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Episode #001 of Caminando al Trópico, a space full of flavor made by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. Today we are going to learn about the environment and the digital world.
Hosted by Jose, from Trópico Digital, a digital marketing and online advertising agency
Hey, hello, hello! I am very happy to share with you the first episode of the Camino al Trópico podcast and, at the same time, the first interview with entrepreneurs.
I invite you to subscribe to our podcast. It will be very helpful if you are in the world of entrepreneurship if you are passionate about marketing, and if you want to take your business to the next level.
In this space, you will find content about digital marketing, online businesses, life stories, and many interviews.
Experience and motivation! The most flavorful recipe.
I am sure that the best way to grow is by supporting each other; and listening to other people who have already faced the challenge of having their business both physically and online: what challenges they have gone through, their greatest satisfactions, and advice. STAY TUNED!
In this episode, I interviewed my great friend and colleague Diego Patiño, a very talented entrepreneur from the city of Rionegro who went from being an employee at a web design and development agency and digital marketing; to creating his own company: DP Soluciones.
A development and digital marketing company committed to the evolution and innovation of its hometown and the care of the environment through two of its star products:
ECOTICKETS: a digital event management platform
ECUPONES: an app that promotes the gastronomic culture of eastern Antioquia
With four years in the market and a consolidated group of partners, DP Soluciones continues to make a big impact in Eastern Antioquia.
What advice would Diego give to his 10-year-old self: NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER THINK NEGATIVELY, NEVER THINK YOU CAN’T DO IT.
In this interview, Diego tells us about his beginnings as an entrepreneur, his motivation; how he stays focused, how a business can be successful online, and of course about his projects.
Enough introduction hit play!
3:45 – Proudly from Rionegro, I feel very proud of my city. My intention is for my city to develop more than it has already achieved and that’s why I started this business, which has been running for four years.
4:06 – Parents tell you: study so you can be someone in life, so you can get a good job. And I said that’s not what I wanted, I didn’t want to have a good job; I wanted to fulfill my dream and through this company, I am achieving it.
“I think money is very important but money is not happiness. I preferred to sacrifice a fixed salary for my dream. And today my dream is giving me food, the bread.”
9:37 How is entrepreneurship today in Rionegro, is it a friendly city for entrepreneurship?
10:30 Today digital marketing is very strong in this region (Eastern Antioquia) because people have realized that it is indispensable for the growth of their businesses. Today it is not profitable to hand out flyers (…) instead, it is more important to do good advertising on social networks, on Facebook and Instagram, or to position yourself organically with terms related to your business on Google.
10:56 Today people have realized that digital marketing must be in their investment budget.
12:20 In 2014 I started an online store, I worked very hard on it and we didn’t sell a single product. (…) there was a lack of digital culture. Today we manage two stores in Rionegro (…) they already sell through the website and with online transactions, so this issue has evolved.
15:16 We are very fond of nature, traveling, and contributing to society, and that’s where Ecotikets came from, a digital event management platform where we are preserving the environment by not printing tickets.
15:50 To date, we have issued 10,000 digital tickets, which is equivalent to saving 300 kg of paper, equivalent to saving 17 trees. One might say it’s a small number, but you know the butterfly effect is very important.
18:53 Data dominates the world. If you have the data, you have the power. – But it’s not just about having the data, it’s about interpreting it.
20:43 I am a fan of the idea that the municipality should continue to evolve. That’s where the idea of Ecupones came from, an app that encourages tourists to discover the gastronomy of the different municipalities in Eastern Antioquia.
22:55 My example in terms of entrepreneurship has been my father. My father, despite not having a career. He never graduated from high school (..) is the most hardworking person I know in the world.
25:39 I managed to break the mold, I understood it and today I have been able to live off my business idea.
27:16 The fundamental driving force in my life is my family.
27:55: The first thing I see when I wake up is a poster with newspaper clippings of the dreams we set for ourselves, and that is my main motivation.
29:12 I tell people who listen to us, it’s totally scary when you analyze what you put on the dream map. EVERYTHING COMES TRUE when you focus, work hard, and believe in it, inevitably the universe will give it to you.
“When you do things well and work disciplined, it will happen”
30:50 Discipline at any time, beats talent. You can be the most talented and brilliant person in the world, but if you are not disciplined, you have nothing.
33:22 No one would imagine that I would say that it is too easy to work with my friends. It is a friendship relationship of more than 8 years.
34:03 We work in the co-working methodology. We have a space in a coworking place in Rionegro, and we meet three times a week to work on the projects.
“Discipline is a very important part of entrepreneurship”
35:40 Everyone should travel. Even if it’s to another municipality, department, or if they have the chance, to another country.
35:56 The cultural shock when you realize that you are more than just a city, a town, and that there are many other things waiting for you. (…) That’s the coolest thing in the world.
36:14 You don’t come back the same, when you go to another country, when you get to know another culture (…) that’s when you say, “the world is too big!” And you get motivated.
“Traveling is one of the most enriching things in life”
39:16 Nowadays, digital transformation is inevitable, everyone has to migrate to digital. From the person who has a small neighborhood store, at some point they will have to migrate because electronic invoicing is almost mandatory; to the person who has the largest company.
39:48 It is almost a necessity for business growth to have a digital presence, to invest in digital; and to see it as an important channel for your income and business growth.
“Those who don’t have a digital presence today will be one step behind their competition.”
40:38 The main traffic channel for DP Solutions is ORGANIC TRAFFIC, which comes from Google, with a 60-70% conversion rate.
45:01 If you who are listening to us have dreamed of starting a business, keep pushing, don’t stop. It doesn’t matter if you don’t see results at first, it doesn’t matter if it’s hard at the beginning, it doesn’t matter if you can’t go out for ice cream, if you just have enough; but if you keep working like this, YOU WILL ACHIEVE IT!.
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ARE YOU STARTING A BUSINESS AND WANT TO BE ONLINE? Check out these resources
How to define your ideal client, or buyer persona?
How to effectively invest in online advertising?
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Hey, before I go:
