Today we’d like to introduce you to Mona Pearl.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My entrepreneurial journey wasn’t planned and looking back I truly believe it had to do with my experiences, outlook on life and disposition, trial and error, following passion, and the major think of not being afraid of failing while owning my decisions.
“Only the ignorant try to imitate the behavior of others. Intelligent men don’t waste their time over such things: they develop their own abilities. They know that in the forest of a hundred thousand trees there are no two leaves alike and that no two journeys along the same road are the same.” Paolo Coelho, my favorite author from Brazil.
I must admit that I am an entrepreneurial nerd, gathering market information and insights. This helps my clients to analyze strategies, identify trends and redefine growth structures and strategies for start-ups, early stage as well as multinationals.
For example, I was introduced to a high-tech advertising and promotion product at the time that most still didn’t see the potential of the digital world and manufacturing. I saw an opportunity to build a business around it and jumped right into it. I assume this was my inflection point in life which turned me into the life of entrepreneurship. I could “see” the future and how this can revolutionize the industry. I didn’t focus on the risks or challenges, only the opportunities and had the ‘get it done’ attitude and fearless approach. This approach and attitude of “what can we do”, as opposed to “why not do it or what are the risks” has been a major driver in my life. It is about building and creating, and not focusing on the risk and failure, and always looking for a way to make things happen, improve and accelerate.
The lessons I learn in each company I get involved in can be applied to the next company and therefore, have a more panoramic view, creative approach and be on the innovative edge in terms of product and process.
I since then started and managed several companies, and have been in an advisory capacity, sharing from my experience and help make the right business growth decisions and take the companies to the next level.
As Steve Jobs said: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.”
I am fortunate to have a multi-cultural life, having lived on four different continents with frequent travels to many international destinations. Purposefully, I use every experience to familiarize myself different aspects of various cultures around the world, catalogue the findings and expand the knowledge base of my company, helping entrepreneurs reaching diverse markets.
From a business perspective, I have the experience of being a marketing expert, an entrepreneur and a COO as I’ve started and sold three separate businesses from manufacturing to technology to consulting. I work across many different industries ranging from manufacturing and technology to homeland security, hospitality and transportation.
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course, like everybody, I faced setbacks, and if I may add, quite a few. These were my best lessons, since we learn from failure and not from success. There is always an answer. It might not hit you straight away. If you suddenly see you have a mountain to climb over, then either find a way to go around it, get the right gear to climb it, or use a plane and fly over it!
Companies don’t have retreats to try and understand why and how they succeed, although they should. Companies have meetings to find out what went wrong. I believe that everything happens for a reason and the biggest lesson I have ever learned is that you should always trust your gut instinct first and foremost.
As Winston Churchill so wisely remarked: “Failure is seldom fatal, and success never final—it’s courage that counts.”
It is about owning the decisions one makes. What we may refer to as struggles – these are experiences. It hasn’t always been smooth, since operating, marketing and developing businesses in such a fast-changing environment requires keeping the eye on the ball, being attuned to changes, trends and the keen understanding of people’s decision-making process and preferences, how they make choices and how to use data.
Data used to be king. Not anymore. Now it is only a tool. It is about knowing how to segment, dissect, build and market for tomorrow. Developing products and services for tomorrow. What hasn’t been created yet!
We are now looking at the ability to analyze and have a panoramic view, while using sophisticated tactics, all integrated to fit the strategy and sync all activities.
It isn’t just about being able to sell. So much “noise” and choices, and competition, and needs, and uses by people, and ways to buy – how to integrate it all into a successful plan, implement, execute and adjust on the run.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My entrepreneurial career focused on hard to solve challenges in the areas of business growth and marketing, creative solutions and a “get it done” attitude. I would phrase it more as having a vision and acting on it. I was coined by one of my clients “the task force”. This all means that each and every assignment has been unique it its aspects and required skill-sets and approach, so in many ways, all assignments have been challenging, in a positive way, and stretching my abilities, capabilities, level of comfort and skill-set.
For example, when engaged on a project with a global trucking company trying to enter the Asian market, I had to develop creative strategies and in this case come craft socially responsible tactics while engaging several stakeholders from the private sector, government, not-for-profit and other international organizations. This was an exciting project with an end result that benefited all parties involved.
The challenging part was to get everybody around the table, get the ‘out of the box’ idea and plan across and get the ‘buy-in’ of all parties for a successful implementation.
This required cross-cultural and diversity skills, global strategic planning, creativity and taking the initiative while believing in the cause and in myself and my capabilities to make this happen.
I am proud of the chances I took, going where no one else wanted to, which got me to where I am today.
The combination of being a dreamer and an executer. Utilizing both, right and left sides of the brain, creativity with analytics, always had the approach of “what is the next big thing?” What can I be part of that is exciting, out-of-the-box and that will either stretch my abilities or help me acquire new skills and perspectives?
To make a dream/vision come true you need to combine both. I learned not to listen to my self-defeating voice and believing it, while surrender to the belief that I do not need to know everything “now”, it will all come together at the right time.
Doing more of the same has never been one of my strengths. It may feel comfortable, but you are not going to go anywhere unless you stretch your abilities and go beyond your level of comfort, for dramatic results. Sometimes luck plays a part, but lazy people rarely get to where they want to be.
Celebrating 8 years of accomplishments with more than 2,500 attendees from 7 continents in a variety of programs for over 120 organizations, 8 university partnerships, and a cadre of participants improving their professional toolbox and maximizing their careers and potential.
Working with clients and causes, while caring and being committed. For example, the greatest challenge I’ve faced in my career to date has to be the key role I played in helping client and my company survive the recent recession. The challenge was to find possibilities in impossible times not only economically, but when the general sentiment was to do nothing and most wore risk averse. This required tenacity, creativity and the ‘knowhow’ to help those that were ill-prepared for the advent and impact of the recession; engaging in a constant uphill struggle for survival.
Riding the waves of the perfect storm, forcing me to apply cross-industry, the fact that I’ve lived on four continents, am multilingual and therefore, multicultural and can help my clients design relevant growth plans that will stand the test of time.
I have done business across-borders in dozens of countries and creative approaches, made all of us more resilient and successful. Guiding my clients in making the right decisions for their company, and becoming players in a global economy.
When I help a client frame the plan and make their dream come true, it is one of the most gratifying feelings. It is basically taking my experience, outlook and toolbox and help them launch and/or grow their business.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Chicago is a great city for innovation and companies that are looking to grow and test the market. We have great ethnic diversity, amazing professionals, and are centrally located.
Contact Info:
- Address: 40 East Chicago Ave., #400
Chicago, IL 60611 - Website: www.ActionMarketing.info
- Phone: (312) 642-4647
- Email: Mona@MonaPearl.com
- Instagram: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monapearl/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
