Exclusive Interview with Paul Bird
Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Bird.
It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?
Born in Sydney Australia and growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, I always had an entrepreneurial spirit as I watched my parents build a multi-million dollar medical manufacturing business starting in the basement of our home, which they ended up selling in 2005. After a brief stint in community college and earning a liberal arts degree I traveled to over 25 different countries. I also had a professional MMA career that lasted nearly a decade and ran my own MMA promotional event company before selling in winter of 2018. In 2016 I started Iowa Digital and grew it into the largest indoor digital billboard advertising network in the state with over 170+ locations. In 2019 I founded another branch in Minnesota (Minnesota Digital) that maintains an indoor digital billboard network of over 130+ locations. During the lockdown, due to cover-19, I had the chance to focus on marketing for ourselves instead of for other people. That’s when I created The Gorilla System — Lead generation. Initially, it was just for my companies to grow advertising sales (which we have done by 4x), but now we are offering our services to others who are ready to save TIME, MONEY, and ENERGY on getting new clients and selling their services
I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?
One of the key factors in my success has always been self-belief. I knew at a young age that I could get in the business and could make it work. If I believed in the service or the product and could genuinely get behind it I knew I could make it a success. What’s been remarkable is that your friends, family, and others don’t always see it the way you do. What’s fun is proving your assumptions right. Our biggest challenge has always been bringing in more revenue. How do we keep ringing the cash register and keep growing? If you’re like me and are growing your business to one day sell it for millions of dollars and ride off into the sunset then you understand that maximizing your time while growing your revenue is paramount. How do we keep our sales reps excited and closing deals? We feed them quality leads. If your sales team is selling they’re happy, you are happy, and your company is happy. SALES HEAL ALL WOUNDS.
Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?
What the Gorilla System- Lead Generation specializes in is getting you warm leads for your service. We work with a wide variety of business verticals and are confident that our system can increase your revenues. What we really specialize in is creating a much more pleasurable working climate for your sales reps, or you. How would you like to speak to only people that have seen your service, are interested in your service, and want to be sold on your service? The conversations are much different than when you go in cold. I’ve been to the networking meetings, I’ve cold-called thousands of people, I’ve walked into 1,000’s of business cold and at the end of the day you may close one from time to time but it’s an inefficient use of your time. Times are changing. Everything is migrating online — and that is where we target your exact customer!
What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?
My piece of advice to any young entrepreneur is to hold onto your self-belief. Work with intelligence. There will always be challenges but when approached with logic you will overcome. Have the flexibility to evolve your product or service along the way. The world changes every day and you especially need to always be in the mentality to adapt. Finally, leave time for your significant other and family. None of it means anything without maintaining your relationships. Take a day off, go on a trip, bring home a surprise for your kid. Know when to turn it on and off.
Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
Success to me is waking up in the morning and being able to do what I want to do, not what I have to do because I’m bound to a business. Success to me is the day I don’t need to work — I want to work.
What’s next for you?
What’s next for me is over the next 5 years growing the indoor digital billboard networks to over 1,000 screens and selling my business. My dream is to never have to work again. How do I get there? By generating myself 1,000’s of leads from The Gorilla System and closing sales.
Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more.
You can connect with me through Instagram or www.thegorillasystem.com
