Warren Moss is a founder and CEO of Demographica, South Africa’s most progressive data driven direct marketing agency. Warren and his company Demographica, have been recognized by winning some major business awards including multiple Assegai and Bookmarks Awards as well as multiple awards from the African Access Business Awards. He was also presented with the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Assegai Awards in 2012. Warren divides his time between running his company, consulting, teaching, and speaking at events all over South Africa.
My Key Talent | In my view, resilience is the key to success. It’s the ability to keep coming back for more no matter how many times you need to try. I reckon the amount of times that I have heard the word ‘no’ is in the thousands. Each time I get told no, I literally mentally prepare myself for a new approach and I push again. You need to approach each opportunity like it’s the first one of the day. I’ve learned that there are no quick ‘get rich’ fixes and the true secret to success (no matter how you define success) is hard work coupled with the ability to keep on coming back no matter how hopeless a situation seems.
Characteristics That Have Led To My Success | To be honest, I think it’s the fact that I live in my own reality is the behaviour that I believe is key to achievement. I have a work of art hanging in my home titled: The Pleasures of Self Deception – It couldn’t ring more true for the way in which I live my life and run my business. I dream up things in my head and buy into them whole heartedly. I am then lucky enough to be surrounded by a brilliant team that believes in my lunacy and who help me pull it off.
Critical Skills I Have Developed | I’ve learned over the years to focus. I think that being focused is one of the most underrated traits that a person can have. If you are able to work on true focus it gives you the best chance of making something work – often it is when one chases multiple opportunities then you end up doing a half hearted job on all of them because the split in time and mindshare has a significant impact on the chances of success. Bottom line: the ability to focus is a key driver of success on a project.
Lessons I’ve Learnt | In my career, 3 lessons have continuously repeated themselves in almost every venture that I’ve embarked on.
1) How ever much you think your venture will cost you, it will cost you significantly more.
2) How ever long you think it will take you, I reckon double it and you’ll be closer.
3) How ever much you plan, it simply wont happen like that.
The Best Advice I’ve Receive | I was once told that if you’re going to do something, then do it properly. It follows on from the idea that ‘good enough’ is simply not good enough. Today we need to be globally competitive and the competition out there is smarter than you and will work harder than you – on a global level. Anything that you take on you need to take on with the mindset that this is going to be done properly or not at all.
