"Know the critical importance of listening to external feedback" with Thierry Tremblay

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I am the CEO & Founder of Kohezion, the only true no-code, online database software. We are a Canadian company that allows businesses or researchers to take control of their data. 

What inspired you to start your business?

As a company president since 1998 and with over ten years of experience in the medical field, I am familiar with the hurdles of organizational data management. I realized that this struggle is reflected in several corporate and scientific spheres. That is why I wanted to build a platform that allows users to create their own data unit without the need to configure anything. The concept came to life in 2012, when I founded Kohezion.

Where is your business based?

Kohezion is a product of TGMT Systems. We are a privately held software development company based in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. 

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

The first steps you take aren't that easy, as they can set the foundation for success. After launching my own software development business, I focused on researching, choosing a business structure, and finding the right team. My goal was to solve a problem or offer something users lack. I got to see if there is a need for this type of service, who needs it, and what the competition is like by exploring the market. It helped me form a better vision and chose the right path for success. I also made sure to take the time and outline the positions and the job responsibilities I need to fill. 

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

By offering a free 14-day trial, we were able to let the audience get to know what our services are all about. They might be aware of our name, but giving them access to our offerings, even if it is limited, can deepen that awareness.

Other strategies we use are remarketing, PPC, and LinkedIn publishing. Remarketing is based on showing ads to users who visited our site but left before converting. It showed as a great way to increase our conversion rate. With targeted keyword research, Kohezion started showing up at the top of Google for relevant searches. Even if prospects don't end up clicking on our PPC ad, seeing our name at the top makes an impression and helps build brand awareness. On LinkedIn, we began posting via the publishing tool. When our posts get enough attention, they often wind up in the LinkedIn home stream for many users.

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

One of the biggest challenges I've faced in the starting years of business was finding the proper balance between working long hours and business success. I had a feeling that the company will stall in my absence, so I avoided taking any time away from work to recharge. This fatigue sometimes led me to make rash decisions about the business. Fortunately, none of them were fatal. I was quick to find a pace that keeps the company rising without overloading myself. What helped me the most was accepting delegation, where appropriate. I made sure not to keep tasks that would be better served by someone else. 

How do you stay focused?

In order to achieve my best results, I take a step back each day and reflect on where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going. Instead of just jumping in and doing things when you get to work, I find it necessary to look at the larger goals of being productive. If you make decisions from your core set of beliefs and character traits you want to cultivate, you'll likely be successful in any field. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

What differentiates Kohezion from its competition the most is users' ability to create their web-based applications without coding or opt for a Turnkey solution. With the Turnkey solution, you can focus on what matters while we plan, design, and manage all your database applications.

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

One of my favorite marketing strategies to grow our business is responding to journalists' queries on services like Help A Reporter Out (HARO). They are always looking for experts in a range of fields. We've come up with a method to pick the best and most relevant queries and send timely answers to them. In the vast majority of cases, we've received backlinks from high authority websites. As a result, we've increased our organic traffic, and our domain authority has noticeably risen in a matter of just a few months.

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

Every aspiring and new entrepreneur has to know the critical importance of listening to external feedback. It can fuel your understanding of the opportunities you want to pursue. By hiring colleagues with differing perspectives, I fostered new ways of thinking that helped our business grow. Those who embrace challenges and diverse views tend to be more successful and make better decisions over time. That is why we encourage teams to think about how to bring in their authentic voices.

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

In this new remote work environment, Zoom has become one of my favorite apps. I prefer their platform because it can flexibly scale to fit any user count and budget. It's an easy to use app that helped me better manage my time, enhance productivity, and scale the company. I don't follow many blogs, but I do enjoy Smart Passive Income. It has a fantastic podcast and a YouTube channel where you can learn more about creating sources of passive income. When it comes to books, I recommend you to check out "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. It is a book I continually revisit to gain focus and take the initiative. 

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

My business tool of choice is Gmail. You've probably heard it all before, but I believe that Gmail is the best there is in email communication. Whether I was using a standard free Gmail account or connected Gmail to my business email account, nothing could beat the easy-to-use Gmail organization for archiving and inbox management. I never forget to follow up or lose track of significant prospects. My favorite features include 30 GB of storage space, 24/7 support by phone or email, domain name email addresses, add-ons support for third party integration, and so on.

Who is your business role model? Why?

You could say that my business role model is Alan Mulally. I find his Ford turnaround story the best example of leadership and organizational culture change. He is a notable, groundbreaking leader who used his vision to inspire his partners and employees to achieve beyond what they thought possible. I always try to follow his advice on setting a clear vision, strategy, and goals. 

How do you balance work and life?

Cutting ties with the outside world from time to time allows me to recover from weekly stress. It also gives me space for other thoughts and ideas to emerge. When I used to travel with my coworkers for business, I'd look over to find one of them reading a novel while I was doing some work-related tasks. I didn't realize at the time that he was giving himself a break and decompressing while I was heading to a potential burnout. Now, I practice the same tactics. Taking that time to unwind is crucial to success and helps me feel more energized when I'm on the clock.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Something I've found to distress me during the workday is making lunch. I used to have my meals prepared in advance, so I don't waste any time while I'm on working hours. Now, I take an actual lunch break by spending the time to cook a nourishing meal. Chopping vegetables or recreating a recipe serves me as a form of meditation to get my mind off work and give myself a break. Even if you don't like cooking, ten minutes of boiling pasta or preparing a burger is a solid option if you need more decompress opportunities.  

What do you have planned for the next six months?

In the next six months, we want to reach a wider audience. Our plan is to achieve this by writing more articles related to Kohezion and relevant topics. One of the significant benefits this brings is positioning ourselves as an authority in our subject area. By regularly posting on our website, we'll feed search engines such as Google with additional text and visual content. Exposure we get on search engines will, in turn, drive more users to our business website.

How can our readers connect with you?

The readers can connect with me via LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tremblaythierry/.