Jim Callender is the CEO of Callender Creates. Jim is a thought leader, influencer, visionary, and successful entrepreneur. Jim provides the leadership and energy that has inspired the creation of Callender Creates. Jim Callender joins other leading CEOs and Founders taking part in our Leader Roundtable Interview Series. The DotCom Magazine editorial team is delighted to have Jim join us for our Leader Roundtable Interview.
Jim, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day for this interview about your company, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
1. Jim, please tell us about Callender Creates.What is the elevator pitch?
We’re a leading technical provider to Marketing & Digital Agencies. We create exciting, engaging digital websites and applications, focusing on delivering value for our clients, and your customers. We use a User Centered Design approach when creating and developing web sites. This means that we always have your customers needs as our primary focus at every step of the project.
2. What is the one thing that makes Callender Creates great?
We are flexible enough to offer you the best solution every project, not just an off the shelf solution. Our passion is to give a future-proofed digital product, that is naturally optimised for SEO, security and performance. Not something that comes as standard with other suppliers.
3. Please tell us what is the key to being a great entrepreneur?
Always try out something if you are intrigued or interested, instead of regretting you didn’t do it. And if it doesn’t work, well, theres more learning in failures than in successes. Every entrepreneur has a collection of projects that are either pending, in progress of completed. Serial projects that the entrepreneur has created key aspects of learnings from.
4. What is the best advice can you give to a young entrepreneur just starting out with a new venture?
Always look for new ways to market yourself and your work, whether that is by networking at local, national and international events, or creating content that is likely to be shared online.
Don’t fly solo – always make sure you have a team or network of trusted professionals that you can bounce ideas off. It’s a great chance to have a retrospective of where you are right now, and where you are trying to get to by the end of the year.
5. What is the one thing that you, as a person, want to be known for?
Being a calm, professional and trusted leader in the digital space, through the knowledge transfer and sharing that I have done in the web community.
6. When building a business, what is the one most important thing to keep in mind at all times?
Be Accountable, and don’t ignore things that will creep up and be bigger problems down the line.
If you are not good at all parts of your business, get some help, and then that will leave you time to work on the parts of the business that you have always loved.
7. When hiring employees, what is the one most important thing you look for?
Always hire younger, smarter people than yourself! This allows you to drive your business into new channels that you’ll be able to support when you clients ask for it. You can also be an early adopter of new technology that can be used as potential products for your customers.
8. What is your “Why”? Why do you get up in the morning?
To wake up and see my kids and family, to see the sunshine and breathe. Then to create new opportunity, learn and make new connections with potential peers and customers.
9. What is the one thing that makes a great company?
Resilience – I’ve learnt that you have to become flexible enough to quickly change service offerings. And not to put all eggs into one basket.
– If a client leaves, or you get rid of them – do you still have a healthy income stream?
– If you drop a service offering, will that free up your time to work on better profit making services?
Think of the 80:20 rule for both clients, and effort of work. Where 80% of sales come from 20% of your customers or product offerings.
10. What is the one thing that makes a great leader?
Determination – When all around you people are failing, you carry on and reach the finish line. It’s amazing how many people I see that don’t have the willpower to follow a lead, or go after a high value client. Also technically, if things are not working don’t give up – there is always more than one way to reach a great outcome.
Jim Callender, thank you so much for participating in the DotCom Magazine Leader Roundtable Interview Series. We very much appreciate the time you spent helping our readers learn more about what it takes to build a great company and become a great leader. We wish you, your family, and of course Callender Creates, nothing but the best.
Thanks again!
