Kevin Hobbs

Research your next business venture during down times.

 

Kevin Hobbs is the CEO of The Vanbex Group & Vanbex Labs, a blockchain based firm based in Vancouver, Canada. Hobbs brings over a decade of management experience to the firm after working in a variety of professional roles. He has been involved in the blockchain space since 2013. He is particularly interested and specializes in how blockchain technologies innovate how business is done for the future. He is regularly invited to speak at conferences in the blockchain and financial technology industries globally.

Where did the idea for The Vanbex Group and Vanbex Labs come from?

Originally it was going to be the Vancouver Bitcoin Exchange, but our clients wanted more in the line of consulting at the time then they wanted to use a Bitcoin ATM. The Vanbex Group is a company that has evolved from a strategic communications & consultancy firm into a full blockchain laboratory, helping established companies and startups alike harness emerging technology for a changing world.

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

I’m a self proclaimed work-a-holic so I don’t work the typical 9 – 5 schedule. I do make it a priority to engage and lead my team’s every day to make sure they have the support they need to be successful. My goal is to build confidence and self success with everyone who works for me.

How do you bring ideas to life?

It all starts with an idea. I believe leading is vision, capable people will get the job done and done well if they believe in the vision.
By bringing my entire team together to participate in the building of the vision that is step one.
Then I brainstorm with the team bringing the vision into every idea and decision to build interesting and unique solutions to real world problems.

What’s one trend that excites you?

People are starting to see that a collective global voice is more powerful than a tunnel visioned centralized authority. The Power of the Crowd and solutions based on this model are very exciting to me.

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

For me, it is keeping my finger on the pulse of society and the edge of new technology. I keep my team apprised of any new developments and/or changes that are happening within the industry and the globe to stay ahead. Our team gathers for a weekly to share stories, give updates, and hear my thoughts on all things relevant to them, the company, and the industry, as well as ask me anything they want to. It’s a really good conversation.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Learn to love vegetables, listen intently you can learn from everyone in every situation. Slow down. Breath. Learn to code. Be accountable in every situation you have the opportunity to be. Fight hard when your right. Its ok to make mistakes, you will make many, just learn from them.

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

FIAT Currency coming into the crypto space with no clear rules and barrier to entry especially when investing in token sales was the single biggest cause of the downfall in 2018 of the crypto currency market.

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

Trust your instincts. While it’s always wise to err on the side of caution, sometimes you need to make important decisions quickly to move forward and reach your goals. This is where trusting your instincts and using your best judgement should steer you on the right path. Doing nothing is worse than making a mistake.

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

Back when I was still a trader, during times that were slow, I started doing market analysis and learning more about the bitcoin space and educating myself, and became a successful trader in the space across multiple coins on various exchanges. This allowed me to stay at the table in many of the conversations that still exist today that are leading the advancement of the blockchain industry.

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

I wasn’t able to reach all my employees the way they needed to be reached to be the most successful self they could be.

I’m still working on it, people are your most important asset and if you are going to lead you need to be that visionary leader to everyone in your stable.

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

I have so many ideas I could share. One I really like is more of a way to model and run your business to always be nimble and strong enough to change with your customers, technology, and society. Its called a Living Organization. If you want to go deeper there is technology that underpins this called a Continuous Organization.

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

It was on groceries. The other day I went to the grocery store and when walking home there was this woman who was pregnant and begging for money. She didn’t look like she was on drugs she just looked down on her luck. I gave her all my bags of groceries. She almost cried.

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

My smart watch. I never miss an email or a phone call that way.

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

Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World by Don Tapscott, the bestselling author of Wikinomics. It really is quite fascinating how this technology is disrupting the world. Or the Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous

What is your favorite quote?

This is a quote from one of my favorite movies, Meet Joe Black.
“Love is passion, obsession, someone you can’t live without. Someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back.”

Key Learnings:

● Trust your instincts
● Research your next business venture during down times
● Give to charity
● Do everything with passion

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