EDITOR’S NOTE
The Soulful Stories That Behold the Power to Transpire Upright, Self-motivated. Confident. Optimist & Positive. Accountable. Courageous. Full of Humour, Passion, Integrity, and Respect for self and others. And most important, Likable. These are some of the traits that sets a person on the wheels of leadership or frames them in broad light as people who inspire. But with the changing times and entry of new blood in the entrepreneurial world, it is time for the entrepreneurs to reinvent themselves upright and up now. Coming from diverse education & professional backgrounds, these entrepreneurs have become the epitome of change and are looked upon for inspiration and motivation by not just their employees but the society too. Just like a fresh breeze of wind, these entrepreneurs bring fresh, innovative ideas, and Silicon Valley like work culture that has already transformed the way people here perceive being an entrepreneur. On the other hand, we cannot demean the efforts that our local entrepreneurs have put to bring in a change in the perception in the grass root level. Today they are not just creators of job who have huge followers, but one who believes in creating more leaders throughout his/her journey. But many a times, their story remains untold, and unheard, which when brought to light have the power to transpire generations alike. Saluting such inspirational souls and bringing to you their untold story of hardships, successes, failures and motivation, Prime View dedicates the current edition to “The 10 Most Innovative Business Leaders Revamping the Future, 2021”. We believe these stories when read will leave you awe-stuck and inspire you and take up challenge to change the world you want to see it like. Do let us know what you think! Prime View Magazine editor@primeview.co
The 10 Most Innovative Business Leaders Revamping the Future, 2021
SONAL K
STEVE R DAVID S
DNYANESH K , JOHNSON J.
SAM K.
RICHARD D.
Alex S. , ANJALI G.
Visit: https://primeview.co Email: editor@primeview.co
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Lori Hamilton Founder and President
Prosperity Productions
Abhy Maharaj Executive Vice President Business & Growth.
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NewCold
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Robbie Cabral CEO & Founder
BenjiLock, LLC
Ekta Tejwani 20 Founder Mumz
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Ana Aldea
Founder
Datasocial
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Lori Hamilton Founder and President
Prosperity Productions
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arketing strategist, researcher, and creative consultant with over 20 years of expertise and extensive knowledge, Lori Hamilton, Founder and President of Prosperity Productions approached the challenges of the industry and decided to command a firm that bridges the gap between consumer desires and brand innovation. A problem-solver, at the core of her being, Lori is driven by a passion for achieving and exploring. Her work has generated over $3 billion in incremental business for clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. She has personally interviewed over 25,000 people from Global CEOs to people living in trailer parks and everything in between.
Founder of an innovative initiative in her own right, Lori navigated her brainchild brand’s success story from a small consultancy to a comprehensive service-providing organization. Her firm has researched 23 countries around the world. In Academics, Lori holds a B.A. in Linguistics from UCLA and has won 59 awards for creative and marketing excellence, including five Best of Shows and a Clio. She also uses her Juilliard and other professional theatrical training to create customized workshops that generate hundreds of ideas in a matter of hours. She has taught Insights and Innovation at Columbia University’s Master’s Degree Program in Strategic Communications, NYU Business School, and Pace University. Moreover, Lori speaks three languages semi-fluently, can do 32+ accents, and knows how to caramelize sugar with a blow torch.
Prosperity Production’s Exclusive Service Portfolio Prosperity Productions strives to bridge the gap between consumer desires and brand innovation. They get inside the data, going beyond the obvious to help people make informed decisions that connect with consumers, build brand reputation, and boost engagement. Their insights work can: ● Capture customer needs as they evolve. ● Explore potential ideas – what makes them work and why?
● Test messages and approaches for communications, sales, and advertising. ● Rank creative, packaging, and sales materials – what works best and why? ● Measure the impact of new programs and campaigns. ● Track customer sales and satisfaction. ● Develop new products, distribution, and communications channels. ● Improve sales team performance. ● Motivate and engage key partners, ad agencies, design shops, vendor partners, and co-sponsorship partners.
What Influenced Your Decision to be an Author? “I love helping others see the opportunities in insights. Also, I have been supporting myself doing insights work since I was 18, and I learned a lot along the way. I enjoy teaching and sharing ideas with others. The more we can all understand one another, the more compassionate and innovative we can all be. I hope that my writing takes a step in that direction”, said Lori.
Clientele & Corporate Ethos The clientele ranges from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. What they have in common is a true desire to bring value to the world. They are focused on creating products and services that better the lives of their customers, and I’m thrilled to be a part of their success. To Lori, the goal is the success of her clients, not just showing off how smart her team is. The whole team works hard to understand the internal dynamics of the clients so that the work can be immediately embraced and acted upon. One of Lori’s proudest achievements is that she has had three client teams where the entire team was promoted because of their excellent teamwork.
What Helped Lori Hamilton along the Way? “Luck and gratitude are the short answers. I am honored to be working for clients that focus on creating good things for the world – be it pharmaceuticals, consumer products, financial service, tech, or 10
other innovations. And it’s a privilege to have respondents share the real, messy truth of their lives. From patients to moms to C-suite leaders managing billions of dollars, it’s a joy and a key responsibility to take what those individuals tell us and help our clients turn that into prosperity for themselves and their customers. One key for me has been to ask for advice from experts, and then follow it”, shared the business lady when asked about the driving force behind her success.
From the Founder’s Desk First, you have to take a step back and see that there are equity gaps. I was lucky enough to chair a meeting at the US Chamber of Commerce about the workforce, and it was eye-opening. Did you know that we are using the same resume format originally designed by the Greeks? Wow! We hire based on a formula of skill sets and experience, but fire-based on soft skills such as work ethic, ability to collaborate with others, etc. Millions of workers are left out of this process – people of color, veterans, women who have been out of the workforce, caregivers for a parent or special needs child, even older workers who have great work ethic but lack a couple of technical skills. Whenever we have an opening, I make a point of asking for non-traditional candidates. It has served us well. Hiring older workers, people of color, and those who need a more flexible work schedule has created an incredibly hard-working and loyal team that I’m very proud of.
A Day in Lori’s Life Lori Hamilton starts her day with meditation, affirmations, and a workout. Then she heads to work, which is different every day. She tries to make sure she takes breaks – from laying down for 10 minutes to taking a quick walk. “I am a filmmaker, writer, and actor. When I’m not telling stories for my corporate clients, I’m telling stories to the world,” shared Lori.
Road Ahead Lori is excited about diving deeper with the clients. “We are at a place with many of our clients where we are doing foundational research – the big why’s that lead to big ideas. We have several projects on the books for next year that will allow us to help our clients take their work to the next level”, shared the leading lady.
Awards & Milestones Lori Hamilton and her team have won 59 awards for creative and marketing excellence including 5 Best of Shows, Addy’s, Amy’s, Clio, and a Gold Pencil. Prosperity Productions has also been named on the 20 Companies Who Are Escalating Innovation In The Market In 2021 by the Global Business Leaders Magazine; one of the 50 Most Influential Companies of the Year 2021 by CIO Bulletin, a Media Innovator Award 2021 by AI Global Media and one of the 10 Most Innovative Business Leaders Revamping the Future, 2021 by Primeview.
A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs Take the time to study and intuit what you love the most, what lights you up inside. What do you waste time on because you just enjoy it? What work environment energizes you? Follow that! Whatever you love is your best north star for creating and growing your business.
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You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him to find it within himself. - Galileo
Favorite Book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
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rapidly growing global company specialising in advanced temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics, NewCold is redefining the design, development, and operation of of automated cold storage with Abhy Maharaj as its Executive Vice President Business & Growth. As the Executive Vice President, Mr Abhy has been spearheading the company successfully together with Founder Bram Hage and members of the leadership team - achieving a wide network of advanced automated facilities across Europe (United Kingdom, France, Poland, Germany, Italy, Sweden), Australia, and the United States. He has been with the company for 2 and a half years initially in Australia and now in the Netherlands and is responsible for Commercial, Strategy, People, and Growth of NewCold Globally. Abhy Maharaj is well-established as a Business Leader, Innovator and Strategist. He has worked in senior executive roles in the wide spectrum of global brands, food manufacturing, and aviation industries prior to moving to NewCold.
More about the Initiative Founded in 2012 by Bram Hage and WestPort Capital Partners, NewCold has its HQ in the Netherlands with locations across Europe, the US, and Australia. NewCold Advanced Cold Logistics is the fastest-growing automated warehousing and distribution global player whose world-class systems, energy efficiency, and productivity make it stand out from other conventional cold storage companies It operates a network of 11 cold storage facilities, with 927,000 pallet positions, on three continents and is further expanding its operations globally, building on decades of know-how in developing and operating advanced cold chain logistics solutions
NewCold wholly-owned software subsidiaries Davanti, NewCold Automation and GL Automation provide in-house Warehouse Management and Material Handling software expertise. NewCold has been growing at over 30% CAGR a year and has strong support from its Tier 1 customers with global names like McCain, Froneri, Conagra Foods, Simplot, etc. Customers tend to be large multinationals who have developed a long-term relationship with NewCold built around trust and performance. The average contract terms are very long term in tenure and as such relationships with its major customers are more like partnerships with close collaboration built around high service standards and ground-breaking innovation. NewCold has a significant greenfield development pipeline of asset builds and as it scales up, maintaining agility and finding the right talent is a constant challenge but also an opportunity to bring in great talent into the business. The supply chain disruptions and impact of Covid on our customers have added complexity to a number of our operations and construction projects
What Helped Mr Abhy along the Way? The main driving force behind Abhy’s journey is the strong curiosity to understand how things can be done differently and working closely with some inspiring leaders has helped develop him over the years Abhy has never been afraid of making some daring choices in his careers such as joining an airline that was close to bankruptcy and helping it turn around and become one of the most profitable and 14
and innovative airlines globally, or joining a large dairy company with a multi-billion-dollar M&A agenda or working for NewCold, a fast-growing disruptor in the automation and logistics industry. They are all very different sectors but all going through a significant transformation which is an environment that he loves to work in. Bram Hage, founder of NewCold, has played an important role in Mr Abhy Maharaj’s success and likewise other inspirational CEOs like Theo Spiering’s at Fonterra, Rob Fyfe at Air New Zealand, and great CFO mentors like Lukas Paravicini (Fonterra) and Rob McDonald (Air New Zealand)
A Day in the Visionary’s Life His wake-up time is typically around 6.30 am. After a quick walk with the dog, he will head off to work or if working from home review and plan his day. Days are a balance of team discussions, innovation ideas, decision forums, and phone calls from around the different geographies the company operates in. Abhy does not have a 9-5 type job… as he is working in different time zones his meetings or calls can be either very early or late at night. He is late to bed (around 12-2 am typically) so lots of time to fit in different activities and balance work and family life. Abhy has been a vegetarian since he was 18 years old so he always likes experimenting with different food recipes or trying out new restaurants. Traveling and seeing new places is also an important part of life and spending time with his wife Ashika, three children, and Yorkshire Terrier Alpha. 15
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Human resources are more valuable than all the wealth of the world Favourite Book “While I am now living in the Netherlands I grew up in New Zealand and I love and used to play rugby and the All Blacks are not just an amazing rugby team but the most successful sporting team in the world. The book Legacy by James Kerr is a favourite of mine as it uses sport and the All Blacks to show how the best in the world stay the best in the world”, shared Abhy.
Road Ahead NewCold has a bold ambition to be “the world’s most customer-centric, advanced and fully integrated automation & logistics company.” Their growth has been absolutely breath-taking and while they are already the 4th largest in the world by size their journey is just getting started with significant new projects to come with the business doubling in size every three years… watch the space. NewCold is continuously exploring new ways to reduce energy consumption and drive efficiencies through new technologies aimed at making NewCold the most sustainable company in the logistics space; NewCold is on an exciting journey and we are simply just getting started with many more exciting chapters still to be written in our growth story.
● Newcold is Number 10 in 2021 Top 250 of Fastest-Growing Dutch companies
A Piece of Advice for Female Entrepreneurs “My mother was a senior executive and I watched her break many glass ceilings in her career… this has always stayed with me and it’s important particularly in the logistics industry that we attract female entrepreneurs and leaders”, shared Mr Abhy. “My advice would be not to spend too much time worrying about what others think about you and have the confidence and resilience to follow your passions… eventually, the naysayers will follow your lead”, he further added
Jewels in the Crown ● Newcold is the largest automated cold storage company globally and ranked 4th largest refrigerated warehousing and logistics provider in the world by Global Cold Chain Alliance.
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he most un-tapped resource of our times: Mothers! The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, so we have heard.
When that journey is motherhood, we fall into a bias and directly visualise to see a calm, composed and in-control mother holding a beautiful baby, unaware of the storms and everyday struggles that rage underneath the surface. We are so accustomed to this image, that across the wide spectrum of physical, psychological, financial, medical and emotional needs of the woman, we forget that the birth of a child is also the birth of a mother! Assuming a mother has fully accepted the joy and innocence of this new life, swirling through obstacles, ready with solutions and answers to the different challenges of motherhood, not even whisking once, to think twice and that leaves behind at the edge of conversations, the concept of Matrescence.
Ekta Tejwani Founder (Mumz)
First described by Dana Raphael in the 1970s, and then recently resurrected by Dr Aurelie Athan at Columbia University, Matrescence is the ground-breaking and revolutionary way we now understand what happens to a woman when she becomes a mother? In short it is understanding “the process of being a mother”. The new revolution of understanding, valuing and supporting mothers, liberating them from an outdated view of what they are supposed to be and supporting them with solutions to what they (actually) feel.
A platform where mothers can not only swipe and meet other like-minded mothers in the area in an offline-online setup, based on kids age, interest and times to meet, but also be a time-saving safe platform where mothers can find easy solutions of their struggles, interact with others through international forums, and have the option to choose location-based solutions at a swipe of a finger.
At Mumz, we hope to help mothers embrace their motherhood journey with confidence, by hand-holding them and giving them the support –
Supporting mothers through different stages of motherhood, Mumz focus is to be able to analyse pain points and offer solutions to mothers in the region, especially in a post-pandemic era. An eco-system of When they need it, they have it! support for mothers through different stages from A community-building social networking app ( Freely pregnancy to early infant years, mothers facing the available on iOS & Android) for mothers in Asia, that dilemma of toddler tantrums or being at career crossaims to be the go-to Location-based marketplace for roads and finding the need to focus on self-worth, Mothers catering to the needs that range across the finances, relationship .. or the pandemic! spectrum. 20
The stories we collected through our platform in the last two years made one thing clear: When Covid-19 hit, across the globe, regardless of the country, the first set of demographic divides was clearly seen within a household. Irrespective of their age or career choice; mothers bear the brunt of it. A deeper impact across breaking points, yet courageously supporting and cheering other mothers & mom-entrepreneurs, sharing resources, this up-tapped resource of mothers focussed on the power of community collaboration over competition. Coming together and sharing their passions through the MUMZ ‘Who is She’ Portal, (https://meetmumz.com/who-is-she/), these powerhouse mothers are thriving together to continuously learn and grow in their respective fields while focussing on making the life of a mother easier, fun-filling, calm and in-control. Supporting some of these mothers through our Brand Partner Awareness Programs, Mumz is bringing focus to businesses owned by mothers, for mothers. From one end of the services spectrum of offering businesses catering to the medical needs of the mother to supporting parenting, developmental and leisure fun-based learning for children, our brand partners work towards offering solutions through community involvement. Our product-based brand partners have created innovative solutions creating a positive impact on the developmental needs of a child, by launching products like reversible organic wear or fun based activity enrichment programs, motor skill enhancing products or simply providing eco-friendly sustainable products for mothers. Some of the current brand Partners we have on the platform: Offering Services: Baumhaus, BodyTalk Hong Kong, Curiosity Kids, Dance Embassy, Diet-Events, Happiness is Ftt, Neobael, Rocking Horse Playhouse, Seema’s Skill Zone, Supportive Parenting and more.. Offering Products: Aveita, Campfire Crates, Cotton Pigs, Easy English For Kids, Kids Gain Health, Little Ninja Learn, LittleBeanToysChest, ZeroYet100 and more..
To find the discounts & deals up to 50% off from our brand partners, check them on the Mumz app ( Download here: Mumz on iOS & Mumz on Android) Supported by the Hong Kong Government D-Biz Grant, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Innovation ADULT Learning Program), our start-up has been Recognized by JCI Hong Kong Jayceettes as the APAC Entrepreneur of the Year 2021. Looking to join fellow female-owned businesses in our fundraising journey and hoping that through the collective team’s efforts we can, as a tech-enabled platform, "Help mothers find their happy place within a community, so that in this journey of motherhood, no mother has to do it again, ALONE! As a woman who has the support and backing of a community of mothers, has easy access to online-offline opportunities to meet, find support and answers, has the ability to save time and find skill-based learning/events/activities for themselves and their children, find discounts from their local loved brands, have access to experts, specialists and user-guides, Mumz wants to empower women and mothers to be aware and reach out to find solutions providing them the time-saving support they may need. What we are saying is: In helping mothers embrace their motherhood journey with confidence, Mumz’s support shall be there. When you need it. You have it! Know our story: Mumz App ( Mumz on iOS & Mumz on Android) Website: https://meetmumz.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/meetmumz Facebook: https://facebook.com/meetmumz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/14531762
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Reversal of Fortune: Five Ways Biden’s Win Will Boost Impact Investing in Emerging Markets
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However it turned out, everyone knew that the U.S. election results would bring significant change to America. In the world of finance, the markets have already responded positively to the news of President-elect Joe Biden. Biden’s victory will impact different industries in different ways, but one particular economic sector that will get a major boost is impact investing. Under the isolationist policies of the Trump administration, it became much more difficult for impact investors to operate in emerging markets. Travel/visa restrictions, inconsistent federal investment in emerging market economies, vacancies at embassies, and a general retraction of U.S. policies intended to help emerging countries all made impact investing work more difficult in these markets. That was a stark difference from what was happening when I was a science and technology advisor for President Obama, who had a robust policy for global development initiatives that helped U.S. companies grow in emerging markets. During that time, impact investors were one of the groups benefiting tremendously from good relations with countries worldwide, and from the Obama administration’s efforts to:
• “Alleviate poverty, and advance global commitments to the basic welfare and dignity of all humankind.” • Create policies and funding “focused on sustainable development outcomes that places a premium on broad-based economic growth, democratic governance, game-changing innovations, and sustainable systems for meeting basic human needs.” • “Increase […] investments and engagement in development-focused innovation by seeking and scaling up potential game-changing development technologies such as vaccines for neglected diseases, weather-resistant seed varieties, and clean energy technologies.” Over the last four years, the Trump Administration’s chaotic approach to international trade policy, threats to gut international economic development budgets and lack of leadership on helping emerging economies hurt the impact investment community. All of the values the sector holds dear – from economic justice and community-based decision-making, to governance, green infrastructure and safe food systems – were eroded if not wholly devalued. Plus, the U.S. government’s shift toward isolationist policies, defunding of many green infrastructure programs, and failure to deal with the pandemic dampened impact investors’ ability to expand their work in these emerging markets. As we look toward the incoming Biden administration, we can expect that it will reverse course on this isolationism. But I believe the Biden administration will give the sector’s work in emerging markets an even more significant boost. Below, I’ll discuss five key reasons why.
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IS THE FINANCIAL FUTURE Under a Biden presidency, impact investors will be able to see their investment dollars go further within their portfolios of green infrastructure-related companies. Biden has already announced a $2 trillion plan to develop the green economy, which will provide a significant boost to renewable energy. And this impact will extend beyond just solar and wind to other green technologies like green chemistry, geothermal, bioenergy, hydrokinetic energy production, energy storage, green transportation, green building and many more. These are the emerging technologies that startup companies have a hard time investing in on their own. History has proven that federally funded research from a wide range of agencies (Defense, Energy, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, etc.) is an economic driver for change and innovation. Biden will bring the might of this type of economy-driving research that has, in the past, created innovations like the Internet, GPS and smartphone technology. Once we rejoin the international community in the Paris Agreement and beyond, our commitments will be matched and met by many other countries. As a result of this, doors will open to impact investors who work in emerging economies. 25
For example, I’m confident that the impact investment support work done by Jumpscale (where I work as a General Partner) in Ecuador, Brazil, Kenya and beyond is going to experience a renaissance of growth in impact as a result of Biden’s agenda.
STABILITY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS The first lesson in investing is to reduce risk. The destabilization of government institutions, knee-jerk reactions among political leaders and policy chaos are risky: They cause markets to wildly fluctuate and tend to scare off investors. Throughout Biden’s campaign and even during his first speech as President-Elect, he has projected an image of stability, empathy and thoughtfulness that has been missing for the past four years. Biden also has decades of experience working across the aisle in the legislative and executive branches of government, which will help him bring more stability to American society and the global economy. Consistency, predictability and stability are the hallmarks of good business.
IMPROVED INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS OPENS DOORS IN EMERGING MARKETS We’ve already seen world leaders congratulate Joe Biden, as cities around the world celebrate his election in gestures of support that we’ve rarely witnessed before. The re-establishment of strong diplomatic and financial relations with our allies worldwide will help impact investors tremendously. Sound policies will help to reinforce both positive investments and positive outcomes in those countries. Cooperation with our allies will help to stabilize emerging economies around the world, which will reduce the risk of working in those countries. It will become easier to find and invest in the innovative impact companies that exist around the planet, yielding global solutions for local (and international) problems.
RE-EMERGENCE OF SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING RESTORES CONFIDENCE The past four years have seen an erosion of trust in the scientific institutions and processes that help guide future innovations for the planet and our society. Conversely, during my time with the Obama administration, I saw the rebuilding of science-based inquiry and research which was gutted by the Bush administration, with R&D sponsored by the federal government leading to innovations that were shared with the private sector. Biden has always been a big proponent of science-based decision making and research. Regardless of which party controls the Senate, we’re about to see a massive new federal investment in scientific and technological innovation that will rival the incredible leaps we’ve achieved in the past.
EFFECTIVE PANDEMIC MANAGEMENT WILL ALLOW INDUSTRIES TO RESUME BUSINESS PRACTICES It is not possible to overstate how much damage has been done to America’s people and economy due to the Trump administration’s lack of leadership in marshalling an effective federal response to the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Entire industries have been economically devastated, and private equity investors have had to deploy capital to try to save their existing investments, which reduced their ability to make new investments. Additionally, investors’ inability to travel meant they were unable to strengthen relationships or conduct due diligence in foreign markets, leading to a slow-down of innovation. In many emerging markets, a handshake and looking somebody in the eye are essential parts of the process. I expect that within the first six months of the Biden administration, we will see a more rational, science-based and empathetic response to the pandemic. It will lead to a clearer path towards rebuilding our economy, while moving societal norms in a much more positive direction. 26
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confluence of innovation, honesty, and the universal mind, he is none other than Robbie Cabral, CEO & Founder, BenjiLock, LLC. An alumnus of the Universidad APEC, where he completed his Bachelor's Degree in Advertising.
Robbie further apprised, “Our customers are our clients, and without them, I couldn't see BenjiLock as a reality. However, we have our products available at Walmart, Home Depot, Best Buy, Ace Hardware, b8ta, Lowe's, QVC, and many others.”
A man with many hats, Mr Cabral is a strong entrepreneurship professional with a Certificate focused in Music Management from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Starting as an Author
Experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer electronics industry, this fine gentleman is highly skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Copywriting, Event Planning, Customer Service, and Advertising. From dreams of becoming a rock star to an entrepreneurial lock star, Robbie Cabral, CEO and founder of BenjiLock, took his passion and his prototype to CES back in 2017 on a whim. Mr Cabral is a prolific and outstanding leader; he has led the company’s unique solutions to help people and create multiple drivers of growth that made a significant contribution to the company’s progress.
BenjiLock- The Personal Security Specialist They specialize in personal security. Founded in 2014—BenjiLock is redefining the personal security experience by using fingerprint hybrid technology in padlocks, bike locks, and deadbolts to bring protection with the consumer in mind. The traditional lock hasn't changed in over 100 years, and since the introduction of the key, the BenjiLock invention has become the innovation in its category. This is the world's first traditional rechargeable padlock with fingerprint technology. BenjiLock can support 10 fingerprints and can also be opened using a traditional key.
Robbie Cabral is not an author yet, but he is looking forward to it. The leading man believes his personal story and struggles to get where he is at today are what truly is the American Dream. The everyday people relate to it because he is one of them. BenjiLock has a story to tell as a brand compared to others. Why? Because it's real life.
Hurdles on the Way & the Driving Force The pivot is to adapt to the times presented by the coronavirus. In light of this pandemic, I've taken the time to foster innovation. The 'Fingerprint Bike Lock' and 'Fingerprint Door Lock' innovations advance BenjiLock's mission and expand the technology into different categories.
“As entrepreneurs, we tend to be our way, or the highway, and think we're the only ones going through it. In reality, we're all in this together”, said Robbie. The "Shark Tank" experience has helped the leading man along the way. It was the most anxious and exciting moment in his life. The chance to have Kevin O'Leary as not only your investment but as a mentor and advisor, it's a blessing. Kevin's vision was also where Robbie saw BenjiLock going. He is thankful for it. 28
Be patient. The universe will dictate and put you on the right path. Don't be afraid to share your ideas and connect with other entrepreneurs. Seek mentorship as it never hurts.
Creating a more Balanced and Equal Industry Robbie advises startups and major corporations to create a culture that stands and supports equality. It all starts in the hiring process. The beauty of the United States and the world is diversity, and he loves reaching everyone in between.
A Day in Robbie’s Day & Favourite Book When asked about his daily routine, Mr Cabral shared, “I'm very active. I wake up and make sure I take care of my family first. From getting my kids ready and your usual drop-offs at school. Then, I always take some time to exercise. Whether a quick bike ride or gym workout. It helps me clear my mind and start my day. After that, give me a nice cup of coffee, and I'm off to work! And I can't stress it enough. If you're irritated, take a day off. Sleep well, and you'll be more productive. As far as hobbies, I won't lie. I can't live without my basketball and baseball. Huge NBA fan!” He continued, “I have many books that inspire me, but I do take to heart 'Ninja Future: Secrets to Success in the New World of Innovation' by Gary Shapiro. A great read for forward-thinkers.”
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Robbie Cabral CEO & Founder Benjilock LLC
The Future Roadmap BenjiLock's future is exciting! The smart home market is showing no signs of slowing down, including the use of biometrics. The consumers are adopting it, and Robbie is glad to be part of it. The roadmap of developing his technology with a manufacturer as Hampton Products International, it's incredible! Not only are they expanding their retail footprint, but they see BenjiLock as a global brand. Remember, padlocks are universal. Presently, BenjiLock’s fingerprint technology is expanding into a portfolio of products—an upcoming line of bike locks, next-generation padlocks, drawer closet, and cabinet locks, and a brand-new line of smart home door locks.
Awards & Milestones From industry accolades, the BenjiLock invention has become the most awarded padlock in America, including the 2021 Digital Trends CES Award, 2021
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If you have a vision or a passion for something, go for it. TWICE CES Picks Awards, 2021 TITAN Business Award, 2020 Big Innovation Award, 2020 CES Innovation Award, 2020 I&T Top 50 Most Innovative Products, TIME's 2019 Best Inventions, 2018 Thomas Alva Edison Award, and more.
Words of Wisdom Don't be afraid of pursuing your goal. Don't take a 'no' for an answer. Be you, decisive, and things will pan out. benjilock.com 30
Five things that have changed in sales because of COVID that will never be the same as before Since COVID began impacting our lives many people have reached out to us at Datasocial seeking help with an updated sales process now that face-to-face networking is basically gone. There are severe doubts about whether we will go back to selling on golf courses and restaurants when the pandemic passes. The pandemic has accelerated some changes due to the absence of physical relationships, yet many of them will never be the same as before.
1. The growth of Smarketing
Founder at Datasocial
Traditionally the sales and marketing teams teams have been at each other's throats, but today they need to learn to work together. Thus, marketing has grown faster than ever. Why? Sales have always given very little value to marketing leads because they could generate their opportunities at expensive restaurants and golf courses. But with everything closed, they have had no choice but to look pleadingly to their peers for leads to work with. And this has led to more and more talk about the "lead hand-off" - what the mechanisms are for handing off leads from marketing to sales and what each of the teams has to commit to. Who calls the leads? How long do sales qualify the leads they receive? None of this is new, but COVID has given it the importance that sales teams have traditionally tried to take away. In this scenario technology tools can bridge the gap between sales and marketing and the tech is continually growing. 32
2. Prospecting by providing value is the answer What if inbound can't give me the leads I need? You simply have to pick up the phone or email and try to generate leads by providing value. And providing value is the most important part. Finding opportunities so that in the sales process, the other prospect receives value even if they don't buy from you, for example, with an audit of their website or CRM. It's no use calling everyone with nothing to offer. We are past that time; it is the time to provide value, even if it is remotely.
3. Automation and value The automation of sales and marketing tasks is here to stay. It did not arrive with COVID; it has been with us since the 90s when the first marketing platforms were born and have been evolving ever since. According to Gartner, "A marketing automation system is a system that helps marketers execute multi-channel marketing campaigns by providing a scripted environment for creating business rules and interfaces to a variety of third-party applications."
information face-to-face, it is key to have real-time and updated information about the opportunities we are working on. Therefore, it is more necessary than ever that technology is at the heart of the relationship between the customer and the company.
5. A connected technology stack Now that people can't see each other, it's time for applications to "talk to each other". The switchboard can no longer be a horrible room full of underpaid people, where everyone is shouting simultaneously, but a cloud application that connects the whole team and is synchronized in real-time with the CRM to which it constantly sends information. The same goes for the other applications where we interact with the customer, which are many and create silos of information that are not accessible by the other team members that may contain very valuable information. It is time to have a connected technology stack and a CRM that reflects all interactions with customers, wherever they are.
These tools, mostly from the marketing world have been overtaking sales and today many sales tasks can be done semi-automatically, such as importing leads into a CRM or sending sequences. Far from worrying about the tasks that teams no longer do, there is an opportunity to add value to the tasks we don't automate, spend time on the leads that are truly qualified, and focus our time on creating meaningful and value-adding relationships.
4. Sales teams have begun to value CRM. In times of scarce opportunities, each one must be carefully nurtured and worked on. CRM, which most sales forces see as a divine punishment, has become an ally that gives them context about the relationship with the potential customer, informs them about the technology that customers use, about revenues and employees, tells you about the interactions that other departments have had and in some way sheds light on the customer relationship as a whole. Now that we do not meet our partners in the corridors or at the coffee machine and we cannot share customer
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