20 Unusual Entrepreneurs Which Will Inspire You1468307
I only took one entrepreneurship class in college (I was a Women's Studies major at Washington University in St. Louis...we will cut THAT story for now). In many cases it was a parade of traditional entrepreneurship, although it was a strong class. For example, here were common steps heard throughout the session:
Come up with an idea.
Find out more about the heck from the notion, write a business plan that is gigantic, raise money, create company.
Tide goodbye to friends and family as now your life is the company.
Expand business by hiring one zillion people, after creating company and move into every marketplace on the planet.
Following your massive growth into a domination that is global, sell your company for top dollar.
Post-sale, wash, rinse, repeat and retire to your preferred island or return to step one.
Now, there's nothing wrong with this particular advice per say. The truth is, there was a parade of special guests throughout the term that shared their story that fit into those steps one manner or another.
The situation, as I see it, is less instead more and in validity of the advice in the limitations of it. Meaning, feel like entrepreneurship definitely does not have to look like, be like or follow most of those measures. The only sport is baseball, although it's sort of like offering a class on sports.
Fact is, there is a variety of of entrepreneurs.
There are entrepreneurs whose entire aim would be to develop a business and sell it for as much as possible or take it public. These are the "enormous exits" we hear about in the tech world.
There are entrepreneurs who create a business to franchise it (the E-Myth philosophy). Examples where I'm from in St. Louis include a chain of tanning salons and massage parlors.
There are entrepreneurs that create factories. Maybe the factory makes cups or hats or something of the like.
There are entrepreneurs that are in more traditional sectors that have no aspirations of selling but rather look to earn a living brick and mortar style. A good example may be a clothing boutique or the corner bakery.
There are Internet entrepreneurs focused on creative passive income by any means necessary to make a living (and possibly enjoy life on the beach or something). Example might be someone who sells vitamin 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 entrepreneurs that are non-traditional. Characteristics of this group comprise:
Doing work that matters. Not merely work to earn a dollar (such as selling odd vitamin supplements online..unless you are ridiculously enthusiastic about vitamins, and in that case stone on). Work that you're enthusiastic about. Work that is art. Cash follows fire and not the other way around.
Challenging the manner it has been done. Shifting sectors which have been stayed for years (or decades or centuries). Creative disrupters.
Enjoying the fruits of our labor. No, this doesn't conventional entrepreneurs do not work challenging. It only means we understand and live by the doctrine that there is a lot more to life than just work (passions and hobbies beyond work, friends and family, enjoying life just how you need to).
Does this mean as an unusual entrepreneur that your business can't be sold by you or hire a bunch of people? Not at all. It only ensures that you aren't conforming to the limits of traditional entrepreneurs.
Since 2008, I've had the incredible opportunity to interview over 300 entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes. Traditional and non-traditional. Businesses that are enormous and solopreneurs. People who have sold others among 50 companies that have started one. But I Had have to say, if I was hard-pressed, my favourite ones are the non-traditional ones (and that's where most interviews will fall in the immediate future). Tom Caufmann This is listing of them, in no special order, that I bet you will pick up ideas insights and inspiration from. Enjoy!
Why? Successful yet unfulfilled from his previous endeavor, Andrew has made it his life's mission to inspire and help startups.
Interview with Andrew
- 2: Ishita Gupta - fear.less
Why? Who says magazines have to be in print? Consistently a disrupter, Ishita is changing the publishing world through her exceptional magazine fear.less.
Interview with Ishita
- 3: Tucker Max - TuckerMax.com
Why? Rejected by everyone in the publishing world, Tucker did not give up. Instead, he took his wild, hilarious stories to the Net and results have been astounding.
Why? Leader and the quintessential disrupter, Seth Godin is throwing a wrench into the publishing industry with all The Domino Project.
Interview with Seth
- 5: Neil Strauss - NeilStrauss.com
Why? Is it possible to earn an income by infiltrating and learning from the secret world of celebs, pick up artists and multiple -passport world travelers that are sneaky? It has been done by Neil.
Interview with Neil
- 6: Chris Guillebeau - ChrisGuillebeau.com
Why? Moving to Africa? Being an expert writer in less than one year? Inspiring others to not live conventional lives? Check, check and check.
Interview with Chris
- 7: Matthew Inman - TheOatmeal.com
Why? Matt has established an empire from his unique and hilarious comics by doing it his way.
- 8: Rob and Kim Murgatroyd - JetSetLife.TV
Why? They created one of the greatest jobs ever writing unique, insider guidebooks and Traveling to the poshest places in the world. Sweet.
Interview with Kim and Rob
Why? What does Jason get to do? Create a variety of interesting videos along with other goodies online and he's paid to wear shirts. Sweet.
Interview with Jason
- 10: Tim Ferriss - FourHourWorkWeek.com
Why? Yes, all of US understand Tim has inspired an amazing amount of men and women to work less, live more (and more recently, get in great shape), but there is a lot to understand from how Tim has created his own company and lifestyle. He's a walking version of entrepreneurship that is non-traditional.
Interview with Tim
- 11: Scott Ginsberg - HelloMyNameIsScott.com
Why? The guy who has built an empire around counting and wearing a name tag regular for the past 10 years. You need to see it to believe it.
Interview with Scott
- 12: Michael Buckley - What The Buck
Why? Michael took a love for pop culture and turned it into his dream profession. His show, Exactly What The Dollar, is one among YouTube's most popular
- 13: Adam Baker - Guy Vs. Debt
Why? Can the action of sharing the insights become a business and getting yourself out of debt? Leave it to Adam Baker to turn it.
Interview with Adam
- 14: Chris Ducker - Virtual Business Lifestyle
Why? Chris walks the walk and talks the talk. His company is probably running from a beach somewhere, as I type this.
Interview with Chris
- 15: Gregory Ng - Freezer Burns
Why? That's exactly the subject matter of this unconventional entrepreneur's web show.
- 16: Elizabeth Marshall - Writer Telesminars
Why? She turned it into an incredible career and found her passion for novels. The very best part might be she gets the pick of the litter when it comes to her customers.
Interview with Elizabeth
Why? Vanessa did not wait to be decided. When she was a teenager, a parenting publication was written by her from a teenager's perspective. Her empire has incredible expanded since then and she gets to do every day, what she loves.
Interview with Vanessa
- 18: Jonathan Coulton - JonathanCoulton.com
Why? The musician that is entrepreneurial. His business model permits him to create (and earn money from) the music he needs without the limits of a label.
Interview with Jonathan
- 19: Scott Kurtz - PvP
Why? The guy who is redefining the world of cartooning. And he is doing it .
- 20: Nate Houghteling and Kai Hasson - White Collar Brawler
Why? Leaving their day jobs create a web-based web series and movement and to become amateur fighters? This items is simply awesome.
