Meet the Pros Episode 2.3: Kevin Canning

Kevin Canning likes to say that he is an "overnight success 15 years in the making." The founder of Pearls of Joy is out to disrupt the pearl industry by committing to three things: finding the highest quality pearls in the world, purchasing them straight from the source, and educating consumers about his favorite gemstone. A recent addition to the board of directors for the Cultured Pearl Association of America, Kevin is well on his way to cultivating a reputation in his field—with a little help from the Fiverr Pros he worked with to build his business. Check out Kevin’s Fiverr Pro buyer story below, and get all the pearls of wisdom from this awesome journey to success. https://youtu.be/EzypGwkmikk

Tell us a little about yourself. Who you are, where you’re from, and how you started your business.

I'm originally from Victoria, British Columbia. I graduated with a degree in new media design and immediately began looking for a high-margin industry that could be disrupted with a direct-to-consumer business model.With 300-1000% markups, the jewelry industry stood out as a great candidate. When I looked further, pearls, in particular, stood out as an under-represented segment with near zero online competition. In 2003 I flew to Asia in search of pearls—and since that fateful trip, I've logged nearly 1,000,000 miles hunting pearls around the world. Little did I know at the time, I was starting one of the world's premier pearl jewelry companies.

Tell us about your brand. What inspired you to start it—and what are your goals for the future?

I joke at the office, Pearls of Joy is an overnight success -- it just took me 15 years to make it happen.We've had a lot of ups and downs over the years, but in the last five years Pearls of Joy has experienced explosive growth.I have very lofty goals for both Pearls of Joy and the pearl industry in general. We're currently on track to break 8 figures in revenue within the next 2 years. And for the pearl industry, I've recently accepted a position on the board of directors for the Cultured Pearl Association of America. With a goal of expanding the pearl industry worldwide. I plan on not only growing Pearls of Joy, but dramatically increasing the entire pearl industry.

How do you use Fiverr Pro to make your business ideas a reality? Any favorite sellers you like to work with?

You know I've used Fiverr for years, but mostly for smaller tasks. It wasn't until I found out about Fiverr Pro from Noah Kagan (Okdork.com) that really saw what was possible with Fiverr.Fiverr Pro allows me to work with some of the most respected designers and content creators around.In particular, I recently worked with Jerry Nelson, an incredible journalist. This is a guy who's written about everything from drug cartels to social justice issues. I worked with Jerry to write my "founder’s story" for the Pearls of Joy website and couldn't be happier with the results.

What would you tell someone planning to launch a small business?

People often confuse busy with being productive.Focus on your "one thing." With every endeavor, there is always one task that if completed will make everything else easier or irrelevant. Take that giant to-do list (all entrepreneurs have them) and identify the five most important tasks. Now from that five, what are three most important, keep going until you're left with one task. That is your "one thing" you need to be laser-focused on.Seems simple, but I believe it's the true key to success.

What motivates you as an entrepreneur? Why do you do what you do?

For me (and most entrepreneurs) it's all about momentum...It's the process of creating something from nothing, it's the forward motion I crave.

‍Want to know more about Kevin used Fiverr Pro to grow his business? Ask him in the comments below!