In this episode, Dane Atkinson, Founder and CEO at Odeko, joins David to share his entrepreneurial journey. He covers the challenges of scaling a business, and his vision for small businesses in a rapidly changing world.

Dane offers his personal insights on various topics, from overcoming personal challenges like dyslexia and ADHD to managing growth, profitability, and navigating a shifting economic climate. He reflects on the importance of mentorship, community, and the role of personal growth in leadership.

Takeaways:

• Building a Purpose-Driven Business: Odeko is driven by a mission to support small businesses in a business landscape dominated by large corporations. He notes a growing societal trend shifting away from large chains and towards locally owned businesses.

• Growth vs. Profitability: There is a dynamic tension between growth and profitability when it comes to startups. Startups often experience pressure to grow rapidly at the expense of profitability. As a company matures the pressure shifts to become profitable rather than grow, as sustainability becomes more important. 

• Navigating Entrepreneurship with Disabilities: Dane reflects on his personal struggles with dyslexia and ADHD throughout his entrepreneurial journey. He chooses to see them not as obstacles in his way, but unique traits that help fuel his entrepreneurial spirit.

• The Role of Mentorship in Growth: Dane credits much of his business success to the mentorship he received early on in his career, especially to those that were willing to share knowledge and help guide him through complex decisions.

• Community and Shared Success: As entrepreneurs, it is vital to support and learn from one another, as well as celebrate the successes of others. Founders should reach out to connect with other founders who have had startups and learn from their experiences.

Quote of the Show:

• “I think founders so often get stuck on the idea that I have to have the perfect idea… and that's an incredibly hard criteria to get to without data coming back.” - Dane Atkinson

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daneatkinson/
• Website: https://odeko.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast 

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