Author, Speaker, and Entrepreneur
Quick Facts:
• Started his first company at age 9
• At age 15, he was an advisory board member for a large Tokyo-based company
• By age 21, he had started 12 successful businesses
• Runner-up on the hit reality show, Oprah's Big Give
• Featured in more than 200 newspapers, magazines, and television stations worldwide
• Speaks to audiences around the world
• Author of the book You Call The Shots
• Now consults with Fortune 500 companies
As a kid, I was very competitive. It didn't matter whether I was playing sports, working in class, or earning money. I looked at everything as a challenge and I always wanted to be the best.
At the age of seven, I started selling vegetables door-to-door and soon developed an obsession for selling. It was a great way to help others and make money. I began selling anything and everything I could get my hands on, which included raffle tickets, wrapping paper, and popcorn. I learned early on, however, that my success in selling wasn't only the result of getting people to buy any particular item, but rather, that people bought from me largely because they liked me and trusted me. That distinction really shaped my life.
As I focused more on helping people, I noticed more and more business opportunities around me. It's funny how that works. After my ninth birthday, I started my first business. As an early Christmas present, my parents gave me a computer with some printing software that captured my interest. Out of curiosity, I started playing around with the program and before long I had designed and printed out a phony party invitation. I showed the invitation to my mom and she was impressed.
My mom asked me to print the invitations for our family's upcoming Christmas party. Always looking for a deal, I replied, "Sure, as long as you pay me for it." And that's when I got my first "order." I was in business!
But keep in mind, however, that I was probably the last kid on my block to get a computer and I felt like I was behind when it came to understanding anything about technology. Fortunately, my inexperience didn't stop me from seizing this new opportunity whole-heartedly. If I waited for more skill or "a better time" I would have missed my opportunity completely. As my printing services for cards grew in demand, I officially named my company Cheers and Tears Printing Company, because I was printing cards for all sorts of different topics and occasions.
The one ability that has really helped me the most is being able to recognize a "need" in the marketplace and then figure out what must be done in order to turn the idea into a money-making opportunity. But this ability is certainly not something that is unique to me. One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking that opportunities only exist for certain people or that there aren't many opportunities out there. And other times, people think that the perfect opportunity just magically appears -- which is definitely not true!
Opportunities are all around us, but we won't see them unless we look for them. That means turning our problems, frustrations, and passions into products or services that can help others. For me, the greatest challenge is not a lack of opportunities. Instead I find much of my effort goes into figuring out which ones to actually pursue and which ones to pass up. There's no doubt that it's a challenge to bring ideas to life, but if you aren't afraid to take risks, follow your true interests, and to ask lots of questions, then you can learn a lot and become very successful.
I tried to get over my fear of rejection early in life. At age eight, I wrote a letter to Donald Trump with a special request. I had seen the movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and since my family was taking a trip to New York City I wanted to see if I could tour the hotel suite at The Plaza where the movie was filmed.
Mr. Trump didn't write back to me personally, but when we arrived at the hotel the receptionist informed us that we would actually be staying in the same suite where Home Alone 2was filmed and he organized a private tour of FAO Schwarz which was also in the movie. And to think that all of this happened just because I wrote a letter! Here I was, a random eight-year-old kid from Virginia, but simply because I was proactive, my family and I had an unforgettable experience. That is the power of asking!
When I was fifteen, in the ninth grade, I enrolled in a boarding school assuming that my focus would be solely on my studies, but my entrepreneurial spirit was still at work. At the time, I was running a company called SurfingPrizes where we specialized in online advertising and had over 180,000 customers. Interestingly, a newspaper article was written about us in the Nikkei, which is the Japanese equivalent of The Wall Street Journal.
Within days, I got an e-mail from a Tokyo-based company asking me to be an advisory board member for their organization. I agreed and a few weeks later they flew my dad and me out to Tokyo for a meeting. Upon my return to the States, a ghostwriter from Japan contacted me and said that he wanted to write a biography about my life. Before I knew it, a book was published about me titled 15-Year-Old CEO and a few weeks later it ended up hitting number four on Japan's bestseller list.
Over the following years I started several different businesses -- and had a blast doing it. As a freshman in high school, one of my companies was bringing in sales of more than $15,000 a day. I couldn't believe it. I've been fortunate enough to make my first million before graduating from high school and buy my own house by age twenty. At twenty-three, I've now put away enough in savings and other investments that I could practically retire today... if I wanted to. But of course, that is the last thing on earth I'd want to do!
I'm telling you all of this not to impress you, but to show you what is really possible. And you don't have to start a business either. But the truth is, building a successful business is more about common sense and the right attitude than it is about any kind of special training or inherent talents.
In my opinion, if you've got an idea or a passion about something, it's good to get started now. It doesn't matter how old you are -- whether you're nine or seventy-two. If you're passionate about something, act on it and see what you can do. In the worst case scenario, you learn from your mistakes and increase your chances of success the next time. Not a bad deal! The one thing that does matter is that you believe in yourself -- and that is a choice. Don't wait for someone to tell you you're good enough or smart enough. Believe you can do it and get started.
The time has never been better for young people to succeed -- especially when it comes to starting a business. As a teenager, you don't have to be concerned about supporting a family and a long list of other responsibilities that come later in life. In fact, you can use your youth to your advantage because most people are more than willing to lend a hand to a young person who is just getting started. It is up to you, however, to be strong and persevere. Yes, you will face challenges and even when you are successful people may be jealous of you, or criticize your ideas and actions.
My determination has been extremely important -- especially when someone tells me "No." Instead of breaking down and getting sad, I will instantly start searching for someone who will say, "Yes." It sounds simple, but that mentality really works.
In my book, You Call the Shots: Succeed Your Way -- And Live the Life You Want -- With the 19 Essential Secrets of Entrepreneurship, the first chapter is called "Put Yourself Out There" and one way you can do this is to surround yourself with great mentors. Mentors and role models can be people you know personally or they can be people who you've never met. People like Bill Gates or Richard Branson are remarkable mentors who I've learned so much from, just by reading their books.
When I read books by and/or about successful people I can learn from their mistakes, take their lessons to heart, and actively apply their helpful tips. I wrote my book because I wanted to give others the same ideas and concepts that I've learned and used in achieving my own personal success.
Be willing to take a leap of faith and use what you think might be your disadvantage to your advantage. If there's something you don't know, ask questions, do the research, connect with people, and find the answers. Then most importantly, take action!
Remember, being naïve can often work in your favor, because you are more likely to just try things, take risks, and follow your intuition despite the naysayers who tell you, "No way, it will never work." The most important thing I can tell you about the success I've had is that it's not unique. There are a lot of people who are doing amazing things in this world. Anyone can do what they love and become successful. So do what really inspires you. It's never too early -- or too late -- to pursue your passions and build your dreams.
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