Are you ONE of the 100? My “why” for helping 100 entrepreneurs this year.
In 1996 I was introduced to the real world of business by an entreprenuer who literally hired me off the street. As a kid I had been captivated by stories of entrepreneurs that were able to create something out of nothing and had hoped one day I could be one. The struggle and success of Rockefeller, Morgan, Carnegie, Branson, Dell, Gates and others seemed so exciting and adventurous. The entrepreneurs I knew personally and read about all seemed to fight against conventional wisdom and the fruits of their labour made a huge impact on their communities and in some cases, the world. My story began in 1996 and I have been lucky enough to spend the last two decades working with entrepreneurs and being one myself. I turned forty years old a few months ago and feel like a new chapter in my story is being written. This chapter will be different from the rest because I think I can take my successes, failures, lessons learned, advice ignored and use it all to be a part of other stories being written of entrepreneurs who are in business today doing amazing things.
Like every great story that has a rise, fall and period of redemption, I believe I am entering my redemption chapter. Between the ages of 20 and 30 as I became a rising entrepreneur, I felt invincible and capable of anything as many young people do. I would pursue everything that I thought made sense and even the things that didn’t, my naivety and youthful resolve would convince me they did. My decisions resulted in messes that were ugly, frustrating, disappointing and stressful. During the ages of 30 to 40 as I watched my world fall apart, I worked through more than one million dollars worth of mistakes made by my younger self and wondered if I actually knew anything at all. Not all was lost during these chapters as I became a husband to a very patient wife and a father to five amazing kids who have now become the theme of my story. During this next chapter I am looking to create something out of nothing by taking the experience and knowledge I possess and apply it to entrepreneurs that are looking to contribute to their community and the world around them.
Over the course of 2018 I am looking to help 100 entrepreneurs start, grow or fix their business. Why? Because being an entrepreneur is lonely. I know what it feels like to not have anyone to share struggles and challenges with. I have experienced incredibly difficult moments that seemed impossible and had no where to turn. I believe that the failure rate for business is high in part because entrepreneurs who find themselves in a tough spot with growth, survival, legal issues or just problems with employees and investors really don’t have anyone to turn to that can empathize with them and provide advice backed by experience. I believe that entrepreneurs contribute an enormous amount of value to our communities and economies and will continue to do so. To the extent that another business survives and another entrepreneur thrives, our communities will continue to be great places. I know firsthand how authentic and genuine help has enabled me to do more and I am hoping that I can invest decades of experience and knowledge into 100 entrepreneurs that could use someone to help them. Are you one? Do you know one?
