“Success Lessons from a Serial Entrepreneur” with Ilya Bodner | Ep. 085
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About this Episode:
In this episode of the Transformative Leader Podcast, I’m happy to bring you a conversation with startup enthusiast and CEO, Ilya Bodner, about the lessons learned throughout his journey of becoming a successful serial entrepreneur. Ilya is the Founder and CEO of Bold Penguin, a rapidly growing and widely lauded insurtech company taking the headache out of small commercial insurance. Ilya is an accomplished startup founder, with some of his past ventures including Go Big Media, ROOT Insurance, The Shipyard LLC, and 866-FREE-411.
Like myself, Ilya was an immigrant to this country, and I know from my own experience, and the experience of others in the immigrant community, we have a different understanding to what America represents. In some way, entrepreneurship, hard work, and innovation are built into our psyche as soon as we arrive, and that sort of “MacGyver“ mindset that has served many of us very well. Clearly that has been the case with Ilya and Bold Penguin, as it has been the recipient of much recognition and numerous awards, including Great Places To Work
What Ilya is doing at Bold Penguin isn’t about trying to disrupt any industry, just doing the best job at meeting a need in a more efficient, and effective way. And that’s fantastic. A lot of people get the idea that transformation has to be something big and flashy, but a lot of times, it is the cumulative effect of small, seemingly insignificant actions. Figuring out what needs to be done to meet a need or solve a problem and doing it with a spirit of excellence is what lies at the heart of all transformation.
This was a fun conversation with a great guest, and I wish we could have talked longer. Maybe we’ll hear from Ilya again on the podcast in the future, but regardless, please be sure to check this episode out.
Some topics discussed in this episode include:
How Ilya found himself as a successful serial entrepreneur after immigrating to America from Russia.
The role that self-awareness played in his personal and professional success.
Why who you surround yourself with determines how much you will be able to accomplish in life and at work.
Words of advice and caution for someone thinking of starting their own business.
Ilya Bodner has changed the way people buy, sell, and think about commercial insurance. A startup enthusiast and insurtech pioneer, Ilya is the founder and CEO of Bold Penguin, a rapidly growing tech company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Ilya started his career on the front lines as an agent, and has been on a mission to upgrade the industry through one successful startup after another. Recent recognitions include “Executive of the Year” by BizTech and Best in Biz, “People’s Choice Innovation Leader of the Year” by the Insurance Innovation Awards, and Columbus Business First’s “40 Under 40” Class of 2019.
Guest Links:
To learn more about Ilya and his work, you can visit his website. You can connect with Ilya on LinkedIn.
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