Iris Arden

Be patient. Success never happens overnight! All of your hard work will soon pay off.

 

Iris Arden is a successful entrepreneur operating various ventures worldwide. With over 20 years of experience in tech and insurance industries (just to name a few) generating millions in sales, it’s no wonder Iris is becoming a household name. This entrepreneur is destroying the glass ceiling and helping others reach success and happiness.

Born in Israel, Iris Arden moved to New York with her family in 1984 where she would later attend the New York Institute of Technology. During her undergrad, Iris began working for a startup company in Manhattan, which was her first introduction to the world of sales. Since then, Iris has developed exceptional sales skills and transformed various businesses into million-dollar ventures.

As CEO and President of Ramon Insurance, the leading provider of freight insurance and experts in placing direct cargo insurance, Iris Arden has emerged as a leader in the insurance industry. Most noteworthy, Iris is the only individual to be granted underwriting authority on behalf of the world’s leading insurance companies. Additionally, Iris is the founder of Lumiration, a numerology service focused on improving the mental, physical, and spiritual lives of their clients.

Currently, Iris Arden resides in New York and Florida and frequently travels the world for both business and pleasure.

Where did the idea for your company come from?

Freight and cargo insurance is extremely important for individuals and business owners in the shipping and transportation, import-export business. Ramon Insurance was born out of the need for more protection, for companies in every part of this industry. When shipments are damaged, no one wins. It’s stressful for the shipper, receiver, and for the company transporting the goods. Ramon Insurance was incorporated and licensed in 1982, and has been providing valuable insurance and assistance ever since! Clearly, we have filled a major need.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

If I am not traveling for business, I wake up early at 6am, workout and have a quick breakfast before making my way to the office. I love to have meetings with various teams so I can be updated on how things are going and help when there are issues. When you travel as much as I do, it’s important to touch base with your team to make sure you’re all on the same track. I also love hearing new ideas from my team, it’s extremely rewarding to see employees get so invested in their work! When I am traveling for business, my days are all over the place. Nothing is typical.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I am a determined hard worker, so as soon as I have a good idea, I work until I achieve success. Having such a hard-working team helps immensely!

What’s one trend that excites you?

I love how many opportunities the internet has created for businesses to interact with consumers. From social media, blogs, events, and sponsored content with popular influencers, marketing your products and services, and connecting with the public has become incredibly important and easy with the internet! This creates such a personal relationship between brands, businesses, and consumers. I am glad that business is shifting to a more consumer centered operation.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Waking up early, living a healthy lifestyle (physically, mentally, and spiritually), and of course, keeping a detailed schedule.

Sometimes you wake up and feel like there are not enough hours in the day. I am always more energized when I wake up early so I make this a daily habit. Additionally, when I feel good, I am more dedicated to my work and I have the energy to work long and hard. Lastly, I have multiple businesses that pull me in every direction, so a detailed schedule (google calendar, phone notes, and an agenda) is so helpful.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Be patient. Success never happens overnight! All of your hard work will soon pay off.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

I am not sure if nobody agrees with me on this, but I think it is very important to invest in yourself. How you look and feel is extremely important in a business setting, where you are trying to build relationships with consumers and professionals. It may sound shallow, but you only get one chance to make a first impression, which can be difficult to bounce back from! I encourage everyone to invest in their wellbeing.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Invest in digital marketing. Do not ignore the power of ads, social media, and other platforms to creating awareness of your business, your hard work, and of course, attracting consumers.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Focusing on the customer and providing exceptional customer service. When you realize the importance of this, you will be able to please your clients and attract crowds to your product/ service. By offering competitive rates and building relationships with my clients, I have been able to make them happy and turn many of my clients into returning, life long customers! We are super fast in attending to our clients needs and concerns and they appreciate it a lot.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

A failure that comes to mind is when I attempted to start a new business but I was so busy with all of my other responsibilities (both professional and personal) that I did not put enough love and energy into this venture. It never really took off, but it was a great learning experience. Don’t force yourself to do much more than you have the time and energy for! I will come back to this venture, but later in life when I have less on my plate. Sometimes you have to put goals on the backburner.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I would like to see a website online that verifies ALL licensed insurance providers to protect the public from insurance fraud. The U.S has $80B of insurance fraud every year.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I spent $100 on donating to Jewish kids Israel program.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?

Hootsuite has been a savior for my digital team. We can schedule social media posts in advance for months on end, across various platforms. This allows us to focus on other more pressing issues/ responsibilities.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I read a lot of books written in Hebrew, so I’ll just name one of my favorite english books: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dave Carnegie. This is a self-help book that talks about increasing your earning power, improving public speaking skills, and arousing enthusiasm in others. It’s great for those in customer service industries.

What is your favorite quote?

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive”-Maya Angelou. This is such a beautiful quote, like many of Maya’s, and it always inspires me to work harder and challenge myself.

Key learnings:

• Work hard and never give up!
• Focus on providing exceptional customer service skills and you will create some life-long customers.
• Take care of yourself, physically, mentally and spiritually, so you can work hard.

Connect: