I don’t mind losing a battle but I’m terrified of losing the war. This fear pushes me to never give up and find different ways to problems.
Emil Jimenez started working in the communications industry in 1998 as a web designer in NYC. After graduating Rutgers University with a degree in Psychology, he moved to Miami where he continued his education and received a Masters in Creative Communications from Florida International University and the renowned Miami Ad School. Mr. Jimenez has worked for United Bank of Switzerland, Citibank, MTV Latin America, Leo Burnett, Lowe Worldwide, and he opened Passion Communications in 2009 in Prague with the dreams of building a brand empire. Since 2009 Passion Communications has worked with brands all over the CEE region, won numerous awards for effectiveness and creativity, opened branches in Miami Beach and a production team to produce films and other branded content in-house. As part of the vision of building an empire, Emil has has created a division of Passion Communications focused on creating and promoting their own branded products for sale within the EU and US markets. The first such brand is a mobile native app for publishers. The second one is , a monthly subscription based flower delivery service.
Where did the idea for idea for Passion Communications come from?
The idea for passion came from the fact that life is too short and you should do what you are passionate about. I’m passionate about marketing and building brands.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
My day begins at 6am in what I call “quiet time”. I like to just relax, do a bit of yoga and watch the sunrise. Around 6:30 am my daughter wakes up and then I’m in “daddy mode” until about 8 am when I drop her off in school. From 8-9 am I’m in the gym and in the office by 10 am. I try to begin my day by having quick meetings with my sales and marketing teams, catch up on projects statuses and see how our leads are doing. The rest of the day its management meetings, investor calls, catching up on emails, and doing various other tasks. I’m back in daddy mode from 5-8pm and between 9-11pm I’m either working with our US based clients or relaxing with my partner.
How do you bring ideas to life?
The first thing I like to do is get to the core of the product truth. Who made it, why, and what does it do. Then I like to visualize the client experience and define what this brands mean in a person’s life. Then this somehow starts to define the branding which leads us to how we tell the brand story online and with marketing collateral. We are usually working on the marketing while we are still figuring out the operations of the business. I’m a believer of “build it and figure out the rest later”.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Futurism. I’ve always been fascinated by everything that is on the horizon. It keeps me always looking forward and feeds my constant inquisitiveness.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
My fear of failure. I don’t mind losing a battle but I’m terrified of losing the war. This fear pushes me to never give up and find different ways to problems.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Stop wasting time. I try to tell that to myself today still but it doesn’t always work.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
I gave myself an expiration date that I think is true. Some people think it is morbid to think of your mortality but in my case it is actually very liberating. If you know when you will die then maybe you’ll appreciate your time alive more. You’ll be nicer to people and you’ll push yourself to get more things done. My grandfather lived to 102 years old and I asked him on his 100th birthday if he ever regretted anything in life, his answer was, “I wish I did more.”
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Read. I read a lot and I tell everyone around me, “read what you want to become.” So whenever I enter a new business field or get intrigued by a new topic, I try to become an expert in that field.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
The one strategy is to be honest. We have always told our clients the truth no matter what the situation. Sometimes our recommendations were not well received but at least we presented to them our honest opinions without any ulterior motives.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
Putting too much trust in people and the only way to overcome this is by hiring better people and by setting clear KPIs.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
None. I’m in the idea business so sorry. No freebies here.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I bought a Master Class in screenwriting with Aaron Sorkin. Besides the tips and techniques you learn, I was more fascinated by the man and the thinking process. Having access to people is the most difficult thing in the world and platforms like this make it possible for you to get one step closer to these legends.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Hubspot. With this platform I can manage many aspects of my business from sales, marketing, CRM, etc. It is a great tool so I can get a quick overview of our sales pipeline.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
“The Alchemist” because it is a beautiful story about following your dreams. When I first read the Alchemist I saw a lot of myself in the character. If you look at the trajectory my life has taken you can see many of the similarities. I’ve lived in many countries trying to chase a treasure I had in a dream.
What is your favorite quote?
“The true measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in moments of challenge and controversy” – Martin Luther King
Key Learnings:
- Take time to reflect on your life and be happy for the things you have accomplished and are trying to achieve.
- Value the people around you and create an environment for them to grow.
- Stay true to your passion and don’t always chase the money.
- Be a gentleman and live honorably.
- Live a life full of passion, power, and persistence.
Connnect:
Passion Communications on Twitter:
Emil Jimenez on Linnkedin:
Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.