Have a Big Vision for Where You Want to Go: Interview with Julia Munck, Founder and CEO of Saged
I recently went one on one with Julia Munck, founder and CEO of Saged.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Julia: When the idea for Saged came about, I was working as a VP of product at a gaming company in Silicon Valley. In this role, I rose through the ranks and was genuinely happy doing what I did and was really good at it, but there came a point where I no longer felt aligned. How I felt inside wasn’t being reflected in my physical reality. I wanted to be a role model for my two daughters as someone who wasn’t just a woman in a male-dominated industry. What was extremely important to me was to have them see me make my own rules, company, schedule, and life. I wanted to use my tech chops to create something that wasn’t just an escape from reality (gaming) but to be more present in reality. I was being called by my budding spirituality!
Additionally, I am an immigrant and didn’t share the same culture as the people I sat next to in the gaming industry. However, as a woman I represented up to 80% of the gaming users we designed for. With this perspective, I provided a lot of value because of my perspective and ability to connect with users through the product. I was over being the only woman in the room and wanted to use my skills to create something that was much more aligned. I wanted to break free of the patriarchal business structure and create a company that was founded and run on a divine feminine business structure.
Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?
To be quite honest, the idea of Saged came to me in a plant medicine ceremony. I was seeking more meaning than I found in my position in gaming and wanted a more spiritual and creative outlet. Saged began as a passion project to help keep me aligned and grounded that I worked on in my off hours. But it quickly became clear that this was something that I wanted to develop and explore on a bigger level. What I created to satisfy my own needs and wants - and launched on the app store to see what happened - began to get great reviews and the responses from users came in quickly. Those first users helped me see that people really did want something like Saged, and that set me on a path to put more time and effort into developing Saged into what you see today, and what’s coming in the future.
I think great ideas come from satisfying a need. When you satisfy a need, whether your own or in the market, you’ll see success start to come naturally.
Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?
In the early days, I wasn’t sure if Saged would be worth my time. But everytime, without fail, when I had these doubts or a tough day, I would get a 5-star review or a gracious email that encouraged me to keep moving. It was like the universe was giving me a little bit of encouragement to keep going and realize that it was no longer just for me, but for so many people and it was making real change in their lives. I began to see that Saged was bigger than me. If people were craving more and seeking it out, I wanted Saged to be the one to deliver it. A curated experience in the path of your hand.
The best way to test an idea is to just put it out there and see how it does. It’s scary and vulnerable, but you’ll never know if it just stays in your head or in a file on your computer. If Saged had just stayed in my circle, hundreds of thousands of people would have never found the daily magic they were looking for. We’re nearing 1 million downloads! Knowing that that’s 1 million beating hearts made all the times I wanted to pull the plug on it so very worth it.
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Growing Saged hasn’t been linear. I think people get that wrong about starting a company and entrepreneurship in general. They envision launching a company and it steadily climbing all the way up. But it’s actually a bumpy ride, filled with highs and lows. The key steps have been pivoting with the market, like in 2020 when we launched live classes and everyone was stuck at home. And then in 2021 when we launched curated ritual boxes to help people do their own rituals. We constantly met the demand and delivered a high-quality experience. Give the people what they want and you’ll always see growth. We’ve also taken risks that have led to success. I think taking a risk and seeing if it will work will help a company grow. It may not always be a hit, but if we keep doing the same thing expecting different results, well we all know what that leads to. You’ve got to try things out and risk them not working.
Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
Pivot, pivot, pivot. Some companies and entrepreneurs can get so stuck on THEIR vision and they forget to look at what’s actually happening in the market and the community. If something isn’t working, scrap it and pivot.
While content may be king, community is queen and we’ve seen that firsthand with Saged. We invite people into an experience. We’re in the business of changing lives, and that’s how we sell. Also humor and not taking ourselves too seriously. It’s ok to have some fun in marketing emails and on social media. With the attention span down to 3 seconds, you’ve gotta make an impact right off the bat.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
I believe effective leaders possess a clear vision, empathy, strong communication skills, adaptability, integrity, and delegation. To take their leadership skills to the next level, leaders should embrace continuous learning, seek feedback, and foster a growth mindset. By embodying these qualities and focusing on improvement, leaders can inspire their teams and achieve their goals. To excel further, they embrace continuous learning, seek feedback, and encourage a growth mindset, building diverse teams and empowering members for success.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Building diverse teams is key to success. As founder and CEO of Saged, I’ve had to put trust in my team and step back from the day-to-day operations to focus on the big vision and growth. While this was hard for me at first because I built the app from scratch and was wearing ALL the hats, I knew that when I stepped back that I would have more space to pursue really growing the company. My best advice for managing teams is to lead by example, and empower team members. Creating an environment that encourages growth and innovation is vital.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
These are the top 3 things that I feel are among the most important:
Have a BIG vision for where you want to go. This can change overtime, of course. But it will be your guiding light to help you get through the tough days, slow times, and confusing moments. This vision needs to scare the shit out of you.
As an entrepreneur, you’re wearing ALL the hats ALL at the same time. But being the CEO of your business is the most important. Carve out time once a week and call it your CEO day. Use this time to plan for the future, learn from the past, and remind yourself to be present. The role of a CEO is to run the show and delegate. Even if this means you’re delegating to yourself, this is your time to get a bird’s eye view of your company and its operations.
Learn from mistakes and failures and pivot quickly. You’re going to make mistakes and feel like an idiot at times. This is GOOD! Use these moments as lessons and pivot quickly. Don’t get down on yourself or caught up in what could/would/should have happened. Take the hit, do some shadow work around it, and keep moving. This needs to happen immediately, or the ego will step in and talk you out of your big dream.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Take the risk. Also, create what you seek.
Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.
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