Welcome to “Failing to Success”, a podcast for entrepreneurs to share their stories of overcoming failures and obstacles. In this particular episode, Jerry Fletcher, the CEO of Z-axis, a marketing consultancy company, speaks with host Chad Kaleky about his journey as an entrepreneur. After being fired from his job as CEO of the largest B2B advertising agency in Portland, Oregon, Fletcher decided to open his own consultancy business. The first lesson he learned as an entrepreneur working from home was that he needed to close the door, walk away from the office, and spend time with his family to avoid overworking himself. He also learned that taking time away from work not only improved his personal life but also had a positive impact on his clients and their businesses.

Fletcher's story also reveals that starting a business can be challenging in the beginning. However, with the right connections and approach, one can obtain their first clients. In Fletcher's case, he wrote a letter explaining what he was going to do and sent it to his 60 closest friends in the advertising golf association. Six of them responded, two of which provided work opportunities for him. This method, in turn, helped him gain more clients and grow his business.

Through his story, Fletcher shares the importance of learning from failures and embracing new opportunities, which can lead to great successes. As Fletcher aptly states, "failure is not a stopping point; it's a learning point." Overall, this podcast episode provides valuable insights and advice for anyone starting or running their own business, highlighting the importance of a work-life balance, building strong connections, and taking calculated risks.

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Timestamps:

0:04 Lessons learned from getting fired.

2:48 The importance of making time for your family.

4:59 The story of how steganography came about.

7:46 The start of Digimark

9:43 The elevator pitch is a bad idea.

12:35 The difference between a pitch and a pitch.

14:42 How to create a pitch in 30 seconds.

16:51 The importance of building trust.