Imagine being 21 years old and nearly bankrupt working for a company that’s going down like a sinking ship. Fears also compounded by the looming threat of someone suing you for a cool $1 million. How would you tranquilize these events and create opportunity?  

Scott Gerber dug himself out from these trenches at the worst economic time possible. He realized early on that the 9-5 job route was never an option for someone with creativity and passion – someone who strived to play in the big pond. Now as CEO of CommunityCo, with an ever-growing customer base and as the founder of the exclusive, member-only Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) and Forbes Councils, Scott is helping others to focus on building relationships and communities. Also a syndicated columnist and author of the book, Never Get a “Real” Job, Scott certainly took the road less traveled. He dishes in today’s podcast on his bootstrapping ways.  

Key takeaways:

• Burn your business plan. Prepare yourself for gut punches during those key developmental stages of a business or career.
• Collect dumb mistakes because _____________ is the ultimate teacher.
• Be sure to gaze out the window during the train ride.
• Retrain your brain against the scripted metrics, like customer acquisition. Care about people as people.  
• Score the best piece of advice Scott ever received.  

Tune in and turn the volume up for a dose of inspiration and life lessons. That’s how we Live Lead and Play!