In the first three parts of our series, we've explored Steve Ferreira's journey, his "no cure, no pay" philosophy, and the importance of educating the logistics community. In this final installment, we uncover the secret to his sustained success: hyper-specialization and the power of focusing on one thing.

Steve shares why he chose to be a "solopreneur" and how his discipline in doing one thing exceptionally well has led to his unprecedented success.

💬 The Talk

Fernando Roman (SC): Steve, you've been a solopreneur for a long time. Why have you never tried to scale with a larger team?

Steve Ferreira: Well, that's the $10,000 question. I've been a solopreneur from day one. I do have a few contracted experts that I use, but they're not employees. I think some people are born to be managers and teachers, and others are born to be creative entrepreneur drivers. I fall into the latter category. I don't have the patience to train people or the flexibility to share deep-rooted secrets and trust they won't go out and start their own business.

Fernando Roman (SC): So, you are a "one-trick pony" and you've embraced that.

Steve Ferreira: That's it. It’s all about hyper-specialization. The name of my business is Ocean Audit, and that's all we do. I'm a "one-trick pony" and I'm very proud of it. This industry is notorious for wanting to be everything to everyone, but I find that success comes from doing one thing exceptionally well and resisting the temptation of lucrative but distracting opportunities.

Fernando Roman (SC): You've mentioned that clients don't have the time to look at past invoices. Is that the key to your business?

Steve Ferreira: Absolutely. The reality is that probably 99.9% of clients would never go back and look at their invoices from 2022 or 2021. They are far too busy worrying about the present. I always say that these files are like a fossil well-preserved by the ice. They're historic, they're dead, and I come in to unfreeze them. That's the value I bring. My contingency model is a "win-win" for both sides.

Fernando Roman (SC): This has been a truly enlightening conversation, Steve. Thank you for your time.

Steve Ferreira: Thank you, Fernando. It’s been my pleasure.

💎 Key Takeaways from the talk

As I reflect on my conversation with Steve, here are some key takeaways:

• The Power of One: The secret to long-term success is to specialize and become the best at one thing, resisting the temptation to expand beyond your core expertise.

• The Solopreneur Advantage: Steve's success is a testament to the power of being a "driver" rather than a manager, and the ability to find a niche where this model can thrive.

• The Value of the Past: Errors and overcharges from previous years represent a hidden opportunity that clients are too busy to address, which is the perfect opening for an expert auditor.

This concludes our fascinating series with Steve Ferreira. It's been a masterclass in entrepreneurship, vision, and the power of relentless focus. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I did.

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📲 Where to Find Steve

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steveaferreira/

• Ocean Audit: https://oceanaudit.com/

Thank you for reading and have a great week!