EnterpriseZone.cc Connecting Global Leaders
Gavin Sim’s success has much to do with his lack of fear of failure.
What’s your story?
Growing up, I had stable life, the freedom to pursue my interests academically, and did not need to worry about finances. I found a stable career path as a Naval officer but left this career on my 30th birthday as a symbolic gesture to give myself a chance to live life without fear of regrets.
After an opportunity to help a contact with an event, I soon realised that I had a knack for offer creation and marketing.
Today, I run two business – a digital marketing firm, Inbox Consults, and another coaching arm for aspiring entrepreneurs, Inbox Income Academy.
What excites you most about your industry?
The uncertainty and ever-changing environment of the digital world adds to the adrenaline, but nothing excites me more than hearing the success stories of my students and clients.
I help businesses and entrepreneurs craft amazing offers and funnels and then advertise for them to generate revenue.
People may think that offers and marketing are separate, but the sum of all parts makes the difference in the business, and I provide that holistic overview.
With the right offer and proper marketing, businesses could see the power of adopting digital business models compared to traditional forms.
What drives you in business to push beyond what other people consider normal?
Results. I am a results-oriented person, and helping my students and clients achieve results is my main driver.
However, with my experiences, I understand that it takes two hands to clap. I am willing to go the extra mile and go above and beyond for my students and clients, only if they are also dedicated to their own success.
If they are not interested in their own future, I have no reason to invest in theirs.
What have been the most useful skills you have learnt and applied in your journey?
One of the most essential skills that I have learned is flexibility. In the digital world, situations develop and change very quickly. While we have adequate planning, we must remain nimble. I will be left behind very soon if I cannot change and adapt.
For example, if I were to run an advertising campaign for a scheduled event on a particular platform today and the account is put on hold, I would have to adapt quickly to find alternative solutions. The event will continue, and I will still have to generate the leads on an alternative advertising platform.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
It sounds cliche, but its “just do it”.
Oftentimes, we tend to think of “what-ifs” negatively.
What if this fails?
What if this does not work?
What if they disagree?
But instead, we can think positively.
What if this succeeds and I can achieve my goals?
What if this could help others and change their lives for the better?
And when you think like that, magic happens, and you have to JUST DO IT.
I chose to think of a better ‘what if’ and today, I am working hard to help impact businesses and change lives, one at a time.
Who inspires you?
Elon Musk and his work at SpaceX inspire me.
It is not because of his wealth and achievements but how he embraces failures as part of the process. He had multiple failures when starting SpaceX, where he was spending his last dime to make the Falcon rocket work. But he never gave up and looked at where we are today with spaceflight advancement.
Seeing how Elon Musk worked at SpaceX reminded me that we do, fail, learn, and do again. This empowered me to have the courage to leave my career, test out campaigns, do product launches, and many more.
What have you learnt recently that blew you away?
Focus on the people who trust me instead of spending energy on people who don’t.
My mentor shared this with me and shifted my perspective in business: I spent too much effort convincing people who did not believe that I would be suitable for them.
In doing so, I may have neglected people who had given me their trust and allowed me to serve them.
I should be doing justice to my believers by giving them everything, serving them to the best of my abilities, and helping them scale their business.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Find a mentor who fulfills these criteria:
1. They are where I want to be
2. They are actively doing what I want to be doing
3. They have a proven track record
When I first started my business, I thought that I was smart enough and could manage this independently. I worked on my business during the day and drove private hire at night to supplement the income.
However, I was never able to achieve the breakthrough that I wanted – until I sought out a mentorship by heavily investing in my own education and finding a mentor.
How do you unwind?
I unwind by watching movies and doing casual gaming on my computer. I love watching movies like The Matrix and Inception, which require me to think deeper into the philosophical aspects and hidden meanings.
Occasionally, when I need some “me time” to think about business, I will do some private hire driving at night when the traffic is much clearer. Rather than driving around aimlessly, I could bring some people from point A to B!
What is a major mindset change, belief shift or ‘ah ha’ moment that you’ve experienced in relation to your business?
You don’t win every day in business.
At first, I felt discouraged that I was not getting new clients every day.
My mentor said this: “Out of 365 days in a year, all you need are 30 days that are good in your business, and you are set.”
That statement liberated the limiting mindset and I realised that I had to work to get the 30 days instead of wallowing in self-pity daily.
In 2020, I counted that I only had 12 “winning” days, but that made me gain more money and happiness to my students and clients too.
Everyone in business should read this book:
“Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” by Robert B. Cialdini.
This is probably the best book ever to explain why people will, and how you can get them to, “say yes”.
The principles like reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity are evergreen and can be applied to almost any context.
Another book is “Expert Secrets” by Russell Brunson.
There are many books out there today that could explain and guide you on how to create an offer and build a funnel online, but Russell probably does it in the most straightforward and visually rich way possible.
Shameless plug for your business:
Over the years, I have helped multiple businesses worldwide grow their revenues and pivot traditional companies to the online world.
I have also created a 3-day boot camp called the SOFT LOVE Launch Formula, an SSG-approved program, aimed to help anyone start their business online and achieve more revenue online in 30 days or less.
It is clear that the future is in the digital space, and businesses that refuse to pivot will be left behind. But for the uninitiated, moving online could prove daunting. They need this proven SOFT LOVE framework that they can use to begin this journey.
How can people connect with you?
Please feel free to connect with me on any of the social media platforms. Have a chat with me, and I will even drop you a free gift!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simgavin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heygavinsim/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heygavinsim/
Email: gavin@inboxconsults.com
Work Mobile: +65 8821 3786
Social Media Links?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simgavin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heygavinsim/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heygavinsim/
