"It has to be your passion and what you want to do even on your 'days off'" with Paige Donner

Paige Donner is a serial entrepreneur, with a consistent tech bent. Her current business, launched in 2018, focuses on precision supply chain management using IoT – Internet of Things – technology. Believe it or not, this start-up grew out of her passion for wine and her time spent in the Champagne region of France. Paige grew up in California and Hawai'i, then earned her BA in Poli Sci and International Relations from the University of Hawai'i, Manoa; for the past decade, she has made her home in France with her dog, Idéale, a Corgi mix.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I grew up bouncing between divorced parents, a father who lived in Marin County, California, and a mother who decided to pursue Scuba Diving as a career, which led her to Guam and Hawaii. Attending elementary school in the islands imbibed with me the indelible experience of being caucasian and being a minority.

What inspired you to start your business? 

I love solving problems. I get a real kick out of this. And successful start-ups are nearly always about solving a pain point and doing so in a way that anticipates the market. So when I spent a few years in Champagne, France, learning about the wine of this famous region, I identified the problem of supply chain integrity. Namely, shipments of champagne would go missing and/or be subject to elevated temperatures while in transit. When IoT reached a decent level of market maturity a few years ago, I designed my business around it. Meaning, I offered the service of real-time monitoring of wine shipments and also temperature monitoring of the bottles from point of departure to arrival at shipment destination. Since those early days, our business model has grown to encompass pharmaceuticals, food, art, and luxury. 

Where is your business based?

My office is in Orlando, Florida. But we consider ourselves a virtual business, in that we can service clients in North America and all across Western Europe.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took? 

Because I was already a tech entrepreneur at the time – I had launched several apps – I was invited to a presentation given by an IoT cloud network and an incubator for entrepreneurs such as myself. They basically were throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing what would stick. Meaning they challenged the couple dozen of us or so attendees to come up with business models that would put their IoT cloud capability to good use. I was the only one to come up with a business model employing precision supply chain management and the first to apply this to the wine & spirits industry. That was almost three years ago now, and since then supply chain tech has been exploding.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

I can't underestimate how huge a factor communication is when it comes to disruptive and innovative businesses. The first two years of being in business I spent 98% of my time convincing prospective clients that what I was offering them was real and not a pie-in-the-sky service that might be actionable in X amount of years. If in those early days, I had had a budget to attend trade shows and hire some marketing support, it would have been a great big – HUGE -- help.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

Doubt. Doubt that the technology I was (am)  offering is operable today. And doubt that as a female founder I am capable of creating a disruptive technology company in the very established world of supply chain management.

How do you stay focused?

Passion. I am a real Geek at heart. And honestly, nothing gets me more excited than finding and employing the newest developments in supply chain tech. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? 

This has been a challenge. It is a challenge because this industry, supply chain tech, has gone from 0 to 60 in 10 seconds flat. What I mean is that in 2018 when I launched IoT Logistics & Shipping, I still had to explain to 99.9% of my prospective clients what IoT stands for. Today, I am competing against companies who were only tangentially in the space but have since closed rounds for sums like $35M and even $950M. At this stage, we are carving out our niche in specific industry sectors such as CBD and Pharmaceuticals like vaccines in addition to wine and champagne.  

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? 

In this area of rapidly developing technology, it is a question of staying on top of the latest industry developments. I liken IoT now to what the iPhone market was like in 2007. You just have to keep yourself hyper-informed so that you know all the best and newest bells and whistles, technological iterations, for the market before everyone else does.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Go for it. Though I must add that you need to be prepared to go it alone much of the way, that you need to have a real talent for attracting and keeping a good team around you, and that your business has to mean more to you than just a job or a payday after 5 years. It has to be your passion and what you want to do even on your 'days off' (of which you really don't get any when you're an entrepreneur).

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why? 

My favorite book is Jonathan Livingston Seagull; my favorite blog is The Startup on Medium.com, and my favorite app (this week) is Laughable (i.e. am addicted to podcasts).

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Netsuite by Oracle. Their software is tailored for start-ups all the way up to mature businesses. It helps when communicating to investors about your progress, KPIs and milestones reached. 

Who is your business role model? Why?

I've always greatly admired Anita Roddick (Body Shop); more recently I am awestruck by the meteoric rise of the founders of Away Travel luggage (despite the recent turbulence).

How do you balance work and life? 

I don't. 

No, that's not 100% true. But I chose to start a company for which I am passionate about. That said, I have a dog and she needs to be taken out at least three times a day. So this forces me to leave my desk/computer and get outside. Funny, because this is often the time when I have my best inspirations and/or problem-solving breakthroughs.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Yoga.  I also love to attend wine tastings and learn about wine. Butt my top favorite thing to do is just hang out with my dog and my favorite human being doing pretty much nothing.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

Become the preferred precision supply chain logistics provider for the breakthrough COVID-19 vaccine pharmaceutical company as they rev up to ship their first billion doses worldwide.  

How can our readers connect with you?

I am reachable at https://iotshipping.xyz;   https://iotlogistics.international and also on Instagram @paigefoodwine.