20 Unusual Entrepreneurs That Will Inspire You2800368
I only took one entrepreneurship course in school (I was a Women's Studies major at Washington University in St. Louis...we will skip THAT storyline for now). It turned out to be a strong class, but in lots of cases it was a parade of traditional entrepreneurship. As an example, here were common measures heard throughout the session:
Think of an idea.
Find out more about the heck out of the idea, write a business plan that is substantial, raise money, create business.
Wave good-bye to family and friends as now your life is the business. Yay.
After creating company, expand company by hiring one zillion people and move into every market on the planet.
Following your huge expansion into a global domination, sell your business for top dollar.
Post-sale, wash, rinse, repeat and go back to step one or retire to your own chosen island.
Now, there is nothing wrong with this advice per say. The truth is, there was a parade of special guests through the term that shared their narrative that fit into those steps one way or another.
There are entrepreneurs who create a business to franchise it (the E-Myth philosophy). Examples where I'm from in St. Louis comprise a chain of tanning salons and massage parlors.
There are. Perhaps the factory makes something of the like or hats or cups.
There are entrepreneurs which are in more traditional businesses that have no aspirations of selling but instead look to earn a living brick and mortar design. An illustration could be a clothing boutique or the corner bakery.
There are Internet entrepreneurs focused on creative passive income by any means required to make a living (and maybe love life on the seashore or something). Example might be someone who sells vitamin nutritional supplements online.
However, there is another group all together that I bet you are part of (I know I 'm). And that's the unconventional entrepreneurs. Characteristics of this group comprise:
Doing work that matters. Not simply work to make a dollar (such as selling odd vitamin supplements online..unless you're ridiculously enthusiastic about vitamins, and in that case rock on). Work that you are passionate about. Work that is art. Cash follows passion rather than the other way around.
Challenging the way it's ever been done. Altering sectors which were stuck for years (or decades or centuries). Creative disrupters.
Appreciating the fruits of our work. No, this does not mean non-traditional entrepreneurs don't work challenging. It simply means we understand and live by the philosophy that there surely is more to life than just work (fires and hobbies outside work, friends as well as family, enjoying life the way you want to).
Does this mean as an unusual entrepreneur that you hire a bunch of people or can't sell your business? Not in any way. It simply ensures that you aren't conforming to the limits of traditional entrepreneurs.
Since 2008, I Have 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 50 companies and others that have started one. But I'd need to say, if I was hard pressed, my favourite ones will be the unusual ones (and that is where most interviews will drop in the immediate future).
The issue, as I see it, is less in cogency of the advice and instead more in the limits of it. Significance, follow most of those steps, feel like, be like or entrepreneurship surely does not have to look like. It's like offering a course on sports, but the only sport covered is baseball.
Fact is, there are lots of types of entrepreneurs.
There are entrepreneurs whose whole aim is always to develop a company and sell it for as much as possible or take it public. All these are the "large exits" we hear about in the tech world. Tommy Caufmann This is listing of them, in no specific order, that I wager you will pick up inspiration, thoughts and insights from. Appreciate!
Why? Successful not yet fulfilled from his previous venture, Andrew has made it his life's mission.
- 2: Ishita Gupta - panic.less
Why? Who says magazines have to be in print? Consistently a disrupter, Ishita is altering the publishing world through her unique 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 crazy, hilarious stories to the World Wide Web and results have been astounding.
Interview with Tucker
- 4: Seth Godin - SethGodin.com
Why? The quintessential disrupter and leader, Seth Godin is throwing a wrench into the publishing business with all The Domino Project.
Interview with Seth
- 5: Neil Strauss - NeilStrauss.com
Why? Might it be possible to earn an income by learning and infiltrating from the secret world of celebs, pick up artists and multiple -passport world travelers that are sneaky? It has been done by Neil.
- 6: Chris Guillebeau - ChrisGuillebeau.com
Why? Moving to Africa? Becoming an expert writer in less than one year? Inspiring others to not live conventional lives?
Interview with Chris
Why? By doing it his way Matt has created an empire from his unique and hilarious comic strips.
- 8: Kim Murgatroyd and Rob - JetSetLife.TV
Why? They created among the coolest jobs ever writing unique, insider guidebooks and Traveling to the world's poshest areas. Sweet.
Interview with Kim and Rob
- 9: Jason Sadler - IWearYourShirt.com
Why? Exactly what does Jason get to do? Create a variety of interesting videos as well as other goodies online and he is paid to wear shirts. Sweet.
Interview with Jason
- 10: Tim Ferriss - FourHourWorkWeek.com
Why? Yes, we all understand Tim has inspired an amazing amount of visitors to work less, live more (and more lately, get in great shape), but there is a great deal to learn from how Tim has created his own company and lifestyle. He is a walking version of unusual entrepreneurship.
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 Buck
Why? Michael took a love and turned it into his dream profession. His show, What The Buck, is among YouTube's most popular
- 13: Adam Baker - Guy Vs. Debt
Why? Can the action of sharing the insights become a company and getting yourself out of debt? Leave Adam Baker to turn it with it.
Interview with Adam
- 14: Chris Ducker - Virtual Company Lifestyle
Why? The walk walks and talks the talk. His business is likely running from a shore somewhere, as I type this.
- 15: Gregory Ng - Freezer Burns
Why? Two words: Frozen food. That is precisely the subject matter of this unusual entrepreneur's net show.
- 16: Elizabeth Marshall - Writer Telesminars
Why? She found her passion for books and turned it into an incredible profession. The best part might be she gets the pick of the litter when it comes to her customers.
Interview with Elizabeth
- 17: Vanessa Van Petten - RadicalParenting.com
Why? Vanessa didn't wait to be decided. When she was a teen, a parenting publication was written by her from a teenager's perspective. Her empire has unbelievable expanded since then and she gets to do what she adores every day.
Interview with Vanessa
Why? The musician that is entrepreneurial. His business model allows him to create (and make money from) the music he needs without the boundaries of a label.
Interview with Jonathan
Why? The man who's redefining the world of cartooning. And he is doing it on his terms.
- 20: Nate Houghteling and Kai Hasson - White Collar Brawler
Why? Leaving their day jobs make an online web series and movement and to become recreational fighters? This stuff is just amazing.
