Adam Swart of Crowds On Demand: Five Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Launched My Business or Startup
An Interview With Doug Noll
Recognize that business ownership demands resilience, especially during personal challenges. Despite what you may be facing, customers anticipate exceptional service, and your team relies on consistent compensation. This unwavering commitment to excellence and responsibility is the cornerstone of successful entrepreneurship.
Taking the risk to start a company is a feat few are fully equipped for. Any business owner knows that the first few years in business are anything but glamorous. Building a successful business takes time, lessons learned, and most importantly, enormous growth as a business owner. What works and what doesn’t when one starts a new business? What are the valuable lessons learned from the “University of Adversity”? As part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Adam Swart.
Protest analyst and expert Adam Swart, CEO and Founder at Crowds on Demand helps organizations advocate for important causes, settle disputes, and amplify messages.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I remember being on an airplane from New York to LA and seeing a well-dressed woman getting off the plane with her entourage complete with security and staff. She was barraged with paparazzi and peppered with questions. I was enthralled and wanted to see more. Then it dawned on me, I had absolutely no idea who this woman was. And it didn’t matter. Context is everything, and it exists well outside the world of celebrities.
Consider a politician’s speech to 500 people versus the same speech to just five. The larger audience not only alters the reception and coverage but also the perception — especially if protesters are present.
Similarly, when a CEO unveils a new product in a packed auditorium, the fanfare trumps that of an announcement made in a half-empty office conference room.
Even a major conference can be defined by an engaging and clever PR stunt outside, showing how context shapes our experiences and perceptions in profound ways.
I created Crowds on Demand because I know how much context matters and how much people, or the lack of people, can create that context and in doing so, can create a huge impact.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?
As a business owner, two critical mistakes I made early on were expanding beyond my core competencies (mine are namely delivering large-scale events and campaigns, and crafting innovative, out-of-the-box strategies) and hiring close friends. Starting a business in college can seem ideal due to lower risks associated with failure. However, this can also lead to naïve errors due to lack of experience. For example, I once overcommitted to a campaign without fully understanding its scope, leading to financial losses. This situation was exacerbated by a high-profile client who failed to pay their bills. I had to dip into my savings and even incurred losses one year to resolve these issues. The key takeaway for business owners is to thoroughly understand the projects they undertake.
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
My dad was in tech and my mom was sort of tech adjacent. Interestingly enough, she was one of the first executives at Silicon Valley Bank. These professions brought them out to California initially and to build a life there, but it’s a demanding environment. It’s a real rat race out in Silicon Valley. I tell people that I had never worked so hard as I did in high school, and they never believe me. You’re probably supposed to say, “I’ve never worked so hard as I’m working with a small business,” but that’s not the case for me.
Eventually, my family moved to Ireland for a bit, I think to kind of get us outside the “rat race” ourselves because growing up in that area is really challenging. Schools in Silicon Valley, all these kids are just brilliant, right? It wasn’t impressive if you were doing basic calculus. That taught me to become diligent and driven when it came to my work ethic and product, which eventually translated into starting my business.
So, how are things going today? How did grit and resilience lead to your eventual success?
The best businesses in many cases are created when there’s a disconnect between the demand for something and the value and supply of that thing. I founded Crowds on Demand to fill a niche yet vital need: generating authentic crowd presence for various causes and events.
The primary objective for each client is to ensure they see substantial returns on their investments. However, ‘return on investment’ can signify vastly different outcomes depending on the client’s goals. For instance, a startup showcasing at a trade show might define success as generating more leads and sales. Meanwhile, an advocacy campaign could measure success through tangible shifts in public policy, and for an audience-centered event, success might mean creating the intended impact at your event.
My strategy revolves around tailoring our approach to meet the specific needs of each client, with the aim of transforming every short-term, event-focused engagement into a long-lasting partnership. Success, to me, is not just about the immediate return on investment though; it’s about building long-term relationships and becoming an indispensable part of our clients’ narratives. Regardless of the campaign, our mission remains consistent — to create memorable moments that propel our clients toward their goals. This approach has not only fueled our growth but has also solidified Crowds on Demand’s reputation as a leader in our industry.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
It all goes back to being 22 and naive again! I had several projects running at once and at the same time was filming a pilot episode for a (failed) reality show. It was absolute chaos and shockingly didn’t make for better TV.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
I think the very nature of Crowds on Demand stands out. One of my favorite events of all time was casting an entire bridal party and 90% of the attendees at a wedding for the sole purpose of impressing the groom’s family. He was worried that his parents would be upset if they met her real family and close circle, so he hired us to stage things. We provided over a hundred young professionals to be her “friends” and several others to be her “family” including a father of the bride who wept as he walked her down the aisle. As the Bridal Chorus played in the hall of the ornate venue, I couldn’t believe what we put together. To my knowledge the couple is still happily married and living abroad today!
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
I don’t think it matters which industry someone is in, but I think it’s critical to make time to exercise. Even the most time-strapped people can work an hour a day on the exercise bike or take some work calls on a neighborhood walk. Exercise actually gives you the energy you need to remain sane and focused.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
My mom has always been a driving force in my life and always believed in me. When I told people initially about my business the reaction was almost unanimously that it was a terrible idea, except for her. She always encouraged me to follow my dreams but also grounded me in my reality by encouraging me to keep my financial house in order and not lose my humility.
During the period where I was making so many mistakes, she was the one who helped me get things together, giving me inspiration and tough love.
She passed away 7 years ago. They tell you loss gets easier but for me it’s a loss that actually feels worse by the day because of the moments she misses and the occasions she’s not there for.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
One movement that is very close to my heart is the Afghan translators and members of their civil society who our country abandoned to the whims of the Taliban in 2021. I continue to work with families in the US and abroad to try to get them the resources they need. I feel very fortunate I have the resources and connections to help make things happen but I am sad I couldn’t do more and that hundreds more heroes are suffering under Taliban rule, in refugee camps or in jobs that don’t benefit their contributions to their nation and ours.
Paid protestors can provide individuals from lower-income backgrounds or marginalized communities with the opportunity to participate in activism for causes they deeply believe in. Without financial compensation, many people are unable to take time off work. Just because someone is incentivized to be there, doesn’t mean they don’t believe in the cause. Additionally, this practice can result in more effective and organized protests, with activists who are well-informed and pre-prepared to make their case.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first launched my business,” and why?
1 . Run the numbers on every project before you take it on. Understand what you’ll be spending and the effort it’ll take you personally to make it successful. Then, figure out a reasonable profit based on that and price accordingly. A lot of business owners only look at profit and loss but it’s important to understand how easy or complicated something will be since your time is valuable too.
2 . Try to turn every client into a repeat client by knocking it out of the park for them. Repeat clients already know your value and have confidence in you. The more repeat clients you have, the less you have to spend on sales.
3 . Understand that big name clients whether it’s a famous person or a Fortune 100 company are not always the ones who pay the most or pay on time. Smaller customers and smaller businesses often have more flexibility and can pay when they see value is there and aren’t beholden as much to bureaucracy.
4 . Try to embrace the busy times and focus on wellness, family and fun when things are slow. Many business owners are overwhelmed when they’re busy and anxious when they’re slow. Embrace what life throws at you. For example, I had a few weeks that were very slow last summer and ended up joining a trail running group in the Swiss Alps! I came back to busy craziness, refreshed and relaxed.
5 . Recognize that business ownership demands resilience, especially during personal challenges. Despite what you may be facing, customers anticipate exceptional service, and your team relies on consistent compensation. This unwavering commitment to excellence and responsibility is the cornerstone of successful entrepreneurship.
Can you share a few ideas or stories from your experience about how to successfully ride the emotional highs & lows of being a founder?
Many business owners love to boast about working 20 hours a day as if that were even humanly possible. I think they have it wrong. To be sure, there are days when you’ll want to work hard to embrace opportunities that are presented to you. But also enjoy the downtime. Inevitably there will be slow times in your business. Instead of trying to force something, embrace that downtime and focus on your wellness and your family. Ultimately those things are more important than any business.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I would love to bring low-cost nutritious food to underserved communities and hold accountable the forces who pretend to care about marginalized communities yet poison them with addictive sodas and fast food.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-swart/
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
About the Interviewer: Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA was born nearly blind, crippled with club feet, partially deaf, and left-handed. He overcame all of these obstacles to become a successful civil trial lawyer. In 2000, he abandoned his law practice to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer. He is a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts. Doug teaches his innovative de-escalation skill that calms any angry person in 90 seconds or less. With Laurel Kaufer, Doug founded Prison of Peace in 2009. The Prison of Peace project trains life and long terms incarcerated people to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. He has been deeply moved by inmates who have learned and applied deep, empathic listening skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills to reduce violence in their prison communities. Their dedication to learning, improving, and serving their communities motivates him to expand the principles of Prison of Peace so that every human wanting to learn the skills of peace may do so. Doug’s awards include California Lawyer Magazine Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America Lawyer of the Year, Purpose Prize Fellow, International Academy of Mediators Syd Leezak Award of Excellence, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals Neutral of the Year. His four books have won a number of awards and commendations. Doug’s podcast, Listen With Leaders, is now accepting guests. Click on this link to learn more and apply.
