We recently connected with Ramin Jahedi and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ramin , thanks for joining us today. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

I was the only person at the company at first. I knew I had to build the proper foundation to scale the company, but I was looking for more than just skillset and experience. If you genuinely want to build a successful company, you must think long and hard about culture from the beginning.

When onboarding for your first company, you have to understand that skills are one thing, but attitude is another. For a startup, you want to hire people who put their blood, sweat, and tears into its growth and take their role seriously. I knew the people I hired could make or break the entire venture, so I had to ensure the backbone was strong.

It wasn’t easy to recruit the first team members. At the same time, I’m a natural connector, so I like meeting new people for any reason. I even met some future clients and freelancers I would hire later during those initial interviews, so it already proved to be a smart investment.

Here’s the thing I think a lot of CEOs might not understand: you’re not just hiring people because they’re a good fit; you’re also hiring because you might be able to learn from them, too. The only way you can scale a company is to surround yourself with people more intelligent than you. That was my aim when recruiting the first employees at OpticTour, soon rebranding to 3One Productions.

I’m not a suit-and-tie kind of person. I’m not here to speak or hear about accomplishments or accolades. I know many people claim this, but I genuinely want to know who you are. What are you passionate about? What do you do on the weekends? What makes you want to get up in the morning? What would you like to create or change?

These questions interest me, which are very different from the usual “Tell me about your best work” and “What companies have you worked with?” My interview process is casual. I’m going to be spending time with my employees. I might as well make sure that time is enjoyable <laughs>.

My recruiting process was simple: I get to know the person, and I get to know how they will fit into the culture. People can always learn skills, but it’s tough to make someone excited about their job or change their attitude if they are naturally negative or pessimistic. If I felt we built a true connection, I would take a second meeting.

I was looking for people with a positive attitude and solid character. Sure, I can’t know everything about you through a couple of interviews, but I can get a good idea. I feel like my employees can always take classes if they lack skills, but there’s no online class for good character.

One of the biggest things I should’ve done was narrow down my services more precisely. I naturally wanted to help as much as possible, but there were times when I was spread so thin that I couldn’t deliver as much as I wanted. If I had thought about my ideal client, it would’ve helped a lot in those early days. I also would’ve said no to specific projects because they cost more time and labor than necessary. Other than that, no regrets!

Ramin , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Ramin Jahedi, affectionately known as “Rami,” is a serial entrepreneur with over three decades of experience in the Austin, Texas, area. He currently serves as the CEO of 3OneProductions and OpticTour Agency, and as the Chief Marketing Officer for Atlas One.

Thanks to his background in hospitality, Rami has consulted with major corporations like Jack-In-The-Box and Blockbuster regarding operations, staff development, customer service, and more. Over the past decade, he has helped develop digital marketing strategies for established organizations like Orangetheory Fitness, Whole Foods, Chick-Fil-A, The Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, and more.

He’s known for his innovative and out-of-the-box approach to digital marketing, corporate branding, and executive coaching/consulting. Today, Rami helps businesses of all sizes with their marketing needs, whether they’re looking for video marketing, podcast production, social media management, content/copywriting, or branding strategy.

Rami remains dedicated and passionate about solving complex marketing and branding issues. However, Rami is also known for his ability to naturally connect with people, share his network, knowledge, and resources, and his contagious optimism. He’s an entrepreneur, executive coach/consultant, keynote speaker, and a podcaster.

In addition to his various ventures, Ramin also hosts a podcast “Talk2Rami,” where he gets to do two of the things he loves the most: connect with interesting people, and learn more about their stories, journeys, and perspectives. When he isn’t working at one of his companies or hosting his podcast, he is spending quality time with his wife and three children.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my social media following by simply being me. I think people can easily tell when someone’s being authentic, and they often see through people who aren’t being genuine. I didn’t worry about being a “CEO” or a “marketing agency owner.”

Your follower count is just a number, but social media is about finding true fans and believers. Social media is similar to the real world because you have to truly connect with people for your voice to resonate. Your social media “voice” should essentially be your voice. My podcast, Talk2Rami, allows me to connect with people beyond just clips and posts. I always felt like podcasts can do a lot for entrepreneurs, and the past 5 years have been proof of that.

If you’re worried about being too polished or perfect, you’re missing the point. Be real, showcase your personality a little bit, and provide original content and perspectives. Those are the three main tips I have for anyone trying to build a social media presence.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Reputation is basically the cornerstone of my success.

I’m known as someone who will go out of their way to help people, and I’ll never take advantage of people. When you spend decades in one area with that reputation, there are all sorts of incredible things that happen to your network. It’s one of the main reasons that I’ve been able to grow 3OneProductions (formerly OpticTour) into the marketing agency it’s become.

Recently, I took a meeting with a social media app. How did that connection happen? It was possible because of a restaurant marketing webinar I gave not too long ago, and he remembered it because I was delivering value rather than just going through the motions. I’m an honest guy who does good business, and my team is on the same page.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.optictour.com
• Instagram: @talk2rami
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talktorami
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raminjahedi/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Talk2Rami
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Talk2Rami
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2u1ISRm24IjnFlaDQpVSrb?si=2e7ee5cd0c95485b&nd=1 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talk2rami/id1525226939