Based in Brisbane, Australia, Ashwin Segkar is one of the directors of Baker Street Marketing, a radio presenter and a comedian and MC. He works with podcasters, PhD students and business communicators to improve their ability to create interesting and meaningful conversations.
For more details, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Ashwin to learn more about his journey as an entrepreneur.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Ashwin: The desire for independence and variety was my inspiration. I wanted to find a way to do what I was good at and enjoyed (and people would be willing to pay for) and the entrepreneurial path seemed to offer the most satisfying route.
Q. How did you get started?
Ashwin: I finished university in Auckland and moved to Australia. I went from working in an Egyptian trinkets shop in Sydney to a debt mediation business in Brisbane. I worked as a marketer for various organisations and learned skills such as Google Ads, copywriting and strategy.
As a child in school, my favourite subject was English and I enjoyed comedy writing, but I’d suppressed that part of me to get a paycheck coming in. By my 30s, though, that side of me started to bubble out and I started performing as a stand up comic and MC. Eventually, I found work as a radio presenter on the national broadcaster.
I also teach people skills in creating interesting conversations, which they can then apply to their own niche.
Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? How did you overcome it and what did you learn?
Ashwin: Perhaps finding customers in the first place was my biggest challenge. Our solution to that was to buy clients from the last company I worked for as an employee, as they were exiting the Google Ads sector and I had a chance to pick those clients up and have the bare bones of a business to get started on.
Two former colleagues joined me and we created Baker Street Marketing, which has grown significantly since that time. And we’ve also grown with it. I’ve enjoyed picking up new skills, one of my favourites is videography. I’m out often with clients now, filming them and helping them find the captivating story in what they do.
So I suppose what I’ve learned is something not particularly new or original, but that you need to keep learning new skills to stay up to date with a fast-changing world. And AI is about to turn the accelerator up on that change, so it’s essential to be aware of how you can go with it.
Q. What is the most memorable thing you’ve done since you started your business?
Ashwin: I’ve enjoyed fusing my background in marketing with the other side of me that works in comedy, MCeeing, and presenting. Public speaking is most people’s number one fear, so working with business people on reducing that fear and learning how to talk to an audience rather than at them has been rewarding.
Q. What are your top 3 favourite online apps, tools or resources and what do you love about them?
Ashwin: PrePly. It’s a language tool where you can chat with someone around the world in their language and develop your skills. Once a week, I chat with Shikha in Madhya Pradesh to work on my Hindi language skills. I also get insight into the culture on the ground in India, a country I left at age one and only visit every few years. As the world globalises, your customers, co-workers, investors, and more are likely to share those international links and PrePly can help you thrive in that world by picking up a useful new language.
Google Ads Keyword Planner. This is an invaluable tool to offer a reality check for business ideas. Is there an audience for it? How much is it likely to cost to reach them? It’s an excellent starting point for investigating online opportunities.
YouTube. From videography and photography to SEO and more, there is so much concise teaching on all the new skills you need to become adept in to succeed in your job.
Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Ashwin: Legacy is quite an imposing word. I don’t know if I have big plans to leave a mark on the world. But I do enjoy sharing tips with people on how to have interesting conversations, so hopefully I can help them in that role and they can pass the skills along to help others.
Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting on their entrepreneurial journey?
Ashwin: Work with a small and varied team of people. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. The wild creative type is often not the most organised and methodical. A diverse team will help you assemble all kinds of different skills and you’ll go further that way.To keep up to date with Ashwin and his journey, connect with him on their website.