Sam Ovens - Founder of OVENS International

“The Monk and the Riddle,” by Randy Komisar. It underscores the importance of pursuing ventures that bring personal satisfaction as well as financial reward.

Growing increasingly frustrated with the inherent limitations of employment in the corporate world, Sam Ovens decided to take control of his future and pursue ventures offering truly limitless potential. Sam’s fearlessness in making this decision ultimately led to the creation of OVENS International and SnapInspect, two entrepreneurial ventures that enjoyed remarkable success in a very short period of time.

As the founder of OVENS International, Sam has utilized his consulting expertise to build a successful digital marketing consulting business that eventually led to the creation of some of the world’s most widely shared concepts and strategies for creating a consulting business from the ground up. Although Sam continues to work with clients as a digital marketing consultant, his principal focus with OVENS International is now on the development of educational programs and e-learning opportunities.

During the time in which he built OVENS International into a powerhouse in the digital marketing industry, Sam also founded SnapInspect, a popular application designed for home inspection professionals. In a span of two years, SnapInspect became such a valuable and in-demand application that Sam was able to successfully sell the company for an impressive sum representing a truly remarkable return on his initial investment.

Where did the idea for OVENS International come from?

I had taken note of an ongoing paradigm shift in the marketing world that was not being properly leveraged by the existing firms, so I created a digital marketing firm of my own as a way to meet that largely unfulfilled segment of the market.

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

Whether I am traveling or working out of my primary office, my main focus is on working directly with clients of OVENS International.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I think of ideas as things to be found within my mind rather than created by my mind, so I try to focus on creating the conditions that are most conducive to capturing an idea and go from there.

What’s one trend that really excites you?

I think more people are recognizing the trappings of corporate life and are seeking a way to take control of their lives in order to realize their true potential.

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

I am completely averse to traditionally ingrained ideas, so my productivity largely stems from a naturally contrarian mindset.

What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?

I had a job in the corporate world that offered long-term security in exchange for severe limitations on what I could achieve, so I learned that it is often best to take a gamble by betting on your own abilities.

If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

I would have never accepted my corporate job and would have strictly focused on entrepreneurship.

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

I like to adopt multiple perspectives in order to better understand how a particular decision or strategy was decided upon.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.

My expertise in digital marketing has certainly been vital in drawing the initial interest of clients, but I feel that the endless case studies we share really illuminate the possibilities we offer to our clients.

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

I actually had two failed companies before founding OVENS International and SnapInspect, so I simply focused on what I could learn from those experiences and sought to improve my approach in every way possible.

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

Without going into specifics, I believe that there are endless possibilities for streamlining current professional responsibilities through digital applications. This was the basic concept behind SnapInspect.

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

I played golf out at Bethpage Black and spent $100 on a caddie whose advice proved to be incredibly valuable. It’s important to recognize the value of solid consulting, and I made sure to give him a generous tip at the end of the round.

What software and web services do you use? What do you love about them?

I have a lot of digital marketing tools that I had created specifically for my business, which is what I love most about them.

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