Ash Ome is no ordinary entrepreneur. He is the founder of MOTIF®, an incubator company that has been accelerating growth for luxury lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and wellness brands since 2015.
Ash started the company with the mission to build an agency and incubator like Ogilvy, and a legacy for luxury, fashion, and beauty brands. In this exclusive Q&A, Ash shares his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges he has faced, and his advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs.
Here we sit down with Ash, to know a bit more about his journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Ash: Entrepreneurial spirit was always inside me, by born an entrepreneur. Started programming at the age of 14.
Till that time some non-commercial intended companies. What truly inspired me to become an entrepreneur is that I could massively make an impact on people’s lives and make them better. And the hunger for adventure is another reason to be an entrepreneur.
Q. How did you get started?
Ash: I started MOTIF® as an agency back in 2015. I had the idea to build multiple brands, but at the time it was quite impossible to do in Bangladesh as a teenager. I had no access to credit cards or credit lines.
So, I started freelancing to support my e-commerce venture in Bangladesh. The idea was to obtain an international debit card and pay necessary ad bills from that card. But then I found out that I was really enjoying building brands, and that’s how MOTIF got started.
Q. What was your biggest challenge?
Ash: My biggest challenge was getting the right people and positioning us as a leader in the market we were going after.
Thought leadership content marketing and strategic branding helped us get out of the situation. I still believe value-driven content with razor-sharp distributions and promotions can make you stand out.
Q. What is the most memorable thing you’ve done since you started your business?
Ash: Back in 2018 I was with my wife (former girlfriend) and I took a very strict decision of rebranding the company from Digital Develop to MOTIF. This one decision and positioning around it changed the entire story for the company for good.
After this, we worked with top-of-the-line brands in DTC and retail and helped them add value to the bottom line.
The main reason why it worked out is because of the precise strategic branding and message around it.
I took this decision cause I have always believed that a brand should have a motive behind that to cater best to its end users. And I have communicated this belief with the name, messaging and communication.
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Ash: Learn leadership because that will make you a better entrepreneur. Be motivated by something other than money. You’ll reach your goals a lot quicker.
I also recommend reading two books: Shoe Dog and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. If you are an entrepreneur, these two books will provide you with inspiration, help make your vision clearer, and help you stay focused.
Ash Ome is on a mission to build an agency and incubator like Ogilvy that will be a legacy for luxury, fashion, and beauty brands.
Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter, or his website to learn more!
