e27 has been dedicated to nurturing a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurs since its inception. Our Contributor Programme offers a platform for sharing unique insights.
As part of our newly introduced ‘Contributor Spotlight’, we shine a weekly spotlight on an outstanding contributor and dive into the vastness of their knowledge and expertise.
This episode features Antoine Martin, a business coach and entrepreneur who co-founded Impactified, an online coaching and self-coaching platform. Martin is known for assisting entrepreneurs in developing improved business models, focusing on creating a meaningful impact.
As a valued contributor, Martin has accumulated over 4,800 content views through seven articles he wrote. The focal themes of his contributions revolve around business strategy, development, and the pursuit of success.
Martin shares his personal and professional journey in this episode of Contributor Spotlight.
The driving force
As a business coach, Martin has helped many entrepreneurs achieve the thriving life they desire. He manages The Accelerated MBA, a blog established at Impactified to offer tips and insights to clients and internet-based scale-up entrepreneurs.
He looked for chances to contribute to a broader audience in the Asian entrepreneurial scene through collaborations with various media outlets, ultimately becoming a part of the e27 Contributor Programme.
“Destiny helping, I was contacted by the e27 team and was invited to publish some thoughts on entrepreneurship, which I did. I have been publishing a few thoughts on e27 since then and really enjoyed the experience, particularly because e27 gave me an editor to work with and get feedback from, which is the best way to go as it challenges your style and communication skills,” he said candidly.
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Thoughts, goals, and journey
In 2019, Martin started coaching entrepreneurs and decision-makers. Initially inspired and trained by business coach Philippe Bonnet, this collaboration transformed into a growing team of scale-up advisors across Asia and Europe, working on impactful projects. Despite his inherent ambition, this career change prompted Martin to set lasting personal goals that continue to motivate him.
Martin is dedicated to developing Impactified as a cross-continent network of scale-up facilitators in his professional endeavours, providing steadfast support to entrepreneurs.
“My (and my team’s) area of expertise is business scale-up facilitation. In plain English, it means that we do our best to challenge entrepreneurs and business owners who seek support in scaling their organisations in a smart and value-building way. They have undeniable expertise in tech, textiles, or F&B, but that doesn’t mean their ideas are clear as far as piloting a business is concerned. And that is where we intervene,” he expressed.
As an entrepreneur, he ventures into projects, including a podcast studio for entrepreneurs and an online ScaleUp Academy, offering affordable opportunities for small business owners. Adding to his repertoire, Martin imparts his knowledge by teaching business modelling, innovation, and business communication to university students.
In navigating the challenges of growing a business, Martin emphasises the importance of big-picture thinking, encompassing aspects like positioning, marketing, sales strategy, HR strategy, team engagement, and acceleration strategy. Success, he believes, lies in working “on” the business with a macro and strategic vision rather than getting entangled “into” it at a micro level.
“It makes sense when you read it, but historically, we have seen many startup entrepreneurs ignore the point that they were successfully raising money and doing very well already. However, the two points are distinct, and raising money doesn’t help you think strategically or think your problems through.
The mentality is very different in the US because business coaches and other business advisors are often second entrepreneurs. However, in Asia, that is not the case yet. The good news is that as we push this message, we notice that entrepreneurs begin to think differently and look for more external advice than they used to. It’s an exciting and promising trend, I hope!”
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Advice for budding thought leaders
Martin notes that the key is to have a message that truly matters and is worth people’s time. Whether it’s sharing recent news, industry insights, or motivation, writing like business is finding a niche that speaks to an audience and then sticking to it.
According to him, the real challenge is staying consistent.
“I find that the best way to publish regularly is to turn it into a routine. I work on building that routine myself, but you have to be honest with yourself: that’s by far the most difficult part,” he expressed.
Juggling too many things?
Expressing his commitment to regular contributions, Martin stated, “Contributing or publishing regularly is important to me, so I used to have a writing routine with time blocks dedicated to it in my calendar just to be sure content production would happen. Some people manage to make that an absolute priority, but some other important things also appear occasionally, so in my case, the contribution routing works in cycles.”
In Martin’s perspective, balancing work and personal life involves allocating time for specific tasks. While this may not always be feasible, he emphasizes the importance of understanding the reasons behind prioritising one over the other at a given moment. Martin asserts that as long as the responsibilities don’t become overwhelming, finding comfort in what one does is the primary concern.
“Personally, I strive to strike a happy balance between my entrepreneurial lifestyle and my family life. Being an entrepreneur demands a lot of energy and focus, but becoming a dad is one of those things that shift your priorities. So, finding a happy medium is essential,” he added.
Staying in the loop
“I occasionally check a few sources for information, but it’s not a priority, as excessive browsing leads to procrastination. I catch up on the news through my tailored phone’s feed during short breaks or while in transit, which usually provides sufficient information. I’m surrounded by individuals more attuned to current events, ensuring that any missed news eventually reaches me through them,” Martin shares.
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He adds, “I read many business-related books and pick ideas here and then, but when I have a moment, I also enjoy finding inspiration in the Tim Ferriss podcast. His way of looking at a broad scope of things inspires me and often gives me lightbulb moments.”
Over time, Martin has learned that in entrepreneurship, staying informed is most effectively achieved by cultivating curiosity and exploring various topics.
“Being curious and looking at what others do is one of the best ways to stay on top of what you do, together with letting others challenge you. I try to live with both principles, and I’m very excited to have the opportunity to share my own thoughts on e27,” Martin concluded.
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The post Spotlighting Antoine Martin: Cultivating curiosity and driving impact in entrepreneurship appeared first on e27.