Vision and creativity are two traits that new entrepreneurs typically believe they must hold in order to succeed. However, many of today’s best ideas were not born with complex systems, algorithms, or even change the way we do business; they were born with a simplistic approach of making something old simply great again.
Secret Academy Episode – J. Massey
Prior to real estate investing, J. Massey held positions in insurance and financial planning. But when he got hit by a stroke of bad luck and some serious health issues that caused him to be unable to work, J found himself barely able to afford lunch with a credit score of 398. Starting from truly humble beginnings, J. ventured into Real Estate entrepreneurship, and decided to focus his attention on looking for investment opportunities (a.k.a., problems to solve through real estate transactions). He started closing deals and eventually began teaching others how to find and manage similar opportunities, leading him to become a full-time real estate investor, entrepreneur, popular podcast host, author, speaker, coach and all-around problem solver. He currently owns hundreds of units of properties and has completed hundreds more real estate transactions across several states. Well known for providing Real Estate advice and strategies as the CEO and host of Cash Flow Diary, J’s goal is to help new and experienced investors maximize their success and potential through his simple yet very effective platform for success.
Where There is No Challenge There is No Change
They say the biggest enemy of a great life is a good life, which is accurate in many ways regardless of from what perspective you look at it. As humans, we are creatures of comfort. Typically we have been programmed by society during our younger years only to fix what is broken, and to just work hard enough to be…
What I Learned After Interviewing Over 350+ Incredible Entrepreneurs
I’m often told how lucky I am to be able to converse with the 200+ successful entrepreneurs we’ve interviewed in the Secret Entourage Academy. As a successful businessman myself, I find it quite easy to relate on a uniform level to many of those incredible people I interact with every day. Part of what makes our interviews so compelling, powerful, and…
Secret Academy Episode – Matt Decelles
As a serial entrepreneur since he was a kid starting a wine bottle recycling company, Matt DeCelles has launched, failed, and scaled numerous businesses. While he may not have always been an expert on the industry he was breaking into, he utilized his strategic vision followed up with rapid implementation and action to make big things happen when launching his companies. In true entrepreneurial fashion, when he’s not sporting the shades from his brand of designer sunglasses (that also happen to double as beer bottle openers), Matt and his partners have been finding innovative solutions that could majorly disrupt the customer service model of the eCommerce industry. Aligned perfectly with the core message of his brand William Painter – a brand which he says, “is built to inspire people to be more, with each pair having something unique about it,” – Matt is definitely inspiring us to think more outside of the box, find unique solutions to solve simple problems, and grow further as entrepreneurs.
What College Can Teach Aspiring Entrepreneurs
I never got a chance to go to a 4-year university as my tenure in college was very short-lived and was quickly replaced by my need to work in order to support myself. While I didn’t have a formal education behind me, I was still able to find massive success in corporate America, in self-employment, and in entrepreneurship. In part,…
Secret Academy Episode – Mike Dash
As the e-commerce industry has continued to evolve, the dropship model has brought in several smaller players such as Michael Dash, President of CarPartKings.com, a New York-based, auto parts online retail business. Built on the dropship model, the business doesn’t hold any physical stock, but lists 500,000 SKUs on its website with 2.5 billion fitment options, and sells to over 140 countries. With only 14 staff members spread across 8 different countries, Michael grew CarPartKings.com’s revenue by selling in the easiest way possible – through marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, Sears, and others, to the tune of more than $8 million dollars in only three years. He also co-founded Cooper Square Ventures (CSV), which has been the launchpad for several successful e-commerce businesses as well as an SaaS venture. With a solid customer base and an inbound marketing strategy, Michael plans to scale his company by further growing the product base, attracting higher conversions and pursuing excellent customer service.