In Rwanda I once wandered the halls of a hospital looking for a Congolese warlord because I got a tip he was receiving treatment for HIV, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo I spent days listening to horrific stories of rape, poverty and war and then to relax took traditional dance classes from child ex-combatants (child soldiers).

In Lebanon, I once found myself breaking up a fight between two men who each had links to armed groups and today in Yemen I spend my days advocating for women’s sexual and reproductive health and trying my best not to get kidnapped.

That doesn’t even begin to count the 43 other destinations I’ve traveled to (and not just their airports) bringing me to a healthy total of 52 states.

But the plan for 2014? To give it all up, throw my adventure travel seeking ways to the wind, and start a new even more scary journey: a social enterprise.  The idea: merge my love of fashion, women’s empowerment, storytelling and Africa.  But do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?

Since setting my sights on this route, inspired by my experiences in journalism and development and motivated by my deep conviction that the private sector can play a role in preventing conflict, improving the status of women and lifting people out of poverty, I’ve become an avid reader of business books and articles. Entrepreneurship, management, marketing, finance, you name the business field, I’m reading about it. Admittedly, motivational self-help books as well.  Can’t hurt right?

But is reading about business enough?  Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur without any prior experience or study?  I don’t know yet so don’t expect the answers in this article.

There are some things I do know, things I’ve learned while traveling, living and working in developing countries and post conflict zones that might help me crossover to the startup business world:

1. Comfort with uncertainty/instability

When you’re working in conflict and post-conflict zones you’ve got to accept that at any point the situation could turn violent, you might have to leave, your project might have to close. Even your daily utilities like electricity and water are unpredictable. When backpacking your plans might fall through, your route could change as a result of external factors, you’ve got to be adaptable and open to change.

2. Ability to deal with extreme highs and lows

Without an even temperament, it’s unlikely you’ll make it in the world’s hotspots, and maybe not even on the road.  When living in difficult locations or living out of your backpack the highs are extremely high, they mark you forever, and are likely impossible to compare to your “normal” life and certainly impossible to emulate.

The things you’ve seen and the stories you’ve heard hit you and hit you hard.  The experiences you’ve had with strangers in hostels, the citizens of your host country, and so many more are so special you’ll never forget them.

Yet where there are extreme highs there are extreme lows. Loneliness, isolation, apathy, frustration or just complete burn out are very real and will probably enter your life.  Sometimes, it’s so bad you can’t bear the thought of spending one more minute where you are. It’s your balanced mind that gets you through.

3. Rely on yourself

When you’re traveling solo it’s just you.  When you’re working in the field sometimes it’s just you, you’ve got to make decisions, you’ve got to deal with the consequences good or bad, and you’ve got to move on. It is only you who can accept responsibility for your actions.  So you learn to listen to yourself, know yourself, and rely on yourself.  You can get through difficult situations and you can figure out solutions to problems.

4. Trust your gut

Sometimes there’s just this feeling that you have that says do it!  Other times the same feeling comes back with don’t do it! You’ve got to listen to it.  Several times I’ve listened to my gut took a leap of faith and had some of the best experiences of my life when everyone else thought I was crazy. There are others that I passed on because my gut said not this one, maybe it was the people, the place, the situation, whatever it was it just didn’t jive with my gut.  So I let it go.  Maybe I missed out on some amazing experiences or some terrible experiences, I’ll never really know but I listened to my gut and that’s good enough for me and should also be for you.

5. Do more with less

Whether a budget traveler, a journalist or aid worker in a low resource setting you learn to do more with less. Figure out how to get yourself out of a bind where you don’t speak the language, spend those few extra days in a destination you love when you don’t really have the money or implement a project missing half of the required materials and staff. You get creative and figure it out. You are always more resourceful than you think.

6. Make connections

In business jargon this would be networking.  On the road, every hostel you stay in, every couch you surf, every bar you walk into provides opportunities to meet and connect with people, people from the same culture or most likely different cultures. Rarely do the geographic, cultural, age or any other ‘differences’ prevent you from having a fascinating conversation, becoming travel buddies or in the best-case scenario lifelong friends. You can connect with people over just about anything.  There is not one person I’ve met in my life, with whom I could not find common ground and connect. Traveling and living abroad is all about making connections and they’re often intense, interesting and exciting.  This is the greatest part of traveling and living abroad.

7. Accept differences

By being open and making connections you learn to accept differences.   There is no ‘my way or the highway’ when you’re traveling or living in another country.  In fact, it’s often the opposite.  You are the guest, you are the outsider, you are the foreigner in a new land, it is up to you to remember that and embrace the differences, even though I admit that can be challenging.  Rarely is there a right or wrong way to do something, there are just different ways.  So listen to others points of view and let it remold yours or solidify it.  How boring the world, and perhaps your company or product, would be without difference in opinions.  Variety after all is the spice of life.

Perhaps you have a few more skills and qualities to add to this list.

Once my contract in Yemen ends it’s off to Kenya for me and my plans. Fingers crossed I’m right and there is crossover between the world of backpacking and living and working in post-conflict zones and the world of business.

Hopefully, I can capitalize on the skills and qualities listed above developed over the last seven years. Otherwise it’s going to be slightly embarrassing after declaring my intentions in this article and espousing this list. However, if there’s one thing I’ve taken from all my reading on starting a business, it’s about taking risks. So that’s exactly what I’ve done, I’m doing now and exactly what I’ll be doing next year.  I hope you’re inspired to do the same.  More specifically, if you haven’t already, I hope you hit the road, and make it a dirt one riddled with potholes in some far-flung country because there’s lots to learn on the bumpy way.

Tanya Castle is a writer, journalist, women’s rights activist, world traveler and soon to be entrepreneur.  She has lived, worked and visited more than 50 countries across 5 continents. Tanya has reported on human rights and social justice issues for various media outlets from Rwanda, Cameroon, Kenya, Lebanon, Canada and more and promoted women’s rights with organizations in DRC, Kosovo and Yemen where she is currently based.  From her Sanaa apartment she is planning her next journey:  starting a social enterprise. 

 Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

The unintended consequence of a startup can be acceleration of everything around you.  It happens so fast, in fact, you end up losing perspective on more important aspects of life.  It’s easy to get out of bed each day, focus on what’s in front of you, go to bed only to get back up the next day to do it all again.  If you are not careful you will find yourself sprinting and spinning in place, making no forward progress at all.

Problems arise when you lose perspective, focusing only on what’s in front of you, becoming all too consumed on accomplishing your immediate goals and not what lies on your life’s horizon.  Soon enough you will reach your “destination” without taking certain aspects of life into consideration – like family, health and the afterlife – leaving you empty and unfulfilled at the end of your journey.

Here are 5 areas I am currently reflecting on to help gain a perspective on life with hopes to figure out a way to better align with what I am doing right now.  (Pardon the existential tone, just one of those days I guess…)

Do I actually enjoy how I spend my days?

Though it’s quite elementary it might help to evaluate if you are actually enjoying where you go and how you spend each day once you get out of bed and leave your house.  Honestly take into account the fun factor, or lack thereof.  Do you feel like a kid?  Or a boring adult?  Do the hours pass with ease and are you fulfilled once the day is over?  Yes, we have to make a wage, earn a paycheck and support our family but we don’t have to dislike it.  We should be enjoying each passing day and the process within.

I quit my full time job a while ago because I didn’t enjoy working for someone else and simply earning dollars for the hours I worked.  I decided to start a company – knowing it was going to be tough – because I value exploration and journey more than maintaining a status quo.  I more value creation than maintenance.

But even now as a free entrepreneur I am not exactly living the charmed life and if I am really honest with myself I remain unfulfilled.  The eyes burn and the legs strain as I make the climb.  I am still searching for the right environment, right cause and right team to help me execute on a worthy mission.  Most important to me is reaching a time in my life where I am able to say “if this is the last day of my life I am extremely excited and happy to do exactly what I plan to do today.”

We’ll get there.

What do I want my grandchildren to say about me?

Gazing towards the horizon, I am pondering how my family and friends will think of me when I am gone.   I hope I am following through and planting the right seeds.  How about you?  How will your friends and family describe you to their friends and others?  What will they talk about and what type of person will they describe?  Will they be proud to be your grandchild?  How did you treat them and what types of memories do you want to leave with them? 

I am not even married so I am not even sure why I am thinking about my grandchildren.  Maybe it’s better to understand this concept in terms of legacy.  I want to leave a positive legacy for my family to be proud of.  It’s safe to say I haven’t gotten very far on this one but it is never too early to ponder what it should involve.  I want to be known as someone who never gave up, regardless of how difficult things became.  I want to be known as someone who treated everyone fair and well, regardless of who they were or their circumstances.  I also want to influence change in the world and encourage others to do the same.

I want to be proud of the person my grandchildren hopefully talk about.

If I die today, what will I say to my creator about how I lived my life?

Heavy stuff to think about but just imagine this for a minute:  you die, you go onto to the afterlife and you approach someone (something) who is there to take account of your life.

Yep. Each. And. Every. Minute. Of. Your. Life.

They look at you and proceed to ask you questions about it.  Why did you say that word to that person?  Why didn’t you offer a hand to that  helpless woman?  I gave you millions of dollars to help others, why did you spend it all on your self?

Now imagine them showing you how they hoped you had lived your life.  All the possibilities and potentials of your life start flooding right in front of you, but you cannot speak.  Your face goes white with regret as you realize you squandered all your strengths and talents, not using them as they could have been used to help your fellow man.

I know… crazy stuff.

Who, if anyone in my life, can I share my deepest and darkest fears with?

Do you have a confidant?  Is there someone you can talk to who will understand and hold no judgement, no matter what you tell them?  I have noticed thoughts, feelings, and emotions building up within me at the same time I can’t find an outlet in sight.  It can be frustrating and claustrophobic to identify struggles and challenges within us but lack any outlet or confidant.

Our biggest fears are the only thing holding us back from reaching our greatest potential.  What if you were able to talk them out and allow someone to help you work through them sans any judgment or embarrassment?

I know I am starting to look for people and ways to come to grips with the fears I have in my life.  In fact, writing has become one of them.

If Superman were to look at the world today, what wrongs would he want to make right?

There’s way too much uncertainty and unrest in the world today.  I have to assume even Superman would be overwhelmed with all there is to fix in the world.  But it seems to me an interesting exercise to ponder what Superman would want to fix if he/she were actually real. 

Billions of people around the world still don’t have clean drinking water and live on $1 a day.  There are millions of people in the U.S. who are searching for employment opportunities, maybe Superman could think of ways to solve both third world and first world employment problems.  In fact, right down the street in Silicon Valley there are people starving and homeless, yet young startup founders are asking investors to give them millions of dollars so they can build yet another way to share photos and send a short message to someone else – all requiring people own the latest expensive smartphones. 

How about terrorism?  How could he create something to curb the urge and the need for people to inflict pain and suffering on others?  And what about the financial challenges every country seems to be under now?  Don’t you think he could get creative enough to help out?  I bet there’s a lot more for Superman to fix, right?

Your unique reflections on the above will indeed bring out the entrepreneur in you.  I guarantee it.

Nick Hughes is CEO of  Seconds, a mobile payments startup located in Seattle, WA.  He also writes at SoEntrepreneurial.com and you can follow him on twitter @jnickhughes. If you are interested in your story being told here, feel free to reach out to me.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

We spent some time combing through crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter.com and Indiegogo.com to find some examples of great people pursuing the greater good. Take a look!

Created by EnergySavings.com

Sandy Moore is a freelance writer and part time blogger for EnergySavings.com.  Sustainability will always be his top priority.

Hopefully, your office won’t be swarmed by a herd of reanimated corpses any time soon, but you and your team’s ability to face and survive adversity, from upset clients to industry melt-downs, is probably the single biggest influencer of your business’ on-going success.

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” is highly educational for us entrepreneurs. It’s brimmed with wonderful metaphors for business and demonstrates stellar and pitiful leadership through adversity by both Rick Grimes and Philip “The Governor” Blake. Spoiler alert!

A quick guide to the analogy:

Zombies = your adversity
Nomadic group of survivors = your team
Survival of the apocalypse = beating the odds

Here are some broad leadership tips from The Walking Dead:

• Stake the Claim of Leader Early On

The only chance of continuing your existence lies in your ability to hold your group together. In a time of need, people will be more willing to follow a brave, accountable leader but you need to publicly assume the mantle.  Both Rick and The Governor appointed themselves as leaders of their groups from the very beginning of the crisis, and you should too.

• Keep Your People Calm

Rick heavily underestimated how much the presence of fear would reduce the group’s odds. Living in perpetual fear robs people of their sensibilities and is as contagious as the zombie virus. Environmental conditions play a big factor – Rick made a poor choice by camping at Hershel’s farm. Rick’s entourage were skittish at best, divisive and murderous at worst even before the farm was overrun by zombies. By the time of the final attack, the group was destined to have massive casualties.

On the other side of the spectrum, The Governor created a safe environment in Woodbury early on, hosting cook-outs and social occasions including zombie fighting to get people’s minds out of panic mode. Their clear headspace allowed calm development of survival strategies including supply raids and better fortification. The contrast in the quality of life between the two groups is stark and the only difference lay in their perception of safety.

• Learn From Mistakes Quickly

In the above example, Rick fortunately adapted from his mistakes and made a much better place of safety at the prison. Notice how messy argument levels dropped dramatically since then? You’re in the deep end and you’re going to make mistakes. So is your team. Survivors are agile – forgiving and learning from the errors quickly can be the difference between survival and demise.

• Establish a Code of Honor

You must standardize the way the collective thinks, feels and acts under duress, which a Code of Honour does. Rick parried off into farm country with a caravan of strangers from diverse backgrounds whom he might not have normally chosen to associate with. I assume you don’t employ convicts and wife-beaters, but do realize that you have a relatively mixed bunch of people with different belief systems playing survival by completely different rules. These differences are amplified in the presence of fear.
Rick haphazardly tried to enforce his own code on other people, but they never established one together. For example, Rick was completely against killing or sacrificing living civilians to survive but Shane, and later on Carl, did so willingly. Lead a group in absence of a Code of Honour long enough and your own people will turn on you just like brainthirsty zombies.

• Discuss Democratically, Decide Autocratically

If your people get eaten by zombies, that’s on you, so ultimately the course of action should be on you too. Rick didn’t neglect the importance of buy-in nor the creative value that could come from open problem solving discussions – however he often got bogged down in survival situations by trying to be too accommodating. The Governor made good bold decisions, which instilled confidence in others, but was totally dismissive about anyone else’s opinions. Find a balance between the two.

• Overcommunicate

You’re waist-deep in problem solving, but it is likely that your furious single-mindedness is distracting you from your responsibility to communicate to your group. Both Rick and The Governor understood that people would give in to their own growing insecurities by default if not reassured – so communicated plans and status frequently and publicly.

Can you think of any other good or bad leadership examples from the Walking Dead?

Ulrico Grech-Cumbo is the co-founder and MD of Ambrosia Agency, a disruptive experiential marketing agency. Having qualified with a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering, Ulrico developed a passion for connecting problems to solutions and explores that passion through the multi-faceted world of entrepreneurship.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

What did you do this week?  It probably wasn’t what you would have done if it was your last week on earth.

What are you doing next week?  Wow.  Probably pretty depressing when you put it that way.

Most people don’t think about death very often.  I certainly don’t.  The title of this article actually gives me the creeps.  Most people say things like “I want to live life the fullest”, but in reality most of our generation needed Drake to say YOLO before they ever considered that you only get one shot at this thing called life.

Most people don’t live a life full of intention.   And what exactly should this hippie-yoga term mean to you?  It should mean being fully aware that going to work everyday is a choice.  It should mean, that even when you hang out with boring people, you still know– you’re getting more boring.  It should mean, that every time you overeat, or overspend, or overwatch something lame on television, you still know– you’re doing this to yourself.

Well, f*ck me if I sit on the couch or in a cubicle if today was my last day on earth.

Seriously.  Think about your funeral.  Not about how many people will be there, but what the people who actually matter would say.  I don’t wish a near death experience upon anyone, but I have some friends who are in need of one.

What did you leave behind?

When’s the last time you thought about your legacy?  What are you going to leave behind?  The other morning I had breakfast with an attendee from our Under30Experiences trip to Nicaragua.  He’s the Wall Street kid who got sucked in by the fat paychecks, and now is having the best years of his life sucked right out of him in exchange.  But, he knows it, and he’s plotting his escape from Corporate America in order to live the life he wants, and to leave a legacy that will carry on long after he’s gone.

The first step is always admitting it.  It’s being aware.  It’s living with intention.

Create something.  

If you want to leave something behind, you have to think– what is that something?  Yes, it can be a worldwide empire of riches and wealth, but it doesn’t have to be. How about that music career, that the twelve your old you would be crushed to hear you gave up on?  How’s that book going that you’ll never write? Why haven’t you started working on a project that really means something to you?

Build something you can leave behind.  Whether it’s art, music, writing, a company that does something meaningful, a family, or a photo album full of memories, do it… and do it your way.  Don’t just jump on the bandwagon and create the next Snapchat meets music sharing app.  How’s that code going to feel when all is said and done?

Last week, I wrote about what I want out of life– new challenges, reaching beyond my comfort zone, seeing new places, trying new things, inspiring a creative environment, new experiences, and positive energy from ambitious young people. It is exactly why we’re building Under30Experiences: a travel company dedicated to bringing ambitious young professionals on eye-opening experiences.

If we can open up amazing young people to the world that they’ve been missing and give them a launchpad to connect with other people striving for the next level of success in business and life, I’ll leave this planet happy.

Hope this article makes you think.  Would love for you to drop a comment below, and let me know what’s holding your friends back.

To win a trip of a lifetime to Costa Rica join our list at Under30Experiences.com

Matt Wilson is Co-founder of Under30Media and Adventurer in Residence at Under30Experiences.  
Follow @MattWilsontv

Here are a few tips to help you stay focused on work, and not end up feeling isolated and bored when you work from home:

1.     Find ways to talk to your colleagues

Take advantage of all of the technology your company has to offer.  Spend time in instant messenger chats, make regular conference calls, or talk your team into setting up a Google hangout.  Do whatever it takes to stay up to date with all of the news that affects your office-based colleagues.

2.     Designate an office space

Try not to work from bed, or from the living room while the TV is on.  You may feel like you’re still being productive, but this kind of “work anywhere” attitude is a bad one to have.  Instead of blurring the lines between home and office in this way, set up a dedicated office space (be that the kitchen table or the spare room), and go there whenever you need to work.

3.     Tackle bad tasks first

Each morning, look at your to-do list and pick the task that you really don’t fancy doing.  Make yourself do it.  That task could be calling an awkward client, completing that mind-numbingly boring spreadsheet, or filing your expense report.  Whatever it is, do it.  After you’ve got that task out of the way, everything else will seem easy.

4.     Link productivity with rewards

This one is easy for people who are self employed and work from home.  Self-employed people know that if they don’t get work done, they won’t get paid.  Salaried employees don’t tend to have such a direct link between work and money in their minds – they know that if they slack off for one day, they’ll still get paid, they’ll just have to work harder the next day.  Try to build a mental link between work and money (or getting work done and having time off), so that you have some motivation to get stuff done.

5.     Block those social media accounts

If your job doesn’t require you to hang out on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, stay away from those sites during office hours.  If you can’t do that with willpower alone, install some software that blocks access to those sites.  When you don’t have anything distracting you, it’s so much easier to focus on work.

6.     Work away from home

When your home and your office are the same thing, it can become hard to relax at home, and even harder to focus on work.  Treat yourself by taking your laptop to the local coffee shop, the beach, or even a quiet pub.  You may be surprised at how much more productive you are away from home.

This guest article has been provided Maintel who provide a range of unified communications and remote working solutions.  Follow them on twitter @Maintel for more information.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

The statistics

Economist Intelligence Unit conducted the survey unlocking the benefits of energy efficiency and found of the 278 major global corporations involved that eighty-three percent reported significant cost savings due to programmes they had implemented, while fifty-four percent of respondents noted enhancements to their brand’s reputation. Big business, yes, but as noted by the study, businesses generally underestimate the value of green business to their investors – or potential investors.

In the UK, even simple changes can make a big difference, with the Carbon Trust reporting that UK businesses together could save more than £400 million a year by improving hot water boiler efficiency.

Lighting

Let’s start simple. Changes to lighting are often simple but effective:

• Turn it off: If there are windows and there is plenty of light, turn off the lights and enjoy the natural ambience.
• Change the lights: A change to energy saving light bulbs can make a big difference. For example, incandescent light bulbs are less efficient than halogen or compact fluorescent lamps.
• Clean it: The life expectancy and output of lighting can degrade if dust and other dirt collect, so make sure to keep it clean.
• Occupancy sensors: These detect movement in a room and turn the lights on and off accordingly, generally costing up to $80 depending on circumstances.

Heating

Another simple but effective way that small or larger business owners can reduce energy wastage is by keeping track of their heating:

• Turn it off: It’s that one again, but it is applicable if people are not there to be kept warm. Consider setting a timer if you know employees will be starting and finishing work at a certain time; otherwise it may be chilly at start time.
• Be heating energy efficient: As the seasons change the temperature of your business’ heating should reflect this. Try different settings on the thermostat to find the one that saves energy and works for your employees.
• Don’t let in the cold: Cracks or gaps, or damaged windows, can let in drafts, but sealing these can ensure the thermostat is not turned up.
• Open the window: If the summer has arrived and you and your employees need some cooling down, consider opening the window rather than touching the heating.

Office apparatus

Office energy efficiency is hampered by several items around the office that waste energy and money. But you can make a difference:

• Monitor: If a PC is not in use for a while switch it off, and make sure this is done at the end of the day.
• PCs: Some cleaning and general maintenance can make a difference to the energy usage of a PC. If you hear the fan working hard it’s probably because there is a lot of collected dust.
• Printers: Consider networking several employees to one printer as this will lead to energy and cost savings.
• Photocopiers: They sit in the corner of the office and waste a lot of energy while they sit there idly. Other than turning them off when they are not in use – yes, that one again – consider using the double-sided option and run copies in batches. Also, don’t buy big, buy the copier that actually suits your business requirements.

Smart meters

The smart grid in both America and the UK uses communications technology such as smart meters to maximize the efficiency and affordability of electricity. These smart meters use ‘big data’ for households and businesses to give insights into where energy is being wasted and where it can be saved. These can help you as a business owner to save money and understand your business’ processes. In the UK, there are also half hourly meters which work to provide bespoke costs and not ones based on estimates. Half hour metering is applicable if your business expands and can help companies to monitor usage and implement programmes. In the UK, half hourly meters are generally a mandatory requirement for large users of energy.

Action steps

So what have we learned today? That it is often simple changes that can improve a business’ energy efficiency and expenses. The following, and article ending, action steps should hopefully help entrepreneurs and small business owners to implement the elements discussed above:

• Analysis of premises: Take a look around your workplace and see if you can find any areas where energy is being wasted and where key changes can be implemented.
• Analysis of competitors: How are other businesses in your industry working to change their energy consumption? Can you do the same or better?
• Energy saving champion: Depending on the current level of your business and the resources available, appointing an energy saving champion can give your organisation a spearhead for change.
• Seek out help: Organisations like the Carbon Trust offer a range of services to help businesses improve their green standings.
• Meter reading: As mentioned above there are smart meters like half hourly meters as part of the smart grid which give you real insights for change.
• Energy supplier: Speak to your supplier and see what changes can be made. Also, do not be afraid to see what else is out there.

Jason Smith is the utility manager at www.businesselectricityprices.org.uk which has helped thousands of businesses each year to reduce their energy bills by providing guidance on green energy and energy management.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

QUESTION: 

Question by: Ashley

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com

If it was up to him, why would he make a “job” or “work” the center of his life?  When someone asks him “what he does”, why should he have to respond and narrowly define himself by the skills he uses to make money?

I’d spend my life traveling, learning languages, practicing martial arts, reading, programming, eating good food and (eventually) raising smart, open-eyed children. All the other shit can suck it.

Touché Daniel, and I agree: there is a better way.  Now let me break it down for those on a quest to “do what you love” from someone who’s been through all the ups and downs…

I graduated from Bryant University having built what the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization named the best chapter in the world, four out of five years.  I was leading a team of 150 smart, young, innovative, passionate people.  No way I was getting a f*cking job.

I pass up job offers galore, to “start my empire” from my mom’s basement outside of Poughkeepsie.  Pitching VC’s, writing business plans, sending money to India for web development, I was still, without a clue on how to actually make money from my lawnchair.  I call Jared O’Toole to drink some Miller Lite’s on the front porch and we realize there have to be lots of other young people trying to start businesses just like us.  We co-found Under30CEO.com.

Without a clue, and no revenue in sight, it’s now the dead of winter, and Poughkeepsie is getting depressing.  Then the Global Financial Crisis hits, and now we’re really screwed.  My mom comes to me shortly after Christmas to tell me that we will be losing our house.  The home I grew up in.

Lesson 1: At least be able to tell your mom how your business plans to make money.

Sh*t, those $65k+ salaries I turned down could be coming in handy right now.  It was time to hustle.  I accept the first job I can find on Craigslist–a position for a driver and show up at 6AM… wheeling and dealing can’t be so bad.  It’ll be my mobile office…

Wrong.  I show up and am given the keys to a dump truck.  With an 18 foot trailer.  WTF.  I guess it’s time to learn to drive a dump truck…

I get us to the job site, and I’m quickly informed that the crew of Mexican laborers I’m driving around aren’t going to appreciate it if I sit in the truck… It’s time for me to dig ditches 12 hours a day for the next six months…

Lesson 2: When you put your back against the wall, you make sh*t happen.

Sure, I could have chalked up my entrepreneurial dreams and got a cushy desk job.  But instead, I put myself in the most uncomfortable situation possible.  Digging ditches with guys who could work me under the table, AND THEN going home to moonlight Under30CEO until 2AM was absolutely miserable.  I was making $15/hour, living in a tiny apartment with my mom.  I love you Mom, but that’s not exactly what I thought my “empire” would entail.

Shout out to Jared O’Toole who represented Andersen Windows at the Wappingers Town Fair that year.

Lesson 3:  Test everything.

We’ve tried everything on this damn site.  We don’t talk about it much, but Under30CEO was once just a Ustream show, then a Ning Network, a Meetup, and a membership site, we’ve offered daily deals, affiliate offers, consulted startups, hosted workshops on social media, done dealflow for VCs, you name it, we’ve tested it.  It’s been the smartest thing we’ve ever done.  Make little tests, if they make money, run with them, if not, see ya later…

Lesson 4: You don’t test stuff very long when you’re broke.

While throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what sticks is great, when you’re bootstrapping on a ditch-digger’s wage, you don’t have the money or the patience to test things for very long.  You’re trying to get cashflow positive as fast as possible.  Any of the business models listed above are solid ideas and could be turned into million dollar businesses.  Looking back at it, it was probably our biggest curse.  We were looking to get hit the jackpot, and we were quick to give up.  Young and impatient?  Yes… But smart.  Here’s why:

Lesson 5: Never do anything you are going to hate.

Call me a pretentious, formerly-frustrated 20-something, but we stuck to our core value of doing something we loved.  We love being in the business of inspiring young entrepreneurs.  Many of those other business models were not that, and we knew we would eventually grow to hate them.  We listened to our gut, and as corny as it sounds, we followed our dream…

But don’t think for a moment that it was easy.  

Guts, grit, determination, yeah, all of that, and then some.  It’s way harder than anyone will ever tell you.  But worth it?  Oh, hell yes.

Now we’re officially spinning off a new company, based on something we’re even more insanely passionate and excited about… A travel company for ambitious young professionals.  The best part?  I got to spend seven months around the world, working from this very laptop, plotting world domination.

No wait, ACTUALLY, the best part is that this travel company is designed to be the launching pad for young people who want to see the world, and go out and do big things.  This isn’t a course and there is no curriculum.  We simply curate experiences in places like Costa Rica and Nicaragua with other amazing people and inspire the creative environment to let you guys figure out your next big moves.

An Open Letter to Frustrated 20-Somethings?  Yes Daniel, you’re spot on.  It is possible to make money doing what you love.  And when it helps other people figure out their dreams?  It’s game on.

Break out of your comfort zone: Enter to win a Trip of a Lifetime to Costa Rica via Under30Experiences.

Matt Wilson is Co-founder of Under30Media and Adventurer in Residence at Under30Experiences.  
Follow @MattWilsontv

Startup founders may find that there are several tools that are currently being used by big companies that may be applied to their own businesses to create “unfair advantages” relative to the competition just by designing and operating more efficiently.

May I present to you what I’d like to call The 7 Startup Mudas.

1.    Waiting

As Eric Ries’s Lean Startup states don’t waste your time and launch as fast as possible.

2.    Inventory

Don’t waste money creating unnecessary inventories that will occupy unneeded space. Develop a strategy to instead buy and use only what is strictly needed.

3.    Over-designing

Design only what the client desires and what you validated using customer validation tools. Make sure you are developing the right product at the right time for the validated client.

4.    Over-processing

Don’t waste other peoples time by building complicated stuff. Save the trouble for later and try to design processes that can be easily standardized from the beginning. If you are already well on your way in your product development ask yourself what can be improved to make your product flow without interruption. Use tools such as 5S, spaguetti diagrams, value stream mapping and other lean tools to skim the fat of your current product development process.

5.    Inefficient/Too much Testing

Create your own metrics to test your product, keep track of everything, analyze variability (product and process related) and improve. During testing try to come up with solutions to shorten your startup’s overall lead and cycle time in delivering value to clients. Have a strategy for identifying waste and immediately respond to problems, challenges or breakdowns.

6.    Hiring Rock Stars

Check out Kelsey Meyer’s awesome article “Why we don’t hire rock stars”. Sometimes teams look great on paper but are they really delivering value to your startup? Use wisely the potential of each individual in your team. Dismiss anyone that is not making significant contribution.

7.    Miscommunication

Develop good rapport and minimize indirect interactions with your possible suppliers, clients and your team. Use project management tools to simplify tasks, create milestones and schedule projects.

When building your products or services always consider:

1. The cost of manufacturing or service
2. Learning curves
3. Competition
4. Fluctuations in demand
5. Devising an efficient schedule for material shortages
6. Building flexible processes and highly configurable products
7. Insufficient vendor capabilities
8. Quality standards
9. Process inconsistencies

Keep in mind that by developing simple and easy to manufacture products and services you are minimizing primary startup costs drivers. Be rigorous in your design approach while maintaining a fast testing atmosphere so you can develop a fully integrated lean atmosphere.

Whether your business is a manufacturing or service based startup it is important to establish common processes for product development, product management and manufacturing service offering.

The 7 Startup Mudas will enable you to tailor your own winning formula to operate efficiently. In no time you will see significant performance improvements in quality, cycle time, asset management, delivery and profit among others.  Please let me know if my advice works for you.

Eric Lozada is an industrial engineer and startup founder based in Puerto Rico, visionary thinker and coffee lover. Follow me at Twitter: SuperEric00; LinkedIn: Eric Lozada; email: lozada.eric@gmail.com

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com