Andrea Loubier set up Mailbird – the beautiful and simple way to unify all your inboxes from email, messengers and productivity apps into one modern app.
What’s your story?
I started my professional career in a market research firm straight after college. I was working with huge multi-million dollar clients. After 6 years I left and joined a software company that was growing fast. From there I decided I wanted to build my own company in technology and I also wanted to do it while travelling. I wanted to gain international business experience in Asia. So through introduction of mutual contacts, I met my two co-founders and we went on a mission to unify information management with email.
What excites you most about your industry?
The potential for growth with technology that millions of people across the globe are already using. Even more exciting for our line of business in email, productivity and unifying information management as the number of apps and communication channels an average person uses continues to increase. I’m excited about helping people improve their ability to manage information and communication with ease through unification features.
What’s your connection to Asia?
I’m half American and half Filipino. I’ve grown up half of my life in Southeast Asia, in Thailand and Indonesia. After living in the U.S. for 13 years, in a small midwest town I felt strongly that there were more opportunities with entrepreneurship and technology because of Asia’s fast growing economy and globalization at work. Asia has become more of an international melting pot for me than the U.S. so I’m excited to be in this region, exploring business opportunities and growing my professional network more than I ever could in the U.S.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
So far it’s been Singapore. It’s a great trading hub that brings in the most diverse networks of businesses and services to the world. It connects much of the rest of the world to Asia. Where most parts of Southeast Asia are still developing, Singapore sets a great example for infrastructure, technology and high quality standards. Singapore is where you go if you are operating a business from Southeast Asia and need to connect with key partners, decision makers and investors as well as other like-minded entrepreneurs.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Persistence and the ability to build powerful relationships is what separates a business that will succeed over one that will cease to develop and grow.
Who inspires you?
Hermione Way, Richard Branson and Marissa Mayer
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
Only 25% of leadership roles globally are occupied by women. It’s shockingly low considering it’s 2017. With this perspective, I’m even more dedicated than ever to supporting and influencing women to pursue leadership roles and to not be afraid to choose to be the creator, the innovator and the leader.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
I would have pursued a job at Facebook or Google in the early days, bought shares, put in a good 6 years in between both companies and taken everything I learned and leveraged all the connections I’ve made to start a few different tech company with a great wealth of experience and knowledge under my belt. At the same time, you learn more when you just go for something. Fail, figure it out, get back up and do it again and try something different.
How do you unwind?
I like to do yoga, surf, exercise, travel and enjoy company with great friends that allow you to be fully you, no matter what the situation.
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
I would say Bali, Indonesia but because I’ve been there many years and even started and bootstrapped Mailbird there. I don’t associate it with a place necessarily for pure relaxation. It’s a place I lived and worked my ass off to build a killer email tech startup. However anywhere you are I think it’s important to find balance of work and play and time for yourself. Now I’d say El Nido in Palawan in the Philippines. I’m half Filipino and when I went there I actually did a digital detox, lots of nature and ultimate relaxation.
Everyone in business should read this book:
The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. It’s about the journey and the struggle that inspires the path to entrepreneurship, the good and the bad.
Shameless plug for your business:
Mailbird is the beautiful and simple way to unify all your inboxes from email, messengers and productivity apps into one modern app.
How can people connect with you?
Email: (First and foremost, because it’s what I do best) [email protected]
Twitter: @Aloubier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.loubier1
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-loubier-87026b18/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/114758744783053664539
Twitter handle?
@Aloubier
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This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:
Callum Laing invests and buys small businesses in a range of industries around Asia. He has previously started, built and sold half a dozen businesses and is the founder & owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 12 countries. He is a Director of, amongst others, Key Person of Influence. A 40 week training program for business owners and executives.
Take the ‘Key Person of Influence’ scorecard <http://www.keypersonofinfluence.com/scorecard/>
Connect with Callum here:
twitter.com/laingcallum
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Get his free ‘Asia Snapshot’ report from www.callumlaing.com
