20 Unconventional Entrepreneurs That Will Inspire You8721889
I only took one entrepreneurship class in college (I was a Women's Studies major at Washington University in St. Louis...we will skip THAT narrative for now). In several situations it was a parade of traditional entrepreneurship, although it turned out to be a strong class. For instance, here were common steps heard throughout the term:
Think of an idea.
Research the heck out of the thought, write a substantial business plan, raise money, create business.
Wave good-bye to friends and family as your life is your business.
By hiring one zillion people after creating company, expand company and move into every market on earth.
Following your massive expansion into a worldwide domination, sell your company for top dollar.
Post-sale, return to step one or retire to your chosen island and wash, rinse, repeat.
Now, there is nothing wrong with this guidance per say. The truth is, there was a parade of special guests throughout the session that shared their story that fit into those steps one manner or another.
The problem, as I see it, is less instead more and in validity of the guidance in the limitations of it. Significance, feel like entrepreneurship definitely does not have to look like, be like or follow most of those steps. It is sort of like offering a course but the only sport is baseball.
Fact is, there are lots of types of entrepreneurs.
There are entrepreneurs whose entire aim is to develop a company and sell it for as much as possible or take it public. All 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 am from in St. Louis include a chain of tanning salons and massage parlors.
There are. Possibly the factory makes hats or cups or something of the like.
There are entrepreneurs which are in more traditional industries who have no aspirations of selling but instead look to earn a living brick and mortar design. An example may be a clothes boutique or the corner bakery.
There are Internet entrepreneurs focused on creative passive income by any means necessary to earn a living (and perhaps love life on the seashore or something). Example might be someone who sells vitamin supplements online.
However, there is another group all together that I wager you're a part of (I know I 'm). And that's the unconventional entrepreneurs. Characteristics of the group include:
Doing work that questions. Not merely work to earn a dollar (such as selling bizarre vitamin supplements online..unless you are ridiculously passionate about vitamins, and in that case rock on). Work that you're enthusiastic about. Work that makes a difference. Work that is artwork. Money follows fire and never the other way around.
Challenging the way it's always been done. Doing it your way. Changing businesses which were stuck for years (or decades or centuries).
Enjoying the fruits of our job. No, this doesn't conventional entrepreneurs do not work challenging. It merely means we understand and live by the philosophy that there is a lot more to life than just work (passions and hobbies outside of work, friends and family, enjoying life just how you need to).
Does this mean as an unconventional entrepreneur that your business can't be sold by you or hire a group of people? Not at all. It only implies that you aren't conforming to the boundaries of traditional entrepreneurs.
Since 2008, I Have had the incredible chance to interview over 300 entrepreneurs of all sizes and shapes. Conventional and non-traditional. Companies that are enormous and solopreneurs. People who have sold others among 50 companies which have started one. But I Had have to state, if I was hard pressed, my favorite ones will be the unconventional ones (and that is where most interviews will fall in the immediate future). Tom Caufmann Here is a list of 20 of them, in no particular order, that I wager you'll pick up thoughts, insights and inspiration from. Appreciate!
- 1: Andrew Warner - Mixergy.com
Why? Successful not yet fulfilled from his previous venture, Andrew has made it his life's mission.
Interview with Andrew
- 2: Ishita Gupta - panic.less
Why? Who says magazines must be in print? Consistently a disrupter, Ishita is changing the publishing world through her unique magazine fear.less.
- 3: Tucker Max - TuckerMax.com
Why? Rejected by everyone in the publishing world, Tucker didn't give up. Instead, he took his outrageous, hilarious stories to the World Wide Web and results have been astounding.
Why? Leader and the quintessential disrupter, Seth Godin is throwing a wrench to the publishing business with The Domino Project.
Interview with Seth
- 5: Neil Strauss - NeilStrauss.com
Why? Is it feasible to earn an income by learning and infiltrating in the secret world of celebs, pick up artists and multiple -passport sneaky world travelers? It has been done by Neil.
Interview with Neil
Why? Becoming a professional writer in significantly less than one year? Inspiring others to live unconventional lives?
Interview with Chris
- 7: Matthew Inman - TheOatmeal.com
Why? By doing it his way, Matt has created an empire from his hilarious and unique comics.
Interview with Matt
- 8: Rob and Kim Murgatroyd - JetSetLife.TV
Why? They created among the greatest jobs ever composing unique, insider guidebooks and Traveling to the world's poshest places. Sweet.
Interview with Kim and Rob
Why? What does all day, Jason get to do? Create all kinds of interesting videos along with other goodies online and he is paid to wear shirts. Sweet.
Why? Yes, we all know Tim has inspired an incredible amount of men and women to work less, live more (and more recently, get in great shape), however there's a whole lot to learn from how Tim has created his own company and lifestyle. He is a walking model of unusual entrepreneurship.
- 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've got to see it to believe it.
- 12: Michael Buckley - What The Dollar
Why? Michael turned it into his dream profession and took a love. His show, Exactly What The Buck, is one of YouTube's most popular
- 13: Adam Baker - Man Vs. Debt
Why? Can the action of getting yourself out of debt and sharing the insights become a company? Leave Adam Baker to turn it with it.
Interview with Adam
- 14: Chris Ducker - Virtual Business Lifestyle
Why? Chris talks the talk and walks the walk. He's likely running his company from a beach somewhere, as I type this.
- 15: Gregory Ng - Deep Freezer Burns
Why? Two words: Frozen food. That is exactly the subject matter of this unusual entrepreneur's web show.
- 16: Elizabeth Marshall - Author Telesminars
Why? She turned it into a fantastic profession and found her passion for novels. The very best part might be she gets the pick of the litter in regards to her customers.
Interview with Elizabeth
- 17: Vanessa Van Petten - RadicalParenting.com
Why? Vanessa didn't wait to be picked. A parenting publication was written by her from a teenager's view when she was a teenager. Her empire has incredible grown since then and she gets to do what she loves every day.
Interview with Vanessa
Why? The entrepreneurial musician. His business model allows him to create (and generate income from) the music he wants without the boundaries of a label.
Interview with Jonathan
- 19: Scott Kurtz - PvP
Why? The guy who's redefining the world of cartooning. And he's doing it .
Interview with Scott Kurtz
- 20: Nate Houghteling and Kai Hasson - White Collar Brawler
Why? Quitting their day jobs to become amateur fighters and create a web-based web series and movement? This items is just wonderful.
