In this episode of Failing to Success, Chad Kaleky, the host of the show, interviews Lou Kotsinis, the CEO of BCS Interactive. The company is a digital agency that specializes in offering digital services to non-profits, foundations, and educational organizations. Lou shares the story of how he got into this business after working in corporate America for a while. He started by freelancing as a copywriter and then eventually partnered with a designer to start a traditional print agency called BCS Marketing. However, the agency was hit hard by the recession of 2008, and they lost most of their clients. After some struggle, Lou met a designer and a developer who had strong digital chops, and together they pivoted to digital and created BCS Interactive.

The partnership with the designer and the developer ended after some time due to differences, but Lou was able to maintain the business and the accounts. He decided to exclusively focus on non-profits and foundations in 2015, and it has been a joy ever since. Lou also talks about the pain of the breakup with his partner and how it affected his self-esteem. He advises listeners who may be going through similar situations to keep going and not give up, even if it gets tough.

In summary, Lou Kotsinis shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from freelancing as a copywriter to pivoting to digital and creating a digital agency that focuses on non-profits and foundations. He talks about the challenges he faced along the way, including losing most of his clients during the recession of 2008 and the painful breakup of his partnership. Lou advises listeners to keep going, even when things get tough, and to never give up.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:01 When a Partnership Ends

00:06:38 Finding a Niche

00:08:19 Advice to New Entrepreneurs

00:13:18 Contact Lou