Jim Estill Sells Billions of Dollars Worth of Computer Equipment

Jim Estill’s an incredible success story. Canadian boy (woohoo!), starts by selling computer equipment out of his car. Some time later he’s running EMJ Data, which went public and made oodles and oodles of money. He’s now CEO of SYNNEX.

SYNNEX sells over a billion dollars of computer equipment in Canada each year. A freaking billion dollars.

This is a brief interview done via email with Jim. For a big-time CEO he’s amazingly available, I’ve had some great conversations with him over the last year. He reads voraciously (I forgot to ask him how fast he actually reads) and blogs about his life, personal and corporate, at CEO Blog - Time Leadership.

You’ll find a few gems in Jim’s answers, bits and pieces of information that any entrepreneur can walk away with smarter than before…and also some tidbits that really show you Jim’s style and personality. I want to thank him for taking the time to do the interview…and without further ado…

1. Briefly, what does SYNNEX do?

SYNNEX is a wholesaler of computers, software and peripherals. We supply names you recognize like HP, Lexmark, Microsoft, Acer, Apple, etc. to retailers and resellers like Staples, Wal-mart, Future Shop, CDW on down to Bill’s corner computer store. We now sell over a billion dollars in Canada.

2. Did you start SYNNEX from the ground up?

I started EMJ Data from the ground up in 1979. I grew that company from 0 to $375,000,000 in sales in 2004 when I sold it to SYNNEX. At that time, EMJ had been a public company on the TSX (Toronto Stock Exchange) for 10 years.

3. What’s your biggest accomplishment as an entrepreneur?

There is no one pinnacle. My life as an entrepreneur has been a series of small accomplishments that add up. If I had to pick one it would be joining the RIM Blackberry Board and investing in them before they went public.

4. Does everyone have the capacity to be an entrepreneur? Let me re-phrase that - does everyone have the capacity to be a SUCCESSFUL entrepreneur?

I think most people can be successful entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs are not geniuses. Entrepreneurs who are not yet a success, just haven’t tried everything yet.

5. If you could improve one thing about yourself, what would it be? Are you actively trying to improve that one thing?

I always want to be more efficient and constantly work on that. Part of that is being healthy so I constantly focus on that too.

6. How significant a portion of entrepreneurial success (including yours) would you consider to be luck?

I have had a lot of luck in my life.

7. Your blog is called Time Leadership - are entrepreneurs bad at time management?

I think some entrepreneurs are bad at time management. Leadership comes before Management. Leadership is about doing the right things. Management is about doing things right. For success, everyone needs to study their use of time.

8. Are we all running out of time?

In my opinion yes. We are running out of time to accomplish what we want to accomplish. And if we are not, we need bigger goals.

9. In an interview you gave this year with Forbes.com you said:

But you can’t tell your employees what to do or how to act. Instead I just say, here are some of the things I do, and some people will pick up on it. Some of the things I do are more extreme, so people will sometimes tend to reject everything because they say, “I just can’t work the same hours as Jim, so I give up.” My encouragement is to take what ideas you do like and use them.

I have to break this down into 3 separate questions:

1. To your first point about employees, I’d ask, why not? Why can’t you tell them what to do or how to act, isn’t that being the boss?

   I do not believe in autocratic leadership. Our company is too large. I need people to be inspired and buy in.

2. Would you prefer employees emulate your actions and follow your beliefs? Wouldn’t they be more successful?

   In some cases that would help although it is highly presumptuous to think that I act properly and others do not. Everyone has unique talents. The greatest results come from people using theirs. Companies need a variety of talents to be successful.

3. Is “working insane numbers of hours” your answer to time management?

   Perhaps that is why I study time so much and continually try to polish my systems. Working more hours is not the answer. Working better is. I will say that one of my unique talents is the capacity to work.

10. Finally, do you love what you do? And (whether you do or don’t), please answer - why?

Absolutely I love it. If I did not, I would not do it. I love the computer field because of constant change. Computers are cool. I get to work with leading edge stuff. I like running a company. Bigger is more fun so I love that. Do I love every aspect of every thing? Of course not but in balance, there is nothing I would rather be doing (except perhaps running an even bigger company)

That’s it!

I want to thank Jim Estill again for participating and wish him continued success in business and life.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this inaugural interview post … you can expect more in the future!