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Today, we are joined by Phil DiMuro, who has had a passion for entrepreneurship since he was young. After graduating college, Phil got his first full-time job working as a sales representative for Boston Beer (makers of Sam Adams and Truly). Between sales training, receiving his Cicerone Certification, managing relationships with hundreds of restaurant owners, and managing his own schedule, this first role sparked Phil’s entrepreneurial itch even in a corporate role.
After 3 years in the role and being passed over for a promotion, Phil started working on different side projects. He wanted to find a way to start his own business. While Phil was visiting bars and restaurants on a daily basis, he couldn’t keep track of all of the specials these businesses were running on a daily basis. He wanted to build an app that could crowdsource all of this information into one spot. This led to Phil spending his nights and weekends learning how to find developers, start an LLC, market an app, etc.
After a year of development and managing a beta test, Phil was ready to push Loople Mobile live. He knew to give this a real shot, he was going to have to quit his full-time job. While this was one of the hardest things he’s had to do, Phil knew he had to tell his boss in 2015. Over a two year period, Loople grew to 50k users, 7.5 businesses, and expanded into new cities. While the app was gaining traction, he struggled to monetize the app to continue scaling the business.
Around this time, a potential investor was looking to invest $250k to help Loople scale nationwide. After months of back and forth, he pulled his offer and wanted Phil to help him launch a mobile application. Two days later, the first client of Founders Approach was closed. Fast forward to today and Founders Approach has helped over 100 different clients build mobile apps and websites for their businesses.
Today, Phil is focused on continually scaling Founders Approach while exploring new ventures. He focuses on ideas that help unlock entrepreneurial potential, such as GoWorking, which plans trips for entrepreneurs to work and travel together. He has a passion for connecting with anyone with an idea, so feel free to reach out to him here!
Check out the conversation as we dive into the following:
How Google has done more for entrepreneurs than college ever has
How he was inspired by his high school boss, who ran her own restaurant
Why it’s important to document your entrepreneurial journey
Why it’s important to keep your cost of living down to give yourself a time to figure out your business
How he thinks about work life harmony when considering his priorities
Listen to Phil share his story and get inspired with his amazing advice to people thinking about following a similar path. Check out the full conversation on YouTube or Spotify by clicking the links below.
Know someone who should be on Why I Quit? We’re looking for all types of stories and people to feature at the top of the show. To nominate yourself or someone else, email dave@foundersapproach.com and tell us your name, where you’re from and what you want to talk about.