How I Succeeded is a regular series on Lifehacker where we ask business leaders for the secrets and tactics behind their success. Today: Fady Hanna, founder and managing director at Flagship Digital.
Current gig: Managing Director of Flagship
Location: Gold Coast, with LA visits every month.
Current mobile device: iPhone X
Current computer: Macbook Pro
One word that best describes how you work: Unconventionally
What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?
A task management application called Wunderlist. The first thing I do in the morning is brain dump everything I have to do in the day into Wunderlist; and then I can manage all my tasks on the go.
What social network do you find the most useful?
I’d say Instagram; I find it is easy to curate the content you want your followers or networks to see and follow the people/businesses you are interested in.
What were the most important lessons you learned while growing your business?
Over-analyse yourself. Know your strengths, your weaknesses, what you tend to neglect and, more importantly, what your limits are. Knowing yourself allows you to operate in a way that maximises what you can achieve.
What has been the most surprising part of your business journey?
The rooms we end up in. We have grown and scaled fast but through this, we have continued to speak to mums and dads about their businesses and, at the same time, sit in the Boardrooms of billion dollar organisations and have a solution for all. It really is a testament to the importance of continued innovation and to not settle.
What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?
Puns. Don’t get me wrong, I think they are incredibly cheesy but puns come naturally to me, and while I would prefer a much better skill like making an amazing cup of coffee or being able to sing better than anyone, my cross to bear is that puns are what I was blessed with… I also find that I can problem solve differently to how most people would.
What’s your sleep routine like?
“Routine” – I wish I had one, I am frequently in so many different timezones that my body has given up on the thought of having a routine. Right now my body works on how much caffeine is in my system. Also, what you sleep on is SO IMPORTANT.
What advice would you offer to other businesses on how to succeed?
Two bits of advice really help me and in planning for the future in regards to success. The first is to recognise that any sort of financial gain is a direct reflection of value. Focus on your business values and what they can offer someone. What problems can your product or service fix and how do we consistently focus on solving those problems greater and wider and for more people. If that’s your focus, and you can do that effectively, the success will follow.
Secondly, dream big but think small. Yes, have grand dreams as to where you can go or what you can achieve but without the tangible steps today and tomorrow and the day after they will remain dreams. Always follow a dream with a roadmap of how today can be one small step towards it.
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