Interview with Dante Pellini
Hi Dante Pellini, I would like to first thank you for sparing us your time today for this interview about entrepreneurship.
No problem, I am glad I can help a fellow entrepreneur.
Great, could you tell me a little about background?
Sure, I grew up in the city of Bologna in Italy. Since a young age I knew I wanted to work for myself with my own hours, but didn’t know the exact path of entrepreneurship I would like to head. I had numerous odd jobs such as a waiter and dish washer growing up, and I have graduated from the University of Bologna in 2007, majoring in Communication Sciences.
Are you an entrepreneur today? If so, what are you doing these days?
Thanks for the question. After graduating I tried my luck with local newspapers, but found it boring. In 2008 I have started designing animations part-time as a freelancer and became a full-time entrepreneur at the end of that year. 90% of my work is being done for customers around the world via the internet, while 10% is for local businesses. I love what I do, as it allows me to pursue my passion, work my own hours, and bring food to the table all at the same time.
What do you think was the number one reason you wanted to become an entrepreneur?
Honestly, there are many reasons, but I think the main one is the fact I always wanted to be my own boss, talking to my clients directly, and not being told what to do by someone else.
People say we learn from mistakes. Is that true? If so, how does that apply to your experience so far?
I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my early entrepreneurship days, and I still make some today. I totally agree that we learn from mistakes. I believe we don’t learn as much when everything goes smoothly. Learning to learn from mistake is a top priority for coming entrepreneurs I believe.
If you had two pieces of advice for young and inexperienced entrepreneurs, what would it be?
Try, try, and then don’t forget to try again. Almost nothing in life works perfectly on the first attempt. This tie to my last point that we have to learn from mistakes.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable. As much as it sounds overused, this is very true.
Dante, is there anything else you would like to add?
Yes, if I may. Straggling with whatever you are doing is a good sign. It shows you are doing something that isn’t too easy, something that you will learn a lot from. Also, if your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.
Great. I would like to thank you again for the interview and I am sure our reader will get inspired by your story.
Thank you, Daniel. I had a great time.
