This Army Vet-Turned-Fintech Entrepreneur Makes use of Schooling and Communication to Develop His Enterprise

Mac Angelo credits the army with his most important management lessons.

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November 9, 2020 4 min read

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It may seem like the toughest part of the job building a business is, but in fact, hiring and leading a team is the toughest job of all. The reality of business often means dealing with rapid growth and scaling. However, when most startups fail within the first five years, a productive, cohesive team can really make or break any business.

The entrepreneur Mac Angelo faced these challenges early on. After moving from Cameroon, Africa to the US, Angelo served in the US Army and now owns the loan repair and financing company LevelXStream. He was eager to start his business because he wanted to help people improve their credit scores and create a one-stop shop to fix an adverse financial past.

I spoke with Angelo about some of the essential lessons he learned during his trip that he continues to reinforce.

Expect mistakes and learn from them quickly

Angelo knows firsthand what it is like to fail. He recalls his early days in the army: “I remember training there with a few people from all over the country and we were all new to the field. Training was tough, and whenever we had the chance to relax and party, we did it. But one day I realized that my credit rating had gone really bad. And you need to understand that we have no credit standing in Cameroon. But America was all about that. So I had to learn firsthand how to deal with these issues in order to secure a better future for myself. After my military experience, I was once able to help others and that’s how LevelXstream was designed. ”

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Choose an enthusiastic team and offer intensive training

One big mistake owners make is just looking at the surface qualifications of their new team. What works better is choosing people based on their attitudes. “Whenever I fill my company, I always see if the person is self-starting, energetic and enthusiastic,” explains Angelo. “My company has hundreds of partners and they are usually people who are passionate and hungry for work. This is the kind of mindset I want my team to reflect. “

From communication to loan repairs, each team acts as a small unit. He attributes this strategy to his time in the army, when commanders always emphasized why it is better to split up and train personnel during operations.

“Once I’ve divided my people into small groups, I focus heavily on education and training,” he explains. “This gives the best results every time.”

Angelo’s work doesn’t stop once a customer’s credit is established. Specialized teams within the company are in constant communication with each customer – from start to finish. Ultimately, Agelo’s most important management tactic is full transparency and active engagement. As he puts it, “It’s important that everyone knows what the other teams are up to at any given time.”

For example, how does the PR team know what finances are up to? This is where software comes in. Using platforms like Asana and Slack, teams can communicate quickly and effectively. “My company knows everything that happens at a given point in time,” says Angelo, and adds: “With the help of software and tools, we can work in small departments and still be fully coordinated with one another.”

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The “share and train” formula seems to work well. From the halls of Tesla to LevelXstream, the owners focus on a tight selection process for their teams and invest in new talent. This is a surefire way to avoid mistakes and optimize the chances of success.

Through high-level management tactics, Angelo expertly embodies this ideology and ensures that his team grows and develops daily. By hiring enthusiastic and energetic team players, he ensures excellent results as each employee takes corporate goals as their own. Expecting and accepting errors must be a leading concept in corporate management regardless of the industry. It’s the clearest path to longevity.