Entrepreneurship isn’t solely about selling things. It’s also about creating something useful that people need, and executing it to its full potential. That was what Gary Levitt did when he founded his startup Mad Mimi , a bootstrapped email marketing startup that he says now hauls in between $4-8 million in revenue each year. But it was a [...]

Jay-Z grew up splitting his time between peddling cocaine and rapping in his native Brooklyn. But by the time hip hop had grown into a popular musical genre — and a powerful economic force — he had solidified his position as one of its pioneers. In his book, “ Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from [...]

If you’re embarking around the world in a hot-air balloon, don’t forget the toilet paper. Once, we had to wait for incoming faxes. My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them. Once we get comfortable as a company, I like to push the boat out again. [...]

Many people believe that good entrepreneurs are naturally born, rather than trained or experienced in the art of business. I believe there is a natural born component required, but often I tend to agree with Peter Drucker , who said “It’s not magic, it’s not mysterious, and it has nothing to do with genes. It’s a discipline, and [...]

Editor’s note: The following guest post has been adapted from the book, “ How They Did It .” By Robert Jordan How do entrepreneurs create highly successful companies? After interviewing 45 of America’s leading company founders, I learned that it doesn’t take luck to start and grow a company that sells for $100 million or more, or goes public for [...]

Some of the most important things in life don’t come with instruction manuals: homes, spouses, kids, and startups are a few. That’s why I created this startup road map. Inspired by the lean approach often favored by today’s tech entrepreneurs, the principles apply to any industry. 1. Come up with an idea. Pick an idea that fits your [...]

Don’t ask me how to get rich young. But if you’re in the market for tips on making bank before you start going gray, it might pay to ask those who have succeeded at the task. Recently website Under30CEO took a look at an Australian list of those who had made it big before turning 40 (and [...]

On paper, global entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson is larger than life: entrepreneur with over 360 companies, chairman of the Virgin Group, author, adventurer, knight, patron, kajillionaire, would-be space traveler with a ballsy mantra, “Screw it, let’s do it.” On stage, Branson projects approachability and humility, which is especially…[Read more]

“Screw it, lets do it” is how Sir Richard Branson describes his approach to business at the ExactTarget Connections conference last week. Branson, the adventuring entrepreneur and chairman of the Virgin group of companies, is a rare individual. He started Virgin Records in 1970, and now 40 years later, the Virgin group of companies has eight…[Read more]

It takes time to build a social media base. This means getting people into your LinkedIn network, fans on your facebook page or followers of Twitter. First you need to create it, allow time for Google to find it and then give people the chance to share what you have to offer. If you are already in [...]

Listen Online or Download for FREE!!! Written in China over two thousand years ago, The Art of War provides the first known attempt to formulate a rational basis for the planning and conduct of military operations. This complete reading of the classic text by Sun Tzu brings to life the timeless strategic principles of the ancient art [...]

Benjamin Franklin, unlike many of our founding fathers, didn’t come from an aristocratic family. In fact his journey from teenage runaway to wealthy printer is the epitome of bootstrapping a business. As John Paul Rollert points out over at the Harvard Business Review , Franklin took a very structured approach to to success. While he was still in [...]

Dal LaMagna has had quite the life. Since building a cosmetics empire, Tweezerman, and selling it for an undisclosed 8-figure amount, he has written a book, become a peace activist, is a small business coach, and he is simply enjoying retirement. He spent 25 years working for himself, battling debt, and finally building a company that grew [...]

Hear the real story of Steve Jobs life been told by Steve Jobs himself at Stanford 2005 Graduation. I guess this is the only time he told his story himself. In it he talks about getting fired from Apple in 1985, life & death. Steve Jobs himself is a successful man who has a great story [...]

It’s a familiar scene. An industry under fire. A congressional committee demanding answers. A corporate CEO called to testify. Yet the familiarities, in this case, end there. When Boeing CEO Bill Allen appeared before a House subcommittee—addressing charges that military aircraft makers had improperly inflated profits at the government’s…[Read more]

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Six lessons for life Somewhat peculiarly, I’ve discovered that I’m much better at making money in ‘bad’ times than ‘good’. For example, the vast majority of my wealth was made in the stock-market crashes of 2000/03 and 2007/09. This may be because, as a ‘contrarian’ investor, I prefer to go against the herd. Anyway, here are [...]