracy of the data ranges between 30-40%, however, with the incorporation of ML the accuracy can range from 92-95%.
Lastly, it helps reduce operational costs.

In this way, Aafiya aims at providing faster, better, tailor-made, and data-driven services to its clients which includes Insurance Companies as well as the insured members

HARNESSING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF DIGITALIZATION

The rising need and importance of AI make it pretty clear that the need for digitalization and AI go hand in hand. In recent years global insurance has seen the rising importance of technology across the supply chain of Insurance. This has more commonly been referred to as insurance, this trend provides for both threats to and opportunities for incumbents and newcomers alike.

Technology and new data sources are changing the economy and society fundamentally, and promise to transform the insurance industry as well. Digitalization is changing the role of insurance, from pure risk protection towards predicting and preventing risks. The risks insurers cover and the ways they underwrite, distribute, and manage claims are also changing. Hence, there is a need to keep abreast with these demanding times and changes around the world to provide services more efficiently. Aafiya aims at developing its internal software with further advanced technologies being used around the world for minimizing risks, controlling losses at the same time providing quick and efficient services to the insured members.

THE “SECRET SAUCE” BEHIND SUCCESS

“Nothing worthwhile comes easy, continuous hard work is the only way to get results that last”- Steve Jobs

Success for Ali Zaidi combines efforts of helping the company to achieve its larger goals and enhancing employee engagement and spurring their commitment to greater growth. He believes hard work is the most important aspect of becoming successful.

Without being willing to work hard and put everything into what you are doing, success is nearly impossible. As a leader, Mr Zaidi wants his team to feel capable of achieving their goals as well as the company’s objective, so he can make it a priority to personally help them meet their individualized milestones.

THE BIGGEST FAILURES & LEARNING

“I would not term it as a failure, however, there were several obstacles and challenges which I have faced throughout my professional journey. It’s the time and passion for your work that helps you resolve problems. With all the years of experience, I have learned to always be prepared for obstacles and always have an alternate plan in place in case the first plan fails“, Ali Zaidi proudly shared, recollecting his early day’s hurdles and learning from them.

INNOVATIONS ON THE WAY

Ali Zaidi aims to make Aafiya a globally recognized brand, his step towards the same is complete digitalization of all processes happening in and around the organization. His long-term vision is to make Aafiya a global brand in healthcare management and he believes innovation is the key to achieving this goal. For sustainable growth and creating a niche in the market, Mr. Zaidi would want Aafiya to become the market leader in terms of achieving the following.

FROM THE VISIONARY’S DESK

The Best Advice Ever Received

“I recently met someone at an award ceremony, while we were having a general conversation, he said something that touched my heart, he said, “if things happened according to your wish, it’s good, but it doesn’t, it’s even better because if the plan is not as per you, it’s as per the divine force and he will always think good about you, so believe in it”, shared Mr Zaidi.

Leadership Style & Skills

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams.

While sharing his thoughts on leadership, Mr Zaidi said “A leader is a leader when has a supportive team. For me, leadership skills would be keeping complete transparency and letting my colleagues easily approach me without any hesitation. By truly believing and trying to action this quote.”

THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Ali Zaidi’s greatest accomplishment would be building and growing Aafiya from a mere start-up to making it amongst the top 5 TPA’s in highly competitive marketing. The second would be, conceptualizing Dahab, premium membership for our privileged clients.

THE FUTURE ROADMAP OF AAFIYA

An important factor around which most of Aafiya’s service delivery options are focused is technology. The effectiveness of technologically advanced solutions through digital means increases due to their far-reaching impact on the users. There has been a hype around the term, ‘Machine Learning’ with Insurers turning to ML as it helps in predicting customers’ needs and helps companies to make better decisions.

Ahead of its time, Aafiya has decided as a part of its strategic plan for the year 2021 to invest and develop in Machine Learning technology – it’s a powerful tool that holds the potential to revolutionize the entire gamut of business. It is the first one in the TPA industry to implement ML in these services.

William Johnson: The Business Leader Endeavouring to Address the Challenge of Plastic Waste with The ToPo® Company

William Johnson, a living example of classic entrepreneurial spirit that pivoted a common man to start a unique venture, The ToPo® Company to resolve one of the serious concerns of today’s generation- plastic waste. It was back in 2011 when Dr Johnson started the journey towards converting plastic bottle caps into a collectable toy.

The annual consumption of plastic bottles is set to top two trillion by 2021, according to a Guardian report from 2017, a large percentage of which will end up in the sea or landfill. British inventor William Johnson has found an ingenious solution for avoiding plastic waste: ToPo. The single-use plastic item is the Beverage Industry’s Achilles Heel and a major concern of the Plastic Industry and Consumer World today. ToPo® Is designed to help answer this serious concern by converting a Single-Use plastic closure into a continual-use, collectable and educational construction toy that can eventually be recycled.

Therefore ToPo® is a screw-top closure that has a second life as a collectable toy, not to be discarded. Each bottle cap, which can be either circular or square, has two sets of male and female connectors. These link together to make 2D models and can snap together vertically to also make 3D models. The toy helps to educate children and make them aware of the environment and thus Stop Plastic Waste -sToPollution® which is causing so much current and potential damage. Its inventor, Dr William Johnson, has over 100 patents, including the World’s first trainer with an integrated pedometer and film coatings for visual displays.

“We created a plastic bottle screw top that converts, after its original use, into a ‘collectable’ toy that is both
fun and educational, in which children can construct, (Lego-like) any number of different structures, and play both word games and numerical puzzles or make messages and thus stopping the “throwing away” element. The ToPos are fully recyclable,” Dr Johnson explains. ToPo® has granted Patents both in the USA and the EU.

More About the Visionary

An accomplished professional, Willy Johnson is an internationally acclaimed inventor of extraordinary vision who throughout his life has toiled to fashion dreams into reality. He embodies that persistent, inquisitive spirit that animated his Victorian predecessors, and like them, he fizzes with ideas that seem to grow in number as he grows older. William Johnson is a visionary with self-belief, a positive mindset, and how to make things work attitude, admirable work ethic. His brainchild ToPo® is rooted in the inner desire to do more and more, a classic trait of an entrepreneur.

No doubt in the few moments that he has been listening to this citation he has already thought of a way to replace the Public Orator with an articulate computer, although the market for that may be somewhat limited! Inventing, of course, is a serious business, despite the stereotypical image of the bumbling inventor with which we are all familiar. We can all produce our lists of the discoveries and innovations that have changed and improved the quality of our lives. But William Johnson would be the first to admit that the image contains at least a grain of truth for he is a confessed maverick and misfit, eccentric and unconventional. Travelling with him along the road to discovery is not for the faint-hearted. He knows that dissatisfaction is important to the inventor: there must be grit in the oyster, a constant niggling desire to improve things, and a stubborn refusal to accept ‘no’ for an answer. William Johnson has heard that answer many times from potential backers and has still come back for more, pressing on with his work in the face of the daunting setbacks that dog all pioneers.

Feathers in the Cap

Gamechangers Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Biotech & Medtech Awards 2020: Packaging Company of The Year UK
Acquisition International Global Excellence Awards 2020: Award for Innovation in Sustainable Packaging Solutions USA – Reducing Plastic Waste One Screw-Top Twist At A Time
The plastic industries award winner for consumer product of the year 2019
Innovation in Sustainable Waste Solutions 2020: British inventor, Willy Johnson, tells Corporate LiveWire how he developed ToPo – an innovative multi-purpose bottle top that doubles up as a collectable toy.
‘Global screw-top saviour’ – FMCG CEO magazine February 2020
M&A Today, Global Awards – Bottle Top Designer of the Year 2020
Finance Monthly Game Changers Awards 2020
2019 CEO Today USA Awards
2019 Pharmaceutical Manufacturingand Packing Awards Success Story
2019 Pharmaceutical Manufacturingand Packing Awards

Simon Vumbaca: An Expert Legal Practitioner, Navigating Commercial and Corporate Matters with ASV Law

Founded in November 2011 with Simon Vumbaca in the leadership role as a Managing Partner, ASV Law has been alleviating the most pressing challenges faced by the leading international corporate and commercial clients with key consulting solutions.

It is not incorrect if we introduce Simon Vumbaca as an experienced lawyer and dynamic leader as he is spearheading this London-based international law firm successfully and taking it to a higher altitude.

Citizen of the world, Simon is a dual qualified Lawyer, Commercial Litigation and Corporate Law Solicitor. He holds over 25 years of experience handling and resolving complex commercial cases internationally previously heading up several international legal teams.

Backed with skills and knowledge, Simon”s career can be defined as aiding people who need guidance and support in legal issues. As a dynamic leader and a visionary, he has resolved many complicated cases and what he brings to clients is worth much more than just legal advice. The strategic approach to any issue he brings has a compounding effect on the future of the client’s business.

ASV Law & Service Portfolio

ASV Law is an established international high-profile law firm that delivers innovative legal advice to global Clients. There is an award-winning team, dealing with very high value claims as well as corporate an commercial advice to elite Clients with an aim to resolve problems and add value to people’s life.

The firm specialises in complex cross-border and multi-jurisdictional work and has significant expertise in specific sectors of the law: Commercial and Civil Litigation, International Arbitration, Sports Law, Technology, and IP. In practical terms though, they cover corporate law, commercial and construction litigation advice, international arbitration, and sports/entertainment law. Here, English, Italian, Spanish and French speaking lawyers enjoy significant worldwide success in Commercial and Civil Litigation.

Further, Simon apprised, “We believe there is always a way to add value in the resolve. We operate on the basis that what clients want is their problem to be sorted out; mostly they don’t care how. It is for us to do our best to come up with the resolve. The simple application of the law will not always end it. So we create a long-term strategy to resolve the case that tries to avoid future occurrences of the same issue, augmenting the client’s position. This is how ASV enriches the client’s position. This is also why we are super attentive when taking new cases.“

The Decision to be a Lawyer

What really influenced Simon Vumbaca and attracted him to the law was the application of the logical to reach the illogical, or was it the other way around? The law offers the path to so many professional options that it was the logical step for him. He knew he liked the intellectual challenge of litigation. The idea to structure a strategy using what facts you have and the law to protect a client was a natural exciting matter. The more he practised it the more successful he became.

Maintaining an Unbreakable Faith with Clients

“Given our focus on results, naturally we attract high performance and result-driven organisations and individuals such as HNWs, overseas royal families, global conglomerates, elite sportspeople, and sports club owners. I come with an energy and desire to make a real difference to my clients. My approach is always strategic and focuses on adding real value that impacts immediately and lasts into the future. This is why my clients return to me time and time again. This is also why we are very careful when we choose and accept instructions. Experience has taught me that if we over-deliver and do what said at the offset, delivering the results agreed, trust or professional respect is created. We are also very discreet and confidential about our business and our client’s one”, asserted Simon Vumbaca while talking about his strategies on maintaining an unbreakable faith with clients.

Hiccups on the Way & the Secret Sauce

The challenge was maintaining a caseload that allowed Simon Vumbaca the correct level of time to focus on each client. ASV hand-picks its clients as Simon and his team’s focus is to augment a client’s position by creating a strategy for the case that adds an advantage they continue enjoying into the future. Many ASV clients return to them for further strategy-led legal advice because they are their primary focus and they improve their position. A ‘legal’ response is fine but what Simon does is create fulfilment and value in
the client’s professional life immediately and into the future long after the case has concluded.

“In being honest in my assessment of the cases, not being afraid to say no, delivering and being committed. I don’t judge people and how situations come to be. I focus on impact, consequences and resolve – these are the factors that empowered me to grow”, shared Mr Vumbaca.

Road ahead

ASV Law has developed an innovative approach to legal services, focusing on resolving and adding value, from strategy to tactical implementation. They created a Strategic Alliance Partnership Programme with strictly selected firms in different jurisdictions to deliver the global legal services their clients require around the world, adding value to their business. They remain the central point of contact that manages the strategy and coordinates local implementation of it with local partners.

A Piece of Advice for Entrepreneurs

Work smart, utilise and learn from the skills and knowledge of people around you, keep an open mind all the time and question yourself. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake as this is a learning point.

Jewels in the Crown

AI 2020 Leading Advisor Awards – Leading complex cross-border Litigation and Arbitration Lawyer of the Year
Advisory Excellence 2020 – Certificate of Excellence
Corporate NTL 2020 Litigation Law Firm of the Year, England
Spears500 – Top Recommended 2020
Global Law Experts 2021 Recommended Experts

Favourite book

“Lao Tze’s Tao teh Ching was the first book that really inspired me. Derived books such as the I Ching also impacted me. Many other books had some inspirational parts, but the Tao teh Ching illustrated to me how simplicity and completeness could be reached in one sentence. Right, wrong and other values change with society and times they are contemplated upon. The way of things and universe does not change and brings a degree of clarity that I like to revert to when things get confusing”, said Mr Vumbaca on asked about his favourite book.

Favourite Quotes

“Nothing comes from nothing”
“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.”
“What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.”- Lao Tze, Tao Teh Ching

John Yanyali: Magnificently Driving Successful Ventures

John Yanyali is the man behind multiple successful business ventures. John began his entrepreneurial journey by investing in the agriculture, education, construction, and marine industries. He further expanded into the Smart Industry, with a focus on the energy, finance, infrastructure, transportation, and security industries. He presently holds over 15+ years of experience in different industry verticals.

John is a visionary with a positive mind and a can-do attitude. In 2007, he formed a partnership with a California-based technology company that specializes in electronics manufacturing services. In 2008, he expanded his portfolio by partnering with Elektronet, a digital technology provider focused on Smart Industry. With his involvement, Elektronet soon became the largest manufacturer and developer of custom hardware and software systems in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2016, John launched Jova Digital, a North American provider of intelligent revenue management services. Currently, he is the General Partner of First Drop Ventures and serves on the executive board of Duuple.

When asked about his inspiration behind his journey John apprised, “Successful people have always inspired me. I’ve always believed that becoming an entrepreneur would allow me to become a part of a network that has already established great businesses. I was fascinated with the concept of finding the next profitable idea and changing people’s lives. Watching someone with nothing grow to become a successful businessperson was enough for me to save up money to start my businesses.”

A Glimpse of Duuple- The Challenge-based App

Duuple empowers individuals, brands, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to create their goal-based challenges. With a mission to provide a fun platform for social innovators and organizations to empower each other and their communities, Duuple provides a platform for users to donate to causes and advocate for issues that matter. Through user-generated videos, users participate in social good along with cheers, energy, excitement, prizes.

The user-created challenges provide discoverability and virality – with an immediate call to action for fun and social good amongst friends. Whether it is just friends competing with each other or a charity raising funds, it is a fun and interactive way to challenge your network and share hilarious and engaging content. Over the past few years, social networks have been turning a simple act into a movement – especially when aligned with charities and social initiatives. Thus, it’s an innovative way to challenge your friends while stepping out of your comfort zone into a world of good.

Overcoming Challenges Like a Leader

Start-ups like Duuple face lots of challenges from creating an app that users can connect with, to getting enough funding for development. It is easy to get overwhelmed and lose focus of where one’s energy should be directed.

It is no secret that there are thousands of mobile apps, on the market. Start-ups are coming up with new apps each day and the biggest challenge for John and his team was creating an app that stood out from the rest. Once they figured the strategy, they had to jump the hurdle of market penetration to gather enough data to prove the concept. They made it a priority to align themselves with their users; What do they need? What problem is Duuple solving for them? How easy is it for them to recommend Duuple to other users?

Funding is another great challenge that start-ups face. It may cost an average of $200,000 to develop a usable app and push it to the market. Most start-ups get stuck at the funding stage, with a great idea for an app but with no capital to catapult their dream forward. The strategy for funding Duuple was approaching the right investors. They communicated the three-prong approach, which includes individuals, non-profits, and brands, Duuple offers with the investors to create challenges for fun or social good.

Suggestion for a More Balanced and Equal Industry

Companies need to empower leaders who are more in tune with the workforce and recognize the importance of cultural factors such as pay transparency, the availability of family leave, and the freedom to be creative in helping employees thrive. While leaders think culture is important, most of them are not prioritizing it. Industries need leaders who are armed with an awareness of both the perception gap and the barriers to building more equal cultures. They can “say, do and drive” the behaviors and policies that will close the gap
and overcome the obstacles in their organizations.

A Day in John”s Life

“My days are not rushed. Instead, I take time to rest, recharge and make decisions carefully. I go to bed early; I get up early. Once I am up, I take some time for myself. I like to read the news while I drink my coffee and eat my breakfast. When I am ready to turn to business, I devote all of my focus to the companies I invest. I set my first meeting at 10 a.m. The first meetings of the day are the ones that require the most brainpower. Anything that”s going to be mentally challenging, that’s a 10:00 a.m. meeting. At the end of the day, I try to avoid making decisions. To be as effective at making decisions as possible, I also prioritize sleep. I get eight hours of sleep unless I”m traveling in different time zones. For me, I need eight hours of sleep because I can think better, have more energy, and be in a better mood”, said John while talking about his daily routine.

Favourite Book – The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

A Seasoned Leader Looking Ahead to Succeed

A lot is happening! Now, Duuple has become one of the most entertaining mobile apps that will soon be expanded globally. The company has an ambassadors program coming up that will allow the company to create its own influencers. Additionally, they have an augmented reality feature, which is almost ready to be released – and it will take engagement to the next level.

Overall, Duuple is on its way to becoming one of the most successful apps in its genre!

Awards and Milestones

One of the most memorable milestones was when Duuple hit 1 million downloads. Everyone on the team was so excited. This victory was celebrated with teams across three time zones for a whole day. Additionally, the company received the best mobile app award, the best design award, and the most innovative mobile app award. The co-founder and CEO, Abby Frimpong, was also recognized for her impact in the industry and for her efforts in leveling the playing field for female entrepreneurs.

Advice for Entrepreneurs

John’s message for young entrepreneurs is, “Challenge your comfort zone. You can’t achieve anything if you are always afraid of stepping outside. You need to prepare for financial shifts, so start small and snowball it.”

A Combination of Passion, Motivation, and Experience: Meet the Excellent Legal Practitioner, Liliane Mubanga

Afierce action-oriented and passionate lawyer, Liliane MUBANGA puts her leader hat on spearheading Thambwe-Mwamba & Associes, a dynamic and progressive law firm based in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 16 years ago, the optimistic visionary joined Thambwe-Mwamba & Associes as a Senior Executive to help those in need of legal advice on the lines of finding the silver lining in the dark clouds.

Liliane MUBANGA registered at the Bar of Kinshasa/Gombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has been a member of the Bar Council of the said Bar for a term of 4 years. She is also the Mining and Quarrying attorney with the senior partner, Maitre Alexis Thambwe-Mwamba. Besides, she has had training in OHADA; Hydrocarbons; Public Procurement; and Insurance, among others. In academics, Liliane Mubanga holds a Degree in Law, with a specialisation in Private and Judicial Law from the University of Lubumbashi, she has completed other trainings for which she is also the holder of a Certificate of speciality in insurance law, a Certificate of competence in oil rent production sharing law and a Master’s degree in International Commercial Law.

Thambwe-Mwamba & Associes: Providing Innovative Law Solutions

Thambwe-Mwamba & Associes emerges as one of the most influential names for legal support. The firm covers legal advice in various areas of law but more particularly, in business (creation of companies, drafting of deeds, special contracts, Due-diligence), Mining, Insurance, Real Estate Development and Management, Real Estate Investments, Labour law (they assist both employers and employees) and also Family law (divorce, succession and filiation).

This professional firm is home to seven expert lawyers and offers integrated services. These seven attorneys bring with them a rich background in different industry verticals. It empowers the team with the adroitness and the expertise to address matters concerning different fields like banking, general trade, construction and hotel industry, mining, and many more.

The proficiency and skilfulness of the team have been entrusted by a large number of people. With its excellent support and legal service, the team stands out among the rest of the players in the markets. Even if Thambwe-Mwamba & Associes remain a human-sized unit in order to better serve the clients.

“Our law firm with a human face combines the ability to imprint a personal mark in the relationship with the client, and the professionalism in the handling of business,” apprised Liliane Mubanga.

“Our commitment to our clients is unique because the client is at the centre of our approach, which consists of getting to know them better, understanding the specific nature of their case, and assessing their needs in order to better assist, advise and guide them”, she further added.

Mindful of the ever-growing complexity of legal matters with the globalisation of markets and business, which require an ever-increasing specialization of lawyers, the members of the firm keep on deepening consistently their knowledge of preferential matters, thus maintaining its multidisciplinary vocation. The synergy of the skills of the members, reinforced by those of external consultants recognized in their specialties, enables the law firm to master a broad range of areas of law.

Reforms by the Government

During the period 2001 to 2014, in addition to the institutional reforms that were undertaken by the governments, these were also supported by economic reforms that had the implementation of the global development goals as their foundation. These reforms were structural and were accompanied by infrastructure programmes, the strengthening of the banking system, the improvement of governance, which led to the reform of state-owned companies, and the liberalisation of the energy and insurance markets.

These liberalizations have led to a change in legislation; in this context, the law firm can cite the mining code in 2001, which has been amended to date, the investment code with the creation of the national agency for the promotion of investments, the law on energy, the hydrocarbons code, the insurance code, the new business law (Ohada law), the law on telecommunications, the law against money laundering and terrorist
financing and the creation of dedicated agencies, the law on subcontracting……;

Hurdles on the Way

There has been a definite impact as a result of changes in legislation, especially on business law; the creation of companies has become flexible; this has encouraged the creation of new companies and a competitive market and net banking has developed following the strengthening of the banking system. After the instability of 2015, there was an economic rebound, good growth with a double-digit growth rate, however,
there was a slowdown following the political instability which calmed down after the elections and the handover of power between the elected president and the outgoing one.
Then came the Covid-19 pandemic which put a damper on things. It is the new challenge for doing business and the traditional challenges of corruption, the development of new solutions, and price stability.
The government is making efforts to ensure that the recovery is effective with or without Covid-19.

A Piece of Advice for Companies

The companies must reinvent themselves and propose new solutions to get out of the pandemic and then, they must take advantage of the legal tools set up in DRC (new laws, liberalization of the economic sectors such as insurances, energy, telecommunications, and new technologies) in a market of more than 80 million consumers and with the presence of country relations. Thus, it is necessary to rethink the implementation of tools to facilitate exchanges; in particular re-launching the chambers of commerce with different countries such as the States of the European Union, Asia (China, Japan, UAE and others), the African countries, the USA, Great Britain.

Vivek Kamath: A Visionary Entrepreneur Transforming the Medical Segment with his Venture, Heal The World

A noteworthy name in Mexican healing, Melchizedekian healing, crystal healing, past life regression therapy, Vivek Kamath laid the founding stones of Heal The World in 2017. Mr Vivek was a software engineer and worked across MNC Banks in their IT department across the globe. He worked for almost 23 years in the IT industry predominantly managing large IT programs/projects in MNC Banks. Besides, he worked as a freelancer in the UK, the USA, India, Japan, Singapore, Bahrain, Australia and Germany.

Today, Vivek Kamath is a well-established name in the medical field as a promoter and practitioner of excellent health techniques like reiki, Mexican healing, Melchizedekian healing, crystal healing, past life regression therapy. He has been practising these healing methods for the last 9 years and trying to make a meaningful difference in key areas of need in medical science.

Vivek is also a renowned author on amazon.com and has published more than 21 health care books after successfully healing those diseases. He is currently taking care of 2 companies (1 banking Software Company and the other one is a health care company by the name “Heal the World”). It’s a revolutionary health care firm and they heal patients remotely without medicines, surgery and more importantly without any side effects.

A Glimpse of Heal The World

Heal The World is specialized in body, mind and soul healing using various natural energy healing methods such as Reiki Healing, Mexican Healing, Melchizedek healing and Crystal Healing methods. They are specialized in healing patient remotely through the healing method called “Distant Healing”. Reiki or Mexican Distant healing method is a healing concept by which they can heal patients who are residing across any part of the globe.

This is basically called “Alpha state mind healing”. The Patient can reside in any part of the globe and the healer can be at any part of the globe during the healing procedure. There is no physical connection or contact required during the healing session. Moreover, they do not provide any alternative medicines to patients during the treatment. These distant healing methods are beyond science and it works on quantum physic theory according to research done by quantum physic theory experts around the globe. They have developed in-house healing products for cancer, COVID 19, diabetes and immunity. These products are a set of healing procedures and any of our healers can use this product to minimize the healing life cycle of patient’s. LV2CCD is the cancer healing product with which we were able to destroy cancer cells in 15 minutes. They have tested this on the patient when their cancer patient was in ICU (Stage 4 mouth cancer patient).

Clientele & the Unbreakable Faith

His clients are spread across the globe majority of the folks were working in the IT industry and few businessmen. The quality of services and commitment to healing the patient’s disease with accuracy in healing are keys for unbreakable faith. They are prompt in providing their valuable services to all patients to date. Communication and transparency which they follow are few other factors for maintaining unbreakable faith in their customer.

The Foetal Stage Challenges

Educating the patient’s in healing therapy and removing their mind blockages were few challenges Vivek and his team face during their healing therapy. Most of the time, tough challenges in disease healing helped him. Mr Vivek considered all challenges of his life as a great opportunity divine has provided him. Reiki divine energy guided him in an all healing career.

A Day in Vivek’s Life & His Hobbies

Vivek said that his daily routine revolves around

Self-healing practice.
Few Key Disease patient healing.
Consulting calls with new patients.
Review of Team member’s healing.
Training to new patients.
Managing team of health care and IT professional.
Finance tracking and billing.
Vendors’ management.
Investor meeting management.
Article publications.
Branding and collaboration with the partners.
Meetings with franchise partners.
Research in disease management.
Work with the health care team to automate the healing procedures/products

His Hobbies are
1) Playing chess
2) Practice singing (sang songs in 21 languages)
3) Learning to play musical instruments
4) Cooking continental foods

Road Ahead

Heal The World is growing to be the No1 Health care firm in the world providing quality health care services to patients. The company is looking to set up its training and healing centres across the globe soon.

Feathers in the Cap

Honoured as “TOP 20 Promising Alternative Therapies in India” by Silicon India Magazine.
Recognised as “Top 20 Innovative health care firm & fast-growing brands in Asia” by CNBC TV and Asia one magazine.
Honoured as “Top 20 Most innovative alternative health care firm” by UK’s leading business magazine “Acquisition International”.
Recognised as “Top 30 Most Admired companies to watch in 2020” by USA’s business magazine called “CIO Bulletin magazine”.
Honoured as “Top 50 Most admirable companies in the world” by The Silicon Review a leading business magazine, USA
Recognised as “Top 20 Leading health care service providers of 2020” by Silicon India.
Honoured as “10 Most Innovative Health Care firm in India” by one of the renowned business magazines, WK Media.
Recognised as “20 Leading companies of the year 2020” by the Global Smart Leader renowned USA based business magazine.
The Globe Media have shortlisted “Heal The World” as 30 Best Health Care Brands in 2021.

A Piece of Advice be for Female Entrepreneurs

Always be bold in decision making and focus on your business objectives.

What factors influenced Vivek’s decision to be an author?

He shared, “I have tested doing the experiment of my health challenges and then I tried doing small experiments, on my kid’s minor health, pain removing healing, etc. I have started healing a few diabetic patients. I could see the miracle happening in diabetes. This made me become an author. I have published my first book on amazon.com after successfully healing diabetes. The book title was “Killer Diabetes Heal by Yourself”.

Favourite Book– “Rich Dad and Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki

Wesley Flores: The Solution Architect, Empowering Businesses with Simatree Magnificently

Wesley Flores is a man of many hats; enjoying the status of a recognized business transformation and solutions leader, a visionary IT professional, a solution architect, a renowned international speaker, blog writer, business management consultant, and an ardent leader behind one of the renowned IT, Data, & Analytics solution company, Simatree.

Simatree is a specialized business and technology professional services firm. They target solutions for the clients that meet their most strategic objectives with a focus on insights from data. They support advanced data solutions and digital transformation programs across a range of industries.

Owing to his invaluable experiences, Wes Flores is successfully going on the path of being a solution architect; solutions that involve strategy, business processes, systems, and data architecture. With 25 years of experience across the end-to-end information technology ecosystem with deep expertise in the data & analytics field, Wesley has a proven track record and a passion for setting up high-performance teams and
implementing world-class information management platforms. He has acted in IT leadership roles as CTO to
support CIO’s success through driving mature and lasting IT strategies. He has the ability to effectively
communicate key strategies, gain stakeholder alignment, and drive user adoption in support of key technology and organizational goals.

“I learned how to design and build software very early in my career, which helped me to understand how databases and applications can do amazing things. My path continued from building software to building out large-scale enterprise data platforms, which opened a larger world of technology. Yet, the common goal of all these implementations was to meet the needs of the user and to make the process fundamentally better. To this day, I still enjoy finding solutions that others may miss or recommending the approaches that bring superior results,” states Wesley.

What Factors influenced Wes Flores to be a Speaker?

In the words of Wes Flores- he believes understanding the “people, process, and technology” paradigm is key to solving problems holistically. It has led him to focus on the full life cycle of application and data development projects. This allows him to get a deeper understanding of the purpose of a project and how to achieve an optimal solution for it. Data is the common thread that ties everything together, which has also fascinated him. He has often thought about data. If he sees a problem, he has already started to envision the data model needed to solve it. He has been passionate about solving problems because he has always enjoyed helping others. He sees activities such as writing or speaking enable him to help in broader forums.

Client Strategies & Ethics

The clientele of Simatree includes the Public Sector, Insurance, Telcom, Healthcare, and Retail to name a few. One of the early clients once said to Wes Flores, “the proof is in the pudding”. For some reason, this has always resonated with him. He believes that following best practices are important, but without delivery, they are only good ideas. They build trust through execution. One thing to watch out for is a potential expectation gap with clients. Effective communication is the key to managing the expectations of clients upfront.

Hurdles on the Way

Growing is hard when you launch a start-up, especially for a business that relies heavily on a proven track record such as consulting. Simatree’s partners had extensive networks within certain industries and areas of expertise that allowed them to gain opportunities based upon their personal brand. From this point, Wes’s goal was to establish a new reputation for the company across industries. Wes and the whole team have been excited about the successes they have been able to bring to their clients thus far and the new ones on the horizon.

The Driving Force

While talking about his driving force, Wes Flores shared, “I think that we all need help to get to where we are today. We can rarely take credit for accomplishment all on our own. I do feel that my personal faith and my teams have had the most impact on my career success. My faith has helped to keep me grounded in keeping the right priorities at work and home. I also believe in the value of building amazing teams to empower them, finding the right talent, and supporting their growth. Having an amazing team does not happen easily and it has been my privilege to have amazing teams over the years. My teams have had an amazing impact on me personally and on the program successes we accomplished together.”

Contribute to a More Balanced and Equal Industry

When asking Wes Flores about a more balanced and equal industry, he shared, “We can do a lot every single day to keep our business practices balanced and equal. In fact, I think this carries into all aspects of running our business, serving our clients, and building empowered teams. I have been fortunate to have Business Partners that strive to ensure we do not carry biases into the workplace. This is something that is frankly infectious, so as business leaders, we should understand that we need to lead by example. I see the positive effects of this tone that is set by our leadership and I am very proud of it.

Favourite Book– A Cry in the Wilderness by Keith Green

Future Roadmap

In a world that is exploding in data more rapidly every day, this drives strategic needs and opportunities for Simatree’s clients. This enables the team to be a critical strategic partner with the clients, including how technology and venture investments can support their strategic objectives. This continues to lead to more exciting opportunities to serve new and expanded transformation programs. The expansion of data use cases around process automation, data quality, artificial intelligence, and the like continue to open new solutions every day. There have been vast needs and opportunities around both innovation and transformation. Ultimately, Simatree is focused on becoming a recognized leader for these programs across multiple industries.

Feathers in the Cap

Simatree has been awarded several awards including:

Selected as the Most Innovative Business & Strategic Advisory Firm 2020 by Acquisition International.
Listed as one of CEO Views Top 50 Most Innovative Companies to Watch in 2020.
Named one of Silicon Review’s 30 Fastest Growing Companies to Watch 2020
Named one of CIO Applications Top 10 Analytics Solution Providers for 2019.
Wes Flores has been awarded several awards including:
Information Management Magazine’s – TOP 25 Information Managers
Computer World BI & Analytics Perspective’s- Best Practices in BI and Analytics

A Piece of Advice for Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs

Our own perspective can either be hindered or energized based upon the prejudices that exist around us. Wes Flores suggests women not limit themselves by others’ negative views, as to not allow those prejudices to change their own mindset, and when you are faced with roadblocks and challenges, you can look to those you admire for encouragement. Some of the most important accomplishments in the world were accomplished amidst great adversity. The right thing is often not the easiest, so stay true to your passions and pursuits, things have a way of opening for you.

Maz Pawar: An Expert Finance Professional, Empowering Businesses with Unrivalled Financial Services

The innovative financial service firm with several accomplished substantial transactions, SA Capital Partners is an outcome of Maz Pawar’s pure zest for creating solutions for lower middle-market businesses going through the process of mergers & acquisitions, capital raising across different industries. Initiated with the basic operations of providing financial support and deal with inefficiencies in lower middle market business, today has become a reputed name in the industry.

A trusted partner in numerous M&A and investment deals, SA Capital offers expertise in its service portfolio inclusive of Raising Capital, Selling a Business, Acquiring other businesses, Corporate Advisory, Financial Reporting, Financial Models, Investment Banking, Private Equity, VC, Family Office, and Financial Services. It aspires to give all the tools necessary to complete any transaction. SA Capital primarily works with small business in the lower middle market, early-stage & start-ups. They spend a lot of time understanding their businesses and strategize with them throughout the process.

The Man Behind the Brand

Maz Pawar is the Founder & CEO of the SA Capital Partners. Having gained rich expertise in financial services, Maz Pawar established the reputation of SA Capital as a trusted and reliable financial firm known for its ethical and innovative practices. He is also the Managing Partner at Pawar Capital Investments. Earlier, he was the President at Auctus Capital Partners.

Mr Pawar has been in the investment banking space for over 15 years and worked with many different industries. Currently sharing his wisdom in the role of a strategic business leader in finance with some of the emerging companies, Maz Pawar is providing them all the tools necessary to complete any transaction.

The Inception Story

SA Capital Partners was founded on an understanding of the Most bulge bracket investment banks do not get involved in these types of transactions and therefore have deal minimums, not to mention an incomplete understanding of the lower middle market itself.

“We feel that the lower middle market is the most crucial market in the US economy but also the most underestimated and under-serviced as well. While boutique investment banks work in the lower middle market while charging large fees and utilizing other shady practices to supplement their uncertainty, we want to give small business owners an alternative to completing transactions. We understand the lower middle market, and we have a track record for using our knowledge to help small businesses, no matter what step they’re on in their path to financial success”, states Mr Pawar.

What Makes SA Capital Unique?

SA Capital Partner’s financial services industry specialists provide comprehensive, integrated solutions to banking transactions. Their breadth of services and industry knowledge allows them to understand each client’s unique business needs. SA Capital’s goal is to make all financial services available to every small business. Many small businesses do not have the ability to pay large fees to investment banks. SA Capital Partners cares about clients and that’s why they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Further, Maz Pawar shared, “Our professionals are experienced in most transactions. Our packages will make it simple to complete any transaction. We have partnered with 100’s Private Equity Groups, Venture Capital Groups, Family Offices, Investment Banks, and other Lenders to help give small business owners the introduction needed to complete any transaction. We help give business owners specialized attention and advice when considering any transaction.”

Service Portfolio

SA Capital aspires to be the leading financial services firm for lower middle market small businesses by providing alternatives to investment banking. And, they offer all the necessary tools businesses require to complete capital raising, as well as mergers and acquisition transactions. Here is the list of service offered by the firm;

Raising Capital: Capital rising requires a lot of determination and patience. SA Capital comes up with the tools to raise capital for small business, and better yet, they know the clearest path to putting the stress of capital behind and your focus back on growing your business and brand.
Selling Business: Buyers aren’t the only ones who are interested in a business going up on the block. Smart sellers are coming to the table with a clear understanding of their business’ competitive position in the market, a realistic asking price, and knowledge of a potential buyer’s suitability. It is important for you to understand your company’s value and have the right plan in place. The SA Capital team is here to help make sure you know the ins and outs of your business to maximize what you get for it.
Acquiring other businesses: Melding two companies together is tough. The combination of two cultures doesn’t always work out. Mismanagement of either company during the process could lead to turnover, which is the last thing you need during that transition. When acquisitions work out, changing mature, low-value businesses into much higher-value, growth businesses, and all the shareholders are winners. For each buy-side engagement, the experienced analysts at SA Capital will help identify potential acquisition targets & provide the necessary market research. They also help in raising capital to acquire these businesses.
Corporate Advisory: Whether you need business growth advisory, owner advisory, or business/investor readiness, SA Capital offers a range of consulting and advisory services. Here, experienced professionals quickly identify issues, come up with solutions, and provide a fix for you that are quick and targeted.

Hiccups on the Way & the Driving Force

While talking about his major hurdle in the business Maz Pawar said, “The biggest challenge was servicing our clients the right way and ensuring we gave them the value they expected.”

“I was able to get to this stage in my career with hard work, dedication, and self-accountability. I feel my perseverance allowed me to continue to push forward,” he further added.

A Day in Maz’s Life & His Hobbies

Maz Pawar feels there are many things that help push him through the day, exercise is very important and allows him to push through the day. He is also a firm believer in reading and journaling. He tries to spend time reflecting on his thoughts and set daily goals. Maz Pawar also enjoy spending time with his two sons and travelling with his wife.

Future Outlook

SA Capital is pushing to be a staple in the industry for all early-stage companies/ start-ups who are trying to raise capital.

A Piece of Advice for Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs

Don’t Be Afraid to Fail.

Paul Wordley & Wordley Partnership: Addressing Corporate World's Legal Issues Efficiently

By blending his years of expertise and knowledge in the legal field, Paul Wordley co-sculpted L&G Wordley Partnership with his other partners in 2019 to provide an edge to the business world.

A well-known expert in the area of advisory, complex claims, dispute resolution, and coverage issues in the international insurance and reinsurance markets, Paul Wordley has been involved in a number of high-profile international insurance and reinsurance claims in recent years. He possesses over 35 years of rich professional work experience as a legal practitioner.

Mr. Wordley has been credited with representing clients in several successful multi-billion-dollar mediations. In academics, he did Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B), from the University of Bristol, qualified as an English barrister and then as a solicitor.

Wordley Partnership-Covering the entire Spectrum of Corporate Arena

London-based L&G Wordley Partnership is a commercial law firm with particular expertise in all aspects of dispute resolution, commercial problem solving, and insurance and reinsurance coverage. The team of experienced and qualified partners, working on some of the largest and most complex disputes across the globe, is providing comprehensive end-to-end services.

With proven track records they have consolidated that expertise into their own firm. They are often instructed
to advise boards and directors of companies on legal liability, asset recovery and preservation as well as advising on strategies to resolve disputes and limit liability, whether that be working in the background or openly in arbitrations and litigation. Their expertise extends to prosecuting claims where required and they have a strong track record of success. In addition to disputes, the firm has a significant non-contentious capability.

L&G Wordley Partnership stands distinctively for its exemplary single-point service in the related field and it is evident from the number of cases successfully handled by the firm since inception. Wordley’s wide practice areas include;

Commercial and Corporate
Commercial Real Estate
Dispute Resolution
Employment
Insolvency
Insurance and Reinsurance
International Arbitration
Regulatory

“Our main challenge constantly is to provide a personal and responsive service to clients whilst offering best in class/large firm capability,” said Mr Wordley while talking about the major challenge he has been facing in the business.

L&G Wordley Partnership intends to increase its presence on the global level, it has exciting plans to grow based on the industry know-how and skillsets, replicating their London and associated US operations in key strategic markets and locations around the world.

Awards and Milestones

Teamwork, investing in people, loyal clients, and faith in success were the key contributors behind Paul and his firm’s success. Presently, L&G Wordley Partnership has become a renowned legal firm and it has been honoured with multiple awards like:

2021 Global Awards Winner of Insurance & Reinsurance Law Firm of the year in the UK
2020 Global Law Experts Winner – Insurance & Reinsurance Law Firm of the Year
2020 M&A today Global Awards Winner as Insurance & Reinsurance Law Firms of the Year
Ranked in 2019 Chambers UK
Paul Wordley has also been also recognised as:
2020 Global Law Expert in Insurance & Reinsurance, in 2020
Leading Insurance Coverage and Complex Claims Lawyer of the Year Awards
Who’s Who Legal – Insurance & Reinsurance 2021.
He was also featured as an expert in both Insurance & Risk Management 2020 Virtual Roundtable and the Insurance & Risk Management 2020 Expert Guide.

Clientele & Unbreakable Faith

“Our expertise is geared towards advisory, complex claims, dispute resolution, and coverage issues in the international insurance and reinsurance markets. L&G Wordley Partnership is therefore acting for policyholders, insurers, brokers, intermediaries, and reinsurers as well as directors and advisory boards. They tend to develop and maintain relationships with senior people whether management or owners and provide a personalised service to suit their needs and tend to work with our clients as they grow as a trusted adviser,” asserted the visionary.

A Day in Paul Wordley’s Life

While talking about his daily routine, Mr Wordley said, “When working I spend a couple of hours on emails and conference calls, the timing of which depends on where in the world the client is. Then I will catch up with colleagues with whom I am working on matters. Usually, I will find some time to work on a particular matter or piece of work. My downtime is spent reading and exercising.”

Favourite Book

“Prisoners of Geography and its sequel Power of Geography which I am reading now are two of the most thoughtful and influential books on how geography has shaped the geopolitical landscape in the past and how it will influence it going forward through this century,” shared Mr Wordley on being asked about his recent favourite book.

Words of Wisdom

For Companies-The business world needs to be more engaged in the work-life balance that professionals need to have. A successful career, high-quality work, and good clients doesn’t have to be aligned to working all hours.

For Aspiring Entrepreneurs– Follow your instincts, do not be afraid of failure, aim to do something you enjoy, seek to do it as best you can and stay focused.