Daniel Yomtobian is currently operating his business ventures out of Los Angeles, California. When he was 17 he was introduced to the technology industry by a family friend and took a two-day online class on web design. After its completion, Daniel went on to offer website design to others as a paid service, and soon realized that there was a market for buying and selling domains. After learning his footing, his career snowballed and today he is able to be the entrepreneur, family man, and philanthropist that he had always wanted to be.
Currently Daniel Yomtobian is managing multiple business ventures, including Bian Capital, which invests in the technology industry. In addition to running his businesses, Daniel is a large advocate for corporate social responsibility and giving back to the communities he is part of.
Why did you decide to create your own business?
I wasn’t planning on starting a business. I was planning on working for someone else for the rest of my life, so starting my own business was kind of a happy accident.
What do you love most about the industry you are in?
I love how fast paced the industry is that I’m in. How it changes so quickly and how if you don’t adapt, you are gone. It’s exciting to work under that kind of pressure. It pushes me to try harder and I’ve learned to work well under pressure.
What keeps you motivated?
Thinking about how I can help others with my fortune in ways beyond myself and my own family really motivates me. I love seeing my kids and my family grow and succeed, but I also want to leverage my fortune to help others that I don’t even know through charity.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from my wife. She’s so positive and she loves listening to my ideas. She’s an amazing sounding board.
Who has been a role model to you and why?
My stepfather. He’s been a role model since the day I met him when I was a kid. I look up to him like a father. He helped me with business, he helped teach me how to be a man, he really helped shape my psychology and how to handle issues and problem-solving.
How do you maintain a solid work life balance?
I’m a very structured person but keeping my work/life balance together is a constant struggle. I’m always trying to figure out how to put my phone down so that when I’m not working, I can focus on my family. It’s really, really hard and I’m still trying to figure that out.
What traits do you possess that makes a successful leader?
I am a motivator who believes in positive thinking. I’ve been around for a while. I’ve worked for other people and I’ve been the boss, and one thing I’ve learned is that it’s really important to motivate people with positivity. Even if you’re going to talk to an employee about something negative that you want them to be better at, it’s important to first start off by highlighting something that they are good at before you talk about the negative. Positivity is critical in motivating people to reach your common goals.
What suggestions do you have for someone starting in your industry?
Pick a different industry. In the ad industry, there are very few inefficiencies left, which means there are not a lot of opportunities left. I think the opportunity pool in online advertising is going to continue to shrink.
What has been the hardest obstacle you’ve overcome?
Getting over the fact that my parents had gotten a divorce when I was younger was very challenging for me. But what I realized afterwards was that our lives were so much better once they were apart because I didn’t have to see all the fighting and the arguing. They both were actually happier without each other.
What is one piece of advice that you have never forgotten?
Buy low, sell high.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
Finding my soulmate and building a beautiful family.
Outside of work, what defines you as a person?
I’m a father that’s looking to help others by donating to charities. I am someone that you can count on as a friend if you need something. A friend, donor, and father. That’s what defines me outside of work.
Where do you see you and your company in 5 years?
In five years, I’d like to see myself focusing 70% of my attention on my Bian Capital investments, and 30% on charity. I really want to give back for the things that I’ve been fortunate enough to create over the last 20 years. I have a really good management team in place at Advertise.com and I would either sell that business or put in a CEO in place so I can focus on these other projects.