We had the opportunity to interview Petersen Zhu, the CEO and creator behind DigitBridge. Read below to find out more!

What inspired you to start your own business, and how has that initial inspiration evolved as your company has grown?

As a long-time apparel wholesaler, it became clear to me how important it was to be agile in a rapidly shifting e-commerce landscape. I had to evolve into a hybrid business model, including adding DTC and drop-shipping into our operations, and I was fortunate to become a successful e-tailer as well. Accomplishing this was challenging as there were no technological solutions out there to help a business of my size, and those that did exist were way too expensive. I needed a solution that could manage three different selling strategies across 10+ sales channels and I needed to be able to manage that all in one place. So, we built some code on top of the operating system we were using at the time, and it worked so well for our business that I knew other business owners could benefit. That's how DigitBridge was born. We bridge sellers and customers, suppliers and retailers, businesses and channels, and so on. Our own success in this arena inspired me to take DigitBridge to market as the best solution for entrepreneurs to manage their selling, fulfillment, and purchasing.

What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an entrepreneur, and how have you overcome them?

The changing markets and trends have been non-stop for over 30 years, and the speed of those changes have only ramped up during that time. Staying ahead of these changes has definitely been one of the biggest challenges. And to top it all off, today’s business environment is the most challenging I have ever seen. So much risk is being passed on to the smaller businesses, the constant battle for margins can be overwhelming, and most importantly, digital transformation is critical. The greatest change in the industry has been the emphasis on digital, and to be successful you have to succeed with digital communication, data analysis, technology integrations, etc.

I have been able to overcome these challenges by staying educated on the market and industry trends and proactively strategizing how to succeed in that given environment. In today’s world of commerce, I believe there are three primary areas where businesses need to excel: (1) mastering true omnichannel operations and be selling on multiple digital sales channels, (2) the battle for margins that I mentioned before just emphasizes the need to be efficient and cost effective with operations, and (3) embracing and mastering the digital transformation. Nothing can increase efficacy and efficiency of these points like technology, and that is why we built DigitBridge: to provide small businesses with the robust functionality needed to thrive in these areas, and finally at an affordable price.

Can you share a pivotal moment or decision that significantly impacted the trajectory of your business?

Implementing a new operating system can be daunting for a business, regardless of their size, level of success, growth trajectory, or industry. Fortunately for us, we realized this pretty early on and built the systems and processes needed to make this easy for our customers. Having an onboarding, training, and implementation program to help businesses get launched was a significant moment for our company. It of course not only helped our customers quickly establish a strong infrastructure while rapidly accelerating their growth, but it also helped put us in a stronger position to provide the type of service and functionality that we would expect for ourselves.

In today's rapidly changing market landscape, how do you stay innovative and adaptable to ensure your business remains competitive?

It's all about staying ahead of the curve. This means different things for different industries, but includes reading consumer reports, setting Google alerts for relevant terms, listening to podcasts, staying active on LinkedIn, following influencers in similar fields, and more. But, above all, it means speaking to your customers and learning from them. We all build our products for our customers, so we need to listen to what they are telling us, whether that be directly or via their spending patterns. Once you have the information, you have to be confident to act on it quickly and decisively. And—this next part is important—I had to learn to abandon my ego. Using industry data, trends, and best practices can supercharge a business, so it is important to put bias and ego aside.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are just starting their own journey?

Entrepreneurship requires a lot of a person, but there are a few things that stand out to me as being most important:

1. Work hard and believe in yourself—there is no substitute for a good work ethic. When an entrepreneur doesn't give their all, it shows. This process is not easy; it's grueling and abnormal. But when you see your dream come to life it is so satisfying and fulfilling. Anything is possible if you work hard and be nice to people.

2. Understand and appreciate the value your product provides to people and society. If people do not find the benefit in your product, you will not be successful. The benefit will drive the demand.

3. Adaptability – Being strategic is critical, but when circumstances change or a well-thought-out plan doesn’t pan out, you have to be ready to adapt and adjust as necessary. Technology is a great tool to assist with this.

4. Humility – Confidence and self-belief is important, and you have to believe with every fiber of your being that what you are bringing to the world has value and is worth consideration. Doing so with humility will make your business that much better, because it allows you to identify and accept both the successes and shortcomings, and adapt as needed.

5. Do not be afraid to fail – Entrepreneurship is a leap of faith and truly takes courage. For some it works out right off the bat, for others it can be a longer journey. Either way, embrace the challenge, believe in yourself, and dive right in. The journey is definitely worth it.

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