This formula is proof you can launch a business for under $1,000. — I’ve built companies for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and I’ve built companies for hundreds of dollars. I’ve also lost hundreds of thousands of dollars (typically on those more expensive-to-build companies), and I’ve made hundreds of thousands on companies with an initial investment of under a thousand. I’m living proof…

A few considerations before you accept venture capital (or any other type of funding). — A few years ago I received an email out of the blue that really took me by surprise. I was at least a couple of years into my startup journey (also known as, living in a dingy 400 square foot studio apartment and trying to stretch my savings as long…

What I learned in my first startup failure and how you can determine if and when to cut your losses. — Let’s be honest: I know why you’re here. You’re excited to hear another startup failure story from someone whose dreams have crashed and burned before them, even better to hear it was all their fault (what a poor, pathetic loser of an entrepreneur they must be), and you can’t wait…

How a boy named Esmeralda changed my life. A love story for those who don’t believe in love. — Let me preface this with the fact that I’m not a very emotional person. I don’t open up quickly or easily and I have an auto-cringe response to most anything mushy or gushy hurled my way. I like to keep my friends, enemies, and pretty much all humans a good six to ten emotional feet away from me on a fairly regular basis.

Some sales tactics end up deceiving the sellers most of all — As entrepreneurs, representatives of our own brands, and in many respects, salespeople ourselves, we can likely point to our go-to toolbox of tried and true tactics that comprise any good sales pitch. To name a few: Credibility (using testimonials, social proof, or accolades to edify our brands) A customer-oriented value…

A successful pre-entrepreneurship career could be stifling your startup success. Here’s how (and why) to ditch the shackles ASAP. — One of the greatest debates around entrepreneurship surrounds the topic of side hustling versus quiet quitting versus burning the ships pre-revenue and never turning back. Despite my own career decisions (and prior failures and regrets) — or perhaps because of them — I typically take a more conservative approach to…

There are only three things you need to beat out the competition in this environment, and they will make many mega-millionaires. — If you came here looking for an immediate fix or a thirty-day escape plan from your current startup woes, this article isn’t for you. Likewise, if you want a trendy idea for a recession-centered cash grab, I’d look elsewhere. However, if you’re looking to build lasting entrepreneurial success (and wealth)…

Knowledge, ad spend, and great SEO aren’t always enough to overcome the intangibles that can make (or cost) you millions. — Four seconds was all it took to win over a cold prospect for a multi-million-dollar sale. Ironically, the prospect knew little to nothing about the service provider asking for his business. He had no clue whether his track record was ten years or ten days (or less). This man hadn’t…

Let’s settle this once and for all: Does the straight-line sales method work better than playing hard to get? — Once you become an entrepreneur, there are a few superpowers you “unlock” — well, if you so choose. One of those superpowers is to objectively observe and assess the marketing and sales skills and strategies that are working (or failing to work) all around — and even on — you…