What would you tell your twenty something self?
featuring 75+ millionaires, CEOs, Olympians, bestselling authors, professional athletes & more world class, inspiring individuals
by Matt Kohn
This project is dedicated to the memory of my role model, Scott Dinsmore.
Scott passed away in September 2015 at the age of 33.
I received his contribution to this post a few months before he passed.
Despite Scott’s young age, he impacted millions through his community, Live Your Legend. He made a career out of serving others, helping them find and do work they loved.
His passing reminds us that we are all on a timeline, and we don’t know when that timeline will end…
We owe it to ourselves and to the world to find the work that makes us come alive. When that happens, not only does it impact you, but it positively impacts all that come in contact with you.
Scott Dinsmore
I have just one question to ask you guys, and I think it’s the only question that matters. And it’s what is the work you can’t not do? Discover that, live it, not just for you, but for everybody around you, because that is what starts to change the world. What is the work you can’t not do?
This project changed my life…
After quitting my consulting job in NYC and moving to Medellín, Colombia to pursue my dream of working for myself, it was time to start figuring things out fast…
I was fed up with the fluffy, BS self-help advice that you see online. I wanted valuable, practical advice that I could apply to my life and start figuring things out.
So, I started reaching out to my role models — people who had already achieved the success I was after.
I sent out a few emails without expecting much in return (as my roommate can attest based on my shouting outbursts of “YASSS! Ray Romano emailed me back!)…
But, after a few weeks my inbox was flooded with life changing insights. Before I knew it, I had heard from 75+ millionaires, Olympians, New York Times bestselling authors, super bowl champions and more…
Their insights truly changed my life.
It is now my mission to provide their insights to as many twenty somethings as possible.
This post is the result of 300+ emails sent and 100+ hours of research to connect with these world class individuals. It was a ton of fun.
I couldn’t be more excited to share this with you…
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Download and discover the best insights from 75+ millionaires, Olympians, CEOs, bestselling authors, Super Bowl champions and more world class individuals. Click here to download now.
World Class Contributors
(click to jump to contributor’s advice)
Adam Bornstein: award-winning fitness and nutrition writer, founder of Born Fitness
Adam Braun: founder of Pencils of Promise and New York Times bestselling author
Alex Pirouz: business strategist and columnist, founder of Linkfluencer
Alexi Panos: inspirational author, artist and philanthropist
Amy Purdy: bestselling author, Olympic bronze medalist snowboarder and social entrepreneur
Andrew Horn: speaker, social entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Tribute
Andrew Warner: founder of Mixergy, the #1 startup podcast
Andrian: entrepreneur, writer and founder of The Quintessential Man
Arianna Huffington: author and co-founder of The Huffington Post
Barrie Davenport: certified life coach and founder of Live Bold and Bloom
Benny Hsu: developer, blogger, podcaster and traveler
Brett McKay: entrepreneur and founder of The Art of Manliness
Brian D. Evans: Inc. 500 serial entrepreneur, business coach and founder of Influencive
Briana Scurry: two time Olympic gold medalist, world cup champion and female soccer legend
Bronson Taylor: serial entrepreneur, startup advisor, author and co-founder of Growth Hacker TV
Bryan Clay: 4 time US national champion and gold medal winning decathlete
Chelsea Dinsmore: owner and chief inspiration officer of Live Your Legend
Chad Yesilova: Education professional and marketing expert
Chris Ducker: serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker and bestselling author
Chris Guillebeau: world traveler, speaker and Wall Street Journal & New York Times bestselling author
Coss Marte: founder of ConBody
Daniel DiPiazza: founder of Rich20Something
Daniel Pink: New York Times and Wall Street Journal best selling author
Danielle LaPorte: bestselling author, entrepreneur and speaker
Darius Foroux: author, blogger and personal development expert
Dave Asprey: creator of Bulletproof Coffee, host of Bulletproof Radio and NYT bestselling author
David Allen: world leading expert on personal and organizational productivity
Derek Flanzraich: founder and CEO of Greatist
Erin Willett: contestant on The Voice and The Biggest Loser and musician
Guy Kawasaki: Silicon Valley-based business/tech guru, author of thirteen books
Henrik Edberg: award-winning personal development blogger
Jake Ducey: internationally recognized author, speaker and millennial motivator
Jason Khalipa: CrossFit athlete and Crossfit Games champion 2008
Jasper Ribbers: AirBnB expert, bestselling author, speaker and full-time traveler
Jeff Goins: bestselling author
Jenny Blake: bestselling author, career and business strategist and international speaker
Jeremy Foster: photographer, traveler and blogger at TravelFreak
Jesse Krieger: serial entrepreneur, speaker and bestselling author
Joel Runyon: founder of Impossible X and blogger at IMPOSSIBLE
John Lee Dumas: entrepreneur and founder of Entrepreneur on Fire podcast
Jordan Harbinger: entrepreneur, podcaster and founder of The Art of Charm
Josh Coffy: digital marketing expert, speaker and founder of Flight Media
Kevin Kruse: keynote speaker, leadership columnist and New York Times bestselling author
Leah Hynes: lifestyle & business coach and co-founder of The Connection Effect
Lewis Howes: author, entrepreneur and podcaster at The School of Greatness
Ludvig Sunstrom: author, podcaster and personal development blogger at Start Gaining Momentum
Marie Forleo: lifestyle expert, bestselling author
Mark Divine: former Navy Seal, bestselling author, founder of NavySeals.com and SEALFIT
Matt Brimer: Co-founder of General Assembly and Daybreaker
Matt Hearnden: self-awareness blogger, writer
Matt Karsten: full-time adventure travel blogger and photographer
Matt Michaelewicz: international business expert
Mike Vardy: writer, speaker, productivity strategist and founder of Productivityist
Nathan Chan: publisher of Foundr Magazine
Nathan Latka: software entrepreneur and podcast host
Nazrin Murphie: lifestyle & business coach and co-founder of The Connection Effect
Neil Patel: expert online marketer and co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics
Nick Loper: author, entrepreneur and founder of Side Hustle Nation
Nick Onken: renowned photographer and philanthropist
Noah Kagan: marketing expert, taco expert and Chief Sumo at AppSumo
Paul Angone: keynote speaker, millennial expert and bestselling author
Preston Smiles: award-winning motivational speaker and author
Ray Romano: award-winning comedian, actor and star of Everybody Loves Raymond
Raymmar Tirado: artist, entrepreneur, sales expert and writer
Ronnie Charrier: traveler, photographer, social media consultant and blogger at Many Many Adventures
Ryan Holiday: marketing expert and bestselling author
Sam Briggs: CrossFit Games champion and ‘World’s Fittest Woman’ in 2013
Scott Dinsmore: entrepreneur and founder of Live Your Legend
Scott Panchik: 4 time CrossFit games athlete
Sean Kim: founder of The Growth List
Sean Ogle: entrepreneur and founder of Location180
Shawn Achor: NYT bestselling author of the Happiness Advantage and happiness researcher
Simon Sinek: bestselling author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last
Spencer Brendel: social entrepreneur and founder of PlayHard GiveBack
Stephen Warley: lifestyle designer, productivity coach and founder of Life Skills That Matter
Steve Kamb: author, entrepreneur and founder of NerdFitness
Steve Weatherford: loving husband/father, health & fitness icon and super bowl champion
Tim Bourquin: former police officer turned multi-millionaire entrepreneur, co-founder AfterOffers.com
Tom Bilyeu: co-founder of Quest Nutrition and host of InsideQuest
Tor Refsland: digital strategist, coach, entrepreneur and blogger
Vince Poscente: Olympian, speaker and bestselling author
Yaro Starak: author and founder of Entrepreneur’s Journey
I’d like to extend a huge thank you to all the contributors who made this project possible.
Scott Dinsmore: entrepreneur and founder of Live Your Legend
Surround yourself with people who inspire possibility because the fastest way to do the things you don’t think can be done is to hang around people already doing them.
Scott Dinsmore unfortunately passed away in September 2015 at the age of 33. Scott Dinsmore impacted millions of people and was committed to helping others find work they loved through his global community, Live Your Legend. His TedTalk, How to Find and Do Work You Love, has been viewed by millions of viewers from around the world. Back To Top
Chelsea Dinsmore: owner and chief inspiration officer of Live Your Legend
Embrace the uniqueness of who you are and give that back to the world. There is exactly one version of you on this planet and that means you have something so uniquely you to offer. Being unapologetically you, is the best gift you can give to yourself and everyone around you.
Chelsea Dinsmore is the owner and Chief Inspiration Officer of Live Your Legend, a community whose mission is to change the world by helping people find their passion and build a career around the work that only they are capable of doing. Live Your Legend hosts monthly in person meet-ups in over 200 cities across nearly 60 countries, focused on creating in-person connections with like-minded living legends. Back To Top
Arianna Huffington: author and co-founder of The Huffington Post
If I could go back in time, I’d introduce my 20-something self to a quotation by the writer Brian Andreas: “Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life.”
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder, president, and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, and author of fifteen books. She has been named to Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list. Visit Arianna’s website here. Back To Top
Ray Romano: award-winning comedian, actor and star of Everybody Loves Raymond
Don’t be afraid when things get shitty. Cause they will. And it’s gonna suck. But that’s okay. Just don’t be afraid because if you keep moving it always gets better.
So I guess that’s my advice: allow the hurt but not the fear… and keep moving.
One more thing. Don’t touch that squirrel you thought was dead. It’s not.
Ray Romano is an acclaimed actor, comedian, screenwriter and voice actor. He is best known for his role on the Emmy Award winning sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond. Back To Top
Bryan Clay: Olympic gold medalist and decathlete
If I could tell my 20ish year old self one thing it would be “Hey, don’t worry, you’re going to win the GOLD!”
But really, the advice I would give is that it’s ok to make mistakes, they are what shape you and make you the person you were created to be.
Keep your feet planted firmly on your foundation, know what you believe and who you are, and things will turn out alright.
Bryan Clay is a 4 Time US National Champion, 3 Time World Champion, the 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist and 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist in the Decathlon, earning him the historic title of World’s Greatest Athlete. Follow Bryan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and his website. Back To Top
Steve Weatherford: loving husband/father, health & fitness icon and super bowl champion
If you want to get what you’ve never gotten in life, you have to do what you’ve never done.
It starts with a vision. It starts with accepting what is wrong in your life, appreciating what is right, but being aware of what is wrong and what you want to improve. That’s your vision.
Your goal is to change something about that. So then you need a vision, a goal, a plan, and the most difficult part – where 90% of people fail – is the execution.
People come up with New Year’s resolutions all the time. But the difference between the people that make those resolutions and the people who change their life with those resolutions is that those people have consistent execution.
Identify what your vision is, where you see your life going. Then you need to develop a goal that coincides with getting you to that vision through a plan.
Then, it’s time for you to separate yourself from everyone else… Go ahead and execute.
Steve Weatherford is a dedicated husband and father, avid health & fitness role model, a nationally recognized philanthropist, and a super bowl winning punter. He won Super Bowl XLVI with the New York Giants. You can follow Steve on Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram. Back To Top
Shawn Achor: NYT bestselling author of the Happiness Advantage and happiness researcher
I wish I had known that success would not lead to happiness, but happiness would lead to greater success. I often thought if I got the next good grade, or got into the right school, or got the right job, or got the bestselling book, THEN I would be happy. But success is a moving target for the brain, so every time we have a success, our brain changes the goalpost.
Only after working with Harvard students for a decade and becoming a positive psychology researcher did I realize that the greatest competitive advantage in the modern economy is a positive and engaged brain. And fortunately, happiness is a choice, it just requires dedication, practice, and perseverance.
When we are positive, every business and educational success outcome rises.
So my advice is seek real happiness (not just pleasure) first, and your chances of success rise dramatically.
Shawn Achor has become one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between happiness and success. His research on mindset made the cover of Harvard Business Review, his TED talk is one of the most popular of all time with over 13 million views, and his lecture airing on PBS has been seen by millions. He is the author of New York Times best-selling books The Happiness Advantage and Before Happiness.Back To Top
Sean Ogle: entrepreneur and founder of Location180
Your twenties will set the stage for the rest of your life. If you spend it all wearing a suit and tie and climbing the corporate ladder, there’s a good chance that’s what you’ll be doing until retirement.
Take calculated risks. I quit my job to move to Thailand when I was 24. Worst case scenario? I run out of money, come back and get a new job. At that age (and even at 30 or later), you still have plenty of time to build up a career – and that global travel will only make your resume look better.
Best case? You live the rest of your life on your own terms.
Bottom line, your twenties are the time to take a chance on what you want to do. Your older self will thank you.
Sean Ogle is an entrepreneur and owner of Location180 where he helps people achieve ultimate lifestyle freedom by creating businesses that allow them to live anywhere in the world.
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Daniel DiPiazza: founder of Rich20Something
I wish I would have taken the time to enjoy my journey more. I’m now starting to catch my breath and do this much more often.
Just taking a second to look up from the chaos and say “wow…this thing is actually working” is pretty phenomenal. Even when we’re having a bad week. Or a bad month.
It’s all gone very quickly. Seems like only yesterday I was squatting down with a notepad and saying to restaurant guests “what can I get you?” I’m realizing now that life will continue to move this fast. This isn’t abnormal. This is normal. Life is here…then it goes. That’s it.
If I could start over again, I’d remind myself to remember and appreciate where I am, not just constantly long for some far-off place I want to be…which, incidentally, I’ll never get to if I’m always pushing the finish line forward.
Yeah, there are more “actionable” strategies that would have been helpful as well in the beginning. Things like copywriting, or setting up websites and all that crap. But I think when it comes down to it, our perceptions of success are always based on where we are going, not where we are now. So if I’d started out already being good at all these things, by comparison, I would still feel scared, anxious and unsure of myself, as all new business owners do.
In taking more time to appreciate my journey, I no longer have to worry about being perfect, I can just focus on doing my best, and over time I know I’ll be a lot more satisfied with my results.
Daniel DiPiazza is the founder of Rich20Something, where he teaches young people how to start businesses that they care about and live happier lives. He is a featured contributor for Business Insider, Huffington Post, Inc, Entrepreneur and more. Follow him along with 250,000+ others on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
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Adam Braun: founder of Pencils of Promise and New York Times bestselling author
Understand that money can be used to buy things or experiences. Those who spend on experiences live the richer of the two lives. Travel as much as possible outside your comfort zone and always challenge your assumptions.
Adam Braun is the founder of Pencils of Promise and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Promise of a Pencil: How An Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change. Visit Adam’s website here.
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Steve Kamb: author, entrepreneur and founder of NerdFitness
If you don’t plan on trying to start your own company right away or going it alone, don’t chase the money with a corporate gig you don’t really like.
Go to work for a small company that you respect/admire and learn as much as you can from them – don’t worry about the job title or how much they pay you, just get your foot in the door and then bust your ass.
Sleep on friends couches if you have to, live as cheaply as possible, and learn about what type of work makes you feel fulfilled.
More money and a company car don’t matter when you aren’t enjoying yourself or making an impact – but it’s tough to go back to a different lifestyle once you start spending money on things you don’t need to try and get happy!
Experiences trump possessions every day of the week, so don’t be afraid to take risks.
Steve Kamb is the rebel leader at NerdFitness where he helps desk jockeys, nerds and average joes level up their lives. Steve has been featured by Forbes, Men’s Fitness and many more. Steve recently authored Level Up Your Life: How to Unlock Adventure and Happiness by Becoming the Hero of Your Own Story.
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Amy Purdy: bestselling author, Olympic bronze medalist snowboarder and social entrepreneur
The sooner you embrace your differences and the the things that make you unique, the happier and more successful you will be. We often times try to be something we aren’t which covers up who we really are. We all have a light to shine, don’t hide it, embrace it and share it with the world.
Amy Purdy is a world-class snowboarder, Olympic bronze medalist, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Adaptive Action Sports, a nonprofit helping physically disabled individuals participate in extreme sports. A near death experience at the age of 19 left without both her legs, but thankfully alive after being given only a 2% chance at survival. Less than a year after having her legs amputated, she returned to the sport she loved, snowboarding. Since then she has also made it to the finale of Dancing with the Stars and toured the country with Oprah sharing her remarkable story. Visit Amy’s website here.
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Marie Forleo: lifestyle expert, bestselling author
Forget about the elevator speech and enjoy the beach. Just keep growing, keep focusing on serving more people, improving your skills and everything will be just fine.
Marie Forleo is a marketing and lifestyle expert and a bestselling author. Through her personal website she reaches over 500,000 readers in 195 countries worldwide. She leads dynamic training programs that teach individuals to succeed in business and life. Marie is the author of Make Every Man Want You: How to Be So Irresistible You’ll Barely Keep from Dating Yourself!. She was interviewed by Oprah and Tony Robbins and has mentored young business owners at Richard Branson’s Centre of Entrepreneurship in South Africa.
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Ryan Holiday: marketing expert and bestselling author
Remember that you are not special. There were a million other kids on this path before you and there will be another million after. Most of them either went nowhere or turned out to be nothing. Even the successful ones might still flame out or be assholes. What does this mean? It means don’t get high on yourself. Don’t tell yourself a story. Be quiet, work hard, and stay healthy. It’s not ambition or skill that is going to set you apart—notice I didn’t mention those things a single time. It’s safe to assume you’ve already got them covered. What will set you apart, what is rare, is humility, diligence and self-awareness.
Ryan Holiday is a strategist and writer. He was the director of marketing for American Apparel where his campaigns have been used as case studies by Twitter, YouTube, and Google. Holiday has written 4 previous books, most recently The Obstacle Is the Way, which has been translated into 17 languages and has a cult following among NFL coaches, world-class athletes, TV personalities, political leaders, and others around the world. Visit his website for his favorite book recommendations.
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Kevin Kruse: keynote speaker, leadership columnist and New York Times bestselling author
Life is about making an impact, not making an income. And ironically, the more value or “impact” you make, the more the money will come. So don’t try to think up a product or service that will make a lot of money; think of who you want to serve — what market do you want to serve. It’s about who not what. Fall in love with a market, and continue to serve them in all the ways they need.
Kevin Kruse is a keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling author of 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management. He is a Forbes Leadership columnist and was named to the Top 100 Business Thought Leaders list by Trust Across America. Visit Kevin’s website here.
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Neil Patel: expert online marketer and co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics
Focus. I tried to do too many things instead of focusing my time and energy onto one thing. If I did that I would have been much further along in my entrepreneurial journey. There is barely enough time in the day to run one business… It doesn’t make sense to run two or three at the same time.
Neil Patel is the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and KISSmetrics. He helps companies like Amazon, NBC, GM, HP and Viacom grow their revenue. The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web, Forbes says he is one of the top 10 online marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies in the world. Visit Neil’s website here.
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Derek Flanzraich: founder and CEO of Greatist
My late teens/early 20s were when I most felt the pressure to be like everyone else. I wish I remembered then the only way to build something different and succeed differently is to, well, do things differently in the first place.
Derek Flanzraich is an entrepreneur on a mission to help the world think about health with a healthy attitude. He is the founder and CEO of Greatist. Greatist is currently the fastest-growing media site in the digital health space, with nearly 10 million unique visitors per month.
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40 Secrets to Success (free download)
Highly successful individuals possess the characteristics and mindsets required for success. Click here to learn the 40 secrets to success from 75+ top performers.
Daniel Pink: New York Times and Wall Street Journal best selling author
Anytime you think you’re the smartest person in the room, you’ve just proved that you’re not.
Daniel H. Pink is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has written five books about business, work, and management. His books have sold two million copies worldwide and have been translated into 34 languages. Visit Dan’s website here.
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Lewis Howes: New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and podcaster at The School of Greatness
Find a powerful mentor and model their success to find yours.
Lewis Howes is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and former professional athlete. He hosts The School of Greatness podcast where he interviews inspiring celebrities and individuals from various industries in order to discover what makes these individuals great. His work has been featured by TIME, Forbes, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and more. Visit Lewis’ website here.
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Noah Kagan: marketing expert, taco expert and Chief Sumo at AppSumo
Keep hustling.
Noah Kagan is a marketing and taco expert who has founded two multi-million dollar businesses. He is the Chief Sumo at SumoMe. Visit Noah’s blog here.
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Chris Guillebeau: world traveler, speaker and Wall Street Journal & New York Times bestselling author
Don’t be so timid.
Chris Guillebeau is an entrepreneur, blogger, bestselling author and speaker. Chris’s first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, was translated into more than twenty languages. His second book, The $100 Startup, was a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, selling more than 300,000 copies worldwide. He recently published Born for This: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do. Visit Chris’ blog here.
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Mark Divine: former Navy Seal, bestselling author, founder of NavySeals.com and SEALFIT
Focus on fewer things – and with more passion.
Mark Divine is a former Navy Seal, New York Times/Wall Street Journal & Amazon bestselling author, founder of NavySeals.com and founder/CEO of SEALFIT which helps individuals develop elite level physical fitness and mental toughness.
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Briana Scurry: two time Olympic gold medalist, world cup champion and female soccer legend
Stay in the present – smell the roses, and be grateful for every experience. Don’t let your youth go to waste.
Briana Scurry won two Olympic gold medals and one World Cup for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team. She is widely recognized as one of the best female goalkeepers in the history of the sport. Being one of the first African American female soccer players as well as one of the first openly LGBT players, she helped significantly diversify women’s soccer. She is now a motivational speaker and advocate for player safety and TBI awareness. Visit Briana’s website here.
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Dave Asprey: creator of Bulletproof Coffee, host of Bulletproof Radio and NYT bestselling author
Never underestimate your power of self deception. Put in systems and do exercises to make sure you know what your mission is and that you are truly on it. Money does not equal freedom!
Dave Asprey is the creator of the widely popular Bulletproof Coffee, host of the #1 health podcast, Bulletproof Radio, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, The Bulletproof Diet. Dave’s products and expert knowledge have been featured by CNN, Men’s Health, The New York Times and many more. Visit Dave’s website here.
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Brett McKay: entrepreneur and founder of The Art of Manliness
There’s never a perfect time to do anything, so go ahead and do that thing you’ve been wanting to do. Also, achieving goals is a lot more underwhelming than you think they’ll be. Quit thinking you’ll be happy once you’ve achieved them. Enjoy the process. Finally, focus on being useful, not important and you will go far.
Brett McKay is an entrepreneur, author and the founder of The Art of Manliness. The Art of Manliness is visited by millions of men all over the world, and aims to encourage readers to be better husbands, fathers, brothers, citizens.
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Andrew Warner: founder of Mixergy, the #1 startup podcast
Quit feeling that you’re too young for anything.
I remember paying a design firm over $1 mil to furnish my office back when I was in my 20s. My one request for them: “make the office look so impressive that people don’t know that a 20-something guy runs this place.”
What a mistake. Instead of feeling like my age is something to hide I should have either used it as an asset or ignored it completely.
Andrew runs Mixergy, the #1 startup podcast, where he invites proven Entrepreneurs to teach how they built their startups. On Mixergy, he has had the founders of Wikipedia, Groupon, LivingSocial, LinkedIn, and over 600 other fascinating start-ups.
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Paul Angone: keynote speaker, millennial expert and bestselling author
Don’t chase your dreams, grow one. Plant it in good soil and consistently water it. Then trust that life will spark life underground. Success in your 20s is about consistency, humility, and many other unsexy words that won’t make the Twentysomething Hallmark Collection. Keep grinding and plowing the ground. And while you do, remember this: The possibility for greatness and embarrassment both exist in the same space. If you’re not willing to be embarrassed, you’re probably not willing to do anything great.
Paul Angone is a millennial expert and sought-after speaker and organizational consultant. He is the author of two books All Groan Up: Searching For Self, Faith, and a Freaking Job! and 101 Secrets For Your Twenties. He is the creator of AllGroanUp.com, a place for twenty somethings asking “what now?”, which has received millions of visitors from over 190 countries. Visit Paul’s website here.
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David Allen: world leading expert on personal and organizational productivity
I’d advise myself to relax, keep doing what you feel like doing, and trust that the universe will bring you whatever you need to get where you’re going.
David Allen is widely recognized as the world’s leading expert on personal and organizational productivity. He has Forbes’ recognition as one of the top five executive coaches in the U.S. and Business 2.0 magazine’s inclusion in their 2006 list of the “50 Who Matter Now.” Time Magazine called his flagship book, “Getting Things Done“, “the definitive business self-help book of the decade.” Visit his website here.
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Preston Smiles: award-winning motivational speaker and author
I would tell my 20 something self to slow down and remember. I would tell myself and anyone else growing up now that the carrot that you’re chasing in the form of money, love, relationships, fame, sex, cars, and popularity is an illusion.
True freedom comes from falling in love with the self.
That success must first be defined, and then designed based on your highest passions.
That you can live a life of fun, fulfillment and personal power without selling your soul and chasing what society deems important.
And most importantly I would tell myself that no matter what the question, love is the answer
Preston Smiles is like nobody in the speaking or personal development world. Breaking all the rules, Preston Smiles is carving out his own path as an emerging Next Generation Thought Leader. Winning the Millennial Mentor Award by Elixir Magazine, and recently launching his book LOVE LOUDER, Preston is a force to be reckoned with. Generating millions of views with his message of LOVE, AUTHENTICITY and CREATIVITY, Mr. Smiles is making a huge impact with his loyal social media tribe, using his unique gift to make complex ideas simple and relatable. Visit his website here.
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Simon Sinek: bestselling author of Start With Why and Leaders Eat Last
“You don’t have to know all the answers, and when you don’t know the answer, you don’t have to pretend you do.”
Simon Sinek teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire others. He is the author of the global bestseller, Start With Why and the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Leaders Eat Last. He is best known for popularizing the concept of Why and for the talk he gave that became the third most watched talk of all time on TED.com. Visit his website here.
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Adam Bornstein: award-winning fitness and nutrition writer, founder of Born Fitness
Don’t fear failure. Embrace it and use it as a guide. You’ll waste so much time trying to determine the perfect situation, instead of “learning by doing.” Failures feel like a step back, but if you learn from them, they actually can accelerate the process, narrow your focus, and help you determine what you will do best to have the most impact and success.
Adam Bornstein is a New York Times best-selling author and an award-winning fitness and nutrition writer and editor. He is the founder and CEO of Born Fitness and Pen Name, a consulting agency. He was formerly the editorial director for Livestrong.com and fitness editor for Men’s Health. He has contributed to and been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, GQ and more.
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Coss Marte: founder of ConBody
“Whatever your expectations, whatever you want from the streets or dealing drugs, know that you can obtain those things in the right way. All you need to do is transfer those skills that you’re using in the streets as a way to build whatever it is that you want. If you want it, just put it in your head and you can make it happen…”
“If I had a mentor at that age that would have told me step-by-step how to get out of the streets and achieve whatever I want