Trofeo’s CEO explores entrepreneurship on the “En Factor Podcast”

Trofeo’s founder and CEO Jake Halusic joined Dr. Rebecca White on “En Factor,” a podcast dedicated to entrepreneurship. Dr. White is the Walter Chair of Entrepreneurship, professor of entrepreneurship and director of the Entrepreneurship Center at The University of Tampa.

The podcast frequently interviews entrepreneurs who share insights from their entrepreneurial journeys. In this episode, Jake talks about his journey from the University of Tampa to founding Trofeo. He emphasizes the crucial role that mentorship and networking played in his success.

“[Networking] is really an asset that you can’t pass up. Once you have a network it’s worth a lot and companies realize what you’re bringing to the table.... They follow you, not so much the company you’re with.”

Jake highlights Trofeo’s business value, especially in implementing AI. He explains that businesses do not realize reliable cloud infrastructure is essential before AI implementation. He also discusses why Trofeo targets mid-size businesses and the importance of identifying market gaps. 

The conversation ends with Jake sharing his most important lesson: hire people that you trust. He shares how one of Trofeo’s first hires, an experienced chief operating officer (COO), helped manage processes and deliveries, allowing him to focus on high-priority tasks. Jake believes leaders who delegate and trust their teams achieve greater success than those who try to manage every detail.

“I’m learning a lot every day. You never stop learning. The minute you think you know it all or that you’re the smartest person in the room, it’s not a good way to look at it.”

Listen to the full episode here: https://drrebeccawhite.com/episodes/unlocking-success-in-entrepreneurship-with-jake-halusic/

Key Moments in Jake’s Discussion

• 5:56 Strategy and insights for a growth-oriented business
• 9:47 Key to business success: Networking
• 29:54 Mid-market business opportunity
• 36:22 Trofeo’s company culture
• 44:26 Leadership challenges and lessons learned
• 52:18 Networking and work-life balance

More about Trofeo

Interested in learning more about how to use cloud to achieve business goals? Read our blog, Every Cloud Journey Begins with a First Step, or contact one of our cloud experts!