There is no doubt that Instagram’s co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger are highly intelligent and motivated people. But let’s be clear, Instagram’s rapid-fire success is due in large part to Systrom’s and Krieger’s connections. Both went to Stanford and took part in the Mayfield Fellowship Program, which gives its participants opportunities to meet venture capitalists. Systrom interned at Twitter and worked at Google, making beneficial connections in…
Entrepreneurs Persevere: There Are No Overnight Successes
by / ⠀Personal Branding• Startup Advice / April 5, 2012Recently, Founder and CEO Michael Fear of Get Better Today wrote “Don’t be Fooled: Entrepreneurship isn’t Instant Gratification.” Fear’s point is to remind aspiring entrepreneurs that “there is no such thing as overnight success” and that being an entrepreneur takes perseverance beyond just needing to survive a few stressful months in a row. As he points out, all too often people have the wrong idea that entrepreneurs hit…
Success at Any Age: The Baby Boomer’s (and Gen Y) Guide to Becoming an Overnight Success
by / ⠀Personal Branding• Startup Advice / April 4, 2012If only I could go back to my twenties and know what I know now, at age 57. I have screwed up more times than anyone ever had the right to, and here three decades later I am finally getting my act together. There are lots of Boomers out there that have the one thing you Millennials really need: experience. The good, the bad and surely the ugly,…
Don’t be Fooled: Entrepreneurship isn’t Instant Gratification
by / ⠀Startup Advice / January 11, 2012In October, my posting, “The 5 Things in Business that College Can’t Teach” reviewed 5 important qualities and abilities that are essential for entrepreneurs. These qualities are of such an utmost importance, that I felt it would be beneficial to take a closer look at each. 1. The ability to Adjust (You Better Adjust…If You Want To Make Money) 2. The ability to Persevere 3. The ability to…
I wanted to share with you a portion of Financial Bin’s recently released book called Entrepreneur Intervention: Triumphs & Failures of Entrepreneurs. The part included below is written by Chris Sonjeow, founder of LoveBook. Chris talks about what he has learned since starting his company and I think it is something we can all benefit from. Over the past 3 years these are the things I‘ve learned to…
As entrepreneurs we have a dream and vision of how great our life will be when we have our business up and running. We can see the “open” sign on the door, we can feel the cash running through our fingers, we can hear the accolades of our peers as our business grows and succeeds. But what do when we still wake up every morning to go punch…
We’ve all heard the stories about famous failures that ended up being stepping stones – Michael Jordan getting cut from his high school basketball team, or Thomas Edison’s 9,000 light bulbs that didn’t work before one became illuminated – but it’s hard to remember the lessons therein when we’re staring up from the bottom of a deep well with seemingly no way to climb out. The truth is,…
Play Toward Your Strengths and Outsource Your Weaknesses
by / ⠀Personal Branding• Startup Advice / February 15, 2011When it comes to entrepreneurship, it’s worth noting that not all founders are created equal. Why does this matter? Because the type of entrepreneur you are dictates a plethora of different business variables, such as your management style. Personality characteristics and traits have a direct and impactful effect on the achievement potential of an entrepreneur over the course of their career. What makes the difference? The overwhelming differentiator…
Hardworking professionals have a lot of traits in common, so it’s not surprising that the qualities of a successful entrepreneur look similar. Successful business people possess innate creativity and a drive to excel. They are confident and optimistic. They are disciplined self starters and are open to new ideas. The Top Qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur 1. Disciplined Successful entrepreneurs are focused on making their businesses work. They…
Success means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Money? Power? Fame? We asked 62 business leaders what success means to them to try to help us understand why we do what we do. What Does Success Mean To You? 1. “Success is being able to work in your unique genius, and impact the life of one person… or, if you’re really successful, millions…
