Sam Stanley: Shattering through the barriers of the mind to achieve boundless success

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By Amanda Ellen Nicola Jojo

THERE has been a long standing debate all over the world the subject of the matter being whether entrepreneurs are born or made. Sam Stanley who is a lucid individual behind Rubix Design and Build believes that entrepreneurs are born, not made and he attributes his viewpoint to the natural traits that acted as a catalyst in founding his company.

“I’m a firm believer that true entrepreneurs are born, not made. There are certain qualities that every successful entrepreneur possesses, and these qualities are fostered through one’s experiences and upbringing.

“When I look at myself I see hardworking person, humble, always want to see my team grow , eager to learn new things and above all I’m a believer of almighty living God that everything I do Jesus is the source of it all,” Stanley told The Entrepreneurial Magazine.

Even though he had a remarkable work experience which spanned for 7 years, Stanely felt latent and that pushed him to establish his business venture.

“I did Telecommunications at college. The first job I ever had was in retail and wholesale sector and second job was in a construction company based in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

“I started working at young age for big organizations and start-up companies. During my collage time I was also working in retail industry. So at the age of 25 I had worked for approximately 7 years in various industries, so I ended not seeing growth on myself because to me work it’s-elf was no-longer motivating . I also joined another different firm which was doing totally something i never heard of in the construction industry. I worked there for couple of years then decided to break the chains by quitting the job and start my own business

“The one thing I knew, is one day l will start my own thing, though I didn’t know when and how,” Stanley said.

After weighing up all the pros and cons of establishing a business, he resigned and founded Rubix Design and Build. The company offers solutions to maximise the design and functionality of various buildings. It is also a supplier and installer of aluminium glass, office partitions and shower cubicles as well as other aluminium related products.

“When you have a vision and a goal, it is difficult to be derailed. My focus was and is always on a bigger picture, it helps to eliminate any form of doubt. Imagine quitting a life where you used to get a pay cheque at the end of every month, to a life where you do not even know whether you are going to have a sale or not , yet you have bills to pay,” he said.

Some of the challenges he faced include; less capital to compete with well-established companies, lack of funding, the tedious process of importing some of their products, high import tariffs and high taxation.

At Rubix, providing quality services is not an act, it is a habit this is because they are on a drive to maintain consistency and good reputation.

“To us there is no substitute to quality, when you do a splendid job the person that will be your salesman through referrals. The power of networking cannot be overstated It has played a pivotal role in our business. We also value honesty and put effort in meeting our customers’ need.

“Above all for one to have a successful business, you need customers. So by that reason our focus is to make sure their needs and this reciprocates to us by having more referrals more business which leads to more sales and growth,” he highlighted.

When it comes to leadership and tackling projects, he attaches importance to staying organized, resolving conflicts which then leads to all growth as well as confidence in decision making.

“For us to have a successful project, I need everyone on board sharing their ideas and best possible ways to doing the work, and if by any chance we found ourselves outside the critical path we will resort to best possible approaches that will bring results.

“Basically it has start within me and then pass it on to the team. For us to have an identity, it starts from [working on the vision,” he said.

Ultimately, Stanley is looking forward to expand his operations beyond the confinements of Zimbabwe therefore increasing his market share.

His mantra on success is: “Success: for me I would say start unknown and finish unforgettable.”

As of now he is setting up structures that will enable him to retire at an early age.

“I always want to retire very young, so now I’m busy putting up the structures that enable the business to run outside my presence. Also looking for out potential prospects,” he said.

KEY TAKEAWAYS ON INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY: It’s a reminder that men need to be appreciated and it’s a call for men not to give up in everything they do, and we have to work for that life we want .

PARTING ADVICE TO ASPIRING AND STARTING UP ENTREPREPRENEURS: Honestly I can safely say this, if I knew it was going to be hard like this I wouldn’t have dared to start my company. But, one can read a book about swimming for a month and you can take that person out him or her in pool, there is a possibility that person will drown. For that reason there are things that you need to know and these include;