CU Entrepreneur Showcase Week #3: Zachary Janczak, Junior
Name: Zac Janczak
Business: E-commerce
CU Leeds Advertising Major, Junior
“What’s your major and what are you studying, what year are you?”
I am majoring in advertising with a minor emphasis in business management.
“What led you to choose that major?”
I chose to study advertising because it fit my creative style as an entrepreneur, and offered the opportunity to develop my skills as a marketer. Nobody will know about your brand if you do not make others aware of what it is your company has to offer, and so I figured that advertising/marketing is a skillset that will forever be helpful.
“Have you been able to make any connections at Leeds that have helped you with your business?”
I have definitely made connections throughout my time at CU that I am grateful for. Getting to meet people with all kinds of different talents across a college campus really opens your mind to the different opportunities out there. Funny enough, I even had someone come up to me this year on campus, and they recognized from me a super small, unknown business podcast that I was on with a friend a few months ago. After talking for a bit, we quickly became close and started collaborating together in business and have a new venture in store soon.
“What’s been the most useful class you’ve taken so far at Leeds and why was it useful?
No class in particular stands out as by far the most useful, but I would say my business law and ethics class was very helpful and taught me so much on a topic I knew very little about prior. Business law and ethics is an underrated aspect of starting a company that could leave a lot of people clueless, so I was grateful for that class.
“Obviously, balancing school and your own venture are not the easiest things to do. What’s your strategy to manage both?”
Time management is so key. It definitely gets tough managing both school and the business, but sticking to a schedule that makes time for checking off everything on the daily to-do list, both for my classes and the business as a whole really helps keep it organized. There is honestly so much time to work hard on chasing your dreams while still having fun, having a good social life etc. Balance is everything.
“Do you think, knowing what you know now, you’d have taken the same path?”
100%. No regrets.
“Would you recommend that other entrepreneurs attend CU or college in general?”
Honestly, it depends. I do not think that college is a natural fit for many entrepreneurs, myself included. The skillset, friends and connections you build in college without a doubt can make it worth going, and I am very happy I did, but I strongly feel as though college is not necessary for everyone in today’s day and age.
“If you had to pitch your service or product in 1 sentence, what would you say?”
My company buys and resells products in bulk across a number of E-commerce channels. We purchase our inventory via suppliers and distributors that we have built connections with and resell those goods on Amazon.
“In your journey as an entrepreneur, what’s been the biggest personal challenge you’ve had to overcome, or are still working to overcome.
Limiting mindset. I did not grow up rich by any means, and growing up I did not see how much opportunity there is out there. It was only once I started connecting with like minded and successful entrepreneurs that I began to see how much is out there for the taking. I believe that anybody can make it.
“Do you make use of AI in your daily life or in your business? If so, how? If not, why?
I have started to use AI and Chat GPT more and more in my business. It is both amazing and terrifying at the same time how powerful it is becoming. AI has started to help me with so much, like helping fight a legal claim with a brand, managing my book-keeping, answering questions and offering new ideas, etc.
“What’s the end goal for your venture? Where do you see the finish line?”
My end goal and plan for the near future is to expand into working on my own brand and product line, rather than only buying and selling other name brand products. The problem with reselling and distribution is that I am not building any equity or exit value in my company. If I were to start my own brand, I’d fully in control and can scale it to the moon, add all of my own creative twists and ideas and expand on the skill set I have already been developing through Amazon.
“Looking back from when you started to where you are now, what has been the most surprising or unexpected aspect of your entrepreneurial journey?”
The most surprising aspect of starting your own business is how obsessed you get with building upon your vision. It is like an endless puzzle to work on that you just love developing every day. The end goal of building a company known by people all across the world is a driving factor for me of course, but the day to day process of building it out and watching your idea grow is just as fun as hopefully reaching all the goals that I set out
“What’s the next step for you in your business?”
My own brand! Definitely the next step. It will take time to develop a vision and find the right market, but it will happen.
“If you had unlimited funding and unlimited time, what would you do in the world?”
I think about this all the time. Honestly, I am not sure. There are lots of topics and ideas that I am passionate about, and picking a focus to devote full focus, energy and labor into, no longer needing to provide for myself would take some time to figure out. Getting involved in politics is one thought, or a non-profit to help those with access to less resources be successful.
“Are there any specific problems you are still trying to overcome that you would like to consult our audience and readership about?”
No problems in particular. Thankfully things have been amazing recently due to the holiday shopping surge, but who knows the issues that will come up this year. There is always a new fire to put out as an entrepreneur. I am always hyped to connect with others regardless, as I love meeting people and hearing their story. If anybody wants to reach out, I am always open.
Have a Question or An Idea? Here’s How To Get In Touch With Zachary:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachary-janczak-9083561aa/
https://www.instagram.com/zacjanczak/
If YOU Are An Entrepreneur at CU, I’d Love To Tell Your Story
My name is Bennett Black and I am a columnist on AboutBoulder who tells the fascinating stories of entrepreneurs at CU. I am an entrepreneur myself and provide digital marketing to home service businesses. If you’re looking to be featured in one of my next posts, you can DM me on instagram @bennettblack.io
![](https://b128718.smushcdn.com/128718/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2-2.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1")
