I just met Zack Hopkins a few weeks ago at Generation Now in Toronto, and this guy has an incredible story: he’s 23, CEO & Founder of Hoppy2U, host of Build it Better, and one of the youngest general contractors in the U.S.

Like many young entrepreneurs, Zack wants to have a positive impact on the world. “From a very young age, I really understood that I enjoy money, service, and helping people – and when all of those three things are able to come in at the same time, I just felt very passionate about being able to do that again and again and again.”

There are two big things that Zack suggests to a young entrepreneur:

First, find what you’re good at – and your late teen years is the perfect time to do this self-discovery.

Then find a mentor who can help you get even better at that thing. It doesn’t have to, like Zack, be your parent – just find someone who has been there before and gone through what you’re going through.

Resources:

Check out https://hoppy2u.com/ (hoppy2u.com)

Connect with Zack on Instagram: @hoppy2u

Listen to Build it Better: builditbetterpodcast.com

Steve Krein is not only an entrepreneur and the CEO & Co-Founder of StartUp Health, he’s also a long-time mentor of mine. Steve understands how important it is for our generation to start learning about and being entrepreneurs now, and in this episode, he has some great tips on how we can start learning and making a big difference in this world.

Steve has set his entrepreneurial mind to fixing healthcare. StartUp Health is an amazing organization – they are organizing and supporting a global army of Health Transformers on a 25-year mission to improve the health and well-being of everyone in the world. StartUp Health has the world’s largest digital health portfolio at more than 175 companies spanning 5 continents, 16 countries and 70 cities.

“I love the fact that entrepreneurship is not only talked about but practice in high school, middle school, or even elementary school now. Just imagine a lifelong ability to do exactly what you love, with the people you love, on the terms that you set out for yourself.”

Resources:

Check out https://www.startuphealth.com/ (startuphealth.com)

Connect with Steve: https://twitter.com/stevenkrein (Twitter) | LinkedIn

Jesse Itzler is a rapper turned entrepreneur. It might seem like an odd transition, music to private aviation (and beyond), but Jesse wasn’t exactly following a plan – he was following his love for doing something new and different.

After some success with his first entrepreneurial ventures, Jesse found himself a guest on a private jet. He enjoyed the experience, predictably, and figured other people would like that experience too.

So Jesse transitioned out of music and co-founded Marquis Jets, one of the largest private jet companies in the world, which has since been acquired by Berkshire Hathaway.

Jesse has been hustling on quite a few projects since then – including writing the New York Times bestseller Living With a SEAL: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet – and he has learned that there are some constants, in every industry:

Things take time. Creating anything worth having takes a large investment of time and energy.

Focus on the product, and differentiate yourself by being the best; make yourself irreplaceable.

Be authentic. What makes you different? Through trial and error, build a winning formula for yourself.

Try a lot of things, especially while you’re young! After you learn what you like, you can perfect it and then cash in on it (with time, of course).

Don’t take the easy route, and don’t be afraid to take risks while you’re young.

Resources:

Learn more at http://jesseitzler.com/ (jesseitzler.com)

Connect with Jesse: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Living With a SEAL: 31 Days Training With the Toughest Man on the Planet

Living with the Monks: What Turning Off My Phone Taught Me about Happiness, Gratitude, and Focus

Today I have an incredible, double stuffed episode for you: The first half is a conversation with Jack Dorsey, CEO & Founder of Twitter, and the second half features Leslie Berland, CMO & Head of People at Twitter.

Jack shares the story behind starting Twitter, how he’s helping people make the sale with Square, his thoughts on entrepreneurship as a whole, what he’s learned from failure, and his advice for getting starting as a young, aspiring entrepreneur.

Leslie discusses her career journey, leaving your comfort zone, growth mindset VS fixed mindset, who you surround yourself with, work-life balance, positioning Twitter in the social media landscape, movements starting on Twitter, and her single biggest piece of advice for aspiring marketers.

Resources:

Connect with Jack: @jack

Connect with Leslie: @leslieberland

20 Under 20s Podcast is produced by Podcast Masters

Paul “P-Rod” Rodriguez is a professional skateboarder-turned-entrepreneur and Founder of https://primitiveskate.com/ (Primitive). Even as a skater, it’s not all fun and games – you have to be a business person, first and foremost, if you want to succeed.

Paul shares the mindset he’s used to crush it in the skating world, how he started his career before turning 12, what it takes to be a pro, how he constantly pursues his best, and what it takes to stand out online.

Resources:

Learn more about Paul at http://prod84.com/ (prod84.com)

Check out https://primitiveskate.com/ (primitiveskate.com)

Connect with Paul: https://www.instagram.com/prod84/ (Instagram) | Facebook | Twitter

Phil Romano is an American restaurateur, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is best known as the founder of the restaurant chains Fuddruckers and Romano's Macaroni Grill, and his newest endeavors are a restaurant incubator in Dallas called Trinity Groves and an awesome concept for young entrepreneurs: The Network Bar.

Phil shares the five principles he believes you need to be a good person (or a good business), what separates his most successful restaurant ideas from his least successful ideas, and how he ended up being one of the first people to invest in the heart stent (which ended up saving his life decades later), why he is so MAD, and how The Network Bar facilitates mentorship for young entrepreneurs.

Resources:

The Network Bar

Trinity Groves

Hunger Busters

I’m pumped to share this conversation with Aaron Spivak, a hockey player turned serial entrepreneur.

When Aaron was 18, he founded Revitzsize Cold Pressed Juice Kitchen, which has grown from an in-house family operation to a business with seven locations throughout the greater Toronto area in just three-and-a-half years (with more locations opening up soon). Aaron also co-founded Hush, a recently launched anxiety blanket company aiming to help people with sleep anxiety, insomnia, ADHD, and more.

The Spivak family didn’t start making juices because they wanted to build a business – they just wanted to address some of their own health problems, and get a little more energy as athletes. However, other people started seeing the positive benefits and asking about the juices. “They just wanted the product, and we were just so happy to give it to them.”

Juice bars and blankets may not seem like they have anything in common, but Aaron has “a crazy passion for providing people with a product that’s going to benefit their life.”

These businesses aren’t succeeding through great marketing, exceptional salespeople, or big billboards – they just sell a product so good that early customers want to tell someone else about it.

Resources:

Learn more at https://www.revitasize.ca/ (revitasize.ca)

Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn

Barney Waters is the President of K-Swiss, responsible for all aspects of sales, product, and marketing for the brand globally. Barney is a genius in the branding space, and he has completely revitalized and transformed the K-Swiss brand. He also has some awesome advice for any young entrepreneur or hustler who want to run their own brand or business.

Previously, Barney was the Chief Marketing Officer for K-Swiss. However, to really make an impact with the brand, he had to take it to the next level: connecting the sales with the branding and storytelling. That’s when things really started to click.

The shoe market moves really quickly, so you have to stay ahead of the game to stay competitive; “you can’t follow the formula set by your incumbents.”

So instead of looking for rappers and pro athletes to compete with Adidas and Nike, Barney looked towards the entrepreneur space – and Gary V.

We’re in a new era of entrepreneurship, characterized by young people like us who want to create and run our own businesses and brands. There’s a massive shift in the aspirations of young people, but one thing hasn’t changed: we still want to look good.

Barney capitalized on that opportunity, moving to inspire the outfits of the next generation of entrepreneurs. Gary V was an obvious fit.

And so far, this partnership has even exceeded Barney’s expectations – Gary V’s first custom K-Swiss sneaker crashed their website, a second released at the end of February, and there are plans for at least one more custom sneaker this year.

There’s a lot more coming in the next year, as K-Swiss continues to make moves in the entrepreneurial space. I’m really excited to see where things go, and I think you’ll see K-Swiss blowing up in 2018.

Resources:

Connect with Barney: Twitter | Instagram

Follow K-Swiss: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Rick Sapio is a lifelong entrepreneur who started his first company when he was 13 years old, after the untimely death of his father. Since then, he has founded more than 20 companies. One of those companies is Mutual Capital Alliance, a financial holding company that has made more than 100 investments over the past 24 years.

Rick didn’t necessarily grow up around entrepreneurship. His life was changed over the course of one conversation, when a mentor showed him that accomplishing more is possible (if you learn the necessary skills). Without that mentorship, Rick may never have realized his potential – and it’s just as important for us to find mentors today.

Luckily, there is a lot of opportunity for mentorship these days! With the internet, we have access to everyone – you just have to try. “Too many kids today keep their head down, instead of their head up, and you miss a lot of opportunities looking down.”

Rick defines being entrepreneurial as the minute you start taking responsibility for your outcomes; a natural response to the human condition.

And he believes that we are all responsible for creating our purpose statement, the ultimate outcome of our lives. “If you haven’t taken the time to figure out the reason why you’re on this Earth (and it’s not going to hit you on the head), then I think, every moment of your life, you’re ripping off the world.”

Too many people wait until they’re 30, 40, 50 to find their purpose – but you don’t have to. You can choose to keep your head up and start now.

Resources:

Learn more at businessfinishingschool.com

Watch Rick’s TEDxTalk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v70XLERDX_M ("Purpose 2.0: Using a Catalyzing Statement to Transform Your Future")

Bonin Bough is a transformative activator who helps reinvigorate traditional marketing using innovative tech and ideas. As one of the youngest C-suite executives in a Fortune 50 company, Bonin has spearheaded some of the industry’s largest global marketing campaigns across digital, mobile, television, print, and experiential, for Oreo, Honey Maid, Pepsi, Gatorade, and countless other billion dollar brands.

Bonin is also the Host of CNBC’s Cleveland Hustles and the author of Txt Me: Your Phone Has Changed Your Life. Lets Talk about It.

Throughout Bonin’s storied career, he was always looking towards the future – and if you want to come up with innovative ideas, a forward-thinking vision is required. “Always be aware of where the puck is going to go; where the future is.”

But that’s just the starting point.

Innovators (and entrepreneurs) have to not only know where the market is going, but also actively shape the market – and be relentlessly fearless in doing so.

“Try to be the person who creates the future. Let’s break everything that we thought yesterday and reinvent it tomorrow.”

Resources:

Learn more at BBoninBough.com

Connect with Bonin: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube