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Quentin ‘QP’ Perera aka ‘Que’ is an American entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. Born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa, the 21 year old is the COO of Imperial Networking, one of the fastest rising online social media marketing and advertising agencies. Quentin manages an impressive portfolio of clients that includes new/emerging artists, athletes and celebrities throughout the USA, UK, Africa and Europe. In a recent chat with our correspondent, he talks about the challenges of managing an online business in this internet age and the successes he has recorded so far.
Who is Quentin Perera? What makes you tick?
Quentin is just a regular 21 year old, who loves business and helping others genuinely. I was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa where I have lived for most of my life. Till date I have helped over 1400 new artists and over 1000 brands with advertising and marketing across all major platforms. I have clients from all over the world. Building emerging articles and brands is what I love to do.
What keeps you going as a young entrepreneur?
Simple, doing what I love to do! Which is helping others and growing a business. Around my hometown there’s not many entrepreneurs as young as me in my position, which I’m very grateful for!
What has been your biggest achievement in the past 2 years?
Growing Imperial to where it is today is by far one of my greatest achievements, and though I am not yet where I would like to be, yet I feel satisfied with the progress I have made whenever I look back at how far I have come.
How do you deal with the pressures that come with your position as COO?
When it comes to pressure, I don’t let it consume me. Everyday you have to show up and be 120%, that’s what I love and that’s why I’m in this position. I love what I do so it is not so much pressure as I am dedicated to making each day, and each assignment count.
You have quite the background in online advertising and marketing? What motivated or inspired you to go into it?
Growing up, both sides of my family owned businesses, bars and restaurants. I always knew I wanted to be a business owner, and I also knew a bar and restaurant are very hard to scale. As I started growing my network, a close connection of mine reached out to me to inform me about the business he was starting and to know if I would be interested in partnering with him. That’s when I decided to go all in and the rest is history.
I see you are close to your grandfather, what has been his role and influence growing up, and in your success as a young businessman?
My grandfather taught me many life lessons growing up that transitioned into my business and the success I am today. Watching how much he has given back to our hometown community the last 30 years while running three establishments was one of the biggest influences he has had on me. He’s the reason why I love what I do and that’s truly helping others.
What’s your take on the global rise of online businesses since the Covid 19 pandemic? What is your take on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general, and the pitfalls of any online business like yours?
Covid 19 played a huge factor in why some online businesses were/are a success. Look at Amazon, they had their best year during the lockdown. I believe post Covid has so much potential for online businesses too, but the only pitfall just like any other business is the amount of value you bring to your client/customer. My thoughts on crypto is that it’s here to stay. With inflation rising the dollar is looking worthless compared to a crypto currency with a decentralized backing. But let’s wait and see what the future holds.
What are some of the challenges you face from prospective clients with regards to your age?
The biggest challenge comes down to trust. Most people over the internet don’t trust strangers, let alone a 21 year old. One of the things that separates me from older agency owners is that I’m genuinely interested in people’s careers/lives and making them better, hence why my company is growing at a fast rate.
Looking at how far you have come and where you are today, what are the things you feel you could have done differently?
Investing more in myself and the company which would allow us to grow even quicker than we already are.
What advice will you give to your younger self?
Always bet on yourself, even when you are uncomfortable with it, and do it often.
Who are your influences? Which businessmen and investors have influenced your life and career?
Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Grant Cardone and Dan Peña all had pretty significant influences on my life and career. Not all of them are in the same category, but they all have one thing in common, and it’s their determination/obsession with their goals.
What advice do you have for young emerging entrepreneurs like yourself?
Walking down this path isn’t easy, over the past two years I’ve dealt with things mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. In business just like in life you will have ups and downs but as time goes on if you persevere you will pull through. As I look back on my journey thus far, I am grateful for the lows just as much as the highs. You have to be in love with the process, you have to know your “Whys”. One of my favorite sayings to young entrepreneurs is “my education started after high school”. Meaning, I learned more from books and growing my network then school could ever teach me. Lastly stop caring what other people think, if you can find a way to reduce that emotional baggage you’ll achieve so much more in life.
Thanks for your time, we wish you more successful ventures ahead.
