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Wednesday, 25 July 2018

40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up

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40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


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40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Merrill Stubbs









Merrill Stubbs


Image credit:

Food52




Name: Merrill Stubbs
Company: Food52
Childhood dream: I really wanted to be a performer. I did a lot of acting and singing as a kid and teenager. I think I was pretty convinced for a while that was my destiny. But I don't think I had the backbone for the rejection that comes with that path. Ultimately when I was deciding between a conservatory as opposed to a liberal arts college, that's when I made that decision: to keep singing as something for fun rather than my career.



Read more about Stubbs: The Life-Changing Book That Helps This Entrepreneur Think Big



 






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Ryan Holmes









Ryan Holmes


Image credit:

Hootsuite




Name: Ryan Holmes
Company: Hootsuite
Childhood dream: I wanted to be a video game developer, but after high school, I decided to do the practical thing and study business in university. That turned out to be a mistake. I dropped out and opened a series of businesses, including a pizza joint, before finally getting back to what I originally loved, in a way, with Hootsuite.



Read more about Holmes: How Following His Heart Led This Entrepreneur to Start a Multi-Billion Dollar Company



 






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Julia Hartz









Julia Hartz


Image credit:

EventBrite




Name: Julia Hartz
Company: Eventbrite
Childhood dream: I wanted to work in television, and I did! I studied broadcast journalism at Pepperdine University. After a short career in television with MTV and later on at FX Network, I found my true calling in Eventbrite.



Read more about Hartz: The Day This Eventbrite Co-Founder Learned When to Speak Up



 






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Tim Chen









Tim Chen


Image credit:

Nerdwallet



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Daniella Yacobovsky









Daniella Yacobovsky


Image credit:

BaubleBar




Name: Daniella Yacobovsky
Company: BaubleBar
Childhood dream: I wanted to be a singer for a very long time. I used to beg my father to take me on Star Search. Ultimately, I did not go to Star Search, but I did do a lot of singing and art classes. I always loved tapping into my creative side, even though in school I ended up pursuing math and finance and that ended up being my initial post-college path.



 



Read more about Yacobovsky: This Co-Founder of BaubleBar's Secret for Inspiration? Always 'Keep Your Eyes Peeled.'



 






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Gavin Armstrong









Gavin Armstrong


Image credit:

Lucky Iron Fish




Name: Gavin Armstrong
Company: Lucky Iron Fish
Childhood dream: When I was little, I did want to be an entrepreneur. My uncle started his own company when I was in elementary school, and I always admired him for that. His company sold plumbing and washroom equipment. I went into work with him all the time; I swept the floors for nothing just to be in the office, loved the atmosphere and felt proud by association.


Read more about Armstrong: This CEO Has Helped Thousands -- and He's Just Getting Started



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Oliver Kharraz









Oliver Kharraz


Image credit:

Zocdoc




Name: Oliver Kharraz
Company: Zocdoc
Childhood dream: A doctor. My father was a doctor, his father, and his father before that. It was really passed down in my family. In a lot of ways the underlying value for this was that I've always been taught that talent breeds responsibility, and so being a doctor was a very direct way to live up to that responsibility.



 



Read more about Kharraz: This Founder Says to Succeed You Need to Question Everything



 






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Matt Ehrlichman









Matt Ehrlichman


Image credit:

Porch




Name: Matt Ehrlichman
Company: Porch
Childhood dream: I wanted to be a pro-basketball player, and then realized I wasn't going to be nearly as athletic enough. Luckily, for me, I got on the entrepreneur track very early. I started my first company at 14; I was selling sand dollars on the street.



Read more about Ehrlichman: How This Founder Uses His Competitiveness to Succeed in Business



 






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Jennie Ripps









Jennie Ripps


Image credit:

Nicole Franzen




Name: Jennie Ripps
Company: Owl's Brew
Childhood dream: I always wanted to make things and what that meant changed. I wanted to make bracelets and then I wanted to make lemonade. So I always wanted to be a maker but there was no profession that I was drawn towards. I was just more excited by the idea of trying to build and make things and that shifted with age.



Read more about Ripps: The One Thing This Entrepreneur Does Each Day to Stay Productive



 






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Angie Hicks









Angie Hicks


Image credit:

Courtesy of Angie Hicks



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Whitney Wolfe









Whitney Wolfe


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Bumble



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Kara Goldin









Kara Goldin


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Kara Goldin



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Bea Fischel-Bock









Bea Fischel-Bock


Image credit:

Courtesy of Hutch




Name: Bea Fischel-Bock
Company: Hutch
Childhood dream: I'm pretty much obsessed with animals, so I thought I was going to be a vet until I saw my dog after surgery and realized there was blood involved. Once I got clarity on the fact that being a vet didn't just mean meeting cute dogs and cats, I shifted my attention to my passion for design.



Read more about Fischel-Bock: This Founder Shares Why In Order To Learn Fast, You Need to Fail Fast






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Daniel Lubetzky









Daniel Lubetzky


Image credit:

Kind



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


John Zimmer









John Zimmer


Image credit:

Lyft




Name: John Zimmer
Company: Lyft
Childhood dream: A doughnut man. That was the first thing I told my parents. I used to go to Dunkin' Donuts, and I told them that I wanted to be a doughnut man. That was a person that was making the doughnuts. I used to talk to the people that were making them and so just my love of doughnuts made me want to make them too. This is when I was 5.



Read more about Zimmer: Lyft Co-Founder John Zimmer: 'You Should Never Veer Off the Path of Your Own Values'






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Jen Rubio









Jen Rubio


Image credit:

Masha Maltsava



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


David Bladow









David Bladow


Image credit:

Courtesy of BloomThat




Name: David Bladow
Company: BloomThat
Childhood dream: An NBA basketball player. I wanted to be a basketball player and entrepreneur. I'm 5 feet 9 inches tall, but I was better suited for the latter. I always wanted to work for myself, even when I didn't know what I was going to be. My grandfather, dad, mom and stepdad are all entrepreneurs. I've never known anything else, none of them never had bosses. I grew up with that mentality.



Read more about Bladow: This Founder Has 3 Simple Tips to Achieve Maximum Productivity






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Carrie Dorr









Carrie Dorr


Image credit:

Pure Barre




Name: Carrie Dorr
Company: Pure Barre
Childhood dream: I wanted to be Janet Jackson's choreographer and one of her backup dancers. I started dancing when I was 3. I taught dance and fitness classes through law school and after I graduated, my second chapter, I wanted to save every woman and child on the planet who needed help. Two very different desires that ended up crossing paths later in life.



Read more about Dorr: This Founder Shares How to Tailor Your Schedule to Fit Your Brain






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Bastian Lehmann









Bastian Lehmann


Image credit:

Bloomberg | Getty Images




Name: Bastian Lehmann
Company: Postmates
Childhood dream: I always wanted to be a movie director. Stanley Kubrick is my absolute favorite. I think what a director does, and how you give life to an idea is related to building a company. I want to be the guy that makes things work out.



Read more about Lehmann: This Founder Shares the One Trait He Looks for in Every Hire






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Randi Zuckerberg









Randi Zuckerberg


Image credit:

Randi Zuckerberg




Name: Randi Zuckerberg
Company: Zuckerberg Media
Childhood dream: For a while, I wanted to be a mermaid, but apparently that was not a tangible goal. I really wanted to sing on Broadway. That was my big goal my entire life. I eventually gave it up to go into something reasonable, like technology and entrepreneurship.



Read more about Zuckerberg: Why Everyone Can Use Randi Zuckerberg's Number One Focus Tip






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Heidi Zak









Heidi Zak


Image credit:

ThirdLove




Name: Heidi Zak
Company: ThirdLove
Childhood dream: I wanted to be a broadcast journalist. I looked up to Katie Couric when she was at the Today Show. I think she was just really knowledgeable and came across as very friendly -- something about her that was really real. I liked that about her.



Read more about Zak: What This Founder Learned at a Farmstand Helped Her Bra Startup






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Alex Friedman









Alex Friedman


Image credit:

Matthew Eisman | Getty Images




Name: Alex Friedman
Company: Lola
Childhood dream: I wanted to be a cartoonist. I spent a lot of time as a kid doing arts and crafts. I loved to draw, and I started buying books that were all about being a cartoonist 101 and about drawing comics. Eventually, I created my own series of characters and made my own comic book. .



Read more about Friedman: How You Can Use Your Computer Password to Make Your Aspirations a Reality






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Katrina Lake









Katrina Lake


Image credit:

Katrina Lake



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Luis von Ahn









Luis von Ahn


Image credit:

Courtesy of Duolingo



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Scott Harrison









Scott Harrison


Image credit:

Courtesy of Charity: Water



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Bruce Poon Tip









Bruce Poon Tip


Image credit:

G Adventures



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Ayah Bdeir









Ayah Bdeir


Image credit:

Courtesy of Ayah Bdeir




Name: Ayah Bdeir
Company: LittleBits
Childhood dream: I wanted to be an architect. I was good at math and science, and I also liked art and design. I felt like architecture was kind of a combo. I didn't become an architect for the silliest reason. My mom said, "Well your oldest sister is already an architect, we don't need two architects in the family."And I was like OK, then I'll become an engineer. It was a very quick pivot, but now I'm happy that I did engineering.



Read more about Bdeir: This Successful Entrepreneur Explains Why Revenue Is Not the Most Important Thing (and What Is)






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Wendy Williams









Wendy Williams


Image credit:

Courtesy of Wendy Williams



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Dr. Katie Rodan









Dr. Katie Rodan


Image credit:

Rodan + Fields




Name: Dr. Katie Rodan
Company: Rodan + Fields
Childhood dream: I always wanted to be in business for myself and recognized this ambition at a young age, starting with Girl Scouts. One year, our troop sold so many cookies we won a trip to Disneyland. Instead of riding the rides, I spent the day outside the ticket booth selling each individual ticket. My parents couldn't believe it when I came home with a pocket full of money. A couple of years later, around age 13, I started a small business creating and selling purses and beaded necklaces to a retail shop. In a few years, I made enough money to buy myself a car. These early experiences rewarded me for being resourceful and fueled my fire to seek an entrepreneurial path.



Read more about Dr. Katie Rodan: Want to Build a Billion-Dollar Business? Here Are 2 Simple Ideas That Helped These Two Skincare Heavyweights.






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Alexa von Tobel









Alexa von Tobel


Image credit:

Courtesy of Alexa von Tobel



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Tamara Mellon









Tamara Mellon


Image credit:

Tamara Mellon



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Vicki Fulop









Vicki Fulop


Image credit:

Brooklinen




Company: Brooklinen
Childhood dream: I wanted to be three things: a singer, but I can't sing, so that didn't work out; an actress -- I would rope my friends into performing plays with me; and fashion designer, and I've gotten close to that. When I look back they had a common theme in that I always loved storytelling.



Read more about Fulop: Use This Founder's Simple Email Strategy to Keep Burnout at Bay






40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Nirav Tolia









Nirav Tolia


Image credit:

Nirav Tolia



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Jennifer Hyman









Jennifer Hyman


Image credit:

Jennifer Hyman



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Christene Barberich









Christene Barberich


Image credit:

Frankie Marin



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Sarah Kauss









Sarah Kauss


Image credit:

Sarah Kauss



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Barbara Corcoran









Barbara Corcoran


Image credit:

Barbara Corcoran



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Tristan Walker









Tristan Walker


Image credit:

Tristan Walker



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Payal Kadakia









Payal Kadakia


Image credit:

Payal Kadakia



40 Successful Entrepreneurs Reveal What They Wanted to Be When They Grew Up


Melanie Perkins









Melanie Perkins


Image credit:

Melanie Perkins




Company: Canva
Childhood dream: I guess you could say that design had always played a big role in my life. When I was 14 I started my first business creating handmade scarves that I sold at shops and markets throughout Perth, and I never forgot the freedom and excitement of being able to build a business. That was one of the driving forces that led me to launch what would evolve to be Canva.



Rad more about Perkins: She Was Told 'No' 100 Times. Now This 30-Year-Old Female Founder Runs a $1 Billion Business.








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