Jul 02, 2012 8 Questions with: Taylor Llewellyn
We first met Taylor Llewellyn through our business partner Adam Moyer, the founder of Knockaround. The two have had an ongoing collaboration and Adam knew we would be intrigued with Taylor’s successful brand story – creating fun, whimsical needlepoint belts, under the label Tucker Blair. Well on his way to becoming a serial entrepreneur, Taylor already has his hands deep into a new venture. It’s called Dappr, and it’s a curated experience, which invites men to discover new lifestyle products, and have them delivered right to their doorstep, at a discount. Taylor was kind enough to share some of the invaluable lessons he’s learned along the way to building a series of great businesses.
What are you currently working on?
Getting Dappr.me launched in August, and doing some Angel investing. I’m still running Tucker Blair as well.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find my professional inspiration from seeing other entrepreneurs build exciting companies. Nothing gets me more enthused than to see a group of smart people take an idea and turn it into a great business.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
Professional baseball player. I’m still holding out a sliver of hope that it’ll happen in this lifetime. I guess that’s my entrepreneurial optimism at work.
What are you reading at the moment?
I just finished The Lean Startup. It’s been very impactful in framing my thought process for Dappr. It’s going to be a mandatory read for every new Dappr employee.
How would you describe your job?
For Dappr, my job is to 1) Get the right people on the bus (advisors, investors, employees) 2) Set the strategy and vision for where we’re taking the company 3) Be a cheerleader and motivator to get the most out of everyone in the Dappr ecosystem.
What does your average work day look like?
My day is super varied. I like that I’m constantly working on different projects and wearing multiple hats. I’m getting married at the end of June, and that has definitely been my #1 focus. It’s a special time. I’m trying to be very locked in on that experience and put it ahead of everything else. On the work side, I’m running one business which involves more of the rote tasks (email, purchase orders, customer service), and launching another business (marketing, idea generation, fundraising, strategy). I also just invested in a small business which required some due diligence and risk assessment.
Congratulations! What have you learned as an entrepreneur so far (to apply to your next venture)?
I’ve learned a ton. I laugh when I think back to how naive I was starting the first business! Here are a few of main lessons learned:
1) All startups are very hard; nothing comes easily.
2) Dream very big, and just will it to happen.
3) Things have a way of working themselves out so don’t sweat things out of your control.
4) Always bring on people smarter than you, if they’re not smarter than you then just do the job yourself.
5) Be very realistic with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses. All entrepreneurs think they’re good at everything and they’re not. I’ve fallen victim to this for sure.
What’s your favorite post-work destination?
Getting exercise or going to a baseball game. I’ve gotten a lot better at putting work aside at night, knowing that I can fight certain battles tomorrow, and they’re not worth dwelling on 24/7.