Many people dream of starting their own business.

After all, you get to set your own hours, have total creative control, and leave early whenever you feel like it, right?? Wrong. While the entrepreneurial life is alluring to many, there are a lot more challenges startups face than many realize. We sat down with RJ Mojica, a Digital Marketing instructor and Co-Founder of the digital marketing agency Grilled Cheese Affairs, to learn his entrepreneur tips and what it’s really like to be your own boss.

When Did You Start Grilled Cheese Affairs? Tell Us About Your Company.

After I came back from working in digital marketing for software in Paris, my co-founders and I created Grilled Cheese Affairs to answer a demand in companies needing digital media strategy and website development in the city. We focused on being an outsourced community management team for companies both regularly and for event/one-off campaign purposes.

If You Could Give Yourself Advice When You Were First Starting Out In The Business, What Would It Be?

My biggest entrepreneur tip would be that it’s okay to make a bunch of mistakes! They will happen, and it’s better to learn early on as you progress and to adapt to those mistakes.

What Have Been Some Of The Challenges?

I think as with any agency, the biggest challenge we face is recognizing the scope of projects once you get started. From websites to digital media strategy there are a lot of aspects that the client side might not be aware of and it’s important to be transparent when discussing the scope of work.

What Are Some Of The Reasons You Love Being An Entrepreneur?

I love the pace and the pressure to move forward and grow; you get a lot of, what we like to call, “healthy problemts” to address. I also love the freedom to be anywhere in the world while still being able to run the company.

What Characteristics Do You Think It Takes To Be A Successful Entrepreneur?

I think definitely drive. You have to be able to motivate yourself to keep pushing forward, despite challenges. And it’s always going to be an uphill battle, so you’re definitely not signing up for an easy time.

Want to hear more from RJ, or learn more from successful entrepreneurs? Then don’t miss our Toronto event: Entrepreneurial War Stories on Thursday, October 13th. Admission is free! So sign-up now before spots fill-up!