In pursuit of happiness: An entrepreneur's journey with UoB graduate Jack Kelly

I can hear the sounds of the city of Bogota in Colombia in the background as I open the voice notes sent to me by University of Birmingham graduate Jack Kelly.

Jack graduated in 2018 with a degree in Accounting and Finance and is passionate about entrepreneurship. I know this because in his final year he worked as an enterprise scholar helping to promote entrepreneurial events across the university.

Fast forward 4 years and I am interested to find out about his story since I last saw him on campus. In his own words, Jack reflects on life working as an entrepreneur and he talks frankly about his decision to abandon his corporate role in the pursuit of adventure, travel and happiness; doing the very things he is passionate about.

He is the co-founder of US based start-up Havick Talent - an influencer management agency helping clients in North and South America. This is Jack's story.

Jack: Bogota is super cool, I came out here very much by accident on the count of an issue with my visa in the United States. I've decided I am going to stay out here for six months, I'm learning Spanish and I actually closed my very first Latin American Colombian deal only recently. Tiny really, I'm talking around £100 but it's a start. I have friends here and have been enjoying the perks of being enterprising, I am running a business remotely and having a good time while sharing new experiences.

The business is actually based in Los Angeles but I chose Bogota as it's a favorable timezone and the business is heavily influenced by Latin America.

I was invited to advise on a similar start-up based in the USA during lockdown. I saw a lot of potential however was unhappy with some of the business practices. As such, a colleague and I left the company to co-found Havick Talent together, with clear guidance to create a Female First influencer management agency which has a strong set of core values including prioritising our clients rather than profit maximization.

I also have a side-hustle. Latin American football is notoriously a bit wild and a bit scary but it brings intrigue and tourism with it and I have been experimenting with running tour guides and taking tourists to football matches which has been a success and also great fun.

On the reality of starting a business...

I think in this world of entrepreneurship and self-employment sometimes people
rush to make out they are doing really well early on and it's great and fun and they can be millionaires overnight and that's obviously far from the reality.

In truth it can be long hours, stress, instability and conflict and that's especially true with me.

But I think one of the things this journey has done for me is make me realise that you don't have to follow the societal expectations or standards which I was really stuck with in the corporate world.

For me it's finding joy in the little things. For example, yesterday was a bank holiday in America and Colombia but I worked all day, but at other times you [have the freedom to] take time out to do important things for yourself and its that intangible value of managing yourself that contributes to happiness and purpose which is something I used to lack in a corporate job.

That probably means I am a bit crazy if I enjoy the stress and responsibility of running my own business but hey, who knows! I can also say with certainty that B-Enterprising was a driving force during my university years that gave me the confidence to pursue entrepreneurship and equip me with a broad range of skills that I have utilised to build the business.

What are the best and worst aspects of running a business?

The best for me is the variety. In much the same way you are responsible for everything that happens (the good and the bad), running my own business has allowed me to focus my attention on things I actually 'want' to focus on. This has been fantastic because I've been able to expand outside of comfort zone from things I am familiar with like Accounting to other aspects including Marketing, Law and a whole host of creative endeavors... the many hats we all wear!

The hardest? In the early start-up phase of the business, uncertainty is rife. However one of the most challenging aspects for me has been how I'm classified by the rest of the world. In my case, I've traveled a lot for work and have had some challenges when it comes to visas as many countries don't have a relevant scheme for entrepreneurs, whether that be for 'digital nomads' or in my case, a co-founder who isn't a resident in the country of company registration.

What one thing do you wish you had known when you started out?

That taking time off is as important as working. In the first 12 months of the business, my normal day included working 16 hours a day with frankly no breaks. Prioritizing business outcomes over my own personal welfare i.e. exercise, nutrition, social life.

Once I no longer 'needed' to work 16 hours a day, I realized I was past the 'survival' stage and now needed to change my perspective to successfully run a company rather than merely grind every minute of the day. I wish I knew the value of setting healthy boundaries and routines - this is particularly relevant when I was working across 3 time zones where I'd make myself available
24/7 which was unsustainable.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting a business?

That it's possible. I've met entrepreneurs from various different backgrounds, experiences and ambitions. The common theme is that 'it's possible' and 'just start'. I enjoy how business owners can be themselves without having to abide to a 'corporate facade'.

As such, as we're beginning to expand our business it's important to me that company culture remains supportive of individuality (easier said than done) - i.e. you're judged by your work and nothing else!

Find out more about Havick Talent

For help to create your own idea, visit the B-Enterprising homepage.

With thanks to Jack Kelly (Havick Talent)

Introduced by Bob Lee (B-Enterprising)