As the CEO of WorkP2P, Dan Rogers was always built for entrepreneurship. With previous bosses noting that he “wasn’t built to work for someone else,” and with his eyes always on the next innovation or systems upgrade in the business, it’s no wonder he eventually acquired a company and started doing things himself.
Although it’s no wonder he ended up here, his story truly is a riveting one! Unpack Dan’s inspirations, challenges, and histories as we dive into his Entrepreneur Story and gain some serious entrepreneurial wisdom.
What are three things every entrepreneur should know?
The first thing that you should know as an entrepreneur, according to Dan, is yourself. He expanded that you should know yourself, understand what your unique contribution is, and how your strengths support that, as well as how they don’t support it.
The second thing Dan advised entrepreneurs on was that it’s much easier to think of your business as a system first and apply system dynamics prior to applying traditional business practices. A traditional business will have us adding up and optimizing parts, whereas system dynamics will have us coordinating interactions and producing the product of those interactions.
Those are two wildly different outcomes.
The third thing and final thing that Dan mentioned is that “everything is learning.” In life in general, but particularly as an entrepreneur, you never stop learning. Having a mindset adaptable to growth, evolution, and change will be paramount to success.
What problem does your business solve and who are its customers?
Dan dubs himself and his business as their clients’ “intentional sidekick.” Pre-pandemic, his business (WorkP2P) began primarily as a corporate events shipping business. WorkP2P describes their customers as the people who pay them, primarily for private corporate events and trade shows. On the other hand, they have clients who are those that WorkP2P collaborates with on different unique projects. With their clients, Dan’s business was primarily an event organizer and asset manager.
However, due to COVID-19, their core business faced a hard stop in revenue for about 22 months. During this period, they reevaluated their business model and organization. They realized that their business was organized in a non-traditional manner, based on a societal design rather than a typical corporate structure.
Their current mission is to reimagine and redeem the concept of work and workplace. They want to demonstrate an intentional and unique way of organizing and operating a business, challenging conventional norms. They offer consultancy services to support smaller businesses, helping them grow and organize in a way that aligns with their unique contributions and intentions.
What inspired you to become an Entrepreneur?
Funnily enough, prior to buying the company that he works for now, Dan worked for two smaller companies, and both of the owners named him as their favourite and least favourite employee simultaneously. This is because while he delivered results, he also always believed they could do things better. His systems-oriented mindset and desire to constantly iterate and improve drove him to consider entrepreneurship.
Dan wanted to create a workplace where continuous learning and improvement were at the forefront, contrary to environments where employees were expected to stay in defined lanes. He desired to have the flexibility to innovate and provide value to clients without constraints. This desire led him to have a candid conversation with the business owner, expressing his intent to take over the business and bring his vision to life.
Ultimately, he negotiated a transition to become an entrepreneur by acquiring the business, aiming to reshape it based on his beliefs and principles. Despite acknowledging the skills of the previous owner as a superior business operator, Dan saw an opportunity to implement his system-oriented approach and strive to be a better version of an entrepreneur.
Knowing what you know now, how would you have spent a million dollars when you first started your business?
Dan’s strategy for having a million-dollar business – without the hefty initial investment – revolves around a straightforward and impactful approach. He emphasizes the significance of understanding and serving a particular community. Rather than needing substantial capital, Dan stresses the importance of engaging with and comprehending the needs of a chosen target audience.
Firstly, Dan recommends identifying a community that the business aims to serve. This could be a specific demographic or a group with shared interests or needs. Subsequently, he advocates for active engagement and deep understanding of this community. Listening to their needs and truly comprehending their desires is at the heart of this approach.
Understanding what the community values is critical for providing a solution that genuinely meets their requirements.
Following this understanding, Dan suggests offering value to the community without expecting anything in return. Providing a valuable service or product for free showcases the potential value the business can bring to its audience. Through this generosity and valuable service, the aim is to establish trust and credibility within the community.
Based on feedback and demand, Dan believes that the community will eventually express a willingness to pay for the services or products offered. This feedback-driven approach ensures a transition to a sustainable business model. Dan emphasizes aligning with societal design and recognizing the value of being an integral part of the community in the entrepreneurial journey.
What is your proudest accomplishment as an Entrepreneur?
Dan’s proudest achievement as an entrepreneur is less so an achievement and more so his ability to avoid disaster while making mistakes. Dan mentioned that he is quite a spiritual person. For him, everything is learning and if everything is learning, then mistakes are a built-in part of the process.
A motto he lives by is, “Don’t wait for perfection, make mistakes at full speed.” Dan is grateful for and proud of how he and his business have been able to stay afloat and survive despite their mistakes and “failures.” Although he is incredibly wise and talented in driving results, Dan credits a lot of his success to luck.
What big goals are you looking to achieve?
Dan’s main goal for the future is the main mission of his business: redeeming the way work is perceived and experienced. His primary objective is to feel the progress and closeness to achieving this mission. Dan also mentioned their intentional training is set to be fully public by September. He’s eager to observe its impact on a broader audience, with plans for subsequent books and materials aligned with the same mission.
Another of Dan’s key goals is to see people resonate with the mission and willingly join the cause of redeeming work. He talks about the formal launch of this mission, a significant step taken on December 1st, 2022, where a group of individuals chose to participate and opt into this vision. Reflecting on his life-long inclination towards this purpose, Dan acknowledges that this marks their first year actively engaged in the mission, and the fact that they’re still moving forward and thriving is a positive sign.
He’s hopeful that this momentum will propel them into 2024, underscoring their determination to persevere and make a meaningful impact in the realm of work.
Some of us are simply wired to innovate, lead, and drive change – Dan’s story highlights the importance of recognizing this inherent entrepreneurial spirit within oneself.
If you resonate with Dan’s story, perhaps you’re cut from the same entrepreneurial cloth. Contact us today to share your own Entrepreneur Story tomorrow!
