Marc Lafleur from truLOCAL

In this episode of Beyond the Inbox, host Sam is joined by Marc Lafleur, the founder of True Local. Marc shares his insights and experiences as an entrepreneur, discussing the importance of purpose, the power of marketing, and the value of building a strong team. He emphasizes the significance of having a clear purpose and dedicating oneself to becoming the best in the world at solving problems.

Marc highlights the role of intuition and following what feels right for the business. He encourages founders and team members to trust their instincts and try out ideas that align with the brand and industry. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and gaining inspiration from various sources such as books, podcasts, and observing the strategies of other successful entrepreneurs.

The conversation delves into the hiring process and the value of considering personality and passion over experience. Marc shares his experience of hiring sales representatives and finding that waiters and waitresses, who possess strong conversational skills and the ability to build relationships, were often more successful in sales roles than individuals with extensive experience but lacking in interpersonal skills.

The importance of creating a flat organizational structure where ideas can come from anyone within the company is also discussed. Marc emphasizes the value of crowd-sourcing ideas and involving team members from different departments, as they may offer unique insights and perspectives that can lead to innovation and success.

The episode concludes with a discussion on purpose and the fulfillment that comes from achieving a long-term goal. Marc shares his personal journey and how the sale of True Local provided a sense of fulfillment and relief. He emphasizes the importance of reevaluating one's purpose and finding new goals and passions to pursue after achieving a major milestone.

Overall, this episode of Beyond the Inbox offers valuable insights for first-time founders and entrepreneurs. It explores the significance of purpose, intuition, and building a strong team. Listeners are encouraged to embrace their purpose and dedicate themselves to solving problems, while also being open to learning from various sources and involving team members in the decision-making process.