“What is amazing about working with small businesses is that when you help them grow, you see the direct impact it has in supporting their families and growing their staff.”
John A. Vagueiro
I had the pleasure of interviewing John A. Vagueiro, President & Founder of Adapting Social.
Thank you for doing this! Can you tell us how did you get started?
Two major impacts on my life growing up were a direct contribution to me starting my own company. The first was growing up with money struggles. The second was struggling in the education system my entire life, leading up to me dropping out of college. Both of these things had a direct impact on my decision to drop out of school and begin Adapting Social. I wanted to boost the economy in my local town of Brick, New Jersey so I created a deal and coupon site to drive traffic to local small businesses. I went door to door and faced rejection for months. A lot of the people I wanted to start this business with wound up quitting, leaving me very discouraged. I didn’t think this first attempt at business was any good since I couldn’t get anyone to give me a shout and everyone I wanted to hire to help would quit on me.
When I got my first few clients and started to build an actual business I noticed a missing link. I saw small businesses spending a fortune on design and marketing services. Most of them had multiple companies doing multiple services for them, making their business have to communicate with so many different people. That in itself is a full time job! I had one of my clients ask me if I could build him a website. At the time I told him I wouldn’t know what to charge him. He threw out the price he paid for his outdated website at the time and my eyes lit up. The rest is history from there.
How have you been able to use your success to better the world?
Adapting Social acts as an extension of our clients business. We are their design and marketing department, providing an affordable solution to stay competitive with their website, social media, graphic design, email marketing and complete digital marketing services.
Is there someone who made a big difference in your life who helped you get to where you are today?
If I am being honest there is not just one person, there is a school of people. My Grandmother helped me finance my first laptop and acted as my bookkeeper for the first 2 years before things got a bit to crazy for her! She always believed in me and taught me the lesson of when you believe you can, you will. But when you say you cannot, you are right. Success begins in your mindset and she taught me that, whether she knows it or not! My mother always taught me if you are going to do something, do it big. I am relentless and would die before giving up because her. And last but not least someone that I’ve never met that made a huge impact on my life is Steve Jobs. His story motivated me to want to change the world.
Is there someone who made a big difference in your life who helped you get to where you are today?
What is amazing about working with small businesses is that when you help them grow, you see the direct impact it has in supporting their families and growing their staff. It’s the best experience for me to see in the world. Every year Adapting Social takes on a pro bono client who is struggling and needs help. Helping these clients and saving their business means everything to us.
If you could travel back in time to before you started, what 3 tips would you give yourself and why?
1. Start sooner.
2. Learn to have a better relationship with failure and challenges. Failure and challenges are the key to growth.
3. Understanding the key to success in business. This is a combination of making your customers and staff happy while providing a product or service that is unparalleled.
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have a private lunch with, and why?
If I could have a private lunch it would be with Tony Robbins. Not only is he a genius businessman, philanthropist and psychologist but I LOVE his mindset. I’ve learned a lot from him in terms of controlling the way you think and practicing mental fitness.