In this Office Hours episode, Grace sits down with Ellen Yui, founder of Yui+Company, a trailblazing communications consultancy celebrating 33 years of success. Ellen shares her journey from a young leader in a big Irish family to launching her own company while pregnant and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. Ellen discusses the importance of values, joy, and authenticity in business and life with candor and humor.

Key Moments:

• (03:54) The Pregnancy That Sparked a Business: Ellen shares how starting her company while pregnant catalyzed her entrepreneurial success.
• (09:01) Client Loyalty That Built a Legacy: How Ellen’s early clients followed her and helped her establish Yui+Company.
• (18:43) The Role of Values in Leadership: Ellen discusses why knowing and embodying your values is foundational to personal and professional success.
• (29:20) Using Joy as a Tool in Business: Why Ellen believes joy is the “divine spark” that fuels creativity and connection.
• (35:02) Simplifying Communication for Impact: Practical tips for tailoring messages to your audience and avoiding unnecessary noise.
• (52:52) Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Ellen offers wisdom for those starting out, emphasizing the importance of knowing yourself and thinking beyond the present.

Key Takeaways:

• Authenticity and values are the cornerstones of lasting success.
• Communication isn’t about making noise—it’s about making connections.
• Joy is a powerful driver in business, both as a motivator and as a tool to inspire others.
• Risk tolerance and resilience are essential traits for entrepreneurs.
• Always think ahead and believe that the world will catch up to your vision.

Follow along:

• Grace Van Hollebeke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracevanholl/
• Office Hours: https://www.officehourspod.com/
• Lucia: https://letslucia.com/

In this Office Hours episode, we sit down with Irving Betesh, the Co-Founder & CEO of SION, who defied the odds to build a successful business in the travel and tech industries. Known for his passion, straightforward approach, and ability to thrive under pressure, Irving shares his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a respected name in his field. From attending a life-changing Tony Robbins seminar in his 20s to selling a watch to pay rent in his early days, Irving has consistently demonstrated that hard work and resilience can open doors.

Key Moments:

• 2:30: The Early Influence of a Tony Robbins Seminar: How a powerful seminar in his 20s shifted Irving’s perspective and set him on a new path.
• 8:15: Selling a Watch to Pay Rent: Irving’s decision to sell his watch to make ends meet and why he believes nothing is ever “handed to you.”
• 14:00: From Common Sense to Company Founder: Irving discusses launching companies in travel and tech with little formal training and relying on his intuition.
• 23:45: Passion and Bluntness in Business: How Irving’s approach to life and work—being direct and passionate—has shaped his journey.
• 31:20: Lessons Learned and Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Irving offers his top takeaways on resilience, taking the first step, and maintaining faith in your vision.

Key Takeaways:

• Success often stems from resilience and the courage to make difficult choices, especially in challenging times.
• The power of intuition in business is sometimes as valuable as formal training, and common sense can often lead the way.
• Finding mentors or events that shift your perspective, like Irving’s Tony Robbins seminar experience, can provide lasting motivation.
• Irving’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: nothing will be handed to you, but by making that first step and committing to your plan, you’ll create your own momentum for success.

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Office Hours, Grace hosts an engaging conversation with David Chait, CEO and Founder of Travefy, the go-to platform for travel advisors who need a powerful way to streamline trip planning, communication, and client engagement. David walks us through his journey from corporate strategy consulting at McKinsey to a pivotal role at the U.S. Small Business Administration, where he was immersed in the challenges of small businesses during the Great Recession. Inspired by these experiences, David caught the entrepreneurial bug and set out to create Travefy, a platform initially aimed at consumers that found its true mission in supporting travel advisors.

David shares the critical moments and hard-won insights behind Travefy’s growth, from navigating product-market fit to self-funding for long-term sustainability. He reveals how Travefy balanced listening to user feedback with strategic foresight to build a suite of tools tailored specifically for travel advisors, ultimately helping them succeed on their own terms. In this episode, you’ll hear how Travefy tackled the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, built trust in the advisor community, and why staying mission-driven has been key to their success. Plus, David dives into the qualities he values in his team and his strategic approach to innovation and offers sage advice for aspiring entrepreneurs on setting both success and “off-track” metrics.

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction and David’s Career Journey
• 01:12 From Strategy Consulting to Small Business Advocacy
• 06:32 Transitioning Travefy from Consumer to B2B
• 08:26 Finding Product-Market Fit for Travel Advisors
• 10:04 Capital Decisions: Self-Funding and Sustainable Growth
• 14:54 Building with a Mission: Supporting Travel Advisors
• 17:19 Travefy’s Methodical Approach to Product Development
• 21:33 Expanding Tools for Travel Advisors: Education & Integration
• 28:48 Navigating COVID-19: Adapting with Empathy and Innovation
• 32:01 New Tools for Branding and Workflows
• 35:43 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Setting Success and Failure Metrics
• 38:01 Early Strategies for Connecting with Advisors
• 40:45 Hiring for Empathy and User-Centric Values
• 43:00 Rapid Fire with David: Technology Trends, Industry Misconceptions, and Key Traits for Entrepreneurs

Takeaways:

• Travefy’s journey from a consumer to a B2B tool underscores the importance of identifying a core audience and iterating based on user feedback.
• David’s experience with small business challenges at the U.S. Small Business Administration influenced Travefy’s mission to empower solopreneurs.
• Customer-focused product development and clear values have driven Travefy’s growth and resilience.
• Aspiring entrepreneurs can benefit from setting both success and off-track metrics early in their journey to make quicker, more informed adjustments.