10 Things You Didn’t Know about Demet Mutlu
What do you know about Demut Mutlu, the CEO of Trendyol? If you think that her story is just another story about a CEO at a big-name company, think again. The truth is, there are a lot of things that make her unique. That doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s only unique in the way that she carries out business as a CEO, but also in the way that she lives her life. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the 10 things about her that are listed below.
1. She left business school to found the company she currently heads up
She attended Harvard Business School at the age of 35, but that’s also when she dropped out and started her own business. Most people would be critical of someone who is graduating business school in their mid-30s, not to mention someone who drops out of school at that age. However, she is quick to point out that people are never too old to go back to school, nor are they ever too old to learn something new. She used the things that she learned in college to help her develop this business and when she realized that she could better serve herself and her potential clientele by leaving school and dedicating her time to her business on a full-time basis, that is precisely what she chose to do.
2. She developed her business from her kitchen table while she was a student
She was working on developing this business the entire time that she was at Harvard, using her kitchen table as the springboard to develop what has now become one of the most successful businesses in all of turkey. She’s even recently expanded to additional European locations.
3. She forces herself to learn something new about business every day
She says that it’s imperative to remain a student, even if you’re not technically in school. As a matter of fact, she makes it a point to learn something new everyday. She says that when entrepreneurs stop learning, that is precisely when they stop being successful.
4. She feels like many entrepreneurs fail because their ego gets in the way
She is coming to it more than once that many entrepreneurs have a habit of allowing their egos to get in the way of their success. According to her, you cannot be a successful entrepreneur and have an ego at the same time. That is because being an entrepreneur requires humility and a willingness to learn new things because mistakes are made all the time. Having an ego only serves to make the entire process harder than it needs to be.
5. She says being an entrepreneur is all about making mistakes
As a matter of fact, she claims being an entrepreneur is a constant arc of mistakes punctuated by successes of various sizes. She is always quick to point out that it is virtually impossible to be a successful entrepreneur without first making loads of mistakes in the process.
6. She’s all about getting more women in STEM careers
She wishes that more women would be interested in careers involving technology. Traditionally, these careers have been geared more toward men, something that she says needs to stop happening so that women have an equal opportunity in the workplace. She isn’t just an entrepreneur, but one in a Tech-related field. She thinks it is important to get more women in these types of careers. According to her, it all starts when people are in school. Therefore, it’s imperative to get them interested in these types of classes early on.
7. She feels like women put too many limitations on their own careers
While it’s true that people sometimes put limitations on their perceived abilities of women in the workforce, she is also quick to point out that women themselves frequently allow limitations to be put on themselves, something they need to stop doing.
8. She says that no matter what you do, perseverance is the key to success
According to her, success is impossible without perseverance. Everyone fails. The difference between those who eventually succeed and those who give up on their dreams is that the ones who succeed keep trying while the ones who fall by the wayside just give up. She says that if you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you have to persevere through the difficult times in order to experience the better times ahead.
9. Her company is responsible for about 60 percent of all fashion sales in her native Turkey
The e-commerce site she founded that is dedicated to high-end fashion, Trendyol, is responsible for more than half of all fashion sales in Turkey. As a matter of fact, she currently enjoys approximately 60 percent of the sales throughout the country related to fashion. That is quite a statement, especially when you realize that she started this company From her kitchen table. For her, this level of success is all about having the passion to keep trying, even when things don’t always go her way.
10. She knows how to succeed, as her company is still rapidly growing
Her company has already seen a massive amount of growth, something that she is immensely proud of. However, she is constantly striving to do even better. Apparently, her efforts are succeeding because in the past year alone, her company experienced more than 100% in growth. Of course, she herself will tell you that it’s all about hard work and continuing to push ahead even when something fails. She is quick to point out that she has experienced more than her fair share of failure, even where this company is concerned. She wants to reiterate to other people who have similar dreams that it’s all part of the process. Instead of becoming discouraged, simply keep your head down and keep going. Success will eventually come.
