An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Your work is never finished.
Even when your work day is done, the endgame of your business needs to be everlasting — If you plan on continuing to grow. As important as it is to not get pulled in too many directions, it’s also important to not get stuck in the cushy plateau stage for too long either. The world as we know it is always evolving and innovating, and as a visionary, it’s important to be cognizant of that in order to stay above the competition.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Emily Oberman.
Emily Oberman is the founder and CEO of copy.edit.design., a creative studio for content creators that focuses on omni-channel marketing through repurposing strategies. She has over 10 years experience in copywriting, digital design and operations. Her sweet spot is capturing the authentic voices of the brands she works with. By utilizing automations through technology on the backend as part of this process, Emily and her team create a seamless content machine that saves time.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
As the daughter of Russian-Jewish immigrants, I was born and raised in the city of San Francisco, CA. I spent my childhood conceptualizing different “entrepreneurial” ideas, whether it was a babysitting service for my neighborhood or a magazine that I tried to pitch to my elementary school principal in 4th grade. At University, I studied Broadcasting and Fashion, and later Graphic Design while living in Los Angeles for 7 years. Always wanting to try new things, I jumped from industry to industry spending way too long being everyone else’s assistant, which eventually brought me to my breaking point and the decision to start my own company. Working as a right hand to so many influential individuals, showed me what kind of business owner I wanted (and didn’t want) to be.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
While working for the design department at Pottery Barn, my desk directly faced a wooden art piece on the wall. On it, in large block letters, it said, “If you are waiting for a sign, this is it.” I would gaze at this quote when my mind wandered, thinking of what else was out there past the proverbial corporate ladder. One day, my floor was purging a bunch of stuff, and that art piece sat leaning against a railing waiting to be tossed. Without sounding cliche as hell, I took that for my own sign and brought it home. It’s now three years into my entrepreneurial journey, and I still often look at it — except it now lives above my own CEO desk and when I glance at it, I revel in how far I’ve come by taking its advice.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
My daughter received a children’s book called, “Joseph Had a Little Overcoat” for her birthday when she was about three (she’s 7 now). As juvenile as it sounds, bear with me because I believe this book teaches the best lesson of all time for both kids and adults. The protagonist, Joseph, has an overcoat that he wears until it is no longer wearable. He then repurposes it into a scarf. When that article of clothing is no longer viable, he creates something else with it until all that’s left of it is just a button. But then, spoiler alert, he loses the button. Now, this is a big turning point because there are so many paths he could have taken, however, he chooses to write a book about his experience. This is a major teaching moment because it shows the reader that you can always make something out of nothing — just like this series!
This message speaks to me on so many levels. As the daughter of immigrants whose family came to this country with literally nothing and were able to make a great life for themselves (as entrepreneurs in their own right), I can attest to this concept. I’m also a huge advocate for teaching kids entrepreneurship. It helps them develop a growth mindset at a young age, and arms them with the skills to be resourceful so they never feel like they can’t do something — especially young girls!
I also love the line in the movie, “The Social Network,” where they reference Harvard students as the ones who don’t just take jobs, but who invent their own. I think for many, this is a novel concept that needs to be talked about more and not just in institutions for only those who can afford an Ivy League education.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
Speaking as a service provider, I think it really just comes down to the equation of: (your zone of genius) + (what you’re passionate about) = foundation for a business.
Are you a whiz with numbers, but love all things creative? Start a bookkeeping service for creative businesses. Are you a good writer? Do you have a passion for rescuing animals? Figure out a way to bridge the gap between animal shelters and mass media.
You can literally plug anything into this equation and you will get something.
On the flip side, think of all the ludicrous products you’ve seen out there selling — it’s because someone took a chance to take their idea one step further than just an idea they didn’t think anyone would care about.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
Yes! It took a long time for me to come to this, but what’s crucial when it comes to a good idea is not worrying so much about reinventing the wheel. People think that just because someone else is doing it, there’s no point in even trying. Well, I’ve got news for you — this is proof of concept at its finest. In fact, this shows that you’re definitely onto something because you can see that people are actually buying this type of service or product.
Your job? Taking the concept of what’s out there and working, and making it your own. The product or service doesn’t need to be unique to sell — your perspective and brand story are what will make you stand out from the competition.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through, from when they think of the idea, until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
Speaking as a service provider, it’s really all about honing in on your offerings and figuring out how what you do is going to help your ideal client. I’m really big on systems and processes, so my biggest advice for someone trying to bring a product to market is to make sure they have internal systems in place as well as a stellar customer experience strategy. The worst thing a person or business can do is spend all this time filing for patents and figuring out how and where to sell, only to have things fall apart after they’ve acquired an initial customer. Sure, a sale is great, but if you’re thinking big picture and have plans to scale, then this step is crucial.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
- Create sustainable boundaries.
When you’re first starting out, it’s easy to work around the clock and respond to any inquiry immediately. Mainly because you’re so excited about this new venture, but also because you’re so worried about disappointing a potential customer. However, creating boundaries for yourself and your clients actually helps you increase productivity and show up better. Studies show that there’s only a specific amount of time in a day that our brains are hard-wired to get work done, so it’s important to set these boundaries early on to avoid burnout and produce the results your clients hire you for. If that means not responding to an email until the next business day, then so be it.
2. Focus on your zone of genius and outsource what you’re not great at.
When you’re first launching, it’s almost inevitable that you’re going to be wearing many hats. It’s definitely a learning experience and important to know all the different parts of your business. But there will come a time when you’ll start realizing what you’re really good at, and what you’re not so great at. Lean into that and hire others who have the zone of genius for things you struggle with. Just because you started a company, doesn’t mean you’re going to be great at all the parts of it, and that’s ok.
3. Know your “why.”
In the beginning stages, you may not know why you’re doing what you’re doing outside of trying to create a business to make a profit for, you know, life. But it’s important to do the work to figure out why you’re doing what you’re doing past just making a paycheck. You need to figure out your brand’s story and the core pillars of who and what your brand is because that’s what will sell your product or service. It’s all in the messaging, and you can’t have a clear message if you don’t know your “why.” Think of it like this — if there are two identical products on a shelf, the customer’s decision lies solely on which brand they connect to more — oftentimes, this trumps even price objections.
4. Be an excellent communicator.
So many things get lost in translation when it comes to running a business, especially if you’re online-based and working remotely. Luckily, there are a ton of amazing tools at your disposal — learn to use them! Working internally with team members and contractors who support me, I make sure I task them with all of the information they need to get the job done. I use Asana for project management and am constantly creating screen casting videos via Loom or Descript, breaking down exactly what I need. I am also really big on checklists when it comes to repeatable tasks. On the client-side, the single best skill I deliver is stellar communication. I never shy away from jumping on an extra call or sending a voice note to clarify things if needed.
5. Your work is never finished.
Even when your work day is done, the endgame of your business needs to be everlasting — If you plan on continuing to grow. As important as it is to not get pulled in too many directions, it’s also important to not get stuck in the cushy plateau stage for too long either. The world as we know it is always evolving and innovating, and as a visionary, it’s important to be cognizant of that in order to stay above the competition.
Let’s imagine that a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product that they would like to invent. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
The first thing I would do, is map out exactly what their product does. The second thing I would do, is figure out exactly what kind of customer would buy this. What most people get wrong, (and I sure have been guilty of this myself), is they’re afraid to niche down and try to market their product or service to as many people as possible. However, the more you niche down, the more successful and profitable your product will be. When you speak to a niche market, you really learn who your customer is — their desires, wants, and needs.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend that a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I believe mentorship is one of the best investments someone can make in their business. On the other hand, just because someone advises you on something, doesn’t mean you should always follow exactly what they say. It’s really a mix of trusting your gut, but also being open-minded enough to trust the expert you hire to help you.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
That’s a tough one. I personally have bootstrapped my entire business, but it really depends on the type of business you’re building and what your goals are. When you work with a VC, you’re giving up equity in your business and it’s really up to you to know if that’s something that’s worth it for you in the long run. Not every business has the intention of becoming a mass-market entity, and that’s not to say that a small business can’t be super lucrative without getting to that point. It’s important to know what your personal goals are first and foremost.
Ok. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I love working with my clients to figure out creative ways to tell their unique stories through their marketing and creative assets. My bigger goal though is to bring awareness of entrepreneurship to children, with my success being a true marker that you can literally create any job for yourself with the right mindset, skills, and resources. This is something I am working on as a passion project, so stay tuned.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I LOVE entrepreneurship and would love to create a type of movement that supports other entrepreneurs. I truly believe that we can all work collectively and collaboratively together without feeling like someone is above us.
For the longest time, I felt unfulfilled at work, even though I was seemingly working in industries that interested me. When I realized that my success always seemed to have a cap, I had the epiphany that my path lay in entrepreneurship. Of course, it’s a double-edged sword because I can’t always guarantee X number in profit, but the tradeoff of the autonomy that comes with entrepreneurship is worth it to me. And unfortunately, the freedom that comes with this can never be found in a corporate environment.
My dream is to one day build a collective community where we all work together on an even playing field and share in the vision and mission of one another’s businesses while respecting each other’s personal goals.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
There are quite a few! However, right now I am super girl crushing on Brit Morin. I’ve actually connected with her before, first when I was a student in Selfmade, and then again when her company hired me to support their program launch through their email marketing initiatives. However, having one on one face time with her would be an absolute dream. I’ve been following Brit + Co’s journey since they first began over 10 years ago I think, and Brit still maintains this amazing approachability I haven’t seen anywhere else when someone gets to her level. She’s launched a new venture now — a community focused on educating women in the world of crypto and web3 — and I am here for it.
I would also love to meet Lori Greiner. I watch Shark Tank religiously and am always in awe of how kind she is, even in such a “sharky” environment. I think she’s a true example of why women in business should never be underestimated.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Making Something From Nothing: Emily Oberman Of ‘copy edit design’ On How To Go From Idea To Launch was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
