Simon Kozlowski Shares His Roller-Coaster Ride
In Episode 6, Simon Kozlowski from the sunny East Coast of South Africa shares his roller-coaster ride from a corporate role to successful entrepreneur.
Between early 2013 and late 2016, Simon built a vibrant business in a competitive industry only to have the business killed in a messy legal battle.
He then joined another small business with huge aspirations, and found himself unemployed less than a year later and having to start from the beginning all over again.
Simon is unapologetically obsessed with unlocking legacy
His journey led to the Creative Spark that inspired his current work – helping people and businesses reinvent themselves.
A Little About Simon Kozlowski
He is the lead facilitator for Business Model Innovation & Digital Transformation at KNect365’s Innovation Academy, based in London, where he trains corporate executives and government leaders on how to structure their internal innovation practices and develop new business and revenue models.
Simon is also the founder of ThirtySeven Innovation, a Smart City strategy consultancy that partners with local governments to make cities more livable, resilient and better able to respond to challenges.
Simon’s work with executives in pitching and presenting has enabled them to significantly grow revenue, transform organizational cultures, and convert resistors into raving fans. His sales coaching has enabled clients to increase sales an average of 30% within 3 months.
Simon lives on the sunny east coast of South Africa with his beautiful wife, Niki, and their three children. Simon and Niki dream of owning their own wine farm someday, but until then they’re quite content to savor the offerings of little-known estates from around the world.
You can read more about Simon here
Subscribe to Inspired Wisdom on iTunes and Google Play
Highlights From the Show
- Black Empowerment ownership rating in South Africa [3:30]
- Steve Jobs distortion field – how we will quickly change the world [5:30]
- Reinvention Coach – debt free and on-purpose [7:45]
- Making sense of his journey: self-awareness and social awareness [8:00]
- If you can’t speak your truth to people, you will struggle to live your truth because it’s not socially acceptable [11:00]
- Self-awareness and social awareness defined – where we shine and dim [12:00]
- If you have low self-awareness and you try to be something that you’re not, it has a funny way of not sticking. [14:00]
- Advice for salespeople: Effectively communicate: If you speak to me in a language that I understand, it goes to my head. if you speak to me in my own language, it goes to my heart.” Nelson Mandela [21:00]
- In his work with sales leaders, communication is the single biggest differentiator. [22:40]
- Current role: finally found his purpose in final months of his 38th year. The formula of Passion, Skills, Needs, and Pay [25:00]
- Customer experience is the next competitive battleground [27:50]
- Case study – textile company turnaround [31:40]
- The most important advice for overcoming failures – build self-awareness. Play to your strengths. energy flows where attention goes. if you focus on your weaknesses, that’s where your energy goes. [36:32]
- One thing you know now you wish you knew earlier: 1) the interplay of passions and pay. The customer determines value … not the consultant. [41:20]
- Habit or mantra that keeps him focused … solving his own problem on IW [44:00]
Links
- Connect with Simon on LinkedIn
- Gallup Stengthfinder (CliftonStrengths Assessment)
- Fascinate: How to Make Your Brand Impossible to Resist by Sally Hogshead