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Damian Blumenkranc's Remarkable Journey: From Online Entrepreneurship to Business Transformation
In a recent episode of the EO Business podcast, Linh Podetti sat down with Damian Blumenkranc, a prominent member of EO Melbourne, to delve into the captivating story of Sunset Sleepers' acquisition and its subsequent transformation under Damian's visionary leadership since March 2021. Join us on a compelling journey as we explore the triumphs, challenges, and insights that have defined Damian's entrepreneurial career.
In a recent episode of the EO Business podcast, Linh Podetti sat down with Damian Blumenkranc, a prominent member of EO Melbourne, to delve into the captivating story of Sunset Sleepers' acquisition and its subsequent transformation under Damian's visionary leadership since March 2021. Join us on a compelling journey as we explore the triumphs, challenges, and insights that have defined Damian's entrepreneurial career.
Damian Blumenkranc, a dedicated father of two - Tali and Max, embarked on his entrepreneurial journey at the young age of 14, where he launched Argentina's first online shop using BBS. In 2003, he migrated to Australia and has since demonstrated unparalleled versatility by founding over five successful businesses spanning IT, Beauty, Video Production, and Technology. Damian's strategic prowess is evident through the sale of four ventures, showcasing his ability to not only build but also profitably exit businesses.
At the heart of Damian's entrepreneurial spirit is his latest triumph – the remarkable overhaul of Sunset Sleepers, a venture acquired in March 2021. Linh Podetti skillfully uncovers the inside-out transformation of Sunset Sleepers, revealing how Damian's leadership doubled its size in turnover, people, and space in just over two years. Gain valuable insights into the challenges faced when entering the manufacturing industry, as Damian's diverse expertise, ranging from IT to beauty, shapes a visual journey of business acquisition.
But Damian Blumenkranc's contributions extend beyond his businesses. As a respected figure in the entrepreneurial community, he serves as a mentor to aspiring business leaders and holds a pivotal role on the investment board of an emerging markets VC fund. His past presidency of EO Melbourne and current position as a Regional Council Director exemplify his ongoing commitment to shaping the entrepreneurial landscape.
Currently at the helm as CEO of a manufacturing business in the construction industry, Damian Blumenkranc continues to embody a commitment to innovation and growth. His story is not just a testament to success but also a source of inspiration for those navigating the complex world of entrepreneurship.
Listen to the EO Business podcast episode featuring Damian Blumenkranc to gain unparalleled insights into the mind of a seasoned entrepreneur who has not only conquered diverse industries but has also left an indelible mark on the entrepreneurial landscape.
- Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/41z3f42GVWMowczXj1v6Lq
- YouTube - https://youtu.be/98AqZ_mdQJ8?si=xFO88v8XUfl8GAwz
Managing the daily influx of emails – is it possible?
Email is one of the necessary means of communication, especially in business. With a lot of official messages, personal matters, spam and email threads where you are copied, how do you ensure that you don’t waste too much time going through your inbox without missing out on the more important ones? It may not be too much of a deal but there are repercussions when you fail to read an urgent message, while there are also consequences when you spend too much time on your emails than on other pressing issues.
Going through the daily messages is one of the constant concerns of busy entrepreneurs and business owners. Jeni Clift, Director/General Manager of DWM Solutions and a Professional EOS Implementer admitted that she needs help when it comes to managing and organising the daily influx of emails she receives.
“Unfortunately, I use my inbox as a repository of emails. I am open to seeing how others do this as it is not an effective method,”
But not all is lost, here are a few tips we put together from some of our EO members that may help you get ahead of the game.
Schedule reading your emails
According to Arosh Fernando, Founder and Director of WooHah Productions, “The biggest time killer in our world right now is email, especially when you’re getting cc’d in everything and the inbox is filling up fast if you don’t check it. Fellow EO Member Dean Cherny had a great idea which I adopted – checking emails at given times of the day. So I do this at 10 am and 2 pm, for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on whatever your business needs are at the moment. This helps me manage time around and, as a CEO, get to tick off the real objectives like my long term goals to grow the business. As I have learnt in EO many times over, it’s not about what we start doing but it’s what we STOP doing that is important to enable us to focus our time and energy on the big goals.”
Scheduling reading and responding to your emails is a brilliant idea that can be a big help, as long as it suits your work schedule and lifestyle as well as the requirements of your business. You can calendar going through your messages at certain times of the day and make sure you have the discipline to carry it through.
File and have separate inboxes
Another helpful tip is to file your messages in folders so that it’s easier for you to check them. You might need to allocate some time to do the preliminary work, such as creating folders and segregating messages, so that the succeeding ones that arrive in your inbox get filtered easily.
Anthony Lam, Managing Director of Punchy Digital Media, shared, “I have separate inboxes and tackle each one at separate times. I have one for clients, prospects, and teams. I try to set a timer and tackle each inbox one at a time.”
On the other hand, Appscore Co-Founder & Managing Director Alex Louey tries to undertake the challenge of sorting through his emails through their levels of priority. “My inbox is a disaster, and I wish I could tell you that it is well-sorted and filed. The only ones that I focus on that are a must-do are customer-related ones. They get top priority and my full attention. The rest get attended to in terms of the priority of my task list that I run throughout the day or week. I can’t respond to everyone that tries to contact me so I don’t,” he professed.
Work on “zero” emails
Having “0 emails on inbox” is one of the policies that Damian Blumenkranc, co-Founder of Creativa, Attento and Just Click Videos and CEO of Sunset Sleepers, personally follows. “I use a very simple decision tree to tackle them as they come:
1 - Can I respond to this quickly on the fly? If yes, then I just respond to it and archive it;
2 - If no: Is this something I will read/look into on spare time? Then I move it to my ‘read later’ folder that I can read on the train or when I finish work;
3 - Is this something I need to work on for more than a few minutes to respond to it? I set a time on the calendar to work on it and even copy the link of the email or the content of the email as a reference, then I can archive it as I will be working on it when the time comes;
4 - For those emails that we want to keep as a reference for something but really have no need to reply, I move them to an 'important info’ folder and those that I want to use as a reminder to follow up later I also put on the calendar or I snooze them for later.”
Automate it
In this era when technology has created so many breakthroughs in fast-tracking everything we do, one can get a little help by automating their emails. It is one of the things that Nathan Chan, CEO & Publisher of Foundr Magazine, does to lessen the workload brought about by daily emails. “I have automation rules,” he declared. “Also, “I view my inbox as everyone else's to-do list and treat that accordingly.”
Depending on the email software or platform you use, various email automation tools can make things easier for you, sometimes sending automated replies, based on the rules you create. You can consult with an IT professional or explore how you can make this work for you and your business.
Hire an assistant
But apart from automating his emails, Nathan also gets a little help from his staff. “I have an incredible EA (executive assistant),” he added. If the tasks are too many and going through your daily emails can often become a burden to you, don’t hesitate to delegate to your team or have someone help you with it so that you can attend more on other important matters.
If you’ve been in this situation before – getting overwhelmed with the number of emails you receive and you’ve surpassed it, share with us how you have overcome it as it may also be helpful to those who are currently stuck in this predicament.