Execution. I’m not a stagnant person by nature, but it’s still important that I am intentional with all of my time. If I don’t know how to do something, I find out how to do it.
Andy Seavers is a full-time entrepreneur living in Nashville, TN. At the age of 14, Andy started his first business, an auto detailing company in Hershey, Pennsylvania. He later discovered his true passion for startups during his time at Belmont University where he founded My College Storage to solve the problem that out-of-state college students struggle with during the summer. Age has never gotten in the way of his passion for solving problems and creating extraordinary things. Today, Andy advises many companies and has a number of new ventures, including a new parking technology called METER’D, which is scheduled to launch January 1, 2016.
Where did the idea for METER’D come from?
METER’D first started after I tested an idea called Crowd Storage: the AirBnb of storage. I took a step back to identify other assets that could be sold and parking came to mind. After partnering with a co-worker from a previous company, we identified how much of problem parking really was in Nashville. The idea shifted and changed based on customer response. Finally, METER’D was born.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I work from a co-working space called WELD. Simply put, WELD is a community of creative people. I make a point to leave the house between 7 am and 9 am every day. I keep a very strict schedule and plan out my days. I arrive at WELD, pick a desk, and get to work. Whether it is researching new parking technology, scheduling meetings with parking companies, or emailing investors, every day is a little different. About 80% of my day goes to METER’D, while the other 20% goes to Home For The Nations.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Execution. I’m not a stagnant person by nature, but it’s still important that I am intentional with all of my time. If I don’t know how to do something, I find out how to do it.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
I love how the startup community in Nashville is growing. Currently, it’s hard to find any serious investors in Nashville who care about technology in the same way that Silicon Valley investors do. It excites me that I am among pioneers in Nashville who believe we can be a startup hub as well.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
My mind never turns off. I am always processing information and am intentional about what I do with it. Every time I hear a problem, my mind goes to work to find innovative ways to solve the problem. I don’t always vocalize these ideas, but it keeps me on my toes and sometimes, a good idea develops.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
When I was 14, I worked as a Games Clerk at Hershey Park in Hershey, PA. The job taught me a lot, but it was my least favorite job because of the people I had to interact with. When people come to a theme park, they aren’t looking to waste money on games that are almost impossible to win. This causes a lot of angry and upset people who felt the need to take it out on me. I learned how to handle all sorts of people and how to work hard regardless of the situation.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t have done anything differently.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I constantly remind myself that some days are hard. As an entrepreneur, emotions can run crazy. One day I will passionate and excited about what I am doing while the next day I’m kicking myself for leaving the financial stability that comes with a full-time job.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.
Networking is the most important part of growing my business. My network is constantly growing with very skilled and intelligent people. One day, as we grow, those people might be interested in a new gig, and I’ll know where to find them.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
My College Storage was a business that I started in college. We tried a new marketing campaign this past year that totally failed and our annual revenue dropped down by almost 40%. There is a significant scalability problem with the business and I can’t solve it. Because I can’t solve the problem, I feel like I failed.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
A white-labeled E-learning platform sold to education departments of Hospitals. They all have content for their employees, but no good way to deliver the content in a mobile friendly capacity.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I spent $100 to attend a startup weekend. The money was well spent because you meet a group of individuals who are or desire to be entrepreneurs.
What software and web services do you use? What do you love about them?
Kindful is a fundraising platform that I use for Home For The Nations. It’s catered to tech savvy non-profits and is full of useful features. Boomerang allows me to schedule emails to return to the top of my inbox on the date of my choosing. I never forget to follow up with people. Crystal is an amazing new email integration that recommends changes to how I write emails based on big data information about the recipient. For example, it tells me to send my attorney short emails and to expect one-word replies. It might tell me to use more detail with one person while leaving out all detail with another.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The E-Myth Revisited. This book identifies what it truly means to be an entrepreneur. I recommend this book to anyone who desires to live this lifestyle because it helps uncover the true motivation behind why an individual starts a business. It separates the entrepreneurs from the technicians who mostly just desire more freedom.
What people have influenced your thinking and might be of interest to others?
Nick Woodman, the CEO of GoPro
Connect:
Andy Seavers on LinkedIn:
Andy Seavers on Twitter: @ajseavers
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.