Follow the Leaders
Charlottesville CEO Finds Success in an Unlikely Industry
Jacob D’Aniello is a Kenmore, New York, native and UVA grad who is also a trailblazer. D’Aniello realized from a young age that a successful business venture must be built on a naturally recurring revenue model, so he created a thriving business in an unlikely and untapped industry: pet waste removal.
It’s a business in which a sense of humor is required and encouraged throughout the organization. “We like to say, ‘Your dog’s business is our bread and butter,’” says the DoodyCalls CEO. “We also joke that, ‘We’re number one in the number two business.’”
What’s not funny is how seriously successful his company has become since 2000. Only four years into the venture, he and his wife franchised the business. Today, DoodyCalls is making waves nationally across 16 states and counting.
Meet Charlottesville CEO Jacob D’Aniello.
Q: How did you get into this unique line of business?
A: The paper route I started when I was 10 was the impetus for DoodyCalls. The idea of providing a consistent service each week really appealed to me. I also looked at my grandfather, who sold furniture and appliances, and my father-in-law, who sold shoes. In each case, they showed up each day with no revenue. That seemed really stressful to me. I also knew I didn’t want to spend time winning my clients away from my competitors – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but I wanted to focus more on winning people over to a market that they weren’t introduced to yet.
Q: How’s business?
A: We’re very focused on replicating and growing, which is a lot of work within itself. We’re launching some new internal technology systems that are really exciting, and we’ve recently launched a new e-commerce store. We’re now designing and manufacturing our own pet waste stations and litter bags, and as far as I know, we’re the only pooper scooper company that has its own product line, so that gives us the ability to be a little more aggressive in the market.
Q:You franchised your business in 2004, when you were in your 20s. Why did you decide to franchise?
A: We wanted to franchise because we felt like we stumbled onto a tremendous opportunity, and we really felt like it would be a great opportunity for other people – especially those who may not have access to a tremendous amount of capital. We also thought it would be a lot of fun working with other hard-working entrepreneurs. It’s hard to create an industry by yourself. It takes a lot of resources to blaze a path. The more brains, the better.
Q: What advice do you have for CEOs who are considering franchising their businesses?
A: Don’t franchise until your organization is financially sound. You don’t want to have to count on the revenue from the franchise business for several years. You want to be able to take your time and find the right people to work with. And it sounds like a cliché, but when you decide to franchise, you’re really getting into a different business than the business you’re in. You’re now focused on relationships, franchise recruitment, support, and compliance. Make sure you understand and love those kinds of activities that will make you a great franchisor.
Q: What aspect of your business excites you the most?
A: I get excited knowing that I can help individuals achieve their goals through business ownership. I also get a lot of excitement out of creating a great place to work, and it’s very satisfying to know that I make a positive difference in the lives of the people I work with. It’s so much fun to work with people. But probably what I’m most excited about is that I really love creating something no one else has done before. We are creating a national brand. We’re trying to do something no one has done.
VACEOs Members Make 2016 RVA 25 and Inc 5000 Lists
Our members represent a wide range of industries and experiences, and they are frequently listed within the annual RVA 25 and Inc 5000 “fastest growing” company lists. This year special congratulations go out to TDDBS (Best Bully Sticks), Worldview Solutions, Timmons Group and Unlimited Air Mechanical for making the Inc 5000 list.
The company we keep is mighty fine. Take a look, and then imagine the hurdles you will overcome with access to such an exclusive network of leaders like these. Visit VACEOs membership to learn more.
Meet Jamie Christensen, CEO, WorldView Solutions
Meet Jamie Christensen, CEO, WorldView Solutions. He’s a father, a Durham, North Carolina, native, and a classical guitarist. He spun a bit of vinyl and managed a college radio station back in the day. Today, he’s a first-time entrepreneur who uses phrases like “I’m in heaven” and “I’m getting a kick out of it” when asked how business ownership is treating him.
Jamie’s got a soft spot for start-ups, and he believes RVA is on the cusp of greatness. Here’s a little more about this new VACEOs member.
Q: You started WorldView Solutions in 2000. Briefly describe your background in business prior to starting the company.
A. My first internship in college was with The Conservation Fund, out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. That opportunity led me to do my senior thesis on the ways environmental organizations were using spatial technologies and how this was changing their worldview from a qualitative approach to a more quantitative approach to conservation. That experience landed me a job as a GIS specialist with the U.S. Forest Service after graduation. I worked at a 20,0000-acre former Army TNT depot an hour south of Chicago as part of an effort to transform the property into a multi-use tallgrass prairie. A year later, I moved to Newport News and was hired by a company called GeoDecisions. By 2000, I was ready to take the plunge and strike out on my own.
Q: When you meet someone at a party, how do you describe what you do for a living?
A: I tell them, “Google Maps on steroids.” We build custom software applications that layer proprietary data – for example, a natural gas company’s pipes and wells and other facilities, or a town’s sewers and water mains and electrical lines – onto satellite-generated maps to support more efficient management of that infrastructure and better decision-making.
Q. Thinking about the projects you have waiting for you at the office, describe the task or project that excites you the most and tell us why.
A: One of our growth areas is developing software products – for existing customers, new customers or through investments in Richmond start-ups. WorldView is currently the technology partner with a Richmond start-up called Outdoor Access that is aiming to connect outdoor enthusiasts with private land opportunities in much the same way that Airbnb and Uber operate. I’m excited about using our team’s unique experience and expertise to help grow Richmond’s start-up ecosystem.
Q. What’s the state of Richmond’s start-up ecosystem?
A. I think Richmond is at a tipping point as far as getting on a national stage. If we want to grow the region – and businesses in the region – we need to be known as a place where start-ups come to live, grow and take off. We’re right on the cusp of being one of those places – like Durham.
Richmond needs an identity. We need something we’re known for – not just our beer or restaurant scene. I’m excited because I see the opportunity to make that happen in the next three to five years. There are some really interesting things happening with start-ups in the transportation sector here, and there are several start-up companies that I’m working with that are offering location-based services that I think are exciting.
VACEOs Member Profile: Russ Martin, CEO, IMMCO and Tube Tape
In July, we officially welcomed (and listed) our Class of 2016 New Members in one of the most highly viewed articles we’ve posted. So let’s dive in a little deeper and get to know Russ Martin, one of these new members.
Meet Russ Martin.
His business ownership experience spans 30 years, and he recently took ownership of a startup AND a long-standing company that needed a complete rebrand – both in the same year. His rationale for the challenge? “Sure! Why not?”
Welcome aboard, Russ. We’re looking forward to getting to know you better.
Q: You’ve been an entrepreneur for several years. Tell us about your experience.
A: I bought my first company from my father in 1990. The company, which began in 1983, was small and laden with debt. It had about a five percent market share and no international business, but it did have a great product. The company made specialty machines used to package hot dogs.
I made my father an offer, and he accepted. Over the next 15 years, the business achieved a 22 percent compounded annual growth rate and about 95 percent of the world market share. I sold that company in 2005 to a private equity firm and semi-retired for a while, doing analysis and acquisition work for that firm – which soon turned into full-time work. Then I finally decided I preferred to run my own company, rather than someone else’s.
In 2015, I bought Industrial Machine Manufacturing Company (IMMCO) and started an unrelated company, Tube Tape.
Q: What was it about IMMCO and Tube Tape that made you want to get back into the ownership game?
A: IMMCO had a premium product and a great reputation, but the company had been ignored. I thought it was a great opportunity to revitalize the brand. I felt it was a good company that I could grow. One week after buying IMMCO, I heard about Tube Tape. Unlike IMMCO, it was a startup company, but I got really excited about the product, so I partnered up with Tube Tape’s inventor. It’s been a lot of work and an interesting process!
Q: What do you think are some of the biggest challenges business owners face today?
A: When I attended Darden, I took an Organizational Behavior class. A visiting CEO said, “This will be the most important class you will take.” In many ways, he was right. Being able to find, recruit, maintain and develop the right people is critical. Once you have that part of the business figured out, it becomes easier.
I will add that I believe banks are not nearly as easy to work with as they used to be, and that’s another really big challenge business owners face today. It’s really difficult to get the capital you need to get your business started.
Q: You’re a new member of the Council. Why did you want to join?
Q: You’re a new member of the Council. Why did you want to join?A: When I started out in business as a newly minted MBA, I thought I knew it all. Of course, I didn’t. A real turning point for me was when I joined an industry trade association and I met a number of CEOs who had businesses similar to mine. Being able to talk through shared experiences and having those contacts was key.
I’m really looking forward to a similar CEO experience and meeting new people. Most of all, I’m looking forward to learning something new and hearing about experiences I haven’t encountered or experienced yet.
Q: What brings you the most joy in your life?
A: That’s an easy question! Five years ago, the answer would have been a well-struck golf shot. But now I have a daughter who’s 4 years old and 6-month-old twins. My family brings me the most joy. Being more experienced and a little older makes it easier for me to understand priorities.
VACEOs Director Renews Perspective on Life and Leadership
Scot McRoberts, executive director of the Virginia Council of CEOs, has a renewed perspective on life and leadership. As it turns out, a week-long trip with nine middle-schoolers can do that for you!
The journey forced everyone out of their comfort zone at times, and the long hours spent repairing the home of a 94-year-old woman in an economically depressed Ohio town helped Scot come back with different ideas and perspectives about how he leads and serves. “It was a growth experience for me,” he says.
Here’s what else he had to say about the adventure.
Q: You just came back from a mission trip that placed you and another adult and nine middle-schoolers in a blue-collar Ohio town for a week. Explain why you were there.
A: Lorain County, Ohio, is about 25 minutes west of Cleveland, on Lake Erie. It was, at one time, a steel mill town. That changed when the recession hit and the plants closed down, eliminating 15,000 jobs overnight. What was once a booming community is now a shadow of itself. There are lots of empty storefronts, businesses, and churches.
I was there as part of a mission trip to help someone in need in that community. More specifically, my group helped to repair 94-year-old Victoria’s home. We worked long, hard hours – working primarily on her kitchen, which a previous crew had re-floored and dry-walled. We were doing trim work, caulking and painting, and working on doors and cabinets. We also did some landscaping for her.
The ultimate goal of the trip was to give the young people in the group an experience that will help them grow and mature in their faith.
Q: This trip took some group members, and you, a little bit out of their comfort zone. What did you learn from each other?
A: I have been on other mission trips, and I find that when I’m taken out of my comfort zone and given the opportunity to do work that benefits others, I grow. It’s a great chance to get a new perspective on your life, work and what you do every day. I had never been to Ohio or Lake Erie before. It was clear we weren’t in the West End of Richmond anymore. It gave me a chance to practice being open minded and friendly with people who appeared to be different.
Also, the middle-schoolers were invited to do something they had never done before, whether that was to install trim work or caulk or paint. To see them take those tasks on with such enthusiasm and without fear – that was inspiring for me to see.
Q: Did you have any leadership revelations while on this trip?
A: I knew this, but it pays to have a reminder that those who are the best leaders are the best servants. By that, I mean you are able to identify and meet the needs of your employees or whomever. I also think you have to give your followers a chance to fail, and you have to remember it’s ok if they do. People grow when given an opportunity to try.
I remember on the final day of painting, a bucket of paint got knocked over. It took two hours to clean it up. The kids stuck with it, and the kitchen turned out fine. One child in our group was trying to nail baseboard to a wall, and he was just too small and not coordinated enough to get the job done. We just found something else for him to succeed at, and I bet he will get that trim next time.
I also was reminded that people are much more capable than we give them credit for. Even a 13-year-old kid can do lots of things that you wouldn’t normally think they could. The same is true in business and with your employees and volunteers.
There were many leadership lessons happening around me. I just had to open the receptors.
Q: Reflecting back to the experience, what were a few moments that stood out for you?
A: I really enjoyed watching the kids relate to the Victoria, even though there were eight decades between them. They were really interested in connecting with her, and they had long conversations with her about her life and interests. That was special to see.
The best part, of course, was when we finally finished putting her kitchen back together and we escorted Victoria in to see her new kitchen. To see the joy on her face and the pride on the faces of the kids was the ultimate highlight.
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