The entrepreneurial sphere can seem like a daunting place. How does someone start their own business? How do they even know if starting their own business is the right fit for them? What challenges will they face, and how do they deal with them?
To answer these questions, I sat down with Julian Espinosa, owner of Papi Digital. His mission is to help eCommerce companies grow online quickly.
Before starting his own business, Espinosa described the challenges he faced when entering the world of entrepreneurship. “It's scary to think about starting your own company. Even with the years of experience I had, there are a lot of blind spots. What it came down to is that it was difficult to find another company to work for that shared my ideals about caring for our customers' revenue over our revenue,” Espinosa said. That is when he had decided to start his own agency.
Julian facilitating a meeting
Espinosa’s company operates differently than many other revenue-generating agencies. “Most agencies just sell you a product, such as Facebook ads. My company's ideology is finding the most cost effective ways to revenue. Sometimes, a Facebook Ad may not be the best option, and other times it will be. On behalf of the customer, we help them find the best channel to advertise. We consider all the pieces before starting a campaign. For example, before running a Facebook Campaign, we may need to improve the checkout process or build better ads. This ensures we get results for the customer,” Espinosa said.
Papi Digital’s services include strategy, production, and distribution. In the strategic phase, they help companies determine where they should market themselves. In the production phase, they create logos, develop ads, and build social media profiles, as well as build websites. In the distribution phase, they help companies get customers through paid media and organic media, including search engine optimization, facebook and instagram ads, Google AdWords, and email marketing.
Julian 40 Under 40 Award
Indeed, Espinosa is known for experimenting with new and creative ways to generate revenue for his clients—every client is different, and their needs are different too. In fact, Papi Digital states, “As Growth Hackers our ways to revenue are not conventional, thus our company is not for the weak-hearted. If you are open to new methods and testing to determine the best return on investment strategies, then you are on the right website.”
Espinosa’s company has worked closely with Hub101 Since March of 2018. He attributes much of his early success to Greg Monterrosa who was the previous Community Manager at Hub 101 and one of his most influential mentors. “With his leadership, Papi Digital has grown, and we have been able to give back to the students of Cal Lutheran,” Espinosa said. Espinosa’s company is dedicated not only to helping other companies, but also to helping students find meaningful employment through internships.
Julian giving speech on how to land internships
Espinosa’s advice to anyone looking to start a business was simple. He said, “Make sure you love it. If you don’t have a true passion for it, it isn’t worth trying.”
Lastly, Espinosa explained why Hub101 has been a valuable asset to him and his company. He said, “My business would not be at the level that it is at today without Hub101. They’ve become a family, not just another place to work at,” Espinosa added.