00:26 Hey, welcome to another episode of the Growth and Scaling podcast. Today, we are so lucky to have with us Angad. Angad, tell us who you are and what do you do?

00:36 Hey Todd, thank you for having me. My name's Angad Singh Manchanda and I'm an entrepreneur. I built a company called Chimp&z Inc. over the last 10 years. And we started off as a small project with the two of us, me and my founder, and we were trying to do something small in our living room. And in the last 10 years, we've grown it to an entity which got like approximately 200 plus employees. We are running operations in three countries as of today. 

01:07 Love it, love it.

01:08 So that's who we are.

01:10 That is fun. Now, no one's gonna guess from the name though. It's a very creative name by the way. It's Chimp, the and symbol Z. I love how you did that. So the Chimp&z brand talked to us about who do you serve with this brand and what do you do to help them.

01:28 Sure. So like the growth and scaling podcast, we are a growth and scaling company, but we use digital advertising and marketing and creative advertising to get your brand and your organizations recognized by global by the global audience. So we basically work with brands. Thank you. So we basically work with brands to scale them by using the digital tools available in the industry. And a lot of our business is actually embedded in the creative industry. So, you know, if you see ads, if you see radio jingles, if you see campaigns, when you see, so that's a little bit of what we do, the kind of brands that we've brought to it in the last 10 years have to be from, from various categories of business, actually. So if you see, we've got brands like UNICEF, the UN brand. So we work with them on, you know,

02:27 That's a big deal.

02:28 Yeah, thank you. We've been pretty blessed by the brands that we've worked with. So thank you. 

02:35 Very cool.

02:36 So we've got UNICEF, we've worked with DHL, we've worked with Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, the Tata Sky Group. We've worked with a little bit of Tata Motors, which is like the mother company of Range Rover and Land Rover on their creative campaigns, on their ad shoots, their TV shoots, as well as the entire tech piece. So major business, 

02:58 Wow.

02:59 Thank you. So we've kind of been in the Web3 zone for the last 10 years and we've been working with Web3 companies across the world to create more blockchain assets to how do you basically deploy more blockchain companies. So yes, AI, ML, how do you basically bring them on to your business? So consultation and bringing the creative and growth industry to your business. 

03:25 I love it.

03:26 So that's what we basically.

03:27 So, are you, now you mentioned a couple different things in there, you do a lot of the creative design or are you actually doing all the film editing and all the production of that? Or do you outsource that? Or what parts is Chimp&Z in-house and what parts do you feel like you're really kind of specialized in?

03:47 All right, so it's actually pretty cool. So we started off as a social media first entity, right? We started off with, you know, maybe, all right? So we started off as a social media first entity and when we were growing in the next few years, we realized that our clients would really want to work with one entity on multiple things. So basically we basically took the root of what was the demand and rather than a supply first kind of a strategy. So we basically started creating small teams which started delivering to these apps. So we started off with influencer marketing, then we started off with production. Today, I would like to say that everything from influencer marketing to production, to filmmaking, to even animation, even your, you can imagine your 3D motion pictures or 3D characters and everything is done internally. We have our...

04:42 Wow.

04:43 We have a 12,000 square feet studio in Mumbai, which is like the advertising and the business capital of India. 

04:52 Crazy.

04:53 So we've got a 12,000 square feet studio where we get like these different teams. We've got around eight teams and they all work together with global brands on what are the kind of asks and responsibilities from each brand. So yes, we do have everything internally to answer the question. And that's that.

05:11 Very, very, very cool. That is a hard thing to do and a hard thing to pull off for a lot of people. So congrats on doing that. I mean, having that big of an asset too and a 12,000 square foot studio is a big, big deal. That's awesome.05:28 Yes, and to add to this, I think we, so my partner is my first cousin. So we were best friends and yeah, so we were best friends back then. And you know, when we wanted to start up something, we always wanted to make it big. We always wanted to go global. We always wanted to do this in a space where we could integrate more kind of, you know, we run the team like a very small setup. I think that's the reason we've been able to do so much because we've got individual heads who we work with every day and they run their teams on behalf of the company. So that's that.

06:03 And so you, you know, you, you did this with a cousin which is dangerous, but your best friends, which is also dangerous, are you still best friends? You can never stop being cousins, but are you still best friends?

06:12 You know, it's kind of funny. I actually wrote a blog on this and it's on the internet. It said, how do you choose a business partner as per my experience? All right. And what I kind of realized is that people make a big deal about working with people you know, right? And for us, I think that's become our strength. So we came from a very close-knit family and we find it's taken that same route in our business. So it's actually worked out for us. As a matter of fact, today, we, I think, we speak approximately an hour every day. So, yeah, it is not just about work. It's also about the other things and like, you know, what's happening. Okay, how can you do this or, you know, what else is going on? So yes, to answer your question, we are still very close friends and we continue to do so.

07:00 That's awesome. No, I had a partner for 10 years and we were very, very close the entire time. And we did separate when we exited that company and it worked out great though. So I just know that there's a lot of history of bad decisions being made with family members. So I'm glad that you guys are on the up and up with it.

07:25 Yeah, I mean, there's a thing, right? Like, you know, he's not the kind of family that I grew up with. He's the kind of family I chose to grow up with. 

07:33 There you go. There you go.

07:34 So I could, you know, so both of us kind of had that connection, which added the common vision. 

07:41 That's a good differentiator. I like that.

07:42 Yeah, I mean, so that's basically what happened because lots of people ask us saying, how are you guys working with your brothers? Like, you know, don't you fight? Don't you have misunderstandings? I said, we have all of that, but we've kind of been able to put a wall between the personal and the professional stuff. So I think that's something that we've really learned in the process.

08:03 So jump back into the company. Tell us about, you know, you mentioned a lot of really big names that you're working with. I mean, how did you, in 10 years, what did you do to really hone in on kind of that bigger production as opposed to just doing smaller influencer type marketing roles? And what was there, at some point, a breakthrough where you were like, let's work with big companies, I'm tired of working with little guys. What was kind of your growth progress and choosing who your avatar is that you wanna work with.

08:37 So see, the first thing that we actually did, that's a very good question though, thank you. So the first thing we actually realized in the process of scaling and differentiating between brands is that you can't differentiate between a brand on the basis of the budget that they have. So you differentiate the brand on the basis of their vision. So, if it's a big brand and they're still wanting to go bigger, we wanna work with them. if it's a small brand, but the thought process is very limited, then maybe we don't work with them. So, we've actually been very picky and choosy about who we work with, even as individuals who are part of the team, and even as brands. So that automatically put us in a place where we were very strategically inclined with the kind of businesses that we were working with. Like, I'll just give you a very simple example. There's the Tata Sky, which is like the biggest broadband provider in India. We've been working with them for seven years today. So the reason that we've been able, thank you, thank you. And that's the reason that we've been able to work with them for seven years is because we don't treat them as a client. We treat them as a part of our own company. So we automatically have a lot more investment in time and resources on a brand. Automatically, they also realize that we are in for the long haul. I think we've just been doing great work every day and that's the reason why we've been here for 10 years today.

10:03 Yeah, yeah. Now, when you pick up contracts like that, I mean, that's a huge deal. Congratulations, I mean, that's really, really exciting. 

10:11 Thank you.

10:12 As you pick up a huge deal like that, and to your point, whether they're a large company or a small company, how did you determine that your values, the way you do things, would align with theirs? Are you a value-driven company, or how did you kind of, how do you determine who you work with when you're that picky and choosy?

10:33 You know, it's always about the alignment, right? Like for me, it's you and I today are having a conversation and we are having a conversation because we are both aligned to our goals. You're doing great at what you're doing. You're creating an excellent podcast. You're creating an excellent company. And I'm creating a company and I wanna talk about it with you. So today I'm kind of getting that feeling that, you know, all right, we've got our intentions aligned with each other. So similarly, when you're working with a brand like a big brand like this. The number one thing that I look for is culture. Because for us, culture is very important because you don't get to build an independent entity, which is what we are today. We are 100% independent. We don't have any investors. We don't have a silent partner. We have no, we've not no, it's always, it's called a bootstrap company for 10 years today. So I'm so proud to be a bootstrap company, but that process, 

11:29 I'm proud of you. That's really cool.

11:31 Thank you. However, we are in the market for a round of investment now. So that's a good, that's something to be proud of only for the first 10 years. The next 10 years, you definitely want somebody in. So,

11:46 It definitely accelerates growth, doesn't it?

11:47 Yeah, so exactly right. So we kind of work on the basis of culture, on the basis of vision, and on the basis of the kind of value that we bring onto the table for the brands. And you know, I have a very simple principle, we always under promise and over deliver, right? Like, so when you work on that principles, your brands and your partners appreciate you. So I think it's all about the fact that they have trusted in us. And they have trust, they've put their trust in us and we've kind of been able to deliver to their asks.

12:20 Love it.

12:21  So I think it's a pretty simple transaction like that and they've got mutual respect in the bylines, so which is not bad.

12:26 captainscouncil.com

13:55 Awesome. Now I love it. I think that that's a fascinating way to do it. You know, there's so many people that rush to raise money and the fact that you've gone 10 years bootstrapped and you're in three countries, 

14:10 Thank you.

14:11 Super cool. I mean, that's amazing. And right now you're in Toronto area, is that right?

14:13 Yes, yes, we are in Toronto.

14:15 So talk to us about that. I mean, what are your current growth plans? You've done a great job growing to 200 people, big studio, editors, film. You got the whole thing going for you in terms of an agency. What is your plan? What's your strategy? And where do you think you wanna be in the next three, four, five years?

14:36 So when we started up the Chimp&Z Inc, we always knew that where we wanna be. So it was never about just creating a company for the money that we make and then we disappear into thin air. We had a vision of creating a firm that would outlive us. And the idea is that we, I saw this case study of Ogilvy, all right, which is the biggest name in advertising, I mean, arguably, but so Ogilvy had a thing, right? Like, the company has not been run by David O'Gilby. Today it's been run by people who are not them. And the idea was very fascinating to me. I always looked at a company and I said, oh wow, can you imagine a company that outlives the founder? I said, I wanna do that. So we actually got that vision on. And then, in the process of doing the small projects that we were doing, we suddenly realized that, okay, I've been seeing work globally and I've been seeing the work that we are doing and I see a very big difference. And I think that, and what I would like to say is that there's a lot of scope for pro services to be provided to global brands because they do have similar visions like chimpanzee Inc, but maybe they're not getting the right partners. So I said, why don't we make our brand accessible to the global audience out there? And it took us, it took us, we registered our company in, in middle East and Dubai in the second year. 

16:02 Okay, smart.

06:03 So the global markets have just been a process. And it's never been an end goal. It needs to be done in a way where it's been 10 years, but I don't think we've scratched the surface of what we need to do as a company. I think it's only just the beginning for us. So yes, we always had a global vision for Toronto and North America. The reason we selected Toronto is because it's got a great, it's got great accessibility to brands in America, as well as in Toronto, in Canada as well. And co-founder, Lovin, who's my partner is Lovin Rajpal. He is leading the business in the North American industries also. So it's like a tie up between him and us. So yeah, I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if we open, if you open five more offices in the next five years. So it so that's the vision. And we wanted to be one of the most recognized brands in the advertising business but not just for the campaigns that we do, but also because of the kind of return we provide to our consumers.

17:03 I love it. I love it. Well, I love the branding. I love I love the name. I love all that you've done with it is really, really creative. 

17:09 Thank you.

17:10 And when you when you say the three countries, I'm assuming India, Dubai and America and Canada.

17:17 No, it's actually India. Yes, so it's India and North America right now. And yes, the Middle Eastern countries is what we're looking at. But we wouldn't I wouldn't be surprised if I'm sorry.

17:25 Cool, cool. Well, that's obviously brilliant. No, I just said it's a brilliant strategy. Those are great places to start.

17:29 Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. I mean, it's also because of the fact that they're more accepting to people and brands that come from India. So I think it's also about that. So, and just one thing I'd like to tell you is that we are now representing India at the collision event in Toronto. So it's something that we've been invited to. So we're kind of representing the Indian diaspora and startups in India. So it's kind of like a overwhelming space to be in, but it's also very exciting because the kind of conversations we're having is interesting. So yeah.

18:01 That's great. Well, I know that I've worked with, I've been in the BPO world for about 20 years now and I'm very, very in the know of industry and India industry, Philippines industry, and Pakistan and industry and Eastern Europe block. There's a lot of great people, a lot of great people that people don't have access to. And so I think what you're doing by bringing your brand into these other marketplaces is obviously a no brainer, because you have both the feet on the ground performing the work, they know how you like to perform the work, and now you can be in these countries establishing brand and building and growing, utilizing the resources that you have back in India, which is awesome.

18:45  Yes, and just to add on to that, we always want to create newer teams in newer countries. So the idea is not to just outsource.

18:56 Awesome.

18:57 The idea is to actually create a revenue stream for the country itself. So you hire your own people, you get your own talents, because the entire outsourcing module is, I'm not a very big fan of it. I like to deploy our resources where we are staying. I think it's important to give back to the land.

19:14 Love it. That's a great mindset. Fantastic! 

19:20 Thank you.

19:21 So now growth doesn't come easy for most people. What are some big challenges that you've hit in not only your start, but what are some challenges that you've hit as you've been trying to expand into these other countries, other marketplaces?

19:33 So I think the biggest challenge that we face till now is the fact that every country works in its own ways. So when you go from the way India works is very different than the way a Toronto or a Canada or a North American or the America works. 

19:53 For sure.

19:54 It's got very different values. There's a lot of people in India. So automatically the labor costs are a lot lesser. Here, the labor costs are a lot higher. So you have to basically create we came from a place where everything that you do, there's somebody to manage it. So if I had to get something done, there was always this one person I would call from the team to get that done. In the American markets and the Canadian markets, it's more about how you can automate those things so that you can use resources off the internet and not off the people, because it's actually it's expensive a resource. So I think that's the number one challenge that we've been facing where how do you basically re-strategize and reorganize our entire system to make it relevant to the current industry that you're in and the current country that you're in. So that's the number one challenge. Number two is since we are since death funded, you can't just go out on one day and hire three big names and then expect them to take a turn for you. So you've got to take smaller steps every day. You've got to do, you know, you've got to have an entire plan of action. You've got to do like one step at a time. So, I think that's more or less the second big challenge that we are facing. And I think the third thing that we're also looking for is, as I said, once you move into these markets, you also realize the importance of having a backing of a stronger partner. So that's basically where the investment module comes in. So I think currently we are in that space where we are raising some funds. So I think these are the three challenges that we face. We love the people that we've been meeting. We love the people that we've been interviewing. I absolutely, I'm very happy with the people that we work with. So that's a great thing. That's never been a big challenge for us.

21:44 Very cool, very good, I love it. And this is great for the people listening. I mean, for those of you listening who are building and growing a brand in one country, that's fantastic. I love the fact that you kind of got some huge contracts, some huge momentum going in one country, immediately went to another country, and immediately, not immediately, but then a few years later, after you've established, you went to another country. And why is this important? Because we are such a global community right now, there are so many brands who are really solid, really good at what they do, and the only reason they're not bigger is because more people don't know about them. And so I think it's really valuable the lesson you're teaching today and branching in and getting yourself exposure into multiple marketplaces, because you never know who you're going to meet in these marketplaces.

22:36 Agreed, agreed. And to be, to just to add to your point, it's also the fact that you've realized that there's so much more that you can do with the more people that, and you know, the whole world's in a digital playground, right? Like you've got internet, you can literally be talking to anybody in the whole world. Like for us, I mean, we're in two different cities, but that's the beauty of it. 

22:58 Right, right. 

22:59 Yeah. So we're the enablers.

23:00 Yeah, yeah, no, it's fantastic. It's a good day to be doing business when we don't have to drive to every appointment and we can just hop on and book eight calls in a day. 

23:12 Oh yeah, that sounds amazing to me. And I think that if you can, and the world's so adjusted to doing that right now. I mean, I think the lockdown was one of the reasons why we said, oh, we don't want, we should definitely be looking at the global market because we've been sitting here and doing work for across the board. So why not basically increase our both sides? So that's that.

23:34 I love it, love it. Fantastic, fantastic. I love everything you've had to say today. I think that your brand is amazing. I think you're gonna have a lot of success. I'm assuming next steps are gonna be once you establish in America, you'll be hitting the European market, I'm guessing. But as you do that and as you hit these marketplaces, what advice do you have for other people that are thinking, should I go international? Should I do something overseas? There's a lot of people that wanna do it. But they're afraid. What advice do you have for them?

24:05 So first advice is definitely think large. If you're thinking that you're happy, that's a great thing. Happiness does not mean that you cannot think of more things to do. And always have dreams which you can never. It always sound impossible in your head, because yes, it did sound impossible 10 years back when I said that I'd be working out of Toronto with a company that I started in India. But it's not impossible today. So number one, it's possible. Number two, all it takes is determination and hard work. Currently, because of the two time zones that I work in, I'm putting in a lot of hours. But at the same point of time, I do see that it's all for a reason. So number two, you have to put in the hours. There's no easy way out. And number three, that if you've decided on something, one project at one time, so you can decide on which country to go on, focus over there, put your energies there, nine out of 10 times you'll come out successful. And if you still have some, if you're still facing regular challenges, well, that's all part of the process. You need to face the challenges because if you wanna think big, you gotta do big. And if you've got to do big, you will have to start small. So yeah.

25:22 Love it. I love it, I love it. Now, everybody that I've talked to always has a mentor or someone that they look to that has kinda helped them get to where they're at today. Is there someone you wanna give a shout out to today that has done that for you?

25:38 Yeah, so I think my biggest mentor was my granddad, my grandfather. And he was an entrepreneur. He used to run five different companies and he came from a background of no, no education to a background where he became a book reviewer on his own. So he actually understood English on his own. He, he learned the language on his own. He started from the book, like, you know, the cliche term of started from the bottom and ended up making like a big thing. So I think that he's my number one mentor. And I think, 

26:09 That's a big deal.

26:10 Thank you. And in the last few years, I've kind of moved from human mentors to book mentors. So I've kind of started, like I've kind of understood that you read a lot more and you'll get a lot more. So I actually have like these five, six books that I keep going back to for answers. Whenever I think that I'm in a stuck situation, I basically open books and I start reading it. So, yeah, so I think that in reality, when I was on the lookout for mentors, I was introduced to books. And I realized today that whenever I feel a little lost or whenever I feel like I don't have the answer to what is going on in life, I basically go to a bookstore and pick up four or five of the ones that the titles that I can relate to. So, 

26:58 That's awesome. 

26:59 Yeah, I mean, I have a number of mentors today.

27:01 There you go. Well, and just keep in mind, every book was written by a human, at least to date.

27:07 Exactly. Yes. And that's the beauty, right? Like, because I think after some time, your brain just stops, like operating on a certain problem. So you got to see what other people would do in a situation like that. So that's where I get the books from. And books have just become an essential part of life, I guess. Thank you.

27:24 Well, thank you so much for sharing that with us and we'll put all your contact information for your companies below. We appreciate you being here today and we look forward to catching all of you on the next episode of the Growth and Scaling Podcast. Thanks so much, Angad.

27:37 Thank you. It has been a pleasure, Todd. I appreciate you inviting me here. It has been a pleasure of a conversation. Thank you.