In February, Dwayne Martens is presenting at The Business League’s first Business Breakfast of 2017. Dwayne is a young entrepreneur who took a business idea dreamt of in his early twenties and turned it into a market dominator in Australia. Today his business, the Amazonian Group, continues to grow from strength to strength under Dwayne’s leadership. Listening to Dwayne share his compelling story of success, we identified 3 key lessons that could be learnt from his journey to the top…
- Research, Research, Research
On returning from an overseas backpacking trip, he was just a 21 year old without an income or resources. What he did have however was a box of frozen fruit with one in particular standing out to him: the acai berry. What followed was careful research into every aspect of the plant – its uses, availability, habitat and harvesting methods. Starting with a small market stall, Dwayne created and built up a demand for this hip new superfood, and today he is its largest Australian distributor, with his products stocked in 1500 outlets.
- Go For It
With no business track record or experience to his name, Dwayne was hardly a stereotypical businessman. But he didn’t let that stop him. Instead, he chased his idea and took time to transform it into a profitable and sustainable brand. This started off selling Acai at markets and through perserverence and ‘Going for it’ he has built a multi-million dollar business. His initial cash investment of $3000 and time investment of almost a decade built his one man business into the power player it is today.
- Surround Yourself With Awesome People
Dealing in a product only found in certain remote areas of another continent, much of the success of Dwayne’s business relies on a network of people – and not just the ones he works alongside. The people responsible for harvesting the acai berries themselves are paid an above average wage to keep them loyal and happy staff members and to ensure that they remain invested in the wellbeing of the acai plants on the ground. All the way through to the 100’s of distrobutors, cafes and suppliers of this amazing little berry.
By implementing the lessons above, Dwayne was able to create an ethically and environmentally responsible company that betters the lives of everyone involved in it. What more could any business owner want?
Do you want to hear more about Dwayne’s lessons and insights to this inspirational story?
Check out the Business Breakfst Dwayne is presenting to HERE