Keeping pace with Frunch Nazzari

Francesco “Frunch” Nazzari is what he calls himself a serial entrepreneur. “I love starting a business. I love to see an opportunity. But not only do I love an opportunity, as all entrepreneurs do, I also love to see a niche, an actual community. I like to have a visceral experience around that community,” the Managing Director and Co-founder of Rooftop Cinema declared.

There are eight to nine businesses under his tutelage, not to mention that he’s a family man, an EO Melbourne member, a cinema lover, a publisher, and a runner. It seems he is always on the go, and those who want to run with him have yet to increase their pace to keep up. But Frunch has not achieved his full speed yet. Besides, the finish line is still nowhere in sight. What he knows, however, is that he committed himself to this path of becoming an entrepreneur, and there’s no turning back.

Frunch may have found his tempo along the entrepreneurial track, but it is not an easy race. In fact, there’s nothing easy with either a race or the entrepreneurial journey. Both are challenging. But Frunch does them, anyway, because he is passionate about the things he brings himself to do. “Being in business is like running a marathon. You’ve got to prepare yourself. You have to put a lot of training to have the endurance and stamina to go the whole way,” he opined.

One can say that the business route is an inevitable road for Frunch because the entrepreneurial spirit runs through their family. It also exhibited early on, as he already wanted to work and earn money during his teens. When he came of age, he followed his brothers to a job where they were working part-time, but things turned out differently, which became a motivation for him to do things on his own. “I was quite angry about not getting that job. I made a little promise to myself that I would never go through that again and that I would carve my path in life. And so, I forged my way. So, yeah, from a quite young age, I started thinking about how I could make money,” Frunch narrated.

He started his career as a promoter for various events. “I slowly built my way up from there. But that taught me the spirit of hustling. So, I became a little hustler from a young age,” he quipped. In the events and promotions space, he progressed to a sole trading capacity. “I started working my services and selling my networks. I started off in events, and then I went off to study media, which then led me down the path of setting up communications agencies and that kind of things,” he added.

Among all the businesses he owned and founded, Rooftop Cinema is the longest-running one. According to Frunch, “Rooftop Cinema is the jewel in my crown. I love that business because it personifies me. It is the creative use of space. It is about community, and it's just a beautiful business. It is the longest relationship that I've had with a business. I think I'm into my 11th year of the cinema as founder and as managing director. And I'm still obsessed with that business as the first day that I was running it.”

Before that, Frunch worked in his 20’s for a company called Moonlight Cinema, where he was able to merge his skills in events promotions and sales. In that company, he met his would-be business partner. They discussed various ideas, such as how to improve experiences in the city, audiences, and niches. “Then we were talking about the fantasy of having a cinema on a roof. We started expressing that to people. All of a sudden, we were told that there was an opportunity on a building in the city. And we looked at that. Lo and behold there was Rooftop Cinema,” he recounted.

The idea kept rolling despite his reservations. Frunch remembered how it was back then. “I was always the glass-half-empty kind of business partner, whereas my other business partner was like glass half-full. He's like, 'this is going to happen.' I'm like, 'this is never going to happen.' Nine months later, we launched  Rooftop Cinema, which is arguably the world's most beautiful outdoor cinema experience. It's unparalleled in this country.”

The journey was not always smooth-sailing. There were heartbreaks, missteps, hiccups, potholes and stumbling blocks that were constant issues on the entrepreneurial lane. Frunch was not spared of these as well. For him, “There are not many entrepreneurs who haven't had failed. I probably had more failures along the way, than I have had successes. I've had multiple initiatives and ideas that have lost me money. I've had some that have made me great money.”

He’d been on the brink of bankruptcy and other difficult situations. Nonetheless, Frunch learned to accept these as the realities in the life of a business owner. He pronounced, “I could tell you tomorrow I'll have a low, and I'll probably have a high on the same day as well. That's just the way that comes with the entrepreneurial journey.”

But he used those challenges to flex his entrepreneurial muscles and build himself up. “I've learnt my lessons. There's not necessarily a particular experience that I look back and say, 'Oh, I failed,' because each one of my failures has defined me as a person. I look at all of them, and I can say that there's something I've taken from every single one. They shaped me,” he bared.

One of the major concerns he encountered was cash flow, a ceaseless worry among business owners because it is the fuel that keeps a business running. Frunch points out that apart from money, lack of knowledge, experience and expertise are factors that can also pose a huge challenge, especially when starting out a business.  “Having a particular understanding of your industry is very important. You need to understand what it is your expertise that you're selling and also the community that you're trading within,” he commented.

That mindset is useful to Frunch in starting more businesses. While there are some who are aggressive in setting up a venture, he sees himself as more of a businessman who lays the foundation slowly and steadily. Then, he looks at opportunities and adds value to them. “Over the years, that's led me down a path to becoming a publisher and looking at the media industry. I think what's important is understanding what it's going to take to get a business up financially,” Frunch articulated. He iterated as well the significance of understanding the product one is selling and knowing all about intellectual property.

With regards to best business practices, Frunch considers Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) Melbourne as a huge advantage to his journey. “I thrive within the EO environment. Sharing my business stories and successes with like-minded individuals and being able to give back to those individuals have been wonderful for me,” expressed Frunch. Surrounding himself with the right people has helped him in his growth. His openness to learning new things also enabled him to get as much value from all his EO experiences.

These learnings he brings to his businesses and applies them to his enterprises. Frunch acknowledges that people are the biggest resource of a company. He explains, “The greatest asset that an entrepreneur has is the people that he surrounds himself. It is important because you need to build a team. I see myself as a coach.” Despite having several ventures to oversee, he can cope because of people that seamlessly fit into his team. He has a group, composed of individuals with businesses that provide similar service or product offerings. “Predominately, we're within media, and we are speaking to a very clear-cut audience. We know the products we're selling, and then we work as a group to develop efficiency,” he added.

They divided their responsibilities into different areas: strategy, execution, and distribution. “Instead of running everything under one banner or one brand or one business, what we've done is we've built a group. I work with these like-minded individuals. They share the same vision and passion as I do. Then, I've got them responsible for one area of the business. I'm only as good as the people with whom I work. And I work with some amazing people – people that I think are better than me and stretch me every day. We have a fantastic team,” he enthusiastically said.

Thus, working efficiently with one another allows them to engage in their other undertakings. For Frunch, it means time with his family and other interests. “I love my family. Being Italian, we're all about family. I'm very much involved in my family, and they're a big part of who I am. The reason why I have these opportunities is that they helped me and lifted me up to where I need to be. So, that's something that I'm passionate about.”

He’s also passionate about publishing, films, niches, communities, and running. “I love running. It's something that I've found recently. One of the challenges that I put to myself was to run a marathon. Off the back of that, I saw an opportunity to create a running publication,” he shared.

As he runs towards his goals, Frunch has a clear vision of what’s ahead of him within the next three years. “We're just focusing on our cadence, and how we can increase our tempo and feel more comfortable with moving faster and being swifter,” he stated.

For Rooftop Cinema, they were at a point many years ago when they were considering doing multiple venues. But Frunch felt that developing a network of cinemas wasn’t right. Recently, they underwent a refurbishment, which has cemented their place in the outdoor cinema sphere. “So, I'll continue to work on building that business and making it the best it can be.”

He also has distinct plans for his other ventures. “From a media network perspective, we will continue to create relationships with like-minded publications and launch publications that the market wants. And then from an agency perspective, we will work with brands to make them the best potential publishers for themselves. We want the service offerings of our business, which is called Single Double, to help brands turn into publishers. We're in an era of content, and that's what we're going to do. That's where we're going over the next three years.”

Frunch looks forward to taking the rest of his entrepreneurial journey. He strives to continue to grow and become better to be able to offer greater products and services. “Where will I be in three years? Hopefully, a very successful businessman who has built a very successful group of companies,” he imparted.

If one would sit back at the Rooftop Cinema to watch Frunch’s entrepreneurial story on film, or browse through the pages of a publication that features his experiences, the moviegoer or reader will find that the theme of Frunch’s journey is all about passion. “Be passionate about what you're doing and love it because things are going to get tough. If you don't love what you're doing, don't do it. Have passion and everything else becomes endurable. It's going to be hard no matter what you do,” he advocated. And that’s how you will find your pace on the path of entrepreneurship.

Read about Frunch Nazzari on his LinkedIn profile. More on Rooftop Cinema at https://2017.rooftopcinema.com.au/ and Single Double at https://singledouble.co/.

Anou Khanijou’s concept of self-belief and endless possibilities

“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” This quote from inventor Charles Kettering is the life and business motto of Anouconcept Founder and Owner, Anou Khanijou.

“I believe that nothing is impossible. The word in itself says, 'I'm possible',” the “powerhouse” business owner said. Her entrepreneurial story is one of courage and determination that helped her shape her space in the business world as she started her ventures on her own, regardless of the odds.

Anou’s business journey exhibited a boldness that propelled her forward. It also showed the entrepreneurial spirit she inherited from her parents, who made their living through tailor-making garments. Her father used to sell newspapers on the streets and worked hard to build his empire. Coming from an Indian-Thai ancestry, the family arranged her for marriage at the age of fifteen, something which Anou opposed. Wanting to escape such predicament, Anou ran away from home, came to work in Club Med Cherating Beach when she was only 16 years old and continued working at Club Med across the world.

Despite being a minor, as it was prohibited to hire one, she was still provided with work because she easily proved her impressive value to the company, given her ability to speak fluent English as a great advantage. Among her tasks was to teach people how to do basic computer programming, which was one of her strong suits. Coding was something she enjoyed when she was young, something she learned from the courses she attended in her spare time. Anou quickly learned the ropes of the trade and exhibited her sharp understanding of people and how the fabric of society is put together through her constant interaction and engagement with them.

“In another bold move, I met some wonderful families holidaying from Australia who offered me some great opportunities in their country,” she revealed. She grabbed the chance and decided to go to Australia. As a young girl travelling on her own, without any parents, she went through an intensive interview with the Immigration Department. “I was very lucky that I encountered these great people during my Club Med experience. They vouched for me to the Immigration Department. Through their generosity, I was able to come to Australia,” she added.

Because of her proficiency in various languages – English, Thai, Japanese, French, Hindi – she got a job at the duty-free shops as she could communicate well with various international tourists. “At that time, tourism was booming. And this was going back to 1987. So, I did very well out of that and saved money with the aspiration to start my own business one day,” explained the resolute business owner.

With the help of a close friend who she later married, Anou got the opportunity to start a business of her own. Not knowing what business that would be, he suggested a Thai restaurant so she could share her talent for cooking delicious Thai food. Nearing the age of 18, she opened her business, amidst many feelings of nervousness and fear. “I had no money the day I opened the doors. I had only $49 in my bank account when I opened the restaurant,” Anou shared.

As it turned out, the restaurant was a big hit. On top of that, the stock market crashed in the 1980’s that kept people from travelling, adding a boost to the restaurant’s performance. From what she accumulated from that venture, she opened another business with a group of people that she had met through owning the restaurant. “It was part of Melbourne's very exciting nightclub called The Carousel in Albert Park. I met a lot of people through that again, people in the music and the entertainment industry, and established myself in that space,” Anou recalled.

This venture introduced Anou into the world of entertainment. It led her to her next business, an advertising agency, which she opened when she was about 25 years old. Through that agency, she handled large clients, including energy companies that helped her carve a niche in that sector. One day, while at the advertising agency, a close friend she had made in the nightclub industry approached her, asking her help for a film opening. This opportunity paved the way for the birth of Anouconcept, which is her experiential PR and events agency.

Alongside her creative agency, she also went into the manufacturing trade, providing uniforms for schools and corporations. Anou knew that segment very well from growing up with her family’s business in the garments industry.

While Anou found the entrepreneurial world a comfortable space for her, her journey, however, was not a trouble-free start. When she began her first venture, not having enough capital was a huge risk that got on her nerves. “I was very scared when I was young. But now, I think that with the creative work that I do, money follows. It is not the biggest motivating factor in my life because I love creating businesses and building them well. I work very hard to ensure that we're always innovative and different and ahead of the game,” she disclosed.

The business environment was full of challenges, but Anou felt there were no hurdles too high for her to overcome. “I've never found any difficulty starting a business. I just wanted to do it. I jumped with my two feet in, put the best foot forward, and was able to convert them. So, my difficulty was being scared. It is being scared of not being successful. The fear of not achieving. The fear of not having money. The fear of not getting there. If you believe in what you're doing and have extreme self-belief, it overrides everything. That's the case for me. I truly believe in what I do and am very focused on it. That's been the reason why I’ve always been able to drive myself and whatever business I carry forward,” admitted the serial entrepreneur.

Running several businesses and starting a family was also not easy for Anou. Still, she was able to find a solution to her situation. “When I had children, my biggest thing was that I felt I was disconnected.  To overcome this, I made sure I worked very, very close to home. Currently, my large offices are less than a hundred meters walk from my house, so I can be connected to my two beautiful daughters as well as keep my businesses going,” she quipped.

Nonetheless, her entrepreneurial journey also had heartbreaks. “I went through a very scary patch when I had the advertising agency, and I broke away to do the fabrics,” she intimated. She thought it was a fantastic idea to be doing children’s clothing. However, she lost a lot of money, which scared Anou, yet made her even more determined to change the business into something meaningful. “Business is about passion and understanding the market, then connecting your client’s vision with their customer to create a lasting memory,” Anou imparted.

She also had to contend with the changing landscape of the industries where her businesses belong. Even in the manufacturing sector, she has to be innovative and dynamic because of market shifts. To be ahead of the changes, Anou continues to be responsive when the market is changing or when there are disruptors. For example, they have not only converted their plastics into biodegradable plastics, they have also set up a virtual fitting room for customers and clients.

Anou believes that the learnings never stop and that she will always be a student of life. One of the avenues that helped nurture her capabilities is EO Melbourne. Apart from the interesting people she met in the organisation, the learning events also opened her eyes to different directions. Listening to the inspiring stories of other business owners helped expand her thoughts. From what she has picked from the experiences of others, she then brought them to her businesses and applied the lessons accordingly.

Those lessons also moulded her to become an effective leader. Now, with a large number of people in her employ, Anou has been motivating her team based on their varying needs. For her staff in Asia, she provides language sessions, often inviting celebrity teachers to teach them English. Even her team in Australia, she grows them through continuous learning. There are spaces in their office for children and pets, who are always welcome. She cares for her people and, in turn, for their families, being a wife and mother herself. Anou shared, “Whether it’s a film, an event, a product or a garment, the same care and love since we established Anou Thai still live within our team. We love what we do, and our culture truly embraces our family values.”

When it comes to the drive, the passion, the vision, and the ability to see something and create it, Anou is a role model for the younger entrepreneurs. “If you believe in yourself, the courage comes. If you do the right thing in your business, money comes. It's all a byproduct of your doing. And it all starts with you, as an individual. Always,” she conveyed.

Continuing with her entrepreneurial journey, Anou looks ahead to the future full of positivism, determination and benevolence. “I want my businesses to be meaningful. In the growth sector that we're doing, we'll dominate the space. It's not always about how many millions each business may make. It's about leaving a legacy,” the dynamic businesswoman imparted.

Learn more about Anou Khanijou on her LinkedIn profile. Read http://anouconcept.com/ for more on Anouconcept.