The Serious Business of Having Fun With Kevin Ou

Kevin Ou is a visionary at the forefront of driving the world’s digital transformation. His startup is already poised to help organizations, communities, and creators in providing ever more in amplifying revenues.

His first companies focused on Media and Entertainment. His current focus is on technology-driven, direct-to-consumer platforms, bypassing middlemen that only serve to increase costs to consumers.

His tangent away from his successful entertainment consultant into a business-centric path was not an easy one, and his relentless work ethic has put him in the path of inspiration. Kevin has attributed his achievements to his ability to create strategic partnerships and astute business deals.

We recently sat down for a brief interview. Here is some of our conversations.

Tell us your name and a little about yourself.

My name is Kevin Ou. I am the founder of GoLivMo, an Experience Marketplace dedicated to connecting Experience Creators with Users who actively search for new activities. We are currently based in Los Angeles and in Singapore.

I started my career as a Photographer in Los Angeles, working with Celebrities to craft their public image. This quickly expanded into consulting with movie studios, music labels, and Google. Every project was widely different and we’ve been fortunate to work with clients ranging from Tom Cruise, Justin Bieber, Kobe Bryant to Barack Obama.

I was fortunate to meet other ambitious industry partners, to launch Modern Home + Living, a 360° celebrity home and lifestyle media company that would eventually deal with multi-million dollar real estate, print media to some of the hottest parties in Hollywood. We were amongst the first to have an experiential take on traditional marketing.

This process really taught me a lot in fundraising, marketing and really seeing the gaps that are underserved in communities. My company, GoLivMo, leverages my 20-plus years in global business and technology to make social activities more accessible and affordable.

My passion is creating positive change in the world through sustainable commerce. My goal is to leave this place better for my kids and the next generations.

What exactly does your company do?

GoLivMo is a dedicated channel connecting activity-focused companies, communities, and individuals (Creators) with Socially Active consumers who are searching for them daily.

There are existing platforms that aggregate and create content to help you discover and book restaurants, taxi’s, concert tickets, food deliveries, but there’s no dedicated channel for social activities that you can book within each city. Current consumers rely on a wide-gamut of platforms, including social media, online blogs, newspapers, email blasts, magazines, outdoor advertising, travel apps, and ticketing sites amongst others.

It’s a fragmented and time-consuming process, and we believe we can do better. Our goal is to make it simple for you to find the things you love. This would also provide an efficient marketing platform for Creators to connect with you. By bridging companies with high-purchase intent buyers, we help reduce their advertising expenses and pass those savings on to the end-user. A Win-Win for all parties.

Our mission is to highlight new and remarkable experiences within each major city. GoLivMo provides a seamless experience to find, book, and get access to new and remarkable social experiences around you (Think: Local Tourism).

While we curate exciting activities and deals, our core strength is utilizing our proprietary data to partner with Creators to co-develop Experiences. This data-driven approach helps us create personalized and unique experiences that consumers want.

Where did the idea for GoLivMo come from?

I’ve spent my career working with very diverse groups of people. After a while, you realize that every single person is triggered by experiences that make them feel like a kid again. Whether you’re wealthy, famous, or just a regular joe on the street, there’s a genuine joy that is unlocked by certain experiences.

Our overarching goal became very simple. To connect as many people as possible to those personal experiences.

That’s where we felt we could make the most impact.

What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

Being an entrepreneur means being on a constant emotional rollercoaster. Anyone who tells you differently is lying.

The biggest challenge I’ve had was a personal conundrum. It was scary to leave behind a successful entertainment/marketing consulting firm to embark on a new unproven technology-based business. With a new family of 2 young children, the departure of the comfort zone without a safety net was the largest challenge.

Thankfully the drive to create impact outweighed the fear. With consulting, the circle of impact was limited to the success of companies that we work with. However, the potential impact of a dual business-consumer facing business meant that we now have the ability to directly impact even more people. I felt that this was a great opportunity to help uplift lives by empowering more users to discover more things they love.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I work upon the theory that a person’s “default state” determines their trajectory in life. A Default State is a natural base or resting state of being. (e.g A marathon runner would slow their default state (but never stop/walk) when they need to rest). This ensures constant forward momentum despite “resting”.

In studies with many successful professionals and entrepreneurs, the concept of the default state rings true as well. So I’ve shaped my habits around this concept.

In resting “non-work” moments, I read, learn, absorb, network, and continue to take micro-steps towards my goal. I get motivational emails sent to me automatically, and I rely on software to summarize books into more bite-size elements. A default state never feels like work, because it’s a base resting state. This base state is what gives you an added edge, as you’re continuing to move forward, even when you don’t realize/intend to.

This has certainly helped me be more productive as an entrepreneur. So if you want to change your trajectory, change your default state of being. It may not seem easy at first, but, it is achievable once it becomes a habit.

Before we leave, can you share with us some advice in navigating business during this pandemic?

See this as a chance to build resilience
Maintaining a growth mindset and just being open to learning
Find balance and calm outside of your work
Get comfortable with always pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone