Episode 012
Anya Krebs
Can you build a million-dollar business in under three years? In this episode of Women’s Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Anya Krebs, founder and owner of Office Space Copier. Anya shares how she “burned the boat” and transitioned from a 17-year career in office equipment to becoming a successful business owner with over $1 million in revenue.
Anya reveals why she spends 80% of her day helping other people and how that generosity has fueled her company’s rapid growth. If you’ve been waiting for the “perfect time” to start your venture, Anya’s advice is simple: just start, and do it sooner.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
-The “Burn the Boat” philosophy: Why you need to commit fully to your vision.
-Why doing the right thing—even when no one is watching—is the ultimate “secret sauce”.
-How to leverage your network to find resources and information you don’t have.
-Anya’s strategy for making big decisions quickly to avoid over analysis paralysis.
"I'm a true believer that by doing the right things, money happens. It just follows you."
[00:00:00] Welcome to women’s million dollar conversations with Alice Tang, where we share stories from successful business women who have saved, earn or sold over a million dollars and discuss how they build their success and insights to help you achieve your goals. Now let’s join the conversation.
[00:00:20] Alice Tang: Welcome Anya Krebs. We are so happy to have you.
[00:00:24] Anya Krebs: I’m happy to be here. Thank you.
[00:00:26] Alice Tang: So would you tell us your company, tell us your industry and some specific, and then we can dive deep?
[00:00:32] Anya Krebs: Yeah, So my name is Anya Krebs and I am the founder and owner of Office Space Copier. So we are in the office equipment space and we provide office equipment and maintenance and leasing to small to medium sized businesses across the country. And I, by accident, got in the business about 17 years ago and started office space copier three years ago.
[00:00:58] Alice Tang: Three years ago.
[00:00:59] Anya Krebs: [00:01:00] Yes.
[00:01:00] Alice Tang: Woo. So we are talking about a million dollars right away, if that’s okay with you?
[00:01:05] Anya Krebs: Yes, absolutely.
[00:01:07] Alice Tang: Would it fair to assume that you got to your million dollar revenue in less than three years?
[00:01:14] Anya Krebs: We did, Yeah. We hit our million dollar revenue mark, and we are hoping to close out the end of 2022 at a $1.3, $1.4 million mark, which is really exciting.
While you’re in the daily, you don’t really realize that you’re there yet, right? You’re just concentrating on, the day to day. And so when you actually take a moment to sit down and take a look at. It’s been an exciting journey.
[00:01:41] Alice Tang: Excellent, excellent. Love to hear that. Okay, so a little bit curious or nosy.
Very few people get to that million dollars. So quickly, what’s your secret sauce to the extent you want to share with our audience?
[00:01:56] Anya Krebs: Oh gosh. I think our, secret sauce has been, [00:02:00] I’ve been doing it for so long, right? It was I hated the industry. I hated the business. There wasn’t anything that I truly enjoyed about it, but I was good at it.
And I did everything completely opposite and backwards of what everybody else was doing. And I would take advice from incredible mentors and make it my own. It was just little bits and pieces here and there. And I think my greatest success is is truly doing the right thing when no one is watching.
I feel that when you’re taking care of your customers and when you’re taking care of your network and the people in it and helping other people get to the top and where they wanna go, it all comes full circle. And all those little pieces help you get to where you wanna be. We always make that joke that 80% of my day is spending time helping other people, and I happen to sell copiers the rest of the time, right?
I would say about 20% of the time is actually [00:03:00] working on what it is that I do. The rest is helping other people, and that’s why I love what I do.
[00:03:06] Alice Tang: Well, You just hit the cart, I think. I am in the financial industry. It’s totally true that 80% of the day you’re trying to help the clients.
[00:03:15] Anya Krebs: Yep.
[00:03:15] Alice Tang: To win, to get through some of the hurdle. Small and big.
[00:03:20] Anya Krebs: Yeah.
[00:03:21] Alice Tang: Let’s go back to the million dollars. Before we start our recording, you talk about your CPA told you that you got a million dollars, you, you didn’t know about it. So I’d like to focus on the part that when you hit a million dollar or revenue, how did it make you feel?
[00:03:41] Anya Krebs: It’s really fascinating.
It didn’t make me feel different. It just was part of it. Cuz I mean I value money and I understand the value of it and it’s great, but it’s not my driver. I’m not driven by money, I’m not driven by numbers. So for me it was kinda, gosh, that’s really cool. And then [00:04:00] I just moved on to the next, I just kept going.
So it’s some people I know it exciting and it’s their goal and it’s one of their main things. For me, it was it’s not my driver, so it didn’t make me feel different. Which is, I don’t know if that’s common or not, but for me it didn’t.
[00:04:18] Alice Tang: Everybody has a similar and yet different answer, so allow me to interpret that.
[00:04:25] Anya Krebs: Yeah.
[00:04:25] Alice Tang: What I have interpreted is doing the right thing by the customer. Even nobody watching is very important because you are doing that to that great intention. Of course, money comes.
[00:04:38] Anya Krebs: Yes I’m a true believer by doing the right thing, money just happens.
And it will, it just follows you. It’s like that graph of when you see it, you have your ups and downs and then it just happens. It’s certainly been a roller coaster ride , which some parts of it I could do without, but others, I’m very, I’m grateful for most of it. Actually. I’m grateful for all of it.
[00:04:59] Alice Tang: Oh, love [00:05:00] your gratitude.
[00:05:00] Anya Krebs: Yeah.
[00:05:01] Alice Tang: Now I’m gonna take you to another direction. This. International Women’s Day every year is on their 8th of March. So this year their theme is break the bias. So we can say bias is gender, but sometimes it’s not.
[00:05:17] Anya Krebs: Yep.
[00:05:17] Alice Tang: Many times it’s not. So the question for you is what is the biggest bias that you run into and overcame?
[00:05:27] Anya Krebs: That’s a interesting question. When I first started in this career, and it’s a very male dominant career. I think in the very beginning, you had even made a comment earlier about the mental piece. I think it was very much my own mental block, which was really interesting when I was reflecting on it, when I thought about this question a little bit. I made other people’s experiences and other people’s thoughts of what was happening to them and I was making it my own, [00:06:00] right?
So I would go in and be like, Oh, I didn’t get that because you know, X, Y, Z. Or maybe it’s cuz I’m female, or maybe it’s because I was young, or I would put all these kind of roadblocks on myself. And when I take a look back and a reflection on that wasn’t the case at all. It was a male dominant career and career path, and they were just better than me. And I’m sure if there were more women in there, the women would’ve been better than me too.
I didn’t have the experience yet. I didn’t have all of the tools that I needed. I wasn’t educated enough. And so everybody was smarter than I was and better at it than I was until they weren’t. Until I had those experiences and all of those different tools to put me together. And I think I put those own restrictions on myself and nobody else had done that for me, other than me taking somebody else’s stories and making ’em my own.
So I don’t truly think that I had any hurdles. I think [00:07:00] we sometimes put them on ourselves as to why maybe we failed at something or we didn’t get that one deal, or whatever the case may be. But sometimes it’s just that we weren’t prepared enough or we just weren’t ready. And that’s okay too.
[00:07:15] Alice Tang: And sometimes it is the buyer or the other side, the client or the customer. Cause we are ready. We are professional, we are trained, we are experienced. We have a heart to do the good thing. But if everybody we interact said yes, we closed the office in February because
[00:07:32] Anya Krebs: Yeah.
[00:07:32] Alice Tang: Done right.
[00:07:33] Anya Krebs: Yeah, exactly. And we’re not all supposed to like each other, right? And not everybody is gonna like me or have that connection with me. And I’m grateful that doesn’t happen very often, but I understand every buyer has different buying criteria and what makes sense for them, and I’m not the right fit for everybody. And that’s okay.
[00:07:51] Alice Tang: So there’s so much about, the customer ready or the client is ready.
Our job is to tell them, Here is the problem. Here’s the solution. [00:08:00]
[00:08:00] Anya Krebs: Yes.
And to help guide them to the right decision, in making sure that they have all the tools that they need in order to make the proper decision. And hopefully you are that, that person that will, you’ll be their business partner moving forward. And that you are the right one, but at least going into it and making sure that you give them everything that they need to make the best decision for themselves is what we should always be doing. In any career, in any job position, or, and really even as a friend, or as guidance to people.
Yeah.
[00:08:32] Alice Tang: Very good. Very good. I think we’re on the same track.
[00:08:36] Anya Krebs: Yeah.
[00:08:37] Alice Tang: Seeing the same value. Change subject.
What is the number one piece of advice you would give to a woman who is an entrepreneur or in a sales and marketing position just like your previous life? If they’re looking to get to that million dollars, what is your number one advice for them?
[00:08:57] Anya Krebs: I think the one thing for me is [00:09:00] looking back, I would’ve done it sooner. And I think one of the best pieces of advice that I had received from a dear friend of mine and also from my husband is burn the boat. Just. Just do it, You know that you’re successful enough to, and you’re successful in your own career in working for other people.
My few pieces of guidance would be: A don’t get a business partner, because you can do it on your own. And if you are already that successful or successful enough to be in the position that you’re in to that, you’re already making those questions. I have the greatest network ever.
I always joke and say I don’t know how to do anything, but I know everybody who knows how to do everything in incredibly well. So rely on those resources, rely on your network heavily and get all the information. There’s nothing more than successful people love to do than sharing their story into [00:10:00] helping you get there.
Start asking for help, right? You’re not meant to do this world alone, and there’s so many incredible people that you’re probably already in your network that will help you get to those stages. Don’t reinvent the wheel, right? Working smarter, not harder, would be one of my things of pushing forward.
[00:10:19] Alice Tang: It’s super humbling too, in fact, when you talk about this is, I don’t know anything. But I do know the people who have the resource.
[00:10:29] Anya Krebs: Oh, thank goodness.
[00:10:29] Alice Tang: To get these done. It’s so humbling, I think when you check your ego off the door, before you walk in and sit down. The world is bigger than we can even anticipate.
[00:10:39] Anya Krebs: Oh my gosh. Yeah. And just listen and absorb it in. Every person that we meet, they have something to offer that you can take. And sometimes the most important is what not to do, right? If somebody says, you have to do this, but you don’t trust their integrity, or you don’t trust their moral foundation that goes in your what not to do bucket. And that bucket is just as [00:11:00] important of the what to do bucket.
[00:11:02] Alice Tang: Very good. Now there’s many decision in business that you need to make a decision, especially sometimes a decision is huge, like jumping from being employed, to doing it by yourself, only in the business, by yourself.
When the stacks are really high. How do you process and make that decision?
[00:11:22] Anya Krebs: Oh gosh, in my, I call it my previous life. In my previous life, I would think about it and I would go through all the scenarios and I would do it and it would scare me out of it. So I make big decisions fast.
And I don’t overanalyze it. I don’t overthink it because if I do that, and if I get too many people’s opinions on it, I get confused. I get nervous. I, there’s too many negatives versus positives and I can’t, I don’t function at my best that way. So I function at my best at just making a decision [00:12:00] and making it quickly, and then execute.
That’s the benefit of having choices, right? If you make the wrong one, who cares? Then make another one and fix it, right? You’re never stuck in this one place in your path. Gosh, my path looks like this, right?
[00:12:15] Alice Tang: Mm-hmm.
[00:12:15] Anya Krebs: It’s never straight. Sometimes feel like I’m in that Charlie Brown commercial, right? And he’s walking around and he is got this dust. It just happens, but that’s my path, and it makes complete sense to me and outsider looking in. It might look like absolute chaos, but for me, it’s my own path, and everybody’s path is genuine to their own way of getting there.
So for me, I used to overanalyze. Now I make big decisions and all decisions very quickly.
[00:12:45] Alice Tang: Make a decision very quickly, implement it, and keep moving.
[00:12:48] Anya Krebs: And keep moving. And if you go, Holy crap, that was the wrong direction. So what? Just make another choice and get back on it. I call it the life intent plan, right? We talk about it in our family, we [00:13:00] talk about it.
Every, Gosh we talk about it every week, but we even take a 10 day trip once a year and we talk about what does our life look like? Where do we want it to go? Are we on track? What adjustments do we have to make? And then it just kinda keeps you on your path of what it is that you want your life to look like.
It’s easier to make decisions when you know where you wanna go.
[00:13:23] Alice Tang: And also having the heart to understand that, if that decision is not the right decision, we’re not talking even about failure, but you said as the fuel to propel you,
[00:13:35] Anya Krebs: Yeah.
[00:13:36] Alice Tang: to make another decision.
[00:13:38] Anya Krebs: Yep. And sometimes you make another decision too late or later than you should in something, but whatever, it all works itself out and comes together.
[00:13:49] Alice Tang: Very good. How about at the time when you know really life is rough? You got three years-ish here, being a business owner, when life is really tough, you say, [00:14:00] Oh my God, I want to quit. What keeps you going?
[00:14:04] Anya Krebs: I can’t quit. I can’t, I’m plan A, B, and C, right? This is the plan. And I can’t quit cuz I love what I do. I cried at 5:00 AM in my coffee sitting at the island once, and that’s all I had time for. I spent all of our money and then I looked at my husband and I was like, what do you got?
And then I spent his, right when I first started the company. And it just, it worked and it was hard work. And just sticking to what you know, is right in, in just pushing forward. But it’s, once again, it’s back to those choices and decisions. I’ll always know how to make money, right? Like I said, I have an incredible network.
If this doesn’t work out, I make a couple of phone calls, right? I never said no to an interview. I always interviewed with all of my competitors, while I was, going through the industry and before starting office space. I [00:15:00] never worked for ’em, but I never said no to the interview and they have become my best allies and partners and helped me grow Office Space Copier to what it is. I can ask them for advice, I ask ’em for suggestions, and having that is my strongest character is my network. I would that my, my piece.
[00:15:22] Alice Tang: You just hit home here because I do professionally speaking a share with you when we first talked,
[00:15:27] Anya Krebs: Yes.
[00:15:27] Alice Tang: A few weeks ago. And my most sought after topic is, your network is your prosperity.
[00:15:33] Anya Krebs: Oh gosh. Absolutely. I couldn’t do anything without ’em.
[00:15:36] Alice Tang: Yes, yes. It’s really in a busy life, how do you find time to make sure you touch them intentionally without killing your hours? Because 80% of it, is really for taking care of clients and helping them to be successful.
[00:15:52] Anya Krebs: Yeah. I think for me, what I’m thinking about, I might just call ’em.
And I, And it can even be, Hey, I have [00:16:00] no time to talk to you right now. I just want you to know I was thinking of you. Are you doing well? Is your family great? Okay. Okay, great. Chat in a bit, but love you and thinking of you, right? That’s, it literally can be that basic and that easy. I think everybody thinks you have to spend a lot of time and investment and all of this, but really, people wanna know that they’re thought of and that they’re cared for and that they’re loved.
And I love the people in my network. They have become dear kind friends and family.
[00:16:30] Alice Tang: Yeah. Just Adi Klevit, our common friends who connected the two of us, she touched me every week, every. It’s a voicemail, is a voice message, is a text message or just a email or tech in social media,
[00:16:45] Anya Krebs: It just has to be something. Yea.
[00:16:47] Alice Tang: I really like this post cause intentionally.
[00:16:51] Anya Krebs: Yeah.
[00:16:53] Alice Tang: Two more questions. What is the one thing you would do differently? If you were to start over? [00:17:00]
[00:17:01] Anya Krebs: Oh gosh. Wouldn’t it be amazing if I could start it like, I saw this question on social media or maybe LinkedIn, if you had an opportunity to get $50 million now, or go back to the age of 10 by having the knowledge of what you have now?
I would do that in a heartbeat. I think the one thing that I would change is I would just do it sooner. I would’ve started Office Space Copier sooner. I had made other companies incredibly successful, and my efforts are still the same, right? How much I worked for other people and how much I worked for myself is still the same, but I get to reap the benefits of it, and I get to create the company that I want for my clients versus trying to create it in somebody else’s organization where you may agree with 80% of what they’re doing, but the 20% it’s kinda, you don’t. Now I get to agree with. That I’m doing.
[00:17:55] Alice Tang: Oh.
[00:17:55] Anya Krebs: So I would say that I would’ve done it sooner.
[00:17:59] Alice Tang: [00:18:00] Awesome. Awesome. Last question.
[00:18:01] Anya Krebs: Yes.
[00:18:02] Alice Tang: What is one piece of very good advice or one piece of very bad advice that has made the biggest impact in your life?
[00:18:11] Anya Krebs: You know, A dear friend of mine, he had sent me, and I can’t remember who the Hollywood actress was, but it was. Just strap it on, put on your lipstick and just get going. It’s just that idea of starting, right? It’s the, you’ve got this, you’ve got it.
You’ve got all the tools, you know how to do it. The insecurities of your self or the self-talk track or whatever it is that you have. Work through it, right? And figure out what it stems from and then just go for it. And it goes back to the choices, if it doesn’t work out. So what? Try again.
And it all the things that I learned by, the stub my foot are, I call it failing forward. It just kinda, you learn so much along the way in [00:19:00] every experience. You get to add that to your toolbox. So just keep moving forward and don’t spend so much time even thinking about it. Learn, figure out what it is that you learn from it and take that piece, but don’t spend any time in the past of it. Just keep going. Keep pushing forward.
[00:19:19] Alice Tang: Yeah. Thinking about the past, useless because you can’t change it.
[00:19:23] Anya Krebs: You can’t do anything about it.
[00:19:25] Alice Tang: Yeah. You can’t change it. Learn from it and move forward armed with that new experience or new lesson.
[00:19:31] Anya Krebs: Yes. Be armed with the tools of how it’s gonna help you in the next situation, cuz it will arise again. All of those challenges always come back. It’s how you react and now you’re just more prepared for ’em and they don’t hurt so much then it’s just, it’s not even a big deal.
[00:19:48] Alice Tang: That’s right. That’s right. Yeah. Start earlier. Start trust yourself.
[00:19:52] Anya Krebs: Yes.
[00:19:53] Alice Tang: Make a quick decision and then just execute. If it’s not the right decision, [00:20:00] go ahead. Order the course.
[00:20:02] Anya Krebs: Yep.
[00:20:03] Alice Tang: And make some changes. Thank you so very much to today.
[00:20:06] Anya Krebs: And just remember to be kind. Be kind throughout the process, be kind to others. Be kind to yourself, right? Be kind to your family, and it all comes full circle.
[00:20:18] Alice Tang: Very good. Thank you. Anya, you are a rock star.
[00:20:22] Anya Krebs: Thank you.
Play One thing you’d do differently
Anya Krebs has been involved in the copier industry since 2007. After years of witnessing businesses, non-profits, churches, start-up companies, and other verticals being taken advantage of, she recognized the need to create a resource where people could seek help.
For many years, she could not bring her company’s owner or a manager to a closing meeting with a new customer. She became adept at discretely submitting paperwork to the office after guiding customers to cross off fine print that would otherwise put them in a bad financial position year after year, leaving them stuck in unfavorable contracts.
Her goal now is to create a resource that provides intelligent information on how to obtain office equipment. Beyond that, the focus is on helping clients find the right solution and offering it with excellent service. Like most industries, insiders like her know the facts about how to save a great deal when it comes to securing the equipment a business requires.