CEO of $80 million enterprise: “There’s more opportunity here than anywhere else in the world.”
Ten years ago, when Julie Smolyansky took control of Lifeway, the company her immigrant father founded in 1986, she was barely out of college. Since then, Smolyansky has grown revenues by more than 560%, to $80 million. Immpreneur asked what advice she would pass on to any budding immigrant entrepreneur.
America is the land of Opportunity
“In this country, if you want to do something, you can do it. There’s more opportunity here than anywhere else in the world.”
Save, Save, Save
“Be conservative. Our success came in part from very strict savings on my parents’ part. It’s easy when you come to America and make some money to live lavishly and buy the things you couldn’t get back home. But, you’ve got to set your priorities.”
Use Your Foreign Advantage
“Many immigrants can probably find a similar situation to my father’s. Search for a staple from your country that’s popular and bring it to America. There’s an instant ethnic market here. If you do it properly, you can create interest outside of that ethnic group.”
