Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to William Marrs. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
William , thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.
As a child, I can remember how much I enjoyed helping people. It would be little things like, sharing food, toys, or anything else I could think of. I can’t take credit for what I believe God has done when He gave me a heart and mind to want to help others in need. Back in grade school, we would have quarterly canned food drives to help families and individuals who didn’t have much. After school, I returned home and cleaned out my pantry and took every canned good I could fit into my backpack. To my parent’s surprise, when they wanted some vegetables to go with dinner, they had no idea where the food had gone. I explained why I did what I did, told them there was no top prize for most cans donated. I just didn’t want any to go hungry another day. My parents weren’t upset with me, they loved and supported my decision and wished we had more to give.
Treating others like I want to be treated is a part of my core. The only time I want to look down on someone is if I’m helping them get back up.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m an entrepreneur at heart and in 2007, I invented an automatic toilet paper dispenser. The idea was born out of a need to protect toilet paper from germs and harmful bacteria. I asked myself “What is the simplest way to solve this problem?” After several sketches, I made my first prototype, showed it to my family and close friends and to my surprise, everyone had the same reaction “That’s a great idea!” With their love and support, I pursued applying for a patent and which was granted in 2013. The most special part about my product idea is how God truly blessed me with this idea. The truth is, I wasn’t wandering around my home looking for something to invent. Up until that very moment, the day had started like any other day. Similar to most, I had wondered what my purpose in life was. I knew I loved helping people from a very young age but didn’t know entrepreneurship would be the platform I would use to meet people and form bonds.
I’m excited to share I am currently in the final stages of product development and preparing to hard launch the product that has been over 16-years into development. Being at this stage of the product cycle is amazing because seeing others use my toilet paper dispenser that started as just an idea will be surreal and I can only give God the glory.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Curiosity – If I wanted to know how something works generally, it usually started with me going to my dad’s toolbox and picking out my favorite screwdriver, and I would take whatever it was apart. There was just something about seeing what made the printer, an old phone, or toy work. Be openminded, question why, or how something works. I often find it’s one of the best tools for learning.
Discipline – Is it fun? No, not by any means, but it’s necessary to get where you want to be, personally and professionally. I’ve found out the hard way when I make the choice to skip a workout, how my body feels the next day, or don’t send a follow up email after I exchange business cards. I lose out on that extra boost of energy after a long day or it’s having to build up rapport again with the same person and lose the momentum I had. I encourage you to set goals, have a routine, and find an accountability partner to help you.
Resilience – Time is fleeting and it’s impossible to get back. How can we make the most of it while we have it? I imagine everyone reading this, has a clear definition of what success is for them. When will you or I reach our personal goals is unknown. It may take 1-month, 2-years, or in my case 16+ years to finally be able to say, “We made it.” Don’t give up, that’s easy and takes no effort. Keep pushing through and once you make it, look back for just a moment and ask yourself “What if I had quit?”
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I recommend “The personal MBA Master the art of Business” by Josh Kaufman. What I love about this book is how it simplifies what running a start-up is like or helpful tips expanding your business. More often than not, I find myself re-reading chapters and implementing Josh’s business strategies. It should be no surprise, but my favorite portion of the book is about prototyping, how important it is to test, validate, and receive feedback good or bad. Getting your business idea to those who you want to sell your product or service and have them honestly tell you what works or doesn’t is invaluable when you are trying to go to market. Take the guess work out and get unbiased feedback, you won’t regret it.
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- Website: marrssolutions.com
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