Business
Mario Nawfal is the Founder of the Athena Group of Companies, a business conglomerate that operates in more than 40 countries. He’s a unique individual; unlike anyone I’ve ever interviewed before on this podcast. And that appealed to me for several reasons. I’m often asked for best practices around networking - one is to set aside time to meet people who aren’t like you. The world is changing and a historical bias for deep technical expertise is being replaced with a preference for agility, adaptability & resilience. Engaging with people like Mario helps add context to a changing world. He has an incredible story. In 2012, with $300 in the bank, he was selling blenders door-to-door. By deploying unconventional marketing techniques, efficient logistical systems and a team of global contractors, he propelled Froothie to $1m in year one and over $10m in year 2 - all bootstrapped. In 2013 & 2014 he formed Optimum Appliances & launched brands such as HX, Vie, FX, Prestige Home Appliances to satisfy the demand for high-end kitchen appliances. Optimum went on to achieve global brand status. In 2016 he founded the business scaling incubator - GoGlobal. In 2017 - he established International Blockchain Consulting; quickly becoming an industry authority in the rapidly growing blockchain and Crypto space. In 2018 he established a VC Fund, Accounting & Law Firms. His latest venture, Zense, was launched in 2019, to provide entrepreneurs with the insight to launch successful businesses on a limited budget. He’s documenting that journey; adding storytelling to an already long list of accomplishments. And over the course of our nearly hour-long conversation, we chatted about his origin story. Mario gave some tremendous context on his journey, including a few lessons learned along the way, that you won’t want to miss. We pivoted to growth hacking; Mario shared some of his best practices for a space that increasingly is being defined by a lack of rules; a willingness to challenge the status quo. We talked Clubhouse, entrepreneurship, and impact investing. We had a great discussion and I hope you enjoy it. Mario NawfalMario Nawfal, the Founder of the Athena Group of Companies, a business conglomerate of 15+ companies that operates in more than 40 countries. Mario started his first business with $300 in the bank selling blenders door to door which led to Froothie Australia.LinkedInWebsiteThinking Inside the BoxConstraints drive innovation. Each week we’ll tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture.LinkedInInstagramTwitterWebsiteApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyStitcherPocket CastMatt BurnsMatt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.LinkedInTwitter