About Start Up With Feras
Work Hard. Play Hard. Give Back.
Hi, I’m Feras Alhlou, and I’m passionate about helping you succeed.
It was a layoff in 2003 that first led (or forced) me down the path of entrepreneurship.
I had to learn many new business skills, most of which were way out of my comfort zone.
I had to learn how to wear many hats and work hard even when the results weren’t immediate.
I had to learn how to draw lessons from setbacks and how to recognize when to adjust my entrepreneurial vision and pivot toward different opportunities.
Through this learning and hard work over many years, I became top earner within a franchise (and a coach for other franchisees), and I built and scaled businesses in Silicon Valley and abroad to 7 and 8 figures.
During this time, I authored many publications that earned high regard, including Google Analytics Breakthrough: From Zero to Business Impact. (Feedback on Amazon included: "This book really deserves 10 out of 5 ratings!"). I also had many opportunities to speak at industry conferences as well as several invitations to sit on boards of other organizations.
In 2019, I sold my web and marketing analytics consultancy — which had started as a small web design firm — to dentsu, a media company with global scale.
Many people helped me along the way, and my goal now is to give back through community involvement and an ongoing dedication to non-profits (which included an entire year of pro-bono management consulting).
I have also advised and mentored 150+ new businesses. Through Start Up With Feras, I'm continuing to offer aspiring entrepreneurs the expert guidance that they need to succeed.
I hope you find the resources on this website helpful in your own journey as an entrepreneur. If you have any questions that I may be able to help you with, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Working Hard...Playing Hard
I find the saying about "all work" to be true. These personal pursuits not only provide a sense of fulfillment; they also enhance thinking and performance in my work:
- Listening to (mostly) non-fiction audiobooks
- Hiking the Bay Area trails
- Giving his best to live up to his 3rd-degree black belt in Aikido
- Retreating to the Rockies with a bow
- Quality time with family
Interesting Facts About Feras
- Feras is a published author! In 2016, he wrote “Google Analytics Breakthrough: From Zero to Business Impact” along with his colleagues, Shiraz Asif and Eric Fettman. Shortly after, he was featured on the Google Analytics YouTube Channel Talking Data with Daniel Waisberg. The book was published by Wiley and sold over 15,000 units.
- In 2019, Feras sold e-Nor to Denstu, where the company was integrated into Cardinal Path, Dentsu’s marketing analytics consulting division.
- Feras is on the board of directors for the Silicon Valley chapter of the American Red Cross and Chairman of the Board at e-CENS, and he co-established the Feras Alhlou Scholarship in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Tulsa.
- He has spoken at many events, including INSPIRE, Digital Marketing First, Digital Experience, SMX Advanced, and more.
- He’s been interviewed by Tableau, Google, and other innovative companies at the forefront of business analytics.
- Feras has contributed to many online publications, including Salesforce, Practical Ecommerce, Online Marketing Institute.
- Podcast appearances include Burkland’s Startup Success (Founders: How to Start, How to Grow, How to Give Back) and Present Beyond Measure.
