10 Things You Didn’t Know about VTS CEO Nick Romito
When Nick Romito bought an action journal he did not know that on its pages, he would one day scribble an idea that would revolutionize the real estate industry; the journal even bears some of the company’s first logo designs. View the Space (VTS) has, however, come a long way from being a rough idea in a journal to a stable business. Nick does not even think of going public reasoning that he does not need funds, and despite making lots of mistakes, he would not change a thing in making VTS what it is today. Let’s take you through his journey as an entrepreneur through these quick facts.
1. He would be a professional surfer if entrepreneurship were unsuccessful
Nick spent most of his childhood surfing, and that part of his life has stuck with him in adulthood because he still enjoys surfing to date. His love for the waters is evident even in his workplace because according to The Real Deal when he acquired a new office in Midtown, he named the conference rooms after surf spots such as California’s “Mavericks” and Trestles” and Hawaii’s “Pipeline.” Therefore if being in business had not worked out, he would have become a professional surfer instead.
2. His first meeting with a venture capitalist was a failure
Not everyone will believe in your dreams because they were put in your line of vision, not theirs. Therefore even convincing someone to invest in an idea they have no faith in is a mission in futility. Nick, however, was hopeful that someone would believe in his concept and invest thus approached a venture capitalist. Unfortunately, that person told Nick his idea had no legs and will therefore not touch it with a ten-foot pole. Though broken-hearted, Nick made it his mission to prove that person wrong.
3. He learned to box at the age of 8
Besides adopting a love for entrepreneurship at an early age from his father, Nick also learned how to box. His father, Nick Romito Sr. was a professional boxer, and he kept telling his children of the proud moments he had fighting Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Although Nick did not take up the sport professionally, his brother, Rocco, did and even gave Nick a boxing glove signed by Gennady Golovkin as a birthday present.
4. He believes he has made it
Most people will probably tell you that “making it” in life means having a lot of money and living it large. Nick, however, is not cut from the same piece of cloth as such people because his idea of being successful is completely different. When he talked to Bisnow, the entrepreneur said that for as long he has work to do and a home to go back to where his family awaits, then he could not ask for a better life.
5. His worst job
You must start from somewhere to enjoy the view at the top, but not everything you do on your way up will be to your liking. Most celebrities can relate to working bad jobs; Sylvester Stallone had to clean a lion’s cage at the zoo and be a porn star while Whoopi Goldberg had to apply makeup to dead bodies. For Nick, among the many jobs, he held for survival, the one he considers the worst is cleaning garbage at a water park in New Jersey.
6. He has always wanted to be an entrepreneur
His father started a business when he was young; thus, Nick wanted to follow in his footsteps. Consequently, after graduating from college, Nick knew he would not be employed because he was not interested in a job with a fixed salary and wanted to explore his entrepreneurial spirits. He was introduced to commercial brokerage, and it was the best way to venture into entrepreneurship since it also meant the money he earned was dependent on how smart he worked.
7. He used all his life savings to start View the Space
Building a business from the ground up demands putting all your effort, time and finances hoping that one day, it will break even. Nick and his wife were hopeful of the business idea they were pitching to investors, but they had to put all of Nick’s savings as capital. The amount ranged between $50,000 and $100,000, and after getting investors, they raised $650,000. Of course, businesses run at losses for a while, so they began making profits in May 2012.
8. He had to outsource from India in the company’s initial stages
Nick did not have any knowledge nor experience in technology since he was working in real estate, but he figured that would not stop him from realizing his dream. The ambitious entrepreneur thought it best to outsource from India, which proved to be very challenging. Not only did he not know how to speak Hindi, but he also had to wake up at 4 am due to the differences in time zones. Then again, that is the sacrifice of any entrepreneur; Ben Horowitz confessed that he had to sleep like a baby, waking up every two hours to cry during his startup’s initial stages.
9. His mentor
Although Nick speaks fondly of his father, he disclosed that his mother raised him. Despite learning great lessons from those he has met in his professional career, none of them compares to what his mouth taught him. Nick said that he and his brother were raised to respect women, cherish family values and always follow their dreams. Moreover, he may not have had much since he was from a low-income family, but his mother taught him to appreciate everything. She provided what she could afford, and he never felt he lacked anything.
10. He had never been anyone’s boss before VTS
According to Propmodo, Nick was never in charge of anyone until he started his own company, View the Space. For that reason, it was challenging because he did not have the leadership and technological skills needed to scale the business. He, therefore, hired people who were smarter than him since he also believes a company is only as stable as the employees. In his search for managers, Nick always searches for those who will stop at nothing to get desired results.