Adam Callinan is the founder and CEO of BottleKeeper, a company that manufactures stainless steel containers to keep the beer as cold as possible for a certain period. The CEO cherishes the power of automation and its contribution to his success.

Automation can allow you to run your business even while in another country. Adam Callinan speaks of how referrals also led to an 8-figure business within 3.5 years. Coming up with something unique that customers use daily will always earn you good money. As an entrepreneur, I always crave to solve a problem, and the benefits will come later.

BottleKeeper has always been my first choice; hence, I have to do more research to improve the product I offer. Sometimes I engage in side projects with other board members to get their ideas down.

I cannot compare that with what I used to do three years ago. Then, I didn’t focus my whole time with BottleKeeper. Priorities change. I used to spend a lot of time making large deals and investments in other businesses. Travelling was also part of my weekly schedule. So we could interact with my family more often, which is not the case now.

It’s funny how I got an idea to start BottleKeeper. I love being in the medical space. My parents were very supportive; they wanted their only son to become a professional doctor. In my mind, I thought that would be my job till I retired. I was annoyed because I realized if you attend the seven years medical course, you will come out with almost half a million in debt. I wasn’t ready for that.

So, I joined a certain startup where I became the first salesperson. I was part of the board members where we agreed to work tirelessly to expand and increase the revenue. For over a decade with the company, I learned a lot. I worked with other experienced executives who shared some unique secrets about business. My mind is always sharp to digest more knowledge. For example, I learned how logistics was very important in making current and future decisions. We faced many challenges, but they were worthy of a learning process.

We could develop various means to solve ambiguous problems through trial and error. There was no time when traveling or taking relief from work was unavailable. It was part of the business rules until we achieved a certain limit. But I also used to work on a side project that did well. In 2013, it was absorbed by certain companies interested in my idea. It was a technology company, and I could not disclose the idea because I respected the buyers.

It was the best moment because I wanted to change my career and do something different. As time moved faster with the company, I vowed to build a small company rather than running on a big company that would bring more troubles. This might sound like a different direction compared to what entrepreneurs do. However, every journey or decision you make have their consequence. I am very happy because I decided to shift my earnings to an 8-figure revenue with no employees.

My company is 90% automated, very reliable, and efficient. I invested all my money and did not look for any investor in exchange for shares. Since I was a kid, I hated debt, and I have managed to walk with that character until now. It sets you free from stress. I am always a happy man because I can travel to Africa and still run my company.

I have employed a stream of connected systems. There was a time my company was making almost $2000 in a single day. At this moment, we had a few small systems with many micro-programs. I was very knowledgeable in controlling the software to ensure a high-quality product came out.

Even when building a website, I did not hire someone to develop it. Instead, I learned a few technologies, and within a month, I built a very customized WordPress website that is SEO friendly. As I set up the company, my goal was to make sure people crave and buy my product before producing them in large amounts. I respect the client’s feedback. It’s the only thing that will tell you whether you are on the right or wrong track.

Entrepreneurs should know how to figure out if the business will work or not. It’s awkward to invest everything you had without gaging if everything will be okay shortly.

I am very thankful for crowdfunding techniques. It worked on my side. That is where you can even engage your clients and customers to become aware of what you are offering. In the long run, they will become part of the business. We conducted as much crowdfunding as possible, not just for money but to showcase what we were bringing to clients.

Our target was to raise a total amount of $5000 during the first crowdfunding. But in return, we secured an awesome $15,000. I only had the support of my partner and a cousin, whom I listened keenly. They had the same vision and dreams that I had, so it was easier working along with them. Although I was convinced that my product would hit the market, I wasn’t sure a customer would pay $20 for a single item.

I made some calculations, and for sure, if I could sell each container at $10, the production cost would be high. This means making a loss rather than a profit. So even if we raised it to $1, it still couldn’t be a productive business.

In January 2014, we made our first move abroad. We shipped many containers to 6 different countries and made 6-figure revenue. But over time, we have pushed harder, making great moves in the marketing industry to attain an 8-figure business. I was very happy to release a lump sum of 1000 containers in my first year.

Although the result was not instant, I was expanding my brand. I believe in the power of digital marketing. So, we made advert on AdWords, Facebook Advertisement, collaborating with influence to push our product. We were trying everything as long as the audience knew about BootleKeeper.

In most cases, I was posting pictures on the Facebook platform. But in August, Facebook introduced a video advertisement that explained how to use my product.

Only a single video changed how we operate the business. For over three months, we were getting more orders, and in December the same year, our product was out of stock.

For sure, any entrepreneur should take note of referrals. You must put it in the best way not to force clients to do it. Just give your customers the reason to keep sharing your product. If you are solving a problem in society, then be sure to earn a lot through referrals. We made a program that could allow our consumers to get a free discount of $5 if they came along with another person. That idea did not bore fruits as required. We went ahead to declare a free BottleKeeper if a person could bring more friends. That is how we have managed to win big names.

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I can praise Pinterest for its marketing strategy. It is a social media platform, but they still advertise their business on other platforms. If you are operating a startup, be sure to know your real audience. Get to understand the converting audience. Instagram is mainly for young people aged between 15 – 35 years old. Our target is between 35 – 60 years for my company because people have an extra income to purchase beer.

Sometimes another startup may be born out of your idea, but with minor improvements. I have struggled with such problems. You have to stand strong and fight back. It’s awkward when you remember how you have struggled with your business.

You must have intellectual property and retain the ownership of your idea. We currently have almost five pending patents, which I am still defending. Lucky enough, we managed to win one case, and we are building another company out of it. But it’s ambiguous because you have to prove to the court that you own the business. So people must learn how to protect their trademarks.

To a young Adam Callinan, start writing your journal before you attain the age of 25. I remember many things, but I don’t know how they happened. But, they are part of the business, and you must understand how they contributed either to success or failures. I will spend like 2 hours writing my journal in my free time.

Any CEO will face a lot of challenges. Sometimes I don’t take care of my responsibility. I might assign them to another person. I have to hire experienced companies specializing in certain fields to take care of my business.

I believe in the power of reading books. The ideas from top writers expand your knowledge. One of the top books I can recommend is How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. It’s a true and very interactive material that can transform your life.

I spend most of my time on Instagram and Facebook rather than Twitter on social media.