Passion is key to entrepreneurial success
The recipe for entrepreneurial success has many ingredients, including expertise, commitment and timing, but one component that should not be overlooked is passion. You can have a great idea for a business and know how to execute a successful strategy, but without putting your heart into it, the business becomes unsustainable as the challenges of entrepreneurship take a toll.
Ideoli’s Co-Founders, George Stroumboulis and Chris Hartswick, started Ideoli not just because they saw a gap in the market for custom furniture, fixtures and lighting, but because they had a passion for the industry, having just exited an LED lighting start-up that was acquired and went public on the New York Stock Exchange.
In this new venture in an industry that’s highly relationship-based, George and Chris knew it wouldn’t succeed unless they could be truly passionate about their work, especially considering that the early days of a start-up aren’t always glamorous and require founders to wear an assortment of hats.
That’s why George and Chris split the work according to their passions. George honing in on developing long-term relationships with partners and clients and building a fun, positive image for the brand, while Chris has focused more on the product side of the business, which has included forming strong manufacturing partnerships around the world to create products they could truly support.
“I’m passionate about connecting with others to help them realize their goals, and clients pick up on that when we interact,” says George Stroumboulis.
“That genuineness helps us form strong bonds that enable long-term success, rather than being so transactional.”
As those relationships are formed, Chris’s passion for developing best-in-class products shines through as he and George work together to help clients invigorate their spaces.
“By being truly interested in how clients want to design their spaces, I’m able to more easily work with them to customize the products that help them reach their goals, rather than trying to fit products into assumptions about what works best for their spaces,” says Chris Hartswick.
The passion of Ideoli’s founders has propelled the company to international success in a short period of time, and it will sustain the company as it continues to grow.
