20 Unusual Entrepreneurs That Will Inspire You1772868
I only took one entrepreneurship course in school (I was a Women's Studies major at Washington University in St. Louis...we will cut THAT narrative for now). It turned out to be a class that is solid, but in several situations it was a parade of traditional entrepreneurship. As an example, here were common steps heard throughout the semester:
Develop an idea.
Find out more about the heck out of the notion, compose a business plan that is substantial, raise money, create business.
As your life is your company tide farewell to family and friends.
By hiring one zillion folks after creating company, expand company and move into every market in the world.
Following your enormous growth into a worldwide 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. In reality, there was a parade of special guests through the semester that shared their narrative that fit into those measures one manner or another.
The situation, as I see it, is less in validity of the guidance and instead more in the constraints of it. Meaning, feel like entrepreneurship certainly does not have to look like, be like or follow most of those steps. The only real sport covered is baseball, although it is like offering a course on sports.
Fact is, there are lots of types of entrepreneurs.
There are entrepreneurs whose whole goal is always to establish a company and sell it for as much as you can or take it public. These are the "huge way outs" 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 include a chain of tanning salons and massage parlors.
There are entrepreneurs that create factories. Perhaps the factory makes cups or hats or something of the like.
There are entrepreneurs which can be in more traditional sectors who have no aspirations of selling but rather look to earn a living brick and mortar design. A good example might be a clothing boutique or the corner bakery.
There are Internet entrepreneurs focused on creative passive income by any means required to earn a living (and possibly enjoy life on the seashore or something). Example might be someone who sells vitamin supplements online.
However, there is an alternative group all together that I wager you are part of (I know I 'm). And that's the unconventional entrepreneurs. Features of this group include:
Doing work that matters. Not just work to make a dollar (such as selling bizarre vitamin nutritional supplements online..unless you are ridiculously enthusiastic about vitamins, and in that case stone on). Work that you're passionate about. Work that makes a difference. Work that is art. Money follows passion and not the other way around.
Challenging the manner it's ever been done. Shifting businesses which were stuck for years (or decades or centuries). Creative disrupters.
Enjoying the fruits of our labour. No, this doesn't conventional entrepreneurs do not work hard. It simply 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 group of people? Not at all. It only implies that you aren't conforming to the boundaries of conventional entrepreneurs.
Since 2008, I Have had the unbelievable opportunity to interview over 300 entrepreneurs of sizes and shapes. Conventional and non-traditional. Companies that are tremendous and solopreneurs. People that have sold 50 businesses and others that have started one. But I Had 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). Thomas Caufmann Here is a listing of 20 of them, in no special order, that I bet you'll pick up inspiration, thoughts and insights from. Love!
Why? Successful yet unfulfilled from his previous venture, Andrew has made it his life's mission.
Interview with Andrew
- 2: Ishita Gupta - panic.less
Why? Who says magazines have to be in print? Always a disrupter, Ishita is changing the publishing world through her unique magazine panic.less.
- 3: Tucker Max - TuckerMax.com
Why? Rejected by everybody in the publishing world, Tucker didn't give up. Rather, he took his outrageous, 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.
Why? Might it be possible to earn an income by infiltrating and learning from the secret world of celebrities, pick up artists and multiple -passport world travelers that are sneaky? Neil has done it.
Why? Moving to Africa? Being a professional writer in significantly less than one year? Inspiring others to live unusual lives?
- 7: Matthew Inman - TheOatmeal.com
Why? By doing it his way, Matt has generated an empire from his hilarious and unique comic strips.
Interview with Matt
- 8: Rob and Kim Murgatroyd - JetSetLife.TV
Why? They created among the coolest jobs for themselves: Traveling to the world's poshest areas and writing unique, insider guidebooks. Sweet.
Interview with Rob and Kim
Why? What does Jason get to do all day? Create a variety of other goodies as well as entertaining videos online and he is paid to wear tops. Sweet.
Why? Yes, all of US know Tim has inspired an amazing quantity of men and women to work less, live more (and more lately, get in great shape), however there's a whole lot to understand from how Tim has created his own company and lifestyle. He's a walking model of non-traditional entrepreneurship.
Interview with Tim
Why? The guy who has built an empire around wearing a name tag regular 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, What The Dollar, is among YouTube's most popular
Interview with Michael
- 13: Adam Baker - Man Vs. Debt
Why? Can the act of getting yourself and sharing the insights become a company? Leave Adam Baker to turn it into one with it.
- 14: Chris Ducker - Virtual Business Lifestyle
Why? The walk walks and talks the talk. He is probably running his business from a beach somewhere, as I type this.
Interview with Chris
- 15: Gregory Ng - Deep Freezer Burns
Why? That is the subject matter of this unconventional entrepreneur's net show.
- 16: Elizabeth Marshall - Author Telesminars
Why? She found her passion for novels and turned it into a fantastic career. 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 did not wait to be decided. A parenting book was written by her from a teen's view when she was a teen. 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 entrepreneurial musician. His business model allows him to create (and generate profits from) the music he needs without the limits of a label.
Interview with Jonathan
Why? The man who is redefining the world of cartooning. And he is doing it on his terms.
Interview with Scott Kurtz
- 20: Kai Hasson and Nate Houghteling - White Collar Brawler
Why? Leaving their day jobs to become amateur fighters and create movement and an online web series? This items is just wonderful.
