20 Non-Traditional Entrepreneurs That'll Inspire You8042826
I just took one entrepreneurship class in school (I was a Women's Studies major at Washington University in St. Louis...we will cut THAT storyline for now). It was a sound class, but in lots of situations it was a parade of traditional entrepreneurship. As an example, here were common measures heard throughout the semester:
Develop an idea.
Research the heck out from the thought, compose a business plan that is enormous, raise money, create business.
Tide farewell to friends and family as now your life is the company.
Expand company by hiring one zillion folks after creating business and move into every marketplace on earth.
Following your gigantic growth into a global domination, sell your company for top dollar.
Post-sale, wash, rinse, repeat and return to step one or retire to your chosen island.
Now, there is nothing wrong with this particular guidance per say. In reality, there was a parade of special guests through the semester that shared their story that fit into those steps one way or another.
There are entrepreneurs who create a business to franchise it (the E-Myth doctrine). Examples where I'm from in St. Louis contain a chain of tanning salons and massage parlors.
There are entrepreneurs that create factories. Maybe the factory makes something of the like or hats or cups.
There are entrepreneurs which can be in more traditional businesses that have no aspirations of selling but rather look to earn a living brick and mortar design. An illustration may be the corner bakery or a clothes boutique.
There are Internet entrepreneurs focused on creative passive income by any means necessary to make a living (and possibly enjoy life on the shore or something). Example might be someone who sells vitamin nutritional supplements online.
However, there's another group all together that I bet you are a part of (I know I am). And that's the unconventional entrepreneurs. Features of this group include:
Doing work that matters. Not just work to earn a dollar (such as selling strange vitamin supplements online..unless you're ridiculously passionate about vitamins, and in that case rock on). Work that you are enthusiastic about. Work that makes a difference. Work which is artwork. Cash follows fire and not the other way around.
Challenging the manner it has always been done. Doing it your way. Altering businesses which have been stuck for years (or decades or centuries). Creative disrupters.
Appreciating the fruits of our labour. No, this doesn't mean non-traditional entrepreneurs do not work challenging. It simply means we understand and live by the doctrine that there is more to life than just work (passions and hobbies beyond work, friends and family, enjoying life the manner in which you desire to).
Does this mean as an unconventional entrepreneur that you can't sell your company or hire a bunch of folks? Not at all. It only means that you aren't conforming to the bounds of conventional entrepreneurs.
Since 2008, I've had the incredible chance to interview over 300 entrepreneurs of shapes and sizes. Traditional and non-traditional. Companies that are tremendous and solopreneurs. People who have sold others and 50 firms which have started one. But I'd need to express, if I was hard-pressed, my favourite ones are the unusual ones (and that is where most interviews will fall in the immediate future).
The situation, as I see it, is less in validity of the guidance and instead more in the constraints of it. Significance, follow most of those steps, feel like, be like or entrepreneurship definitely does not have to look like. It's like offering a course on sports, but the only real sport covered is baseball.
Fact is, there are many kinds of entrepreneurs.
There are entrepreneurs whose whole aim is to establish a business and sell it for as much as you can or take it public. All these are the "enormous exits" we hear about in the technology world. Mr Thomas Caufmann Here is a list of 20 of them, in no specific order, that I wager you'll pick up ideas insights and inspiration from. Appreciate!
- 1: Andrew Warner - Mixergy.com
Why? Successful unfulfilled from his previous endeavor, Andrew has made it his life's mission to inspire and help startups.
Interview with Andrew
- 2: Ishita Gupta - anxiety.less
Why? Who says magazines need to be in print? Always a disrupter, Ishita is changing the publishing world through her exceptional magazine fear.less.
Why? Rejected by everyone in the publishing world, Tucker did not give up. Rather, he took his wild, hilarious stories to the Net and results have been astounding.
Why? Leader and the quintessential disrupter, a wrench is throwing into the publishing industry with all The Domino Project.
Interview with Seth
- 5: Neil Strauss - NeilStrauss.com
Why? Might it be possible to earn an income by infiltrating and learning from the secret world of stars, pick up multiple and artists -passport sneaky world travelers? It has been done by Neil.
Why? Moving to Africa? Becoming an expert writer in less than one year? Inspiring others to not live conventional lives?
Why? Matt has established an empire from his unique and hilarious comics by doing it his way.
Interview with Matt
- 8: Rob and Kim Murgatroyd - JetSetLife.TV
Why? They created among the greatest jobs ever Traveling to the poshest places in the world and composing unique, insider guidebooks. Sweet.
Interview with Kim and Rob
Why? Exactly what does Jason get to do all day? Create all sorts of other goodies along with interesting videos online and he is paid to wear tops. Sweet.
Why? Yes, we all understand Tim has inspired an incredible quantity of visitors to work less, live more (and more lately, get in great shape), but there's a great deal to learn from how Tim has created his own company and lifestyle. He's a walking model of entrepreneurship that is unusual.
Why? The man who has built an empire around wearing a name tag regular for the previous 10 years and counting. You have to see it to believe it.
Interview with Scott
- 12: Michael Buckley - What The Dollar
Why? Michael took a love for pop culture and turned it into his dream career. His show, What The Buck, is among YouTube's most popular
Interview with Michael
- 13: Adam Baker - Man Vs. Debt
Why? Can the action of getting yourself and sharing the insights become a company? Leave it to Adam Baker to turn it.
- 14: Chris Ducker - Virtual Company Lifestyle
Why? Chris walks the walk and talks the talk. His business is probably running from a beach somewhere, as I type this.
- 15: Gregory Ng - Deep Freezer Burns
Why? That is exactly the subject matter of this unusual entrepreneur's internet show.
- 16: Elizabeth Marshall - Author Telesminars
Why? She found her passion for novels and turned it into an incredible profession. The best part might be she gets the pick of the litter when it comes to her clients.
Interview with Elizabeth
Why? Vanessa didn't wait to be picked. When she was a teenager, a parenting publication was written by her from a teenager's perspective. Her empire has incredible grown since then and she gets to do what she adores every day.
Interview with Vanessa
- 18: Jonathan Coulton - JonathanCoulton.com
Why? The musician that is entrepreneurial. His business model permits him to create (and generate profits from) the music he wants without the confines of a label.
Interview with Jonathan
Why? The guy who's redefining the world of cartooning. And he is doing it on his terms.
Interview with Scott Kurtz
- 20: Nate Houghteling and Kai Hasson - White Collar Brawler
Why? Quitting their day jobs to become recreational boxers and make a web-based web series and movement? This stuff is simply wonderful.
