Launching a business when you don’t know anyone

“I’m fascinated with people and how they respond to ideas. What drives them, what upsets them, why are they happy. That’s why I like marketing, because it puts people and their needs first.”

Seeking to understand people is nothing new for Belarus native Igor Gorlatov. After moving to Charlotte, NC in 2016 with his wife and young son, Igor connected by offering his expertise to a diverse cross-section of the community.

That includes helping the Russian-speaking community in Charlotte, founding a local chapter of Successful Negotiators Club, presenting his negotiation tactics as a component of organizational learning programs, co-leading TorchBearer Fractional CMOs, which lends in-depth marketing strategy expertise to mid-sized companies, and most recently, becoming a lead community organizer for 1 Million Cups Charlotte, a Kauffman Foundation initiative for early stage entrepreneurs.

Igor has the background to make it all work. He first came to the United States under the highly-selective Fulbright Scholar program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State. His exceptional curriculum vitae shows experience in languages, high-stakes negotiation, teaching, digital marketing and business.

He was a founding partner of a digital marketing and web development firm in Belarus, fractional director of an MBA program and also worked as a part-time interpreter for high-level talks with such organizations as the World Bank, United Nations, the Trilateral Group on Peaceful Resolution of the Conflict in Ukraine, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the EU Commission.

All of which sounds complex. But the ever-entrepreneurial Igor assures it is not. Or at least not as complex as it is to integrate into the entrepreneurial community in a new place as an immigrant who does not know anyone!

However, there is a tried-and-true shortcut that Igor was able to take.

“I was very lucky to join Advent Co-working, which I have found to be the most community oriented co-working space in Charlotte. It was my way to plug into the bigger Charlotte community and start building my network and my business.”

At Advent Co-working, Igor met his now business-partner, Adrienne Craighead, who’s networking skills are a solid match to Igor’s big picture approach to marketing.

“A lot of businesses gravitate toward complexity, especially with regard to marketing strategy. They tend to focus on so many tactics and metrics that it becomes harder and harder to see the big picture. We listen and look for the misalignment between what they do and what they say they want to do. Figuring out inconsistencies and casting a bolder vision allows companies to grow to the next level.”

Igor has found some differences in the approach to business between entrepreneurs here and in his home country.

“The business environment here is more open to experimentation, more optimistic and opportunistic. I enjoy that. It is one of the reasons I fell in love with America.”

But it is the similarities that he finds truly inspiring.

“I have found people have many shared experiences, hobbies and interests. Everything is coming full circle now between my interest in understanding and helping people, our business approach and the ability to quickly get connected in our new home.”

Launching a business when you truly don’t know anyone locally is a challenge. But Igor is proof it is not insurmountable. Especially when you have a bold vision to put people and their needs first.

 

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Where does the entrepreneur’s mind wander?

“It was totally unexpected, but after graduating in 2016, I managed to seriously injure my knee and found myself basically bed-ridden for eight months. All of a sudden, the job I just moved for fell through and I had no idea what to do. Laying there, I decided to just start something. Within a month, I came up with 42 ideas – and all of them were really bad. 

But during that time, literally 40 friends texted me asking for travel advice. And it hit me. I wondered why there wasn’t any where to share that kind of experience-based expertise. That’s when I decided to develop Rayka.”

Landon Sanford has traveled to 38 countries and 42 states, thanks in part to his Dad’s job. But a semester abroad in Spain really solidified his wanderlust.

“During that one semester, I traveled to 17 countries. It is so easy to get cheap flights in Europe so I would sleep in airports or hostels – anything to be able to afford to keep the adventures going.”

So, it might not seem unusual that this globe-trotting entrepreneur turned that passion into a business named after the Icelandic word for “wander.” After all, Rayka  taps into Landon’s wealth of first-hand expertise – and that of more than 50 participating world wanderers (so far).

As of August 1, 2017 Rayka is live in the APP store! Initially focused as a resource for foreign exchange students living in Europe, Landon points out that Rayka taps experienced travelers who have ‘been there/done that,’ not a star rating system that often becomes bogus.

What’s unusual about this entrepreneur’s story is what Landon says his college friends find most surprising about his latest start-up.

“My friends would never guess that I would start a business that involves social media. I actually quit social media altogether in college. I wanted to experience life, not live it online. Rayka is different. It doesn’t draw you into your phone, it pushes you out into the world.”

Landon had no experience in app development, but he started his first business at 15 and put his past negotiation skills to work to hire an app developer. Still, he quickly discovered that his preconceived notion of keeping everything as secret as possible until launch was all wrong.

“You have to talk about the idea and talk to as many people as possible to get feedback. I talked to everyone I knew who traveled and I surveyed 5,000 foreign exchange students. My sales background also helped a lot in dealing with rejection and push back. I know not to take it personal.

Every comment helps you understand where you can be different. Everyone kept asking if I’ve heard of the Untappd app for beer because it sounded similar to them. Now I use that to tell our story. We want Rayka to be the Untappd of travel.”

So when a traveler wants to know the best places for fun, or food or entertainment, someone like Landon will be there (via a smart, social app) to welcome fellow wanderers.

All because during Landon’s unfortunately-timed medical emergency, his mind wandered. And just look where it took him!

 

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