Steve Doumar was born in Fort Lauderdale, FL where his family has been since the 40’s. He now has a family of his own including his 17 year old son. On his mothers side (Barkett) there are still a number of lawyers and judges living in the Miami area.
Steve’s first entrepreneurial endeavor took place in 1987 at the age of 24. He founded a bridal magazine in the South Florida area called Premier Bride. In this endeavor he concentrated on helping business and brides come together through various advertisers in the community. After building this up for 2 years, the spawning of the mode to be replicated in other markets took place. Steve then replicated the product in the form of franchises up to 70 different locations throughout the United States. All leveraging the South Florida talent creating world class pictorials as well as several jobs pertaining to the publishing industry. He printed the magazines in Miami and then would ship them to the appropriate franchisee. There are numerous charity activities that took place in which Steve Doumar contributed.
Steve sold the company in 2000 and presented his next endeavor at the birth of the internet running an ad on monster.com for individuals to work at using the assets of the internet which still were not fully understood to deploy a home work force. This technology called LiveOps is credited with pioneering the gig economy and is noted as the model for the independent contractor eco-system to function properly.
Steve is a significant shareholder in LiveOps and they have 25,000 operators with such clients as US Government with the SBA loans, Amazon, Stand Up For Cancer, Macy’s, Humana and many others. With this invention, we continue to give many individuals an opportunity to work and support their families in a flexible environment .
Steve left LiveOps in 2013 to start new elements in the Telephony space such as Expert Planet and StarStar Mobile until he found another lasting endeavor in 2019 called TapText. The invention of developing a way for a consumer to tap on a digital ad and communicate to a business via text message. He holds 13 Patents in this technology and is currently building it into a large institution in the Miami Area. TapText has since transformed into Whisp – opt in simplified.
He recently sold his house in Fort Lauderdale to move to Miami where there is a big uprising in tech. This is now where Whisp is calling home. Whisp will continue to revolutionize the way businesses communicate with consumers.
Where did the idea for Whisp come from?
The idea for Whisp.io came from years of understanding the art of telephony, which I learned through a previous company of mine, LiveOps. As I continued my entrepreneurial journey, it became evident to me that the action of transferring consumers through a digital ad into a text didn’t exist, and needed to.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I wake up with one thing on my mind, to achieve company related goals alongside my team. I instill the value of productivity in my team, which leads to positive results.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I craft a plan, develop a strategy, and staff the plan.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The trend of change. Technology constantly changes for the better. The technology that I am attempting to implement is an example of the rapid uncontrollable trend that is change. I believe that Whisp.io provides a better alternative to the technology that is currently used.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
My daily regimen provides me with stability, which in turn allows me to achieve the excellence I strive for everyday.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to not rely on anyone. I would say this to steer my younger self away from individuals looking to take advantage of my initiative.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
The technical integration of Whisp.io is extremely simple.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Put in the effort and the time, and reinvent yourself everyday.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
The integration of teamwork. Progress and productivity stems from the alignment of team members. When you have a scenario where not everyone is putting in 100% effort, a non productive, resentful environment takes shape. We try to avoid this in order to prevent a decline in productivity.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
My previous company, Star Star mobile, required the customer to do three things. Dial **, dial 2-12 numbers, and then call. A text would then be sent to the consumers cell phone, and the phone number of the customer would be routed to the ** number. As unique as this tech was, it proved to be too many steps to take on any form of success. I overcame this failure by concentrating on the text portion of this technology on my next company, Whisp.io.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
There are many business opportunities related to the shortening of the consumer journey. For example, when I go to an apartment complex to fill out an application, the average fee is $500. Additionally, they run a credit check, and you have to fill out a four page document. I believe that there could be a way to alleviate the time and effort related to this action.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I have a sensitivity to quality sushi, the best $100 I spent was at my favorite sushi restaurant yesterday.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?
We use salesforce as a mechanism to track elements related to the deals in progress.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
“How to Win Friends and Influence People” – Dale Carnegie. It is the ultimate book on understanding why people want to talk to you.
What is your favorite quote?
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence” – Ray Kroc
Key Learnings:
- Whisp.io is the third call to action, it’s a new way to communicate.
- Failures are only noted if you don’t go on to do something bigger and better
- The customer journey is ripe for disruption
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.