Lauren Berger is the “The Intern Queen”, a fictional name she created for herself, of course she has to be, after completed 15 internships during college and also starting up a business that revolves around internship, Lauren is definitely the queen alright.

The Intern Queen:

I encourage everyone (young and old) to take a long serious look at their lives and focuses on letting your passion drive your career.

How you doing today Lauren? Welcome to YHP
Can you kindly give us some background about yourself and what you do?

I am CEO of Intern Queen Inc, a business I started after participating in 15 internships during college and deciding I was going to create a personalized way for students to connect with internships.

I’m from Clearwater, Florida and graduated from University of Central Florida in 2006.

What inspired you to start your business?

My internships taught me so much about who I was and what I wanted to do with my life – I wanted others to be able to connect with great opportunities and learn about themselves like I did.

What makes your internship service stand out from others?

It’s a personalized customized experience for the user. Students are sending their resumes to ME and I’m personally forwarding the resume to a PERSON at the company they are interested in. I’m a firm believer in the “personal touch”. It’s a small gesture but it goes a long way and helps the students know that someone is on their side.

How did you finance your business?

Marshall Herskovitz (Blood Diamond, Traffic) was my start-up investor. He owns a percentage of my company.

How do you market your services?

The best form of marketing has been word of mouth. I help one student and that student tells their friends. I market through social media, partnerships, speaking engagements, and affiliate relationships.

How many employees do you have?

One. Myself. I have a wonderful intern, a freelance web designer, and a freelance web programmer.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

I’m a huge fan of the business that Rachael Ray has built for herself. I’m fascinated by people who really know how to brand and she does a great job.

What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?

Hmm….I can’t lie. I work LOTS of hours and often in my spare time I find myself working. However, I’m currently cooking all of Rachael Ray’s recipes, reading “Pour Your Heart Into It” (The Howard Shultz Starbucks Book), reading magazines like Inc, Self, In Style, Entrepreneur, etc. I try to work hiking and/or pilates into my schedule a few times per week, I enjoy lounging around with my friends and watching television or going to the movies, and over the past 3 weekends I’ve been to Disneyland, Wine Tasting, Apple-Picking, and watching football. I’m not sure I understand football – but I watch it  Oh and I go shopping whenever I can – Nordstrom is my favorite.

What qualities have you developed as a result of running your business?

I’m more goal and detail oriented. My time management skills have vastly improved – they had to. I’m able to delegate tasks better than before and as I’ve grown in my business, it’s become easier to feel confident in what I’m doing on a day to day basis. You realize that you are going to have bad days – and when they come around – they don’t affect you as much.

Where do you see in yourself and your business in the next 5 years?

The goal is to help any student in any industry – anywhere in the world. I hope to build this business up over the next 3-5 years and hopefully sell it and move on to the next project  Intern Queen will always have a special place in my heart.

What should a student try to get out of an internship?

EVERYTHING THEY CAN ! Read everything, meet everyone, volunteer as much as possible, work hard, stay late, be the first one there. Learn about that industry and if that is the right industry for you.

What plans do you have now to expand your business further?

We are trying to expand to a new location each month. I’m in the middle of my speaking tour and trying to bring the tour overseas. Right now it’s all about raising the platform. I’m shopping around a book deal with my agent in New York and working on some other fun projects – stay tuned !

Thanks for your time Lauren.

For more information about lauren: Lauren Berger
Check out her company website: Intern Queen Inc
Lauren Berger’s Blog: Blog

Media Entrepreneur, Carlos Leon, Started his own production company when he was 20 years old and launching his studio at 23, and now he has worked with some of the biggest companies such as Warner Brothers, MTV, Sirius Radio, Discovery Channel and VH1.

He founded his media company CML Studios in the summer of 2006, His media company offers a clean ample facility to independent producers, filmmakers and photographers at low costs. The studio is ideal for any video production or photography shoots including music videos, shorts films, commercials, casting calls, instruction videos, modelling sessions, corporate videos and commercial photography shoots.

Hello Carlos, how is it going so far? Thanks for taking your time to be on YHP, How was your weekend?

Hello Joseph, Thank you for the opportunity and interest in my company. My weekend was fantastic, just got back from a conference of entrepreneurs where fashion designer Christian Audigier and Sir Richard Branson, my role model, were the keynote speakers. It was very inspiring and a great way to start a new week.

How did you raise money for your business?

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and that was the case with my first attempts in business. I started making web sites and small video projects for clients from my parent’s home. After some financial success and room for expansion, I was convinced to join a partnership that promised to provide me with my first office in an event preparation center in my hometown.

After agreeing to sign all of the leasing paperwork in my name and obtaining the keys to my first shared business location, one of the partners decided to quit, rent the location literally next to ours and start her own business with another partner. The partnership feel apart after I signed the dotted line and before I even got the keys. Definitely, my first real challenge in business at age 21.

I did get the small corner office I was promised, as well as the entire building for a business I knew nothing about and the full financial responsibility with little income.

Out of necessity, I worked 7 days a week, 12 hours a day for almost an entire year in order to complete the full financial responsibility with the failed partnership and a hunger for something bigger and better. For me it was enough money to move to Hollywood and open up my own production studio from scratch. I raised the capital by saving the old fashion way, by working as fast as I could, as hard as I could and spending very little.

I ended up saving my target goal in 10 months, moving to Hollywood and the rest is history. My former partner’s business completely failed and ended up closing just 12 months after I moved to Hollywood.
Another key to my success in indirectly raising funds ,or in this case resources, has been bartering. Once you have created a product or service that can be of value to others that also have something of value for you, an exchange of goods and services can be a very smart way of potentially saving thousands of dollars and expanding your network.

I have been able to barter with dozens of people that provide services to me such as photographers, editors, animators, etc in exchange for services I require for several of my projects and companies. I have been able to save thousands of dollars this way and it is a “win – win” situation for both parties.

How did you get such a strong customer base, Warner Brothers, Discover Channel, VH1, MTV to mention a few, how did you get them on your list?

Marketing in Hollywood is key and that is what it comes down to. By providing a production facility and services at good rates and projecting a clean, straight-forward image, I have been able to get many of the top entertainment companies use our facilities and services.

Clients from all over the world and from practically all 50 US States have booked our facilities over the phone by simply reviewing our website and online presence. Everything comes down to image and marketing.
Ironically, Hollywood is also like any neighborhood in any small city, everyone knows each other. Eventually you start meeting the same people and having the same group of friends and colleagues that recommend each other, so the networking aspect of my business is very important.

How has the journey been so far?

It has truly has been an amazing journey with many ups and downs. In Business, you have to find something you love to do and have a passion for and figure out a way to live off it. You need to sacrifice and be willing to take risks most people that just have a 9-5 are not willing to take. That is the difference between failure and success.

What has been your most memorable moment so far?

There are many memorable moments since I started my company but my proudest achievement is having been named One of America’s Best Entrepreneurs under 25 by BusinessWeek magazine. The media exposure and expansion of my network due to the publicity has been invaluable.

Other surreal moments have been when an important client shoots in my studio during the day and that same evening appears on a live national television show which shows their importance in the industry. Every time I have any sort of important client or company use our facilities or receive a quote request from halfway around the world, is very surreal for me.

What would you say has been the most important lesson you’ve learnt along the way?

The most important lesson I have learned along the way is to always be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. There is nothing worse than working very hard to start a company and not having enough resources or funds to sustain it if things do not go as planned. I have learned that saving is very important and that in business being organized in terms of scheduling and finances is crucial for success.

I have also learned that marketing is an essential key for success. Having a strong marketing presence is very important. I started my company by bartering a couple ads in a local business directory in exchange for building the directory’s website. I also simultaneously sent out 100 flyers to the closest businesses around me from which I received my first major marketing contract from a multi-million dollar multi-national company.
Years later I still have clients from these initial free marketing campaigns which shows the immense power of marketing. A small marketing campaign can create a butterfly effect that can spiral into a whole network of clients and referrals.

Where do you see in yourself and your business in the next 5 years?

I see a true explosive expansion in the next 5 years. For the past couple years I have been planting several business “seeds” like I like to call them. These are ideas, projects and brands that I have developing from scratch. They include a spanish online channel that we have completely branded, trademarked and shot numerous amounts of content for that we see turning into a viable media outlet in Latin America. They also include a new record label division that we are currently developing by finding and nurturing talent in different genres.

This expansion will also include offering additional multimedia services in our marketing and web design division as well as growing of our sales and marketing team. Finally we are planning on launching a new production studio and company headquarters on 10 / 10 / 10 with a show and celebration that will combine and showcase all of the projects and companies I have launched. More information can be found at cmlmediagroup.com/countdown

What is the most crucial decision you’ve made so far regarding your business?

The most crucial decision in regards to my business I have taken is moving to Hollywood. In business, location is very important, and instead of shying away from a big competitive market like Hollywood, I decided to take it head on, create a competitive and successful formula and market and create a company that is growing day by day in one of the hardest markets in the world.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

I truly admire Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Group of companies. I had the opportunity to see him speak at a conference just yesterday. I admire his creativity, courage and tenacity to take on established companies in several markets and create competitive alternatives to them. He is a true visionary that is changing the landscape in several industries. He knows how to balance an image of adventure and wealth with that of being humble and soft spoken.

I was able to witness this first hand one night in Hollywood on the famous Sunset strip as I waited outside for a cab after an event. Out of nowhere, and without any sort of security or entourage Richard walked right in front of me heading to the entrance of a hotel. I had the chance to shake his hand and show my admiration and he was very cordial. It is an experience I will never forget.

What sacrifices did you have to make to be a successful entrepreneur?

Sacrifice is definitely one of the keys to success. From the very beginning of my career I knew it was an important quality I had to master in order to succeed. I started my business with literally no money and knowing how to value every penny I made and spent.

Success as an entrepreneur and becoming financially independent comes down to delayed gratification. This means being 21 and making $500 that you invest it into an advertising campaign for your startup company. You can eventually turn that into $15,000 by age 24 thanks to clients who found you thru it versus spending the $500 immediately on a pair of high ends jeans.

In order for an entrepreneur to succeed from the early stages you need to be willing to make sacrifices many people are not willing to do. Maybe it is not going on that expensive vacation or buying the latest video game console all of your friends have. It is also about sacrificing a bit of your personal life, whether is be leisure time with friends or even a relationship that takes a lot of someone’s time.

It took me 10 months to save the amount of money I felt comfortable saving in order for me to make my big move to Hollywood. For those 10 months I had very little social life and worked very long hours 7 days a week. For the first few months of the company I decided to sleep on a simple sofa in my office and not buy fancy car until a couple years after the company was profitable. It is always my recommendation to live below your means in order to survive until you see a level of profit and comfort in your company. If you make $1,000, only spend $300 and save $700.

What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?

I have many hobbies outside the workplace that include traveling, going to the movies, working out, jogging, dancing, going to networking events and enjoying nightlife such as nightclubs and pubs. It is very important to follow the philosophy of working hard and playing harder. In fact, every summer I make it a point to throw a big red carpet party at a Hollywood nightclub for people that are somehow involved with the company.

An active entrepreneur in both a business sense as well as social and recreational sense is very important to creating an overall healthy lifestyle. I enjoy meeting young entrepreneurs like myself who also enjoy traveling to top vacation resorts, going to business networking events and enjoying a couple drinks at a nightclub or pub. This transmits a balanced image that shows you can work hard and manage your workload but can also take time to enjoy hobbies and time off.

How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?

Marketing has been the key to my success. I have tried many forms of marketing throughout my career including newspaper ads, television commercials, online advertising, mass mailers, sponsorships and viral marketing.

The most successful has definitely been internet advertising including paid ads on Google and free daily posts on CraigsList.org. Having a strong internet presence is very important. The internet is all about looking bigger than you truly are without deceiving the client and creating marketing strategies that you implement every single day.

In my business I have been able to book hundreds of clients from around the US and the world after they simply looked at my website. The next step after attracting the client’s attention is to be as informative and helpful as possible on the phone and the third is closing the deal, signing the contract and obtaining a financial guarantee.

The most indirect source of marketing is referrals and word of mouth. As an entrepreneur, your #1 priority must be the satisfaction of your client no matter how big or small the project is. A good track record is important because 10 happy clients can turn into 5 referrals that can multiple and turn into 100 clients without having to spend a penny of marketing per person.

How do you find people to bring into your organization that truly care about the organization the way you do?

In my line of work I have a large group of qualified people that work for me on a freelance, project by project basis. The type of project and budget determines the people I hire. A good way of finding good people is taking a common sense approach by reviewing their resume, interview performance and referrals. You can also build a prior relationship with them before committing to a paid position by bringing them on board as interns. This will show you their qualifications as well as their ability to function in a possible paid position.

How important have good employees been to your success?

Good employees, interns and volunteers are essential to a company’s success. You are only as good as the people you work with and manage. Throughout the years, I have worked with dozens of paid and unpaid workers in every capacity from hosting for the online channel, to shooting and editing video projects and marketing the production studio.

These people have put a great amount of time and energy into helping me building several aspects of CML. When you are hired by a major company to produce a project and you delegate several aspects of it to complete it, the success of the project not only depends on me but also on everyone that is involved in making it happen.

What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?

My greatest fear is actually fear itself. It is to allow it to stop me from making a decision. Fear is probably the number one reason why people do not take a risk and start their own business. It is not a lack of money, creativity or ambition.

I manage the fear of failure by having a common sense approach, preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. If I decide to invest on something for my company, I wait until I have at least 3 times the amount of cash flow in order to invest. I do not put all of my “eggs in one basquet” and always have a plan B if plan A fails.

What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?

I think the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur is Creativity, Sacrifice and Persistence.

Creativity is a must in business. You need to find a product or service, market it towards a niche market and find a way of monetizing it. You need to think outside the box and not let anyone tell you that what you are doing is not the right or conventional way. When I told most people I wanted to save some money, move to Hollywood and open up my own production studio, online channel and record label they thought I was crazy. You also need to find creative ways to

In business sacrifice is essential. You need to be prepared for very long hours, a reduced amount of time for leisure activities and be aware that you will not be having the typical 40 hour work week. It all comes down to delayed gratification and sacrifice.

Persistence is probably the most important quality or skill to develop. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs have made and lost fortunes and despite this they have had the persistence to keep on trying and succeed. There is nothing more rewarding for an entrepreneur than to execute an idea he has for a business and after trying several formulas finding the key to long term success.

Thanks Carlos,I’m definitely going to applying these information into my entrepreneurial lifestyle.

Carlos Leon
CML Media Group

Jacob Cass is a 21 years old student currently studying visual communication (Majoring in Graphic Design) based in Newcastle, Sydney, Australia and also the founder of ‘Just Creative Design’..

He Loves to travel, already visited 32 countries so far.

He says:

I am self-employed as a graphic designer, specialising in the fields of corporate identity (logo) design, web design, print design and branding with the majority of my time spent designing and implementing marketing promotions for small businesses such as logos, websites, brochures, letterhead, business cards and more.

I am:

1. Passionate (I absolutely love what I do)

2. Enthusiastic (I want to learn)

3. Sceptical (I think critically)

4. Focused (I have the right attitude)

Jacob, how are you doing? It’s great to have you here on YHP. You’ve done some great stuff here, just looking at your online portfolio, it’s great!

Thanks for the opportunity, it’s a pleasure and thank you for your kind words.

I can see you travel a lot; you said you’ve been to 32 countries, which country have you had the best experience so far and why? Would you retire there?

Every country has had its own perks & pitfalls. I couldn’t really compare all of the countries at once as each one I stayed in for different amounts of time and did different activities in each so it wouldn’t be doing each country justice – each country offers so much. As for the “best experience”, I would probably say Australia has the most to offer in terms of variety but that is extremely biased as I have lived here for 21 years.

As for retirement, somewhere on the French Riviera would be ideal though I can’t seem to stay in one place for too long.

What inspired you to start designing? To start designing as a job?

As like many designers’ tales, it was just a natural progression. I’ve always leaned towards the artier subjects at school and it was just a natural profession to fall into.

You would be moving to New York in 2010? How excited are you? Have you got an apartment? How far is the planning gone?

I will be moving to New York in January 2010 though before the move I’ve got a trip planned for November / December across 22 states of USA, going on a road trip from LA to NYC. After this trip, I come home to Australia for two weeks and then fly back to NYC again early January for the big move. I haven’t really had much time to get excited yet, nor have I found accommodation – at the moment I am trying to get all of my client and university work done before I leave.

Why have you decided to work for another company within 1-2 years rather than developing your business?

For experience and progression. As I’ve been freelancing my whole (short) career, I haven’t had much of an opportunity to work in a team or studio environment. As much as I love freelancing, I think to grow as a designer you really do need this experience under your belt.

Another reason was the temptation of moving half way across the world to live in New York and work for a fun, relaxed and leading digital design agency that focuses on my areas of interest: branding, social media and user experience design.

How do you define success?

Success is what you make of it. Have you read the story of the Mexican fisherman? I highly recommend reading it, it really makes you think about your life goals. I also recommend the book ‘The Four Hour Work Week’ by Tim Ferris which is where I originally read that story.

How do you build a successful customer base?

I’ve been lucky in this respect as my clients have always come to me. This has been achieved by running three highly trafficked blogs by constant work over the past two years.

What are the fundamentals in becoming a successful graphic designer?

Making sure you’re not in it for the money. If you have a passion for it, the fundamentals will fall into place by your desire to learn.

What’s the worst place you’ve ever visited?

There is no one particular place however there was one guesthouse we stayed in for a night in Thailand that will never get off my mind. My friend and I ended up in this guesthouse that was above a back street Indian restaurant – to get to our rooms we had to go through the kitchen and then up a narrow, dark and dirty stairwell to finally arrive in our rooms.

We then soon came to realise that the bed hadn’t been cleaned in what I say would have been months (years?) – there was no shortage of visible bed bugs, toenail clippings, rat droppings or ants on the blanket-less bed. We then came to realise that our toilet flushes out water rather than in and a cockroach infestation lives down the shower drain pipe.

Although, this is hardly anything to what some less privileged have to endure, it’s really not what you want to experience when vacationing in a far away land. Anyway, to cut a long story short, we had no other place to stay and we toughed it out and the outward flushing toilet is now permanently scared on my mind.

What’s the one thing people wouldn’t believe you do?

A lot of people are surprised that I sleep which leads me onto the next question…

How many hours do you work a day on average?

People usually don’t believe that I work only 4-5 days a week. Although these are long days, usually 8-12 hours a day, they are quite productive. It’s surprising to see how much you can fit in if you put your mind to it.

Who is your favourite entrepreneur of all-time?

Richard Branson and Collis Ta’eed. They’ve both followed their passion and built empires from the ground up. If I wore a hat, I’d take it off for them.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs starting their own business in graphics design?

When this question about advice comes up, I usually give the same reply… the biggest piece of advice that I would give an upcoming designer comes in a ‘package’ based from the little things that I have learned over my short career as a designer. Don’t undervalue your work. Seek criticism, not praise. Always keep learning & don’t be a static learner – do this by reading books, magazines, blogs and by practicing. Collect & share things. Teach others. Never give up. Keep practicing. Again, keep practicing. For more friendly advice see
what other designers have shared on my blog.

Thanks again.

Jacob Cass

Derek Johnson is the 24 year old CEO of SMS marketing startup, Tatango.com, a group text messaging website and Derek Media, a social media consulting agency.

With the vision to provide groups a free, easy and fast way to communicate with group members via SMS, Derek Johnson founded Tatango.com in 2007. Initially started as a way for his Fraternity to communicate with his Fraternity brothers, Tatango.com has grown to the leader in it’s industry.
As CEO, Derek is primarily focused on how to best translate user needs into a great service while directing Tatango.com in their strategic direction.

A 24-year-old dropout of the University of Houston Entrepreneurial program, Derek has raised half a million dollars in investments for the company from private investors and the Bellingham Angel Group.

Tatango.com has done over 35 million messages since their launch and services all types of groups such as College organizations, churches, athletic teams, political candidates and non-profit groups.

As any entrepreneur will tell you, launching a company is hard work. Derek, a self proclaimed workaholic puts in 100+ hour workweeks to fulfill his vision of Tatango.com.

Derek and the Tatango.com team have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Seattle Times, Mashable, TechCrunch, PC World, LifeHacker and other national publications.

How did Tatango came about? The name?

I was having lunch with a friend, a sorority member, who was complaining about how difficult it was to communicate to everyone in the sorority about meeting times, event locations, etc. and nothing was working. I then told her she should find something that made it simple to communicate with large groups of people via text message. I went to online and couldn’t find anything that groups such as sorority’s could use. This is when I got the idea to create a website that made it simple for groups of all sizes to send out mass texts to all their members.

We spent hours brainstorming trying to come up with a name, and then one night “Tatango” just came to one of our employees over dinner.

When did you start the business? Why start a business? What inspired you to start one?

I started the business toward the end of 2007. I have always been interested in entrepreneurship and starting my own businesses. It is my belief that you are born with an entrepreneurial mindset, or you aren’t. You could say I was bit by the entrepreneurial bug. My father has inspired me greatly, because he is such a hard worker and a brilliant entrepreneur.

Quickly give us some background information about yourself?

I was born in New York, but I have spent the majority of my life here in Bellingham. I am a notorious workaholic. I come into the work at 9am and from there it is a different day every day, mostly filled with emails, phone calls, brainstorming, investor meetings, team meetings while constantly updating our twitter status. You can check us out at twitter.com/Tatango. It’s different everyday I walk into our office, and that is why I like my job so much.

Can you tell the readers what exactly your business does?

It is a service to connect members of a group via text message. You can send one text message and that one message gets sent to everyone in the group. It is simple to use for groups of all sizes, and we have filled a void in the market that no other website has been able to fill.

When did you encounter your first entrepreneurial experience?

I started out selling candy bars on the playground at recess at 8, and then started my own landscaping business.

What were you doing before this?

I was attending the University of Washington, but then I was denied from the business school. I took some time off and transferred to the University of Houston to study entrepreneurship. I came up with the idea for Tatango after about a year, and then decided to drop school and focus on my idea.

How has the journey been so far?

It has been amazing. Any company that is successful in my mind is one that has a service or product that can supply a need in the market that isn’t being filled. I believe Tatango is very successful for the sole reason that we filled a void in the market that no other website was able to filled.

There are two groups of people that are responsible for the company’s achievements. The first group is the people that work here at Tatango, Our team members kick ass everyday and deserve way more credit then they get.

The second group responsible for the company’s achievements is our users. We have extremely loyal, and vocal users and they have become our biggest marketing tool as they tell others about their positive experience with Tatango.

What’s your business model?

The business model is a three-tier business model. One is advertising–which is placed at the bottom of each message.
Those ads are for ringtone companies, movie theaters, or just general products. The second is we have a subscription model. For $4.95 a month, you can upgrade to a Tatango pro account which allows you to remove the Tatango branding from your text messages. The third is that you can add additional features to your account, such as keywords and additional groups.

How did you finance your company?

I was 22 when I initially started looking for funding to get my idea off the ground, but quickly realized that at my age it was going to be difficult. Banks wouldn’t touch us, and Angels Organizations said that we didn’t have enough experience.
This left us with friends and family who believed in us and our idea to pitch to. After one month and about 20 presentations in my basement, we had raised our initial seed money.

Once we knew we had something, we needed additional capital so we submitted applications to 6 or 7 Angels Organizations. Every Angel Organization we applied to rejected us, but we took their comments and feedback to heart and re-applied. A few months later we were accepted to present to the Bellingham Angels and raised our second round of capital through their organization.

Who are your main competitors? How do you compete against them?

Currently Tatango is the largest group texting business and to be honest we don’t pay much attention to competitors. We want to make the best website for our users. If you focus to much on competition, sometimes you loose focus on creating the best service for your customers.

Running a business at such a young age , how does it feel?

It’s crazy, but I love my job everyday. To be honest, when things get crazy, frustrating, or just near impossible, I never think about giving up.
For me, those are the fun days! When do you get to test your skills and determination more than at those points in your business career? Those are the sort of obstacles that make what I do such a challenge and so rewarding.

How vital is Teamwork when starting a business?

We have created the dream team at our company and daily I’m amazed at their hustle and commitment to the company. In the marketing and business development department, we have Andrew Dumont who is constantly adding new users to the Tatango world. On the website side, we have two of the hottest young engineers, Adrian Pike and Amiel Martin, who are constantly working crazy hours to keep up with our growth.

These guys are machines really, releasing new features faster than other companies with at least three times as many resources as we have. Alex Mittelstaedt is our community manager, and has played a very important role in creating a strong support base here at Tatango. Our graphic designer, Nathan Carnes, is devoted to perfecting Tatango’s interface. Hands down, we owe the majority of our success to our team members.

On another note, I am a firm believer of not wasting time in getting rid of employees that aren’t working out. I have found it easy to find employees that have the needed skill set to get a job done, the real challenge for us is to find employees that fit within the culture of the company. This is key to anyone that wants to build up a business. By being extremely picky and focused in hiring, we have been able to find the perfect team members.

Do you have any role model/influence/mentor?

My Father. He has both experiences working for large national companies and owning his own start-ups, so his knowledge and experience has always been a great resource for me. He is both a brilliant entrepreneur and one of the hardest workers I know. He has inspired me in many ways to become a young entrepreneuer.

What advices would you give to young entrepreneurs starting their business, especially during this time of economic downtime?

1.Start Small – Start small and you will be able to quickly see if you have something interesting before you look to expand.

2.Don’t Re-Invent The Wheel – No matter what problem you are experiencing or challenge you have in front of you, you aren’t the first person to ever go through it. Seek out advice or guidance from someone that has gone through the same thing you are going through, this will save you from making a lot of costly mistakes in the future.

3.Be Available – I’m the only Internet CEO I know who makes himself as available to his users as I am. The majority of our users know my personal cell phone number (206.334.4012 if they have forgot it) and they know that if they ever have a suggestion or any feedback about our website, they are able to get a hold of me. I think communicating with your users is extremely important and is the sole reason why we keep launching features that users love and our competitors copy.

What should we be expecting from you in the future?

Right now we are so focused on building out Derek Media and Tatango and making them leaders in their respective industries, we don’t think too far ahead into the future.

Thanks for your time Derek.

Derek Johnson
Derek Profile
Tatango
Derek Media
Twitter

Glen was only 18 years old when he decided to change EVERYTHING around by leaving everything, everyone and moving to South Africa, he constantly inspiring people from his way of life through his Blog.
Glen is also an internet marketing pro with background in social media marketing.

On his Blog he says..

My message is here to inspire, but it is also based on being realistic. My own journey has showed me what is possible in this planet and I’m not going to let others hold me back from being who I want to be, and living the life I want to live. You can do exactly the same, and I would love it if you join me on the journey…

Hi Glen, It’s great to have you here on YHP
Give us some background information about yourself? What do you do?

Sure! I’m 20 years old and currently living in England. My passions revolve around travel and internet marketing so I have structured the last few years of my life to allow me to do both. I make a substantial income from the internet while working from home, and I’m about to embark on a journey that will take me through most of the countries in Europe and beyond.

My internet income is divided between my blogs (I have one on Personal Development and one on Internet Marketing) and my affiliate websites which means that I get a commission for promoting the products and services of other companies. It took me around 3 years to get to the stage I’m at now, but the hard work has definitely been worth it.

Glen, firstly, let’s talk about you leaving your friend, family and everything behind, I mean you travelled all the way to south Africa to start afresh, you were only 18, why south Africa? Where you were scared or just too excited? How did you decide you were going to drop it all and travel?

The only reason I ‘chose’ South Africa was because I was offered a very lucrative job there. At 18, I was making a name for myself as a Social Media expert and through my blog on the topic, a company in Cape Town noticed what I was up to. They offered me the position of Social Media Manager for some of the biggest companies in the world and it was an opportunity too big to miss.

When I researched the country, the only thing I could find were thousands of people telling me how dangerous it was. How they watched people get car jacked and mugged regularly so I was definitely a little scared of the place before arriving. At first I turned the job offer down because I thought it was a bit extreme to leave the UK and move to Africa, especially when I still had a year in college.

After thinking about it some more, and discussing the idea with family, I realised that college was not going to take me where I want to go and this was the best opportunity available to me at the time.

Describe/outline your typical day?

To be honest, I don’t have a ‘typical’ day. I don’t set an alarm so can wake up anywhere from 8am until noon, and my daily tasks always vary. Sometimes I might be working on a large project such as an eBook. Some days I might be writing articles for my websites or guest posts for others and some days I might even be working on building new sites.

Today, for example, I wrote four articles, responded to about 30 emails and 50 comments on my websites, and then checked my website stats. All tasks probably took up about 5 hours of my time but I could work 1-2 hours per day to get everything I need done in a week.

So, what is your main source of income?

My main source of income is my online properties, divided by blogging and affiliate marketing as mentioned earlier. If I launch a product on one of my blogs then they definitely bring in the most income for the month, but in terms of passive income, my affiliate sites definitely conquer there.

What has been your most valuable experience after leaving home to travel?

I think my most valuable lesson would be that you should always follow your passions, whatever they are. Every single time in life when I’ve followed exactly what I wanted to do and felt was right, things have gone my way. It has been a winning formula so far, so I’m not going to change that now. People get too caught up in trying to find their passion or their life purpose instead of looking at their current situation, seeing what the best option is, and giving it everything you can.

It’s far better to walk down a path that will lead you down different directions, than not walking down a path at all.

Why did you decide to start up a site?

My first website was setup just because I was amazed that you could put things on the internet. This was 5 years ago and having your own website was definitely not as common back then. Since then, a common theme throughout all of my sites has been to help people in one form or another. I set-up marketing blogs to help people drive traffic to their websites; a DJ tutorial site to help people improve their mixing skills and finally a personal development website which helps people to transform their lives.

I run websites because I can help people, do what I love, and make money at the same time.

Do you have any plans of starting up a business or expanding Pluginid?

I recently relaunched my marketing blog, ViperChill, which I started way back in 2006 so that is taking up quite a bit of my time. I have also invested thousands of dollars in a unique games website with my business partner, Dirk. We’re still waiting on the games (which are being built from scratch) to be completed before we started a large viral marketing campaign to help get that off the ground.

I’m going to be travelling a lot for the next 6 months so I won’t be doing anything too drastic, but will continue to work hard on a few projects.

If you could invite three people living or dead to lunch, who would it be and why?

Great question, and I’m sure my answer to this will change regularly. Based on that, all I can share is who I would take to dinner right now.

The first person I would take with me would be Dean Martin. I have worked with Dean online for over 4 years and we’ve never actually met each other. We’ve both been through the ups and downs of financial struggles and now we’re both getting our lives back on track and really thriving. He is a genuinely awesome dude with big dreams, and I know we would have a lot to talk about.

The second person would have to be Seth Godin. I watch every single video of this guy that I can find because his messages are just so much more relevant than what anyone else is saying. I watch interviewers give him very tough questions but he simply gives brilliant, actionable answers time and time again. I definitely think he could help with my business direction.

The final person I would love to eat with is Maxwell Maltz. He was a plastic surgeon in the 60′s and is the author of my favourite book, Psycho Cybernetics. He shared so many tips in that book which have shaped my life today that I would love to sit down and thank him for it. Amazingly, every single one of his ideas back then are still relevant to this day so I would love to know what else he has to share. He passed away in 1975 so it would be especially great to spend time with him.

What would you do if there was no internet?

Cry! Well, I would cry if I had had it for as long as I have now and it disappeared. If I never knew about it, I’m pretty sure I would be a programmer or doing something else in IT. I definitely have a geeky side.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going? I mean you did travel to another country by yourself to start afresh, i’m sure they were days you felt you made the wrong decision.

There was a day in South Africa where I had to deal with someone who I honestly thought was going to stab me. Telling anyone else or going to the police would have put them in danger, so I did what I had to do. I remember crying for a while and thinking “what am I doing here?” I also messaged a lot of my family that day to tell them how much I loved them just in case.

Thankfully, things turned out nothing like I expected that day but it definitely changed my perspective on things.

What’s your biggest distraction?

The exact thing that pays my bills, the internet. Thankfully, now that I have a Mac I use a handy tool called Self Control which blocks out websites I choose. Once I get started on something I’m fine, but getting started is the hard part with so many interesting things out there online.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I don’t see myself anywhere specific, but I certainly know I won’t be in the UK. Ideally I would like to be in a city where the ‘connections’ in the marketing world also hang out, which will probably take me to the states. I want to spend my days working from coffee shops and nights socialising with friends and family. I have no doubt that I will be a millionaire within the next two years, but I have no dreams to drive a flash car or live in a mansion. I want to help my family live the lives they want to live and support people in developing worlds through the income I can create.

What would you say to anyone looking to take risks or start up a business?

If it (the risk) interests you more than anything else in your life right now, do it. No matter what happens, it will open up doors for you that you never knew existed. As for starting a business, don’t quit your job and jump right in as some people might recommend.

Instead, use all the spare hours you can each day to get things going. There’s a huge time window from 7pm until midnight every single day that you can utilise to your advantage. If you think that’s too difficult, then running a business is probably not for you. Once things start taking off, then you transition away from your full-time job or other commitments.

If you could start over again, what would you do differently and why?

I know this is boring and cliché, but absolutely nothing. If I did things differently, I wouldn’t be where I am today. And I love where I am today.

Thank you very much for thinking of me to do an interview. I hope you and your audience enjoy my answers.

Thanks for your time Glen.

PlugID
VIPERCHILL

While the Internet has changed the way we do business, it has also changed the way we grow business. It’s given way to the modern entrepreneur, one who doesn’t fit a specific mold or who has a finite set of credentials. And it’s opened the door for energetic, Web-minded whiz kids such as Raj Lahoti to achieve substantial success with just a few good business ideas.

A firm believer in creativity, Lahoti has taken some basic concepts and strategically molded them into lucrative businesses that have made the Inc. 500 and Inc. 5,000 lists in 2008 and 2009, and have landed him on Inc. Magazine’s 2007 30 Under 30–America’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs.

As Chief Guru, chairman and co-founder of OnlineGURU Inc. and director & co-founder of AffiliateMedia, Lahoti attributes his success to his says his ambition is what’s afforded him such success. It’s enabled him to capitalize on his thoughts, changed his views on creating new things, and given him the confidence to test the waters beyond his comfort zone.

OnlineGURU owns and operates info-rich, user-centred Web sites such as The Unofficial DMV Guide and most recently, govGURU. The company aims to simplify the lives of the online community one site at a time. AffiliateMedia caters to the affiliate marketing industry and operates AffiliatePrograms.com.

Learn more at RajLahoti.com

* Hello Raj, How are you doing? Welcome to YHP.

Thanks, Joseph. I am well, and I’m excited to participate. Thank you for having me.

* When did your business begin?

I co-founded two businesses within three years of each other: AffiliateMedia and OnlineGURU Inc. AffiliateMedia (formerly Nebulant) opened its doors in December 2000. Today I serve as a Director on the Board, and leave the day-to-day operations to my partner and CEO, Warren Jolly. OnlineGURU launched in June 2003; this is where I spend most of my workweek as the “Chief Guru”.

* What are your aims as the co- founder / founders/ members….etc regarding the business?

To create real value. That’s it. I aim to do so for our visitors, our customers/advertisers and our stakeholders.

Over the years, I have found that you won’t go far if you are motivated by money alone. In fact, anyone can turn a buck once. I’ve learned that money comes and goes, but that true value lasts. Therefore, I’m making every effort to deliver on this goal–whatever it takes to create a sustainable business that is profitable and provides real value to all parties involved.

* Has your business gone under any setback so far and how did you overcome it?

A couple of years back, I saw franchise guru George Naddaff speak at an event. He shared his mantra with the group which has stuck with me ever since: No business, no problems. No problems, no business.

I realized then that ups and downs must coexist. I embrace both with awareness, and I allow the rollercoaster of life to take me on this exciting journey! This philosophy truly dissipates any setbacks. It just takes a clear, beginner’s mind and true awareness to get here.

* As an online guru, it must not have been easy to start. What kept you going?

I am moved by the things I am passonate about, rather than by the expectations placed on me by others. I know myself better than anyone else. Therefore, finding and doing the things I love is totally up to me. And only me.

I am really into Web design and architecture, and the companies I’m involved with today allow me to drive a number of projects in both areas. I might be the CEO, but my main job is more along the lines of a creative director. It’s what really gets me going.

I also LOVE sales. I can sell anything that I believe in. In fact, I often find myself selling products, concepts, you name it of which I have no ownership. I do it to purely spread the word on quality products and services to the people I interact with.

* Why did you choose to dwell on Technology as a business?

That’s like asking me, “why did you choose to walk with your feet instead of on all fours.”

Ok I get it *Laughs*

I’ve been on a computer since I was four years old; I don’t really see what I do as “technology.” It’s just what I’ve always done.

* Let’s say that the internet didn’t come into earth’s existent, what would you have used to start up your business?

I don’t know. I’ve been online way too long… so I can’t think of a world without the Internet.

Who knows… maybe I would have been the one to invent it!

* What else are you strongly interested in?

I’m really interested in connecting with people and nature. I love yoga, meditation, art and alternative health/medicine. Because I’m passionate about these things, I am also finding ways to integrate them into my business.

Pursuing my interests outside of business have allowed me to channel some of energy elsewhere. This gives me a nice balance to life. For example, there were times that I got so tunnel visioned and wrapped up in business, that I completely forgot and neglected other areas of my life. Today I am making a conscious effort to maintain the balance I have recently found.

* What inspired you to start such a business?

Well, I got motivated by the concept of making money for myself when I was 8 years old… and found out my father lost his job. I didn’t know the significance of this, but I DID know one thing… my older sister was supposed to take us to get ice-cream, and she cancelled. I knew that something was bad… and I wanted to see how I could help the family with making money and not just be a burden, but instead, actually do something for myself. So from there, I kept my eyes open to opportunities, and eventually started selling baseball cards & comic cards to kids in the neighborhood and at school. I did this with my older brother.

Years later, I got into the web because I got passionate about making websites… and seeing my creativity come to life. With the interest in making money and a love for the web, I was able to put these two passions together and start my first Internet company.

* Where do you see this business running in the next 5 years?

I am not really attached to any one business. Businesses evolve as people do. All I know is that in five years, I’ll still be active in business, mainly because it is a passion.

I will say that both of these businesses have a great future, especially because the culture we’ve been cultivating is one of sustainability and long-term value. But I’ll accept whatever path they take. The ride so far has been awesome, and whatever happens next is something I will accept.

* Do you believe that gaining an educational background such as a degree is essential as being an entrepreneur?

Nope. But it really depends on what you want to do.

If you want to learn something that is only taught in school, then, yes, a degree is important. But for this industry, you don’t really need a college degree. My only formal education came from the “School of Hard Knocks”.

* As a young man, I believe you feel content with yourself regarding your success. By what age did you begin to think in an entrepreneurial manner?

I remember I was about eight years old when entrepreneurial thinking first set in. My brother and I were selling Marvel comic cards and baseball cards to the local card shops, shows and neighborhood kids. Back then, we knew success would come to us if we stayed on our toes. Persistence is key!

* What’s your favourite technology and why?

Without dependable and easy-to-adopt technology, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. Some of what I use includes:

• Laptop + Wireless Broadband — I don’t use a desktop anymore, and neither does my company. The portability makes things so much easier. You can be in the office working on something, and then if you need a change of scene or need to have some alone time to knock something out, you can be at starbucks, the deli, or a park, and still stay connected. Because you are on the same device, your work space and work flow isn’t interrupted when switching your location, thanks to hibernation/standby modes.

• iPhone — All of our employees stay connected with company iPhones, especially on days when they work remotely or outside of workweek hours. For mail, calendar and contacts our iPhones are imperative.

• Jott — This web site/iPhone app is amazing. When I’m on the go, if an idea pops up, and I want to capture the full essence if this, I can just open up the Jott iPhone app or call the toll-free # and speak my idea, task, or reminder and Jott will convert this to text, e-mail it to me, and will also attach the voice clip so I can listen to my enthusiasm/voice when I Jott’ed this note. Although their voice-to-text conversion, is not PERFECT, it is more than 90% accurate, and has never done me wrong, because the voice-clip always captures the note regardless of how the text is converted. A must-have for anyone “on the go” and very in-expensive!

• Video+Chat Conferencing via Skype — Each employee has ultimate mobility with a video camera and Skype (along with a laptop) for video conferencing. At the office, our conference rooms have Skype+Cam+LCD-Monitor combos integrated so I can attend any meeting from anywhere in the world.

• Google Docs — This allows us to have amazing amounts of collaboration with each other. Plus it ensures that our ideas are fleshed out, that we have the right people working together and that we don’t have to worry about the “who has the latest copy” nonsense. Google Docs versioning of changes is sweet because we can easily have lots of people working on the same stuff.

• G-Mail/Google Apps — We just switched over, and for corporate mail it has been great. Plus the interface is nice and sleek.

* Does this profession require a lot time being consumed? Is it ideal for a family man?

Well, that depends. It’s all about how you prioritize things.

For me the fear of poverty, a common fear among entrepreneurs, kept me driven. Business came first before family, as if I was stuck on the lower levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. For some reason, I could never get above that.

As soon as I started getting over this fear, and realizing that there’s so much support in this universe, things started falling into my lap and into place whether I asked or not. I started backing off my 15-hour work days and making more time for the things that are important to me, family especially.

My advice: check out Tim Ferriss’ book The 4-Hour Workweek. It’s an amazing read, very inspirational. I bought a copy for my mother-in-law, and here’s what she had to say:

I am enjoying this book immensely, both the content and the way it is written.

It is sooo refreshing and entertaining. I have green highlights all over the book, several take-homes to implement (hopefully)

I can almost see and hear you two talking as I read the book.

Gave me an insight into what makes you two kids act so “crazy” sometimes.
- P.N. (N. California)

I must say, it’s a great book, finished reading it a while back but i am looking to pick it up again to read in the coming months.

* Does Entrepreneur as a profession run in the family? What kind of business existed in your family?

“We are noodle folk; broth runs deep in our veins.”
- Mr. Ping from “Kung Fu Panda”

Absolutely. My parents ran several family businesses, mostly catering to the Indian community within Los Angeles. We had a grocery store and a movie theater all while my dad was working as a full-time aerospace engineer.

All 3 of my siblings are involved in their own Internet businesses! Funny how we all ended up in the same line of business.

Even my wife recently started her own website, Vidya.tv. I recommend her videos, they are unique and give you a window into some of our shared philosophies.

* Are family businesses a great foundation to start a business of your own from?

It depends on your family, and you. For me, it was great, but it has definitely been tough and a lot of work. It has been difficult for us to separate family relationships from business. I’m not sure I’d do it again.

* From experience, is it good mixing family with business? What are you advice to those who are considering such thoughts.

I’m not going to say, “don’t do it.” But I will say working with family isn’t ideal for everyone. The best way to pull it off is to:

• Bring fresh blood to the table. Meaning, add independent parties to the mix. That way family members are more likely to act on their best behavior, and the level of respect, responsibility and accountability improves. Ever since we hired our COO, Karen Baumbach, the perspective she offers has has brought the organization and our Board to an entirely new level.

• Make sure you already have a good relationship with these family members. You want the type of relationship that allows for deep conversations and even counseling and mediation. If you are working with family, it’s likely you’ll encounter some very interesting and challenging moments.

• Remember the bigger picture. The cool thing about family is that we have already spent many years supporting and honoring one another. In business, that dynamic is no different.

* Do you have any advice for those who are seeking to be within the same position as yourself?

If by “same position” you mean, doing things that you are passionate about, then my advice is to stop trying to be like others, and start doing what you love. Doing what you love will allow you to reach the heights you’ve always dreamed of.

Ask yourself, “What is it that I want” and “What is it that I love to do.” Ask people around you what they think, but get multiple opinions. Other people don’t know you as well as you know yourself, but their insight will help you get to your answer through the process of elimination.

If you had ALL the money in the world, what would you do now? If flying in a plane all day is your answer, then be a pilot. If putting food on the table for others is your thing, then work at a homeless shelter.

* Any advice for anybody starting a business of any kind?

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where.” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” said the Cat.
(Alice in Wonderland; Lewis Carroll, 1832-1898)

My advice: align your business interests with your personal passions. Any good business takes lots of tries, lots of persistence, and if you are going to stay in the game, you need to do something you love to keep you excited and willing to overcome any obstacle in front of you.

These are great tips, advices for any aspiring entrepreneur or anyone that wants to make the most out of their life, This is great raj, thanks again for sharing your thoughts and ideas.

Interviewed & Edited By: Joseph Ajilore

He calls himself a Tenacious Blogger, Angel Investor, Guerrilla Marketer, Serial Entrepreneur, Passionate Leader, Party Animal, Television Fanatic, Door-to-door Salesman

Born on April 24, 1985, London, England, Moving to Orange county, California When he was only 2 years old, Neil Patel is the co-founder of 2 Internet companies: Crazy Egg and KISSmetrics. Through these 2 companies he has helped large corporations such as eBay, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, TechCrunch, Walmart, and Zappos make more money from the web. By the age of 21 Neil was named one of the top influencers on the web by the Wall Street Journal as well as quoted in magazines such as Entrepreneur for his insights on the new aged web. During his free time, Neil enjoys blogging at Quick Sprout.

Neil, Thanks for spending your time with us on YHP

• Can you please introduce yourself to the YHP Readers, what you do? Your background?

My name is Neil Patel and I am a first generation U.S. Asian Indian. I have lived in Orange County California for most of my life and I am currently living in Seattle.
Since I was born I have always been an entrepreneur. Most recently, I have been spending most of my time on my new startup, KISSmetrics.

• What inspired you at such a young age to become an entrepreneur, to start your business?

Entrepreneurship has run in my family’s blood for decades. I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur because for me, it was the only way I was going to become filthy rich (which I haven’t achieved yet).

• I mean you probably have one of the most interesting blog i have read in a while, i mean it’s crazy, the followers you have on your own blog, I mean the interaction with your blog subscribers is super crazy, how did you achieve that?

I feel I have achieved an active community on Quick Sprout because I take the time and help my readers. When someone emails me, I respond to him or her. When someone leaves a comment, I respond to his or her comment.

• I mean you’re so open with the mistakes you’ve made along the way which is pretty cool, how did you start to be that open with your audience? Why do you do these?

Well, I have always felt that people are more likely to learn from mistakes than successes. In most cases, it is hard to replicate someone’s success, but it is much easier to avoid the mistakes they made.
Due to this, I decide that I was going to be open. At first it was hard, but after a while I got used to it.

•  I was reading over some of your posts, and one thing i found quite interesting was when you mentioned that the good news is that “you have made money than you lost”, which got me thinking that as entrepreneurs we need to be persistent and keep trying.

You are correct. The only reason I am somewhat successful is because I have made dozens of attempts at starting businesses. When one fails, I get right up and move onto my next idea.
If I weren’t persistent, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

• You’ve had your share of failure in your entrepreneurial journey, you said you invested $1 million into a company and lost it all, how did you come back from that, i mean that must be pretty intense?

I came back by making money through my consulting company. By helping other people grow their company, I was able to charge a decent fee for my time. Sooner or later all of the consulting money I made, outgrew my loses.

• You were born in London right? You moving to the states, do you feel it had an effect on your entrepreneurial journey as in more opportunities that you were exposed compared to you being in the UK?

I moved to the states when I was 1. I don’t remember much from my days in London, but moving to the states helped me because I was surrounded by a few of my uncles who were entrepreneurs.

• What three things would you base the success of your success on?

1. My parents – they were the ones who pushed me to do well. They never gave up in me when things weren’t looking great and they always had my back.
2. Persistence – I did whatever it took to succeed. Even if you aren’t smart sooner or later things have to go in your favour.
3. Networking – I surrounded myself around other successful entrepreneurs. Being around these people help me become a better entrepreneur.

• How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?

I usually stick with an idea until I lose faith in it or I find a better idea to move onto. I kind of have A.D.D. so I tend to jump around a lot when it comes to business ideas.

• If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?

I would probably concentrate on one business idea. Because I jumped around so much I was never able to grow any of my start-ups into large companies. If I had focused I could have been sitting on a $100 million dollar company.

• What book has inspired you the most?

The Dip by Seth Godin. If you haven’t read it, you should. It will give you a sense on when you need to quit or stick with an idea.

• Who is your favourite entrepreneur of all-time?

Elon Musk. He isn’t the richest entrepreneur out there, but I love what he is doing with his companies. Plus, unlike most entrepreneurs, he is running 2 large companies at the same time. That’s a tough thing to do.

• What has been your most satisfying moment in business?

When I made enough money to get out debt. I hated being in debt and now that I don’t owe anyone money, my life has a lot less stress.

• Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

I really like Tesla. The cars are great and they are environmentally friendly.

• What sacrifices did you have to make to be a successful entrepreneur?

I didn’t get to enjoy my childhood. I spent most of my high school and college life working instead of having fun like most kids.

• If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?

That’s a tough question. Probably something revolved around major business mistakes to avoid.

• What advices would you give to young entrepreneurs starting up their business?

Even if your first few businesses fail, don’t give up. Keep on pushing hard when you are young because you don’t have to worry about mortgage payments, family, or even bills. If you start young, sooner or later things will work out, it just may take 2 to 5 years.

If you wait to start a business till you are 30, you’ll have a lot more pressure because you have to worry about things like your kids.

Thanks for your time Neil, this is some great advice here.

Neil Patel
Quick Sprout (Blog)
Crazy Egg
Kissmetrics

Hannah Nguyen may only be in the fourth grade but she is already finding her way in the business world.

She is now selling rings she learned how to make in school.

During technology classes at school, Hannah has learned how to effectively and efficiently use the computer and Internet to conduct research. She said she used that knowledge to learn the vector-based illustration program Lineform. Nguyen then used the software to create several different ring designs that were inspired by various influences in her life.

YHP Spoke to Hannah and her mum briefly.

When did H-Artshop start?

It started December 2009 my dining room table Irving Texas me, my mom and dad, and my friend Jonathan Matlock. They have all been very helpful. I couldn’t have done it on my own.

What has been the response so far?

Pretty good. People seem to like it so far. They like my rings plus they seem surprised that I’m only nine years old and have my own business.

How many have you sold and how much are they?

I’m not sure exactly how many I’ve sold my mom handles the financial side of things, but my rings are currently $4.99, I also sell magnets that are $2.00.

How are you looking to expand the business?

I have lots of ideas, but next in line will hopefully be to print my designs on T-shirts.

How do your friends react to you running your business?

Alot of them want to buy my stuff. Mostly my friends still treat me just the same, and I like that. I don’t want people to treat me differently just because I have my own business. I’m still just the same.

What do you want to be in the next 10 years?

I would like to be able to continue on with my business and succeed. Making a million dollars would be nice. That would be nice because I could help other people with my money and pay for college.

Maria

How do you feel about your daughter starting a business at this age?

I’m am very proud, but I’d be proud of her regardless. I am extremely impressed and most days I can’t believe she’s really a business owner.

How does she balance her studies with her business?

Hannah is extremely responsible and still maintains excellent grades in school. School is first business is second. She is very driven.

How do you support her?

I try to encourage, but not push. I’ve told her before that if she was to wake up one day and want nothing to do with H-Artshop that I would be just as proud. I want her to want to keep up her business, but I don’t ever want her to feel as if she is her business. I help her in any way I can and will do so for as long as she wants me to.

What advise can you give other mothers in this situation and what should mothers do to encourage their children to follow their dreams?

My only advise would be to believe in their children’s abilities. Kids have huge hearts, huge minds, and great courage. I would also suggest that you encourage their natural abilities. Children are all born with their own unique gifts and abilities. We should encourage those instead of trying to push our own agenda.

H-Art Shop
Buy your Button rings

By: Joseph Ajilore

Jessica is definitely another young entrepreneur to keep on your radars for years to come; haven started her first internet company at the age of 13, finishing high school at the age of 15, She has then started her first notable company internshipIN.com, which has since helped thousands of college students find their first internships, then to founding her new company Indinero, which she started when she met co-founder Andy Su at the University of California, Berkeley while studying computer science during when they built Indinero’s first prototype, the rest is now history has they say.

Hello Jessica, how are you doing? Great to have you here on YHP

Glad to be here!

I mean starting a business as a 13 year old must have been very exciting for you? How do you feel you have developed from that little girl starting her internet company till now?

I think the most important thing I learned since then has been humility. I know that I’m constantly learning, and being that I’m still relatively young and inexperienced in the world, I’m trying to figure out what I don’t yet know.

What inspired you to start a business, especially as a 13 year old?

I thought it’d be fun! Middle school can be stressful, boring, and full of drama. So I thought focusing my time and energy on something more productive would take my mind off the less meaningful things in life. (aka, school)

You said you’re working full time on Indinero.com, Does that mean you are not playing any part in the running of internshipIN.com?

I stopped running internshipIN last January. It was a fun side project, but by no means a business I wanted to devote myself fulltime to. I still keep the server running in case students are still looking for internships. And many still are!

Who would you say has been a major influence in your business life?

I’d say my mom. She’s an entrepreneur too, and her advice has been key to my development. Unlike anyone else I ask for advice from, mom gives me the candid feedback that I need to hear most.

On your blog, you said that if you have could pick one question in hiring a business person, you would talk about the conflict in the Middle East? So Jessica, let’s just say i was hiring you about a job position in my company and i asked you that question? How would you respond?

I’d have to write a long essay on that! The point of talking to people about politics is to learn how they interact with you during a debate. Do they try to listen, are they making assumptions based on opinion, do they negotiate? These are pretty important things to know before you hire a business person.

Who is your favourite young entrepreneur at the moment?

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. A lot of people critique him for his business decisions, but he knows who’s worth taking advice from.

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?

My team – Andy, Arielle, and Ljuba keep me motivated day in and day out. I also think about how it took companies like Microsoft and Twitter years before they hit critical mass. Businesses don’t explode overnight, so persistence is key.

Do you have a favourite business tool or resource?

My favorite resource is Paul Graham’s archive of essays. They teach you the ins and outs to entrepreneurship and technology, and tell young founders what they need to know instead of the meaningless things that most business books teach.

Paul Graham

Where do you see in yourself and your business in the next 5 years?

I hope to be still working on Indinero. We have a lot of great things planned for Indinero and the future of business software, but it’s all speculation for now.

What is the most crucial decision you’ve made so far regarding your business?

The decision to come back to school was pretty difficult. Andy and I were on the edge of leaving before our senior year here at Berkeley, but we ultimately decided to give this entire year to figuring out our business and finishing up our degrees.

What’s your biggest distraction?

School. Between classes and homework, it takes up a lot of time. But on the other hand, it’s definitely taught me how to better manage my time, and focus on the things that matter most.

Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?

I’d say Apple, and not just because I enjoy their products. They operate in small and agile teams, their product development team takes a lot of time perfecting core features instead of creating new ones, and they think more about user experience than any other company in the industry.

What are your views on young entrepreneurs that quit school/college for the sake of pursuing a dream of a young entrepreneur?

It’s a huge decision. Most young entrepreneurs have the problem of “not knowing what they don’t know”, so they don’t realize what value they might be missing out from finishing college. It’s a very personal decision, and it highly depends on what college the entrepreneur is attending.

What advice would you give to a young entrepreneur starting up their business?

Do as much as you can to learn about entrepreneurship faster and sooner. Start your business as soon as possible, and make it be the driving force behind your education.

Thanks for your time Jessica.

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Indinero

Chelsea’s story is an inspiration to anyone with a dream, Chelsea is an LD child that had to cope with losing three of her family members in the space of 5 months and losing 5 members of her family in total at only 17, She witnessed the death of her father while on the phone to him, Now 21, She is the CEO of Faithful Fish, a Christian based clothing line.

Chelsea, Nice of you to share your time with us, Welcome to YHP, how are you doing?

I’m Fine thanks

Before anything else, how does it feel to be part of the book “The richest kids in America” By Mark Victor Hansen?

Great, I have been featured in two books this year which is amazing. Mr. Mark Victor Hansen is the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series that has sold over 140,000,000 books. In the Guinness Book of records it is under the Bible for most books sold. Mark featured me in the Chicken Soup for the Soul For Extra-Ordinary Teens. It is so crazy, here I am a young girl in college in a book with Donald Trump Jr and other amazing young talent.

Can you please give the readers some background information about yourself?

Sure, I have a learning disability and went to learning disability schools and currently attend Beacon College the only four year accredited college in the US. LD is always with me, but it has made me take risks and focus on what my gifts are. When I was 17 I had three members of my family pass away within five months including my father on the phone with me. That was when I started thinking about my faith. It was my faith that helped me get through that awful time.

How was it like for a 17 year old with a learning disability starting up a clothing line? You’re also the online Money Advisor for Seventeen magazine?

I know, doesn’t make sense does it, but I am hoping to help people understand is that having a learning disability means you have a regular IQ, you just have problems in academic area’s like reading or math. Being one of the online money advisors for Seventeen magazine is fun. I am not giving stock tips, but helping girls think about saving, figuring out how to create their own business or just answering in practical terms their questions.

I mean you were Attending College while running Faithful Fish through her Blackberry and conference calls? How as that?

The beauty of technology. You interviewed a friend of mine Cameron Johnson and we both work the same way. Flash stick, blackberry’s and 1-800 conference bridges. Kids are so comfortable with this stuff that we don’t even think about having to be in an office.

You said that you and mark spoke to 1400 students at a middle school in Georgia, how did you feel?

It was really 1700. How did I feel? I was with Mark which always makes it fun. They were totally into what we said and one cute story from the day was a young boy about 13 came up to Mark. He handed Mark his business proposal and said he wanted to work for him. Mark laughed and asked him what he should be paid. He said $5 an hour, I said “No” that’s not enough. Mark told him that he would be very successful in life, pulled out a $100 bill and signed it. The kid was beaming, I know that he will remember that his whole life. I love to talk to students both about being successful with a challenge and also thinking about creating their own company.

You are everywhere in the news now, Fox & Friends, Dave Ramsey’s TV & tons of radio shows, and you are got a feature in business week in august, how is the feeling, the press, did you know your business, you as an inspirational figure will get this famous so fast?

That makes me laugh, I am not famous, but I have been blessed. I know call it God Media. I truly believe that adults and young people are looking for good news. There is so much bad news out there that when something positive comes up it makes for a good story. I do have a story, but my goal is to create a clothing line that gives to charity and to become a role model for students with challenges.

I mean losing 3 members of one’s family member in 5months is a lot for anyone, not to say a teenager? You also lost 2 additional family members? How did you cope with that, i mean how did you motivate yourself?

It was over-whelming. My nanny (Mom’s mom) passed away four weeks before my Dad so my Mom and I both lost a parent. I always went to Church on holidays and other events, but wasn’t really faithful. I just came to believe that it was a miracle that I was able to be on the phone with my Dad when he died of a heart attack. I took it as a blessing and he knew I was thinking about him when he went. I have an amazing family and great friends who really helped me through it. Then going to Church and quietly finding my faith was when I made the turning point to start healing My Mom motivated me, she would come in my room every morning and stroke my hair. She told me that it was up to me how my day would be. I had the choice to make it the best day I could or just wallow in sadness. I guess I am also a positive person which does really make a difference.

Who are your role model/influence?

My parents. My Dad went to every basketball and volleyball game I played in. My Mom is English, I am the first born American on her side of the family. My Mom is so funny she has that great English humour and she just doesn’t allow you to wallow in feeling bad for your self. As she always tells me “put your big girl panties on”

What is your favourite quote and book?

OK, you do realize you are asking an LD kid that question. Not to be funny, but I have trouble remembering stuff like that.

What else would you be doing if you were not doing what you are doing now?

That’s a good question. I probably would try and be a stylist or interior decorator

You donate portion of profits to Christian charities? Why did you decide that?

My parents brought me up to give back . My Mom has always volunteered for charities and sponsored charities that she believed in. From the very start of me wanting to create this company I knew that I would be giving back. It is built into our mission statement.

What can you say to anyone that is looking to start a business doing this economic down-time, someone that has lost a loved and unable to continue with their dream and passion, some one that being left in doubt from a tragedy from your experience?

That is really a hard question because I remember how sad I was for a while. Time is a huge healer, but doing something you love is a blessing. Starting a business right now is tough, but in some way it may be the perfect time. It gives you time to research your plan and allow you to start slowly and not get into debt too quickly. If you have lost love ones I would look to your faith whatever that is.

You just won the semi-finals of the Global Student Entrepreneur Award sponsored by Mercedes Benz Financial? How was the experience?

Scary and amazing all at the same time. I was nominated for the contest, but turned it down a couple of times. I just felt that with my LD I couldn’t compete against these amazing student, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that I had to take the risk. It was truly a big risk for me. I have very little self confidence in academics. We had to go through our business plan and then take a Q&A and then give a summary of the company. I had my mentor at college work with me, but I created the plan and just kept on reviewing it. There was one truly funny moment. We had to email our presentations to the organization by Tuesday and the presentations were on Friday. On Wednesday they sent an email out saying that the files were too big with all of the animation. I called my business manager and said “animation, I don’t even have stick figures, I am doomed”. We laughed. I am just so jazzed about going to the finals in November. I will have to let you know how it goes. Even if I don’t win, I already feel like a winner just by taking the risk and going for it.

So what should be expecting from you in the future?

BIG THINGS, BIG THINGS – I want to be a motivational speaker for students with LD while running Faithful Fish.

Thanks for your time Chelsea, they are some great advices here im sure the YHP Readers would love them.

Chelsea Eubank

Faithfulfish