Even though being raised in a countryside with no role models of business or thinking big, he has always known he wants to create a completely different life. Not only for himself but also for the people around him, especially his parents who had been working hard in their dairy farm all their lives to take care of him and his sister.
In October 2016, at the age of 31, one of Martin ́s big dreams came true. He was able to go home and tell his parents they never need to work again. From this moment on, his mom and dad have been travelling the world and meanwhile enjoying life in their farm which by now has no more cows to take care of.
The success story of Martin is far from being easy or fast. In fact, it's been the other way around. After following his friends, he also went to study to become a car mechanic. However, even though he finished school he had started, it wasn ́t long until he discovered this surely is not his thing.
It was during his 11 months in the army when and where he got his first experience of being a leader. Constantly challenging himself to grow and to get out of his comfort zone is something which he has been doing ever since.
After the army he tried out several different jobs – he worked in security service and after that as a supervisor in a ventilation-isolation company. Nevertheless, once again, it wasn't long until Martin had reached to the top of the earning potential, and saw no perspective to develop further.
All of it happened while it was popular to go to work in Finland as salaries were so much higher there. He had been there for just half a year until he realised it was not so much about having more money but about having less time and opportunities to spend, which made it seem like such a big difference. He decided to return to Estonia.
meaning that when he did not leave home, nothing happened.
Martin had heard from a friend who was in a real-estate business about how profitable it was. As a result, at the age of 21, he started as a real-estate broker. In order to do so, it was necessary to have his own company.
“It was such a big step and a huge thing. You know, to have my own company and a business card with my name,” he is laughing now, when trying to recall what it was like back then. The reason he remembers it so clearly is because it was the first time he got to wear clean clothes while going to work and earn money while communicating with different people: „It was finally one of the occupations I actually enjoyed.“
In his eyes, the only thing missing, was a passive income, meaning that when he did not leave home, nothing happened. Otherwise everything was going well. Probably it would have continued this way unless the boom had finished and a big crisis hit. It was a time to move on.
As a next step Martin was introduced to a network marketing, without knowing of it being a network marketing: „The people who told me about this business, did not know too much and were not able to explain it properly.“
Nevertheless, from this moment on, he has had two paths – traditional business and network marketing.
It took him a year to build up some sort of an organisation but as this business was based on a product and the crisis hit, people did not order any more and everything collapsed. „The company was not ready to adjust itself accordingly and my entire business simply started to disappear,“ says Martin who was really disappointed back then as he was promised a passive income.
As he is a type of person who likes to finish things that he has started, he admits that it took him another year to try until he quit for good.
However, it seemed so unfair that after having worked so much, everything had just disappeared: „From that moment on, I have made a decision that never again will I get involved with any network marketing company!“
Simultaneously his traditional business also had collapsed because he made some wrong moves and started spending money before actually earning it.
As a result he went to bankruptcy, was thrown out from his apartment and was forced to move back to his parents ́ house: „I think what I missed the most, was a mentor. Someone to guide me and to share their experience.“
Even though it was a difficult time when even the basic necessities like food on a table was not there, that period of life had also several valuable life lessons in its ́ sleeve: „It helped me to understand that this is the kind of situation I never want to have again!”
Another lesson to learn, had to do with providing guidance and preventing from making mistakes: „I realised how important is to find someone who had already gone through what I was going to aim for.“
From this point onward, the entrepreneurship was again on this table. This time more seriously than ever before. Shortly afterwards Carnauba OÜ was born.
he was introduced to one network marketing company which he was not interested in
„I just picked out one concept and was working really hard until I was back on a surface,“ this is how Martin is describing the way he has managed to restart his business and actually his entire life. They started to export a paste to clean silver and gold. He used all the main shopping centres in Tallinn for direct sales as the product was so good that who ever saw what can be done, bought it.
In fact, within a few years they had reached to the point that they had no one to sell this product. Everyone who liked it, had already bought, but from one tube it was enough for a couple of years. Taking all of this into account, Martin decided to enter to a bigger market and in 2012 he moved to the US to start selling this product over there.
After spending 3 months on the other side of an ocean, he was introduced to one network marketing company which he was not interested in. Nevertheless, as it was his business partner from a traditional business, he was literally forced to listen to be polite.
When sitting there, Martin quickly understood that it was no ordinary network marketing but a company that was tightly linked to traditional businesses. He also saw that this concept helped to solve the biggest issue almost every business owner is facing every single day – how to get more customers.
It did not take long until he found himself sitting with a pen and a paper in his hand writing down pros and cons of staying in the US or flying back to Estonia to start business which was just about to be introduced in this market.
„Because this project seemed so much bigger and more powerful that I decided to put my own business on hold, and despite having left Estonia only couple of months earlier, flew back home, and the rest is history,“ recalls Martin how it all started in September 2012.
meaning that when he did not leave home, nothing happened.
One of his biggest fears is a fear of public speaking. However, he knew it was exactly the fear he needed to face if he wanted to become successful: „Since the very beginning, I remember someone saying that the one who is standing in front of the audience, will be taking the biggest part of the market.” To someone whose natural state is to be quiet and humble, it was not the easiest thing to do.
By now, 7 years later, despite having more than 3000 meetings and several hundreds of business seminars and despite speaking in front of more than 10 000 people, he is still not able to sleep the night before.
He is well aware of the fact that it can be a bit hard to imagine. „I know most people find it difficult to believe,“ he laughs at himself while confirming once again this is exactly how it is. Another fear of him is approaching and talking to strangers. “I really would much more happily spend time alone in a dark corner,“ he concludes, being absolutely serious about it.
meaning that when he did not leave home, nothing happened.
One of Martin ́s strongest motivation which has pushed and kept him focused during those years, are his parents. „I know how difficult it is to escape from the type of farm work my parents were doing. I also knew I am the only solution or otherwise they will just work until they die,“ he explains.
His dream was to give his parents a complete freedom to be, to go, to travel and to enjoy life without having to worry about their farm, work or money. As mentioned in the beginning, in October 2016 this became true.
It is also a foundation of his business philosophy that no matter what happens, family always needs to come first. By now, when all his and his family ́s needs are met and covered, for Martin, the main goal is to accomplish something which no one has ever done before.
“What is the point of success when it can not be shared with friends?” asks Martin who surely does not want to be on a top alone. “Together we are strong” are not just words for him but there is a huge power and value in teamwork as none of us is as smart or talented as all of us together.
Therefore, this visionary who is on a mission to make a history, is at the same time focused on empowering others. It will be no exaggeration to say that more than enjoying to be highly successful, he loves helping and mentoring others.
In fact, one of his dreams is to sit quietly – humble as he is – in the last row and to watch his team members to walk across the big stages, accomplishing their goals.
It is Martin ́s belief that at the end of the day, it is all about people and mutual memories of this amazing and crazy journey called life.
