Entrepreneurship
Jeff Lopes On His Entrepreneurial Journey, Podcast And Lessons
Jeff Lopes is a Toronto based entrepreneur, who has founded Corporations like Kimurawear, True Blue Homes. Jeff has recently taken his passion for business coaching to a higher level platform with Jeff Knows Inc. Podcast. Family, Fitness, and Business all take a priority in Jeff’s busy lifestyle, and the balance seems to help drive him to all his goals. We recently had the opportunity to sit down and interview Jeff and asked him about his Entrepreneurial Journey, Podcast, and lessons to pass along to fellow entrepreneurs.
We would love to hear from you. Please tell us about your entrepreneurial adventure.
My Entrepreneurial journey started at a young age, registering and operating my first business before turning the age of 17. My businesses have always been created with a passion first mindset, driving me to build numerous companies until early 2006, when I founded the brand Kimurawear. The brand has become a staple in the Boxing and Martial Arts Equipment industry, selling well over a quarter million pairs of boxing gloves since its inception. In 2008 I encountered a life-altering moment that changed our family life. This moment drove me to work smarter, not harder, and I spent the next few years planning out my next ventures. In 2014 the time was right to focus on creating a more passive income. That led me to my first venture into the vacation rental business market, and True Blue Homes was built. This venture has now grown to a vast portfolio of vacation properties in the beautiful Northern parts of Ontario, Canada.
What are the major takeaways for anyone who is listening to your podcast?
Jeff Knows Inc. Podcast has been an incredible journey in such a short period. I have this amazing platform now, to pass my last 24 plus years of rights and wrongs to other young entrepreneurs. Then the amount of amazing, inspiring, and brilliant entrepreneurs I host every week is mind-blowing. I sometimes have to take a step back to just take it all in, because these quality guests are educating, inspiring, and motivating our listeners. I run the podcast as a free-flowing conversation, so listeners not only will learn about business but come out feeling they truly have learned about our guests and their journeys on the way to their success.
Being a successful entrepreneur is no less than a roller coaster ride. What is one of the most important challenges you faced?
The biggest business obstacle that I’ve encountered was earlier in my entrepreneurial journey by learning not to fall in love with my ideas or business. The minute you’re in love with an idea or business, your end goals will continuously alter. What I mean is, if you’re in love and the concept is not working, you will keep making excuses and also keep extending your timeline on goals as you will not want to see the business fail. That is the minute you have to put on your blinders and refuse to see the writing on the wall. I encountered this a few times, and both those times, I held on to the concept way too long as I was truly in love with my businesses. This is why I would advise to never fall in love with a concept or business, as you’re just going to get your heartbroken. So the lesson to be learned, I would advise against falling in love with a concept or business; this will avoid heartbrokenly.
What is the one strong piece of advice you would like to share with young entrepreneurs?
The first step is to find a passion and turn it that into a business. The greatest gift of entrepreneurship is waking up each day and doing what you love. Then set a goal for yourself on a personal level, as well as a business level, and write them all down. I always recommend setting goals around three months, as that period is short enough not to lose your drive but long enough to achieve something incredible. Now that your goals are created create a process to achieve those goals. Each one of these goals should have a step by step process to reaching that goal, and I truly mean a step by step process.
Please tell our readers about your upcoming projects?
I am currently in the process of developing a 16-acre cabin resort on a beautiful piece of land in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada, which plans to be completed in fall 2021. I am extremely excited to see how I could grow on a personal and business level in the next 12 months. I have been putting a lot of effort into growing my brand, which works hand in hand with Jeff Knows Ink Podcast. The goal is to take my passion for everything to do with fatherhood, and my passion for doing with everything entrepreneurial, and combine them so it may help my fellow father entrepreneurs.
