MY ACT OF REBELLION: Veronica Guguian

What was the deciding factor as to why you got into entrepreneurship?

Ever since I start working, I kept on thinking of business ideas. Actually, they came to me. At that time entrepreneur and entrepreneurship wasn’t on everyone’s lips and I am not sure if I really know what the word means.

One day I decided to just listen to that little voice that was telling me to go for it and this is how I started my first company: daRida fashion.

Couple of years later I decided to move to the Netherlands and choose to get a 9 to 5 job, in order to build my network and to learn how things work here.

After building up my network, I realized I am not happy working for some else and quit my job. I was not sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I want to live according to my own rules.

And this is how SPIN Ideas was born.

For me, being an entrepreneur is a way of living, a way of thinking and being.

You can’t turn off being an entrepreneur once you finished the work for the day or when you are at a party chatting with new people. It is a part of you.

It is about wanting to get out of your comfort zone on daily basis and keep on learning. It is about being yourself and true to your believes.

What challenges did you go through?

You need to learn everyday something new, otherwise you can’t grow.

The hardest part of being an entrepreneur is that you need to do everything in the same time. You can’t do only what you love, but everything that is related to running a business. Or at least you need to understand it.

So first you need to learn how to set up a company, then you need to know sales, marketing, finance, how to implement different procedure in your company to make everything run smoothly, and the list keeps on growing.

Every step is a challenge when you do it the first time. However, for me, the biggest challenge is time management.

No one tells you, but everything will take double than you initially think. This keeps on being my biggest challenge: how to make things happen quicker.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” — Steve Jobs

How did you face those challenges?

You take them one at the time. And the beauty of it is that, once you did something, it becomes easy and you are ready for the next challenge.

Who supported you in this period?

My partner is one of my biggest supporters. And the people you surround yourself with. It is imperative to have the right people around you and to learn how to say no to the ones that bring you down.

What are you grateful for?

The people in my life.

What impact would you like to bring out in the world?

This is a hard one.

Everyone should do what makes them happy. If you follow your passion, you are authentic in everything that you do, life is better, and you can truly help and bring value to the people you interact with.

You can read more about Veronica’s work at SPIN IDEAS.

Credits to Magpeye Photography