Interview with Business Expert, Cynthia Kocialski

Cynthia Kocialski grew up in New York. She did her undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester and graduate studies at the University of Virginia, where she graduated with degrees in electrical and systems engineering. After school, she worked in diverse roles and in a variety of product lines at IBM. Afterwards, Cynthia became the general manager from Matrox Electronics. For the past 15 years, she has founded 3 start-ups and been involved in dozens of others.

She is a big picture thinker, able to figure out how large, complex, interconnected systems and processes work. But is most admired for her extreme attention to detail. Over the years she learned that "if you want a job that you really love and care about, it has to be tailor-made for your talents and aspirations."


What was your path towards publication like?
My original purpose was to build an audience, not write a book. My book started out as an e-book, and grew into a book. I self-published my book because it was the easiest path. I gave little thought to the traditional versus self-publication choice. The publication and marketing process was a lot longer than I would have thought at the onset.


What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to pitching yourself as an author and what steps have you taken to overcome that obstacle?
I think it’s being unique and standing out from among the multitude of authors. To do this, readers have to know about you. I’ve been building an online presence and engaging the services of PR firms, book promoters, and marketing firms. I can’t do it all myself and I need the help of others to break through all the online clamor.


How do you balance your life as an entrepreneur with your duties as a parent or spouse?
Both parenting and entrepreneurship are demanding jobs.

The first trick is to be very good at time management and planning. You have to schedule blocks of time to work on each, and stick to the plan. You cannot be interrupt driven, and change what you are doing every time you get a request for the other side.

Second, you have to come to the realization that you can’t do everything and you need to hire people to help you.


What is your best advice for getting past writer's block?
My book is a non-fiction book so simply going to a business networking event and talking to others seems to jumpstart my thoughts again. Even downloading a business podcast and listening to it on my Smartphone works.


What was the best writing-related advice you ever received?
You don’t have to be the best writer or have the best content to have a popular book. The idea that spreads the most will win.


What do you feel is the single most detrimental thing an entrepreneur could do to destroy his/her career?
I think it’s not talking to customers early enough, even before the product is ready for the customer.


Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book?
“Startup From The Ground Up” explores why an entrepreneur can only go so far with just an idea. There are many people who dream of being an entrepreneur but most don’t know how to realize their dream.

New businesses don’t fail because companies are unable to build a product or offer a service; they fail because the business factors needed to bring that product into the market are neglected, ignored or misunderstood.

“Startup from the Ground Up” provides practical advice for how to get an entrepreneur gets moving down the right path and thinking in the right direction with how to transform an idea into a company.


How did you come up with the idea for your book?
When a few of my colleagues mentioned I should write a book, I had no idea what I would write about. I just knew it would be about start-up companies because that’s what I’ve done for years and the stories always seem to fascinate people over lunch.

So instead of starting with the book, I started a blog.

I wrote about a lot of different aspects of start-up companies, everything from product development to humor about employee antics to advertising. I watched what attracted readers, and there seemed to be three topics that were the most appealing to them: funding, marketing, and customer engagement.


What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book?
The hardest part is the reading it over and over again.


Did you have to do any special research for your book?
I did attend more entrepreneurship and start-up conferences than before. But instead focusing on the content begin delivered, I spent most of my time gauging the reaction of entrepreneurs to the content.


If you could choose just one thing for your book to accomplish, what would it be?
I hope would-be entrepreneurs reframe their thinking to see that a start-up company is about creating a business just as much as it is about creating a new product, and it needs to be done with as much intention, creativity, and deliberate action as the product.


What’s ahead for your writing?
I am in the process of writing a new book about passing on the lessons I’ve learned in the business world to help young girls become successful. Those lessons that they don’t teach you in school and I wish I knew when I got started.

You can learn more about Cynthia Kocialski at http://cynthiakocialski.com


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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

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