Giovvani’s Founder Chris Jenkins Shares 3 Secrets to Success as an Entrepreneur

From luxury cars and condos to expensive trips around the world, an entrepreneur’s life often seems glamorous from the outside looking in. We are introduced to billionaires who seemingly have it all and have it easy, but what does it take to be a successful entrepreneur? eCommerce guru and founder of Giovvani, Chris Jenkins, shares some of his secrets to success that helped him become the entrepreneur he is today.

Photo taken of Chris Jenkins in Bali in 2018 at Omnia Day Club

“I guess there isn’t really a secret to success, just an accumulation of good habits and strict discipline. I’ll try and list a few things below which may help and would be the guidance I would have loved to have heard years ago when I was starting.”

Tip 1 – Surround Yourself with The Right People

It is a well-known fact that one of the best ways to improve on any skill is to train with someone better than you, someone who challenges your abilities. Becoming an entrepreneur is a skill that requires training by people who have a similar mindset and who are also successful entrepreneurs.

“Surround yourself with the right people. This can be hard in small towns, so whether that’s books, audiobooks, online Facebook/Discord groups of people in similar businesses or even apps like Clubhouse,” Jenkins suggests.

“By hanging around with people who have like-minded goals and achievements, they will push you to reach your full potential.”

Tip 2 –Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Leave Your Hometown

To become acquainted with a circle and network that fosters growth, it is important to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. “A lot of people with big dreams and goals tend to move to locations with more opportunity. By doing this, you will find a lot more like-minded people who will also be able to open doors in life for you.” 

Chris is no stranger to being uncomfortable. During his journey, he has had to make many uncomfortable decisions to get to where he is. This includes moving to Dubai without family and finding the courage to stick through the hard times even when it seemed like he had failed. 

He encourages those aiming for entrepreneurship to get out of their comfort zone, even if it means leaving their hometown. “Unfortunately, most people in small towns are stuck in their comfort zone, and that lack of ambition will rub off on you. So, leave your home town, whether that’s moving to the nearest city, capital or another country.”

Tip 3 – Use “Dreamlines”

According to Chris, “Dreamlines are essentially timelines for your dreams.”

This method is consistent with the idea of setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) goals with a special emphasis on the time-bound aspect. “Write down what your dream life looks like, without limits, that could be a beach house, supercars – you name it, whatever you want. Then put a timescale on it, for example, 5 years or 10 years from now. After doing that, work out how much you need to make each year to achieve this on the timescale you have set, and you’ll be surprised that it’s not as crazy as you first thought. Through this method, you’re, in essence, reverse engineering your dream.”

For Chris, the ultimate dream would be to build a stable brand that resonates with his customers. His luxury sneaker company, Giovvani, has been the culmination of this dream. After realizing that he could not find simple, comfortable, yet elegant sneakers, he decided to start his own line. 

All Giovvani shoes are hand-made and thoroughly quality checked to ensure they meet rigorous requirements. The brand sells completely online through the Giovvani website, allowing them to focus on quality design and materials and pass these cost savings onto customers without the additional margin charged by high street retail outlets.

Chris looks forward to building Giovvani into a successful brand. 

“Whilst I still own and operate some dropshipping stores, I am now focused on growing Giovvani into a well-known global brand with a reputation for product excellence.”

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