The Entrepreneurial Experience with Kristen McClellan

I would say, I mean, at different phases, obviously there was always different challenges. Kind of one of the earliest challenges for me was always both, mainly my age more so than being a woman in business, because I had started Snappy Screen when I was 19. So I think the most important thing that kind of helped me overcome those challenges was to learn how to walk the walk and talk the talk of everybody I worked with. So whether it be an engineer, since I was a non-technical founder or an IT guy, I really took the time to kind of study in on what lingo and language I needed to know and enough data to kind of bring us to the next level and know those changes that we were making. So for me, really, education was key on the things that I didn't know since I was kind of an inexperienced new founder. So for me, I think for most entrepreneurs you don't really come up with a backup plan. For me, I never really doubted that I was onto something. I think at different phases, obviously you have doubts along the way of what you're building, but you also always have a plan A, B, C, D of how to fix it and change it. I think a business is ever-changing, so the concept had always remained the same and I knew that people needed to put on sunscreen in a different way and that we were going to find a way to give that to them. So I never doubted that the concept as a total would be successful. I think that that's part of being an entrepreneur, that you know that the problem that you're fixing needs fixing and you'll find any way to kind of get you there. I think for everyone, everyone handles stress differently, so you kind of need to know how to self-check is my biggest advice. Know when you're kind of running on zero and not feel guilty about maybe taking a day to go for a run or, you know, taking some time to know that. I always say there's a big pool and if you throw a lot of junk in the pool, you can't swim through. So if you're eating poorly, not sleeping, not exercising, all of that at once, you will run on zero. So it's really important to know at what time what you're putting in the pool and make sure that you're pulling at least one thing out of the pool so that you can keep going because if you pile everything in, you'll completely run on zero and that's kind of when creativity stops. You need to have like enough motivation, enough sleep, you need to feel good in order to have your brain functioning at its highest. So I think really the biggest advice would be to self-check, like know when you're getting close to that point. Know kind of what your breaking point is and making sure that you don't bring yourself there, catch it before you get there. So I think I'm a prime example of someone who did not have the experience to build the technology of the field that I'm in. So I am a non-technical founder. I had no mechanical engineering background, no electrical engineering background. I had no engineering background whatsoever. So for people who are looking to build a product, I think it's good to know that you're always able to, number one, learn. Never stop learning in your life and that's okay. But also to surround yourself with people who know more than you know. I think that getting Snappy Screen to where it was, I surrounded myself with a lot of different talented engineers and designers at different points that I was able to learn from but also tell them what I've learned about the industry and what we need and kind of find that happy marriage of building a product. So it's not always about you personally having the skill set, it's about your ability to build a team and surround yourself with the right people to get you to the next place.