Ayelet Noff is the Founder and CEO of award-winning PR Firm Blonde 2.0. With offices in Tel Aviv and Boston, they help brands worldwide with all of their PR and digital marketing needs. Follow her @ayeletnoff.
Who’s your hero?
Rather than a specific name, I want to acknowledge the attributes. My hero is the person who comes from nothing and makes everything happen by sheer hard work, dedication, strength and will. My hero is the person who is able to be a good manager but at the same time, a sympathetic person and a mentor to his employees. My hero is the person who doesn’t complain and make excuses, but rather understands the tools he has to work with and makes the most of them, using them to his advantage. My hero is the person who builds a billion-dollar company and then goes on to build another. Not because he needs to, but because he desires to make the world a better place.
What’s the single best piece of business advice that helped shape who you are as an entrepreneur today, and why?
Surround yourself with the best talent in order to build a successful company. You can’t do everything by yourself. Delegate roles to those around you who are the best in their respective fields, and together you’ll be able to build something truly successful.
What’s the biggest mistake you ever made in your business, and what did you learn from it that others can learn from too?
The biggest mistake I ever made was being too conservative in the number of people I was hiring. Turnover in today’s world is high. People no longer stay at a job for 30 years. You’re lucky if they stick with you for three. Always be ready for a situation where people will leave, and always have a backup plan. Hire more than you think you need, for you may need additional help when you least expect it. If you plan to grow rapidly like we did, always be prepared with additional human resources. It’s better to have a few extra hands than be left with none at all.
What do you do during the first hour of your business day and why?
During the first hour of my day I usually catch up on all the latest news and happenings around the world. I also catch up with my staff on all of the latest updates and what we can do to progress actions in process.
What’s your best financial/cash-flow related tip for entrepreneurs just getting started?
Save up on luxuries, but don’t ever save on human resources. Quality people are hard to come by. So when you find them, reward them in the best ways possible. It’s always important to also keep company morale high by investing in your staff and giving them all of the extra perks possible to make them happy in their place of employment.
Quick: What’s ONE thing you recommend ALL aspiring or current entrepreneurs do right now to take their biz to the next level?
Think big. Be happy for your accomplishments, and don’t underestimate them. But always strive to do better and to think bigger.
What’s your definition of success? How will you know when you’ve finally “succeeded” in your business?
Success for me is an evolving process. I don’t think that one can ever achieve “final” success. It’s something which you continuously work on. I take pride in my current accomplishments but I never linger. I always continue forward. Otherwise, how can one ever progress and improve?
Photo credit: Heisenberg Media
