Description

In this episode, Galen talks with Tetsuya Nakagawa, CEO and Co-Founder of Castagra Products, who discusses his entrepreneurial journey and how Castagra Products came to be. They initially won a competition by Dragon's Den, and though the product wasn't initially meant for roofing, they eventually moved in that direction after winning a stadium project contract over 42 other companies. Tats emphasizes the importance of problem-solving and evaluating situations to determine the best course of action for customers. He believes that innovation is always temporary and continues to look for ways to improve their products and make things slightly better for everyone. When it comes to scaling a business, Tats suggests addressing three key areas: Demand generation, operations, and mitigating weaknesses. The key to success is to constantly learn, adapt, and evolve.

Who’s The Guest?
Co-Founder and CEO of Castagra Products, a manufacturer of sustainable roof coatings, is Tatsuya Nakagawa. Numerous renowned businesses like General Mills, Tyson Foods, the NFL, MLB, and McDonald's, use the Ecodur roof coating from Castagra. The reality television program Dragons' Den selected Ecodur as the best "Greenvention."

Tats has launched hundreds of goods and services over the past 20 years, co-authored a book titled Overcoming Inventoritis: The Silent Killer of Innovation (forward by Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple), and delivered speeches to a range of professional organizations, including the Canadian Bar Association, the American Chamber of Commerce, and the International Internet Marketing Association. He’s also written articles for Fast Company, Construction Today, and Industry Week, and has been quoted on CBS News, Global TV, The Globe and Mail, and BC Business.

Highlights

• Castagra's sustainable roof coating was born from a previous invention by Peter, who worked with Tats in the past. They saw the potential and decided to relaunch the product
• Castagra targeted tough customers, such as multinational corporations, to prove their product's worth. The strategy worked, and they were able to win contracts against 42 other competing companies
• Tats believes that in order to lead in the construction materials industry, one must be fearless in introducing new products and ideas
• The biggest competition for innovation is often the resistance to change or the cost of switching from current practices
• Incremental innovation is easier to implement, but major innovations require understanding and quantifying the value for customers
• To be successful in business, it's important to understand the customer's problems and their customers' dynamics
• Failure is inevitable, but it's important to learn from it and not be too arrogant
• Successful entrepreneurs know themselves well and understand the trade-offs at each phase of business
  To scale a business, it's important to address demand generation, operations, and weaknesses
• Entrepreneurship exposes weaknesses, but it's a great way to figure out what you need to work on and explore your potential
• The goal of leveling up is to explore the edges of what you're capable of and make a positive impact
  
  
  Episode Resources
• Connect with Galen M. Hair
• https://insuranceclaimhq.com
• hair@hairshunnarah.com
• www.levelupclaim.com  
• Connect with Tatsuya Nakagawa
• https://ca.linkedin.com/in/tatsuya
• https://www.crunchbase.com/person/tatsuya-nakagawa