You can never give up! You learn to pivot and adjust, but you should never, ever give up. Burning out is not an option. I’m sure many of your readers already know that, though.
I had the pleasure to interview Christopher Miglino. Christopher is CEO and Founder of SRAX. He has spent the past 20 years working in the digital advertising space and has successfully launched and sold two internet companies. Both of these companies were sold to publicly-traded companies on the NASDAQ. He has a detailed understanding of how technology interacts with brands.
Thank you so much for joining us Christopher. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Throughout college, my goal was to graduate and enter the real estate industry. After graduating, I found myself designing software to make the real estate business better. I soon realized that data and advertising was my path. Since then, I have started three companies, with each focusing on data and marketing.
Can you share your story of Grit and Success? First can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey?
Of course! When we started SRAX, we were making around $150K a day with Google and one day Google just cut us off. It was a tough time, but it forced us to build our own technology, and that was absolutely the best thing we could have ever done. It helped us build the infrastructure that now runs our business. Sometimes it is hard to see, but tough times can produce the best results.
When you can have a dream or a vision on what your company can be you need to be relentless no matter what. There is no other way to succeed than to be relentless!
Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
For me, failure is not an option. No matter what obstacles stood in my way, I always had to try and figure it out. This sort of thinking helped through the hard times.
So how did Grit lead to your eventual success? How did Grit turn things around?
As an entrepreneur, you need to be able to put up with a lot and understand that the work never stops, no matter how good things are going. The good times are only brief moments between disasters. It isn’t easy! All entrepreneurs should know that.
So, how are things going today? 🙂
Things are going great for our company! We recently sold one of the verticals for $52M and have launched a platform that allows consumers to own and monetize their own data called BIGtokem. There has never been a more exciting time for us!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
There hasn’t been anything funny about our mistakes. We consider each one a lesson. Through these mistakes, I’ve been able to gain so much knowledge. From what I’ve learned each day and over time, I now know a lot more than others in the industry. Now, I’m considered an expert on a number of issues.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
We have launched a world-changing technology that allows users to completely own their own data. This is a revolutionary idea and has the potential to completely alter the way consumers see the value of their data. Three years from now, everyone will own their identity!
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them thrive and not “burn out”?
You can never give up! You learn to pivot and adjust, but you should never, ever give up. Burning out is not an option. I’m sure many of your readers already know that, though.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Yes, my parents! My father taught me how to work hard through example — a lesson I am forever grateful for, and my mother taught me to be kind. Combine the two and you are on your way!
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Together, my wife and I started a non-profit called The Chandanni Scholarship Fund. We offer youth from underprivileged neighborhoods in the U.S. the opportunity to travel to India and experience the culture, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. It’s been a great success and is getting bigger each year. It’s something I am really proud of. You can learn more at www.chandannifund.com.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started my company” and why?
1. Avoid getting complaisant. You get lazy when you are.
2. Visualize the end result and only settle for that.
3. Get your team excited about what they are working on. A lot of people with grit are better than one.
4. Avoid negative people. They add zero value to the process.
5. I like to imagine that what I am working on is like being on an NFL team trying to get to the Superbowl. It’s hard, but imagine how good it feels when you win.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I would require every kid to learn about Yoga and Meditation. Exposing them to activities that improve mindfulness would potentially allow them to flourish and foster means of inspiration and growth.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Your readers can find me on Twitter at @chrismiglino and on LinkedIn at Chris Miglino.
SRAX CEO Christopher Miglino: “Learn to pivot and adjust, but you should never, ever give up” was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.