Feedback is so important, good or bad, because it helps us feel grounded and clear on where we stand. It is very human to have instances of natural synergy and connection with some people, and not with others. Honesty helps us to make decisions whether to pursue relationships or to move on.
“As a professional, we need to be very particular about which clients we take on. These decisions hold the weight of the future of our business, its prosperity, and our enjoyment in serving them through a meaningful and equally beneficial relationship”.
And when you do find those special ones, they deserve to know why they have had a positive impact on you or your business, so that they can amplify their impact creation more rapidly, to reach more people with the goodness they give. Almo is exactly one of those creative entrepreneurs, one you hope crosses your path, and one that we are most grateful has crossed ours.
Many people have ideas on what our professional destiny is or should be. Almo hasn't so much as followed in the footsteps of his father’s profession (the legal domain), but rather chose to continue to build on his legacy. Almo has tackled this in his own unique, authentic and less traditional way. Studying law not to become an advocate but to give him the right tools and grounding to set him on the right foot to make his unique mark on the world. Almo understood early on that a business (and business relationships) seldom work out when its legal foundation is not built well, from company registration, decision making on what type of business you are, your contracts with partners, vendors, employees, clients, and so on. Only THEN can one actually move forward on the business mission.
Guided by intuition and his zest for not being bound by ‘just one thing’, Almo wanted to be more than just a lawyer. The universe listened and with all the necessary qualifications and experience under his belt, he somehow found himself in a position of pause, a gap in his career, looking for his next move, waiting on others to employ him into their business. He describes this as a time where he was nudged into self-employment, he still wanted a job as that's all he knew at the time. Almo learnt to hustle. He learnt even more about business and people. He extended his studies in the financial domain, and also explored the art of sales through various business experiences. Entrepreneurship became the end goal for Almo.
“In my early years I didn't want to be an entrepreneur. I did learn though that getting a job is not always easier, and when you have it you often realise ‘I can't do this, it's not me’. I think all along I perhaps knew deep down I would be an entrepreneur, in my heart, I KNEW it. Yes, sometimes in my head I said NO!”
Inherently, Almo did know his fate - that he would add value to the world through entrepreneurship. Almo reminds us to not discount the journey it takes to get there. He explains how the journey to entrepreneurship gives us the experience we need in order to package it in our minds, to truly understand what it takes and means to be an entrepreneur. Along the way, throughout his various experiences, he always gave immense thought to the notion that IF he had a business, how it would look, how it would be, how it would function. He goes on to explain that trying different things along the way helped him to fine tune this thought that would one day become his reality. Almo teaches us that wherever we are on our journey, we are crafting what will be - keep going!
Today Almo is a shareholder in various business endeavours. He has had businesses that failed and businesses that succeeded. He believes those that failed were highly attributed to partnerships that fail or fall flat, highlighting the importance of right fit connections and relationships in business. Partnerships in business are all about helping one another, be it a collaborator, a vendor, an investor, and so on. He goes on to say how we need to recognise the human being behind their profession. THIS is essential in fostering business relationships that matter.
“Sometimes business is a game, and the hardship that is inevitable as an entrepreneur, helps us to play the game better. Your networks are extremely important, not in numbers but in quality relationships you build up over time. WHO we do business with is extremely important”.
Almo has not forgotten his early beginnings and gives back to those younger entrepreneurs going at it alone, giving them exposure by hiring them for executional work coupled with his mentorship and oversight. This is how he promotes preparing and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs. His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs comes from one of his favourite quotes: ‘don't always do it for what you earn but for what you can learn’. He also cautions us to be very careful when we do any work for free, there MUST be a benefit - learning is a good one.
“There must always be a value exchange, recognise what the value exchange is for you, payment can come in many forms. Value is highly subjective and means different things to different people, know yours in order to be able to barter effectively”.
With his innate love for both creativity and business, Almo is a rare find in the commercial world, able to use a more creative mindset to how he approaches all things legal and financial for the entrepreneur. Almo is one of those entrepreneurs who never stops learning, forever interested in companies AND people and how they set themselves up for success. He believes he needed the experience as an employee in the corporate world in order to be the entrepreneur he is today. Almo imparts wise words to inspire us on our entrepreneurial journey:
“Nurture mutually beneficial relationships, share your experiences to find meaning, learn from yourself and others, and always listen as everyone has pearls of wisdom to share”.
We are privileged to feature in your entrepreneurial journey Almo, it is an honour.
“Solving niche challenges Founders face”.
Illustrator: Lisa Williams (Instagram: @artist_llw)