Ellie Horvath
Gilbert Corrales of Leaf.
Tell us about yourself?
I am originally from Costa Rica and moved to the UK in 2014 to build Leaf.
My background is in tech having studied Computer Science back home and later a Masters in Human Computer Interaction in South Korea.
I love design, tech and travel. Music is a constant in my life.
What lessons has being an entrepreneur taught you?
To believe in myself and those around me. To trust first. To be resilient to others opinions and let data shine a light in the path forward.
If you could go back in time to when you first started your business, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Don’t think too much about what others think of you. They are not. They are busy thinking of themselves, so just act.
A lot of entrepreneurs find it difficult to balance their work and personal lives. How have you found that?
It’s the nature of the beast to an extend, you just need to learn tools to make the most of it (like learning to delegate so you can disconnect).
Give us a bit of an insight into the influences behind the company?
We aim to put people + tech at core of everything we do, in doing it we strive to be curious and heroic in taking our craft forward, always looking for ways to do what we do better.
What do you think is your magic sauce? What sets you apart from the competitors?
Having a beginners mind. We approach every problem anew and ask questions (even dumb questions) and then try to iterate over hypothesis as fast as we can.
How have you found sales so far? Do you have any lessons you could pass on to other founders in the same market as you just starting out?
Best sales funnel you can have are referrals from your clients, so focus on delivering delight every step of the way.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced so far in your business, and how did you overcome it?
We pivoted Leaf with just 3 months worth of runway, and whilst there was no money we truly believed in what we were doing, so as a team we came together and succeeded, making though decisions along the way and staying true to our course.
What do you find are the advantages of operating your business in London?
None. We’ve now moved to be fully remote, and whilst keeping a leg in the city allows for networking, the pandemic showed us that the world is your oyster and is for you to grab and run with it.
Are there any issues with having a London based business? Have you experienced these?
It is expensive in a time when remote trumps.
How has the higher than UK average cost of living impacted your ability to work and live in London and how has this also impacted your ability as an employer?
We looked wide and far.
If you had to relocate your business to another city in the UK, which one would it be and why?
In a world of global biz and remote workforce, cities these days are not a concept that applies longer to business
How has BREXIT impacted your business (if at all)?
It has not affected us but it has affected many of our customers so we have had to figure ways to help them by sharing knowledge, providers, etc. Some, unfortunately, went out of biz as the result.
What is your vision for your company in the next 5 years?
To the best at what we do, becoming a beacon of how other marketing companies can be tech-first.
And finally, if people want to get involved and learn more about your business, how should they do that?
They reach out through the channels or just write to us at [email protected] we always in the look out for ambitious online businesses.
