FOUNDER TO THE PROFILE
Founder, Pirata Group
“I was born in Youngstown, Ohio, a city full of grit and hard-working people known for steel production. That work ethic is instilled in its people and stuck with me after my family relocated to Florida. It helped me power through with a never give up, win attitude, having the grit and tenacity just like the steel that was made from Youngstown.”
Daniel Stevens is the founder of Pirata, which he launched in 2010 after a Fortune 500 career in business development and commercial finance. Motivated by a desire for greater control over his destiny following the great financial crisis, Stevens transformed an idea rooted in his family's pirate lineage into Parada, a brand whose name means pirate in Latin. The company has since evolved into a full-service marketing agency on the Space Coast in Florida, providing services such as website building, video production, social media management, and advertising to physician-owned medical spas and other health and wellness businesses, real estate professionals, and political campaigns. Stevens is a high school dropout who completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Central Florida, where he was a member of the Honor Society and graduated in the top 10% of his class. He also holds certificates in negotiation from the University of Notre Dame and a master's degree from Liberty University. He attributes his success to the grit, tenacity, and never-give-up attitude instilled by his birthplace of Youngstown, Ohio, a city known for its steel production and hardworking people, which stayed with him after his family relocated to Florida. Stevens is actively involved in his local community through his church and politics, and he established the X Marks the Spot Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, to raise awareness for autism and support families, inspired by his granddaughter Gianna.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
I was born in Youngstown, Ohio, a city full of grit and hard-working people known for steel production. That work ethic is instilled in its people and stuck with me after my family relocated to Florida. It helped me power through with a never give up, win attitude, having the grit and tenacity just like the steel that was made from Youngstown.
When I went to UCF, one of the professors said everyone wants to be a marketing major but nobody wants to sell, and selling's where all the money's at. He opened my eyes that to differentiate yourself, sell, because everybody wants the glitzy marketing advertising job but nobody wants to go sell, and that's where the money's really at.
One of the biggest challenges is you're gonna think you need money, and you do, but what you really need is clients and customers. You just gotta have ice water in your veins, stick to your guns, and say I'm fully committed to this venture, do or die. Get out there and make relationships, find partnerships and deals. The customer will fund it. Don't feel like you gotta wait for the right time, it'll never come. Just go, have the vision, build the relationships, the money will flow.
One of the biggest challenges is you're gonna think you need money, and you do, but what you really need is clients and customers. You just gotta have ice water in your veins, stick to your guns, and say I'm fully committed to this venture, do or die. Get out there and make relationships, find partnerships and deals. The customer will fund it. Don't feel like you gotta wait for the right time, it'll never come. Just go, have the vision, build the relationships, the money will flow.
I was born in Youngstown, Ohio, a city full of grit and hard-working people known for steel production. That work ethic is instilled in its people and stuck with me after my family relocated to Florida. It helped me power through with a never give up, win attitude, having the grit and tenacity just like the steel that was made from Youngstown.
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