Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I recently posted a blog entry about certain kinds of entrepreneurs who have "hero" or "muse" status for me.

here`s an excerpt:


I`d love to learn who your heros or role models are in business.

???



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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

I like the `gutted it out` kinds of winners. Although I know there`s a lot of potential humor, I really hang onto Hugh Hefner`s story when things get seriously tough.

I read how he was desperate, at the end of the line, publishing the original "Playboy" magazine out of his living room. He had nothing, had tapped out the family, and was onto his very last issue before going totally bankrupt.

That was when he "lucked out" (some would say the Universe was involved) and stumbled into a deal where he purchased the rights to the Marilyn Monroe picture for I think $500---a price he could afford, anyway. He went to press, created the idea of a "centerfold," and could barely produce maybe 100 copies of the magazine.

They sold out so fast, he took the money from street vendors, ran upstairs, and printed more copies. Sold those, and bootstrapped the rest until he had enough to get the next issue put together. He wrote everything, got all the advertising on his own, invented the "image" of the men`s magazine, and created the idea of the nude centerfold.

That sort of nail-biting last-minute thing fascinates me. It keeps me going when it seems as if nothing is going to ever succeed and the entire idea of a business is ridiculous. There are others like that, but since I didn`t know Grandpa, I figured I`d use someone else for inspiration. :-)

who else has a hero, role model, or icon to share?!!?

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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

This could be a neat thread if people had examples of someone they know personally, sort of like Grandpa, who went through trials and tribulations, almost gave up, then conquered in the end. I`ve been trying to think of someone like that in my own life, and for some reason, can`t think of anyone. How odd...!

My heroes are the people that have taken risks to follow something they truly believe in, or are sacrificing something (money, time, effort) to make a difference in today`s society.

My heroes are Mothers. Entrepreneurs.  People that have personally taken it upon themselves to materialize a vision or a dream.  People who have pursued their passion despite the circumstances the obstacles that have faced them.

Specific examples? 

#1- My own mom, who has sacrficied and struggled to raise two exceptional children and is now showing the same love and support for two step children.

#2- I recently watched a DVD about a Mount Everest tradegy that happened a few years back.  Something like 12 people died.  That number would have been 13 had a helicopter pilot not risked his life by flying to a height never flown before to save a complete stranger.  That is what I like to call an extreme heroic. 

Lastly, heroes are defined as courageous, and are admired for their ability to carry out brave deeds.  Sound familiar? 

Entrepreneurs are heroes.  We risk it all to see a vision materialize.  That to me is courageous, and well deserving of assuming the title of "hero."     

 

Rich,

As I`ve mentioned before I`m not the entrepreneuial type by nature.  But it is a topic I like to explore just for it`s possibilities.  My hero is my Uncle Tony.  He is a retired Army General.  For as long as I`ve known, he has owned a pawn shop.  But he saw a street sweeper machine one day.  He researched it and shortly thereafter, he bought a street sweeping machine.  Now he owns the only street sweeping business in his town and has lots of contracts.  A few years later, he saw a parking lot being re-striped.  So he researched it, and shortly thereafter, he bought a striping machine.  Now, not only does his company clean parking lots and streets, they also paint stripes for parking lots.

What impresses me is that he started all of his businesses just based on observation and research.  And he did most of his reseach before the Internet was available.

So it gives me hope that if I strengthen my ability to observe and develop good research skills, I`ll eventually find the business the ignites my passion.

 

 

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Change creates Opportunity Opportunity creates Risk and Reward But, Who creates Change?

Hello Rich.  Nice topic.  I am fairly new to your site and would like to say, you have done a nice job.  It`s a great resource.  There seem to be a lot of people on here that really care about the success of others and give up their time to offer advice and feedback.

My hero and inspiration has always been my dad growing up.  He had his own business for 23 years until he sold it and retired.  I remember he used to always tell me when I was much younger and working for someone else, "To use your job as a stepping stone to get where you want to go".  And "Don`t be afraid to take risks.  But don`t take stupid risks."  So therefore, I have had my own businesses for the last 25 years now.

Not so much a hero of mine, but I always like what Ben Franklin has done and he certainly turned his success into a social mission.  One of the greatest minds, with many inventions, writings, and a public servant and the inventer of the lightning rod who donated it to the world for free to save lifes.   And of course, he is the man on our one hundred dollar bill, AND the only non-president on our currency.    Sacagawea and Susan B Anthony are the only other non-presidents, but they are on commemorative coins.

The reason, he was the first US millionaire.  What an entrepreneur!

 

 

drvag, that`s a really cool fact about Ben Franklin.  Great trivia question.  Unfortunately, I don`t get too many of those bills, so can`t say that I really even knew he was on there.

But, I hope to change that soon.  Thanks for all the help on here so far. 

JoAnne.

Too bad I missed this thread when it was fresh.

My hero without a doubt is Catherine Austin Fitts. I have never been so impressed with anyone as a human being, as a professional, as a creator or as a survivor. I have had the distinct honor of speaking and emailing with her on occasion, and I got to introduce her at a conference we were both at last year.

[~warning: hokey girly content ahead~]

From Catherine I learned one of the most important spiritual lessons of my whole life: money is a creative medium like my oil pencils or code or writings, but has the additional property of self-propagation that other media do not have. Whatever you create with it will have a tendency to replicate itself into the future: if you use it to create war and devastation, that`s what you`ll get more of; if you use it to create liberty and justice, that`s what you`ll get more of.

That is probably old news for everyone else but it`s extremely powerful for me to learn. It means there`s nothing in the world that can`t get accomplished so long as you make sure the self-propagation part is nurtured correctly in the beginning. I used to want a lot of money because I was scared of being poor and because I wanted other people to think i was impressive.... now I want a lot of money so I can create things with it and solve problems with it. I want to plan and build new kinds of money to create and problem-solve things national currencies are too poorly designed for. I want to figure out new ways of transacting that can carry the self-propagation forward more quickly. There`s really just no limit to the creative and joyfulness potential there.

[~end hokey girly content~]

So, I am deeply grateful to Catherine for sharing her incredible wisdom and being so accessible, and for just being a really down-to-earth, likable person in spite of her awe-inspiring achievements. You go girlfriend!

—paula

Hey

I`m still with Donal Trump.  I read his book years ago and I was hooked.  So my vote is Donald Trump.

P.S i even named my dog TRUMP... ;)



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