20 Unconventional Entrepreneurs That'll Inspire You8768638
I only took one entrepreneurship course in college (I was a Women's Studies major at Washington University in St. Louis...we will miss THAT story for now). In many situations it was a parade of traditional entrepreneurship, although it was a solid course. For instance, here were common steps heard throughout the session:
Come up with an idea.
Research the heck from the notion, write a massive business plan, raise money, create business.
As now your life is your business wave farewell to family and friends.
By hiring one zillion people after creating business, expand company and move into every marketplace in the world.
Following your massive growth into a worldwide domination, sell your company for top dollar.
Post-sale, wash, rinse, repeat and retire to your own chosen island or go back to step one.
Now, there's nothing wrong with this particular advice per say. In fact, there was a parade of special guests through the semester that shared their narrative that fit into those steps one manner or another.
The issue, as I see it, is less in validity of the advice and instead more in the constraints of it. Meaning, be like, feel like, entrepreneurship certainly does not have to look like or follow most of those measures. It is sort of like offering a class but the one sport covered is baseball.
Fact is, there is a variety of of entrepreneurs.
There are entrepreneurs whose entire goal is always to build a business and sell it for as much as you can or take it public. These are the "big exits" we hear about in the technology world.
There are entrepreneurs who create a company 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. Maybe the factory makes something of the like or hats or cups.
There are entrepreneurs which can be in more traditional businesses who have no aspirations of selling but instead look to make a living brick and mortar style. An illustration could be a clothing boutique or the corner bakery.
There are Internet entrepreneurs focused on creative passive income by any means essential to earn a living (and possibly appreciate life on the beach or something). Example might be someone who sells vitamin supplements online.
However, there is another group all together that I wager you are a part of (I know I 'm). And that's the non-traditional entrepreneurs. Characteristics of this group include:
Doing work that questions. Not only work to earn a dollar (such as selling bizarre vitamin nutritional supplements online..unless you are ridiculously passionate about vitamins, and in that case rock on). Work that you're enthusiastic about. Work that's art. Cash follows passion rather than the other way around.
Challenging the manner it's ever been done. Doing it your way. Altering industries which have been stayed for years (or decades or centuries). Creative disrupters.
Enjoying the fruits of our job. No, this doesn't conventional entrepreneurs do not work challenging. It simply means we understand and live by the doctrine that there is a lot more to life than just work (fires and hobbies beyond work, friends as well as family, enjoying life the way you want to).
Does this mean as an unusual entrepreneur that your company can't be sold by you or hire a bunch of people? Not at all. It simply means that you aren't conforming to the confines of conventional entrepreneurs.
Since 2008, I Have had the incredible chance to interview over 300 entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes. Traditional and non-conventional. Companies that are enormous and solopreneurs. People who have sold others among 50 companies which have started one. But I Had need to say, if I had been hard-pressed, my favorite ones will be the unconventional ones (and that is where most interviews will drop in the immediate future). Tommy Caufmann Here is a list of 20 of them, in no specific order, that I bet you'll pick up insights, ideas and inspiration from. Love!
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 - anxiety.less
Why? Who says magazines need to be in print? Always a disrupter, Ishita is altering the publishing world through her exceptional magazine fear.less.
Why? Rejected by everybody in the publishing world, Tucker didn't give up. Rather, he took his wild, hilarious stories to the World Wide Web and results have been astounding.
- 4: Seth Godin - SethGodin.com
Why? Leader and the quintessential disrupter, Seth Godin is throwing a wrench into the publishing industry with The Domino Project.
Why? Might it be possible to make a living by infiltrating and learning in the secret world of stars, pick up artists and multiple -passport sneaky world travelers? Neil has done it.
- 6: Chris Guillebeau - ChrisGuillebeau.com
Why? Becoming a specialist writer in less than one year? Inspiring others to not live conventional lives? Check, check and check.
Interview with Chris
Why? By doing it his way, Matt has generated an empire from his unique and hilarious comics.
- 8: Kim Murgatroyd and Rob - JetSetLife.TV
Why? They created one of the greatest jobs ever Traveling to the world's poshest places and writing unique, insider guidebooks. Sweet.
Interview with Kim and Rob
- 9: Jason Sadler - IWearYourShirt.com
Why? What does all day, Jason get to do? He is paid to wear tops and create all sorts of other goodies as well as enjoyable videos online. Sweet.
Why? Yes, we all understand Tim has inspired an amazing quantity of men and women to work less, live more (and more recently, get in great shape), but there is a great deal to learn from how Tim has created his own business and lifestyle. He's a walking version of unconventional entrepreneurship.
Interview with Tim
Why? The man that has built an empire around wearing a name tag everyday for the past 10 years and counting. You've got 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 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? Leave Adam Baker to turn it into one with it.
Interview with Adam
- 14: Chris Ducker - Virtual Business Lifestyle
Why? The walk walks and talks the talk. He is likely running his business from a beach somewhere, as I type this.
- 15: Gregory Ng - Freezer Burns
Why? That's the subject matter of the non-traditional entrepreneur's web show.
Interview with Greg
- 16: Elizabeth Marshall - Author Telesminars
Why? She turned it into an incredible career and found her passion for books. The top part might be she gets the pick of the litter as it pertains to her customers.
Interview with Elizabeth
Why? Vanessa did not wait to be picked. When she was a teenager she wrote a parenting publication from a teen's view. Her empire has incredible grown since then and she gets to do what she adores every day.
Interview with Vanessa
Why? The entrepreneurial musician. His business model permits him to create (and earn money from) the music he desires without the limits of a label.
Interview with Jonathan
- 19: Scott Kurtz - PvP
Why? The man who is redefining the world of cartooning. And it is being done by him .
Interview with Scott Kurtz
- 20: Nate Houghteling and Kai Hasson - White Collar Brawler
Why? Quitting their day jobs make an online web series and movement and to become recreational fighters? This items is just amazing.
