Chris Hale is the founder and Global CEO of Kountable, a technology trade platform based out of San Francisco, US, which facilitates international trade for SMEs.
Greatest milestone: Closing a $150,000,000 line of credit with a US based alternative credit fund is my biggest milestone so far. I share this with my company. We invested heavily in our financial processes and although our solution is focused on an innovation in the African market, our team was able to close a significant line to help us scale up with our small and medium enterprise partners. Always take the time to do whatever you set out to achieve well right from the beginning. Recruit the very best people you can find and inculcate the spirit of team work. Success will follow.
Biggest money mistake: When I was young, I had great success as an early manager. The team I took over went from a ranking of 173 to 5th in the US in a single year. Just at the peak of it all, my bosses boss got into some trouble, and the bonus and stock pools we were due to receive were forfeited for the whole team. Incidentally, this also stands out as my biggest loss. The expected award would have been worth nearly $500,000 today. This taught me the value of controlling your destiny, and awakened me to the realization that I was ready to start and run my own company. Nonetheless, losses are lessons just like gains are lessons. There are things you can and cannot control.
Building career and business: I have been able to build my career and business by surrounding myself with intelligent people who nurture my entrepreneurial aspirations, committing to a vision and following it through. Also, I have gotten to where I am with a combination of determination, creativity, and genuine admiration and gratitude for the talents in my team. I have also learned that when growing in your career and business, you should uphold integrity at all times.
Secret to making it: It is not really about making it. It is about making yourself! You must work hard, learn every day, and build the relationships that lead to wealth. It is about becoming the person that wealth is attracted to.
If I could go back in time: I would venture into entrepreneurship from the word go. You see, right after school, I began chasing a passion for music and really enjoyed myself. I then became an employee of a large finance company. Eventually, though, I realized that regardless of my industry, I’m cut out to be an entrepreneur, and I’m at my best when managing known risks, creating my own opportunities and building great teams.
Saving method: I used to do small monthly savings but found out that investing in myself and my business by compounding profits works better for me. It’s a riskier way to do things but it is a better fit for me. One does not need to establish a baseline level of long term savings and a short term safety net though.
Entrepreneurship or employment: I think people are different. Entrepreneurship is a better fit for me and I learned this during my time as an employee. I am entirely dependent, though, on the employees that choose to align themselves with me as an entrepreneur. You must discover your fit and there is no harm in trying both. The lessons you learn from each will make you more confident in the long term about which path is right for you.