Frank Cardello and Mark Lemmons, CEOs Of Shotzr – A DotCom Magazine Exclusive Interview

Frank Cardello, CEO Of Shotzr

Frank Cardello and Mark Lemmons are the CEOs and Founders of Shotzr. Frank and Mark are both thought leaders, influencers, visionaries, and successful entrepreneurs. Frank and Mark provide the leadership and energy that has inspired the creation of Shotzr. Frank Cardello and Mark Lemmons join other leading CEOs and Founders taking part in our Leader Roundtable Interview Series. The DotCom Magazine editorial team has recently awarded Shotzr with our Impact Company of 2019 award. We are delighted to have Frank and Mark join us for our Leader Roundtable Interview and our popular “speed round” as well.

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Frank and Mark, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day for this interview about your company, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

1. What is the “elevator pitch” for Shotzr?

Shotzr enables marketers to cost effectively deliver versioned creative at scale that dramatically improves ROAS in targeted advertising.

2. What is the key to your company’s success?

We never try to “be right”, our commitment is to “get it right”. To “get it right” you must get started, innovate quickly, and be committed to failing frequently.

3. Many of our readers are just starting to build a company. What advice can you give entrepreneurs just starting out with a new venture?

Constrain your cost of failure. More often than not, it will take time and many iterations to “get it right”. Learn how to fail as frequently and inexpensively as possible.

4. For other entrepreneurs seeking to build a business as successful as yours, what advice can you give them when times get a little challenging?

There will be more bad days than good days. Don’t let your highs get too high or your lows get too low … nothing worth doing is easy.

5. How important is the commitment to client satisfaction at Shotzr, and how do you make sure your customers will become raving fans of your company? Is there anything more important than client satisfaction?

No clients, no business … dedicate headcount to client success as early as you can afford to.

6. In today’s fast changing business environment, how do you stay abreast of things?

I used to read … now I rely on podcasts more than ever … in the car, at soccer games, on flights …

7. What is your “Why”? Why do you get up in the morning, and how do you keep yourself at peak performance to lead Shotzr?

When my co-founder and I stated Shotzr we were committed to addressing a problem worth solving. The world did not need a 260th stock photo company.

8. Can you recommend a book that has had an influence in your career? How did it influence you?

The Wright Brothers” by David McCullough. How did 2 under capitalized bicycle repairmen become the fathers of modern aviation beating well-capitalized governments? They understood that success depended upon a commitment to constrain their cost of failure. The Wright Brothers designed their own wind tunnel powered by a 1 hp motor that, when combined with hacksaw blades and bicycle spokes enabled them to measure the forces of lift and drag on different wing designs. This approach enabled them to test 1000’s of wing designs – before they ever built a plane and went to Kitty Hawk. Their competitors’ failures came at the cost of an airplane …while the Wright Brothers failures were limited to the cost of another hacksaw blade. Constraining the cost of failure is as important today as it was in the early 1900’s.

9. When communicating with your staff, can you tell us the most important thing you do so that they are able to carry out the objectives that you set forth at Shotzr?

We just try to be consistent and over communicate. Everyone knows we are tackling a tough problem, but it’s a massive opportunity worth winning.

10. Can you explain what leadership means to you?

We talk a lot about “no heroes” at Shotzr. We each have our roles – we will win or lose together, as a team.

 

We just try to be consistent and over communicate
We would like to have some fun and do a “speed round” with you! We will ask you ten more questions that we want you to answer in just one to three words only.
Here you go!

1. In three words or less, what makes a successful CEO?
Patience

2. Describe your business in one word?
Optimization

3. Describe your customers in one word?
Loyal

4. What one attribute do you look for when hiring an employee?
Drive

5. What is the one word you want your customers to say about your company?
Committed

6. In three words or less, describe your passion?
Solving complex problems.

7. In three words or less, describe what it takes to be successful?
Commitment

8. In three words or less, describe your first year in business at Shotzr?
Relentless

9. In three words or less, describe how running a successful company has changed you?
Patience

10. What is the one word that you believe has the most power in the English language?
Freedom

Frank Cardello and Mark Lemmons, thank you so much for sitting down with us for our DotCom Magazine Leader Roundtable Interview Series. We very much appreciate the time you spent helping our readers learn more about what it takes to be a leader. We wish you, your family, and of course Shotzr, nothing but the best. Thanks again!

Frank Cardello and Mark Lemmons, CEO of Shotzr, The Leader Roundtable Interview Series