20 Things I Wish They Taught Me in College Before Starting My Own Business

I wouldn’t have traded my college experience at UCLA for anything in the world. I loved it. What college didn’t do, is prepare me for entrepreneurship, at least not then. Many universities now offer courses on starting your own business, but in my humble opinion, reading case studies is not the same as being taught by the person who actually lived the experience. I was a guest lecturer at Glendale Community College for Professor Reid Denham’s Businesses Intro class and I had the pleasure of sharing what I call the “20 Things I Wish They Taught Me in College Before Starting My Own Business”.
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These are my notes below that I shared with the class.
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  1. If you are young single with no kids - now is the time to bust your ass.
  2. If someone asks you if you can do something - say YES and figure it out
  3. There are trends - keep an eye out for them ride trends and take advantage of them “good artists borrow, great artists steal.” Google pay per click VS Fb Ads & Instagram Ads Consulting in Digital Marketing - Trend
  4. Trends End - don’t be a slave to a trend or too arrogant to think you know it all
    • MySpace
    • Blockbuster
    • Toys R Us
  5. You’re going to fail Your first endeavor is probably not going to end well. Do it anyway.
  6. There is no perfect time to start something.
  7. Not having the capital to get started is probably your greatest asset
  8. Most success stories have taken years
  9. Don’t give up too soon.
    • In 1998 Stan Lee traded away his movie points for a reported $10 million (plus about a million a year for life). Disney bought Marvel for $4B
    • 1980, Goelitz executives asked David Klein founder of Jelly Belly to relinquish the Jelly Belly trademark in exchange for $10,000 each every month for 20 years. Goelitz changed its name to Jelly Belly Candy Co. and currently brings in around $193 million annually.
  10. It’s a lonely road
  11. Commitment versus loving what you do
  12. Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the gut
  13. Be authentic. Your story is your story and it’s the most powerful thing you’ve got.
  14. Document your journey. Your content is king/queen and it’s worth Billions.
  15. Smile
  16. Greet everyone you meet with a compliment
  17. Be a problem solver - don’t drown in a glass of water
  18. Don’t let the highs get you too high or the lows get you too low
  19. You are in SALES even if you don’t think you are
  20. Always Be Learning
  21. Egg. Carrot. Coffee Bean.