With no formal degrees, Dorry Kordahi became the founder and managing director of Dorry Kordahi Management (DKM). Since beginning his marketing and branding business in 2002, out of a shed, DKM has come to operate in Sydney, Melbourne and Shanghai and generates more than $4,000,000 in revenue.
DB: What helped you most when trying to get your business off the ground?
DK: For me, getting away for six months before starting DKM really helped. It was a good time for me to reflect and organise how I was going to run my business.
DB: What risks did you have to take?
DK: The main risk was not having enough money in my bank account to get to the next stage. I tried to keep a really tight overhead, which is why I was in my parent’s shed at the start.
DB: Any lessons learned along the way?
DK: Right at the start I was working in my parent’s shed, which was a struggle, but provided a valuable lesson in budgeting and patience. Patience was something I had to develop, because if you don’t have patience you are at risk of making bad decisions.
DB: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
DK: Learn to have patience, follow your gut instincts, have a vision and think five years ahead. They’re the things I really believe in.
DB: What do you enjoy most about being an entrepreneur?
DK: Having the power to act. Being an entrepreneur and running a business means that if you fail or if you succeed it all falls in your lap. The ability to be creative is probably the most exciting thing.
