Ramin Schultz is the CEO and founder of Keebos, a consumer goods company based in Los Angeles, California. After years in Marketing at Nike, the entrepreneur has helped multiple startups scale and exit. He now runs his own company, consults start-ups, and teaches entrepreneurship classes at the University of Southern California (USC). 

Let’s jump right into it. How is the transition from operating businesses to teaching entrepreneurship at a top business school?

I have always enjoyed teaching, maybe because my mom is a teacher, and she always loved her job. In my day-to-day, I often talk to and consult people who are just starting companies. I truly enjoy exchanging thoughts with them and helping accelerate their learning curves. It feels amazing to be able to teach and inspire students–and be inspired by them! They are often very connected to what’s trendy and cool, so I learn from them as well! 

What’s one piece of advice you give to students wanting to start a new company?  

Essentially, if you want to build a successful company, you have to work with other people. So my advice is to be a trustworthy, high-integrity individual. Build and nurture long-term relationships with other people in business. Great relationships compound over time; the more trust you build with others, the more you all win. Don’t be scared to share information. There’s plenty of pie for everyone, and when we capitalize on opportunities, we will grow the pie together so everyone wins. 

Tell me your top 3 book suggestions for someone just starting?

There are so many great books that helped me with different parts of the business. If I have to choose three for just starting out, it will have to be 1. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, 2. 4-hour Work Week by Tim Ferris, and 3. Traction by Gabriel Weinberg. 

If someone has little to no money, but wants to start a business, what should they do?

What’s great about starting with no investment is that you’re forced to stay lean and spend money on the right things. Use family and friends’ help, and do organic marketing like content and SEO. Read a lot of books and watch Youtube videos. When consulting companies, I love bootstrapped businesses. Bootstrapping is challenging but a forcing function to get more creative. Identify growth hacks. And keep in mind there are plenty of companies that receive too much money from investors–and end up spending money on the wrong things and allowing cultures of poor decision-making. 

What made you want to plant one tree for each Keebos purchase?

As a business, there are many things you can do to decrease your footprint. When I found out about the NGO One Tree Planted, I was really excited about how easy it is to plant a tree and achieve six significant environmental benefits. You can read more on those on the Keebos Our Promise page. Our packaging is also eco-friendly and biodegradable. We’re always looking for ways to become more sustainable and give back as much as we can. 

I love to hear it! Thank you, where can people reach out to you?

Ramin Schultz on Linkedin. Just send me a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!