EducateDeviate » Interviews

Nominees for Young Entrepreneur eBook are up!

Tiara — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:10:57 +0000

Daniel and I have shortlisted the nominees of our Young Entrepreneur eBook project and they are now up for voting.

Click on this link to vote for your favourite young entrepreneur here now!

Young Malaysian Entrepreneurs eBook – Where are the WOMEN?

Tiara — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:32:27 +0000

Daniel and I are sorting through the nominations for the Young Malaysians Entrepreneurs eBook, and there’s a glaring omission:

Where are the WOMEN?

We have about a gazillion male nominations, but less than a handful of female nominations. We are sure that there are wonderful young Malaysian females out there being enterprising – we just want to know where you are.

Go and nominate some women now!

Young Malaysian Entrepreneurs WANTED for upcoming eBook

Tiara — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:56:59 +0000

Daniel CerVentus, co-founder of Ideapreneur and myself are looking for 21 candidates to be featured in our upcoming eBook about young Malaysian entrepreneurs.

We are looking for the following:

Malaysian – doesn’t have to be a citizen, but has to be connected to Malaysia in some way
Age 30 and below by 31st Dec 2008
Self made or revolutionary in an an existing business/organization – for profit, non-profit, social enterprise
Highly respected in their industry
Have great passion for what they are doing.
A great example what Malaysia have to offer.

Please send all your suggestions to Daniel or myself before 14th February 2008. Thank you!

Interview: Brett Farmiloe, Pursue the Passion

Tiara — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:26:41 +0000

One of the best ways to learn how to follow your dreams is to learn from others that have done so. 22-year-old Brett Farmiloe and his friends have taken this idea and run with it through Pursue the Passion, taking a roadtrip across the USA to interview passionate people and encourage other young people to pursue their own passions.

EducateDeviate recently talked to Brett to learn about his own passions and how PTP came about:

Who are you? Introduce yourself.

My name is Brett Farmiloe. I am the founder of Pursue the Passion, and a 22 year old corporate america dropout.

What is Pursue the Passion? How did the idea come about?

PursuethePassion.com is a resource you can turn to for inspiration, guidance, and support when contemplating the “what should I do with my life” question. The idea came about when I was a senior in college and I had no idea what I wanted to do upon graduation, so I started to interview people about where they were at my age and how they wound up in the career they are in today. On our site you can find all 75 interviews I conducted from the first tour, and you can read about the interviews we are conducting right now on the 2007 tour.

What happens on the Pursue the Passion Tour?

Three friends and I are traveling 14,000 miles in a gigantic RV to interview 200 people who love their work.

This is your second tour, the first one having taken place last year. Is anything changing this year? What have you learnt from last year’s tour that you are taking on board this year?

The largest change is who we place interview requests with. Last year we contacted people based on their title or by the company that they worked for. What we found is that this doesn’t always mean they are passionate about what they do. This year we are trying to find only the people that love their work, and we are doing that by having 90% of the interviews we conduct come as a result of referrals.

Where and how do you find the people you interview? Do you look for any specific types of passion/career, or does anything go? Do you keep in touch with them after your interview?

We contact people that know their local community very well to find people that are truly passionate. We are going into this tour with an open mind, so any careers or passions that come our way we always will consider. It’s just as fun to interview a CEO of a multi million dollar brownie factory as it is the guy who does news from a helicopter. And we always try to keep in touch with the people we interview.

What inspired you to start Pursue the Passion? How did you sort out the logistics (the RV, sponsorship, finding interview subjects, etc)? How long does it take to plan a PTP tour?

I have started planning the current tour we are on and undertaking the logistics of it all since we got back from the first one in August. So a good ten months have been poured into creating what you can currently find on our site. Definitely takes passion to persist with carrying out this idea.

You are travelling with three other people – James, Noah, and Zach. Were you all friends beforehand? Why have they decided to join you on the tour?

I’ve known Jay and Noah since the dorm days at the University of Arizona. Zach I’ve roomed with for the last year as we both were unhappy corporate auditors. They’ve come on the tour to glean the guidance from passionate professionals, and to travel the country in a RV.

I was just watching Oprah’s Big Adventure that she did with her best friend Gayle (travelling across the US) and she mentioned that sometimes taking a cross-country trip with friends can severely test the friendship, as well as your patience and stamina. Having done this tour before, what sort of tests did you have to face, and how did you face them? How do you maintain peace and sanity on a gruelling tour like this?

This is a challenge we’ve faced…even on day one. I think that everyone needs to know the goal, and needs to know their responsibility. If we are all busy, all working towards our goal of executing this tour, then we will only escape with a few bumps and bruises. But piling four guys into a small RV will definitely test our patience and stamina. Ask this question to me in 86 days, when the tour ends.

In different cities you have organized The Passion Hour. What happens at the Passion Hour?

We invite people who are interested in the tour to come meet with us and other like minded passionate professionals in the community for a little after hours networking. We are still trying to figure out what happens at Passion hour, but the one we just conducted on Monday had over twenty people attend, and I feel like everyone who was in attendance took something away from it.

You are introducing some new things this year, such as getting college students to join you on the road and work on internships, as well as forming a Facebook group. Tell us more about those initiatives. Why have you decided to involve college students this time round?

College students are the group that I originally started Pursue the Passion for. The more ways I can get students involved the better. Our “Passionger Program” invites students to join us for a day of interviews, so if you’re interested in participating, email me at brett@pursuethepassion.com. The goal with the facebook group is to spread the message that it is important to be passionate about what you do, and that you shouldn’t accept the first job that comes your way. Take the time to figure yourself out, check out our site, and use it to determine your career direction.

What else will you be doing on tour, besides interviews?

Seeing the country, Passion Hour, Never Eat Alone Lunches, writing, editing video, compiling a documentary, writing a book, figuring ourselves out, and spreading an inspirational message to anyone who will listen.

I was telling my sister about you and she mentioned the DVD/Book series Roadtrip Nation, which also involves a group of young people on cross-country road trips asking people about their careers. Was PTP at all inspired by Roadtrip Nation? Do you feel that this is a concept already done before, or is it a concept that needs to be done more?

This is a concept dating back from Napolean Hill with Think and Grow Rich to Po Bronson and What Should I Do With My Life. People have always sought out advice from those who have been in a position to provide it. We are different from everyone else because no one, to my knowledge, has conducted interviews with passionate professionals to see how you can find your passion and combine it with your career.

The inspiration that I derived from Roadtrip Nation was when I was in the “what should I do with my life” dilemma, and I emailed them on three separate occasions to ask them for advice. I didn’t hear back from them once. Once I did develop this idea I resorted back to those unanswered emails and made it a priority for Pursue the Passion to be an interactive resource for people in a similar situation as I was. So if you email me, I will write back, and if you comment on our site, I will comment back, and other people will too.

What is your passion? How do you define passion?

My passion is seeing Pursue the Passion grow and develop into something that positively affects people’s lives. Passion is something that is so ingrained within you that there is no line between what you do and who you are.

How does one Pursue their Passion?

There is no specific formula to follow. You start by starting, and looking at yourself and finding the smallest things you are interested in and developing those interests into passions. You can start the pursuit by going to www.pursuethepassion.com.

EducateDeviate is about education in life, especially when it comes to personal passions. It is argued that school nowadays do not encourage the pursuit of passions. Do you agree? How can schools and education systems encourage the pursuit of passion amongst students?

Schools have to worry about a lot of things, and unfortunately, I feel that your passion is not one of their main concerns. I am trying to change that with Pursue the Passion with a program that will make it a priority in schools. This program will send students out into the local community to conduct their own interviews with passionate professionals.

How else can people (especially from outside USA) get involved with PTP?

I always tell people we need help in three areas…participation, promotion, and planning. I encourage people to participate on our site by commenting on the interviews and our opinions on the journey blog. I believe that interactive feedback will more effectively help people determine their career direction than if they were just reading an interview. We need help spreading the message of the tour because the more people that benefit from our work, the better.

Lastly, I’ve always dreamed about conducting a Pursue the Passion World Tour, and we need to start planning for that by finding places to stay, people to interview, and places to go. Helping us plan for the world tour would be an awesome way for people outside of the United States to get involved! Email me if you have any recommendations on where we should go.

Brett and I have communicated via email and I can vouch that he does reply! Take a look at Pursue the Passion right now for inspirational interviews, and root for them as they go onto their magical mystery tour.

Links in Post:

The Best Thing Malaysia’s Education Minister Has Said Lately

Tiara — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 03:51:59 +0000

Not everything can be taught in classrooms through a formal curriculum. Many values we hope to inculcate in students cannot be derived from books and theories alone. Students need to be exposed to real life outside the classrooms.That is why co-curricular activities are important. If we carry out activities in a planned and practical manner, we can mould students into well-rounded people who are balanced emotionally and intellectually.

Malaysia Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, on the importance of co-corricular activities

This makes me immeasurably happy.

Links in Post:

New Straits Times: Aiming for the complete student

Interview: David Askaripour, Mind Petals

Tiara — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 02:01:42 +0000

One of the strongest ways for youths to make a difference is through building networks and collaborating with each other, sharing knowledge, ideas, and skills. David Askaripour, founder of youth media company CashCampus, had that in mind when forming Mind Petals, a blog network connecting young entrepreneurs online and distributing content related to youth entrepreneurship.

EducateDeviate recently had a chance to chat with David about entrepreneurship and Mind Petals:

Basic introductories: who are you, and what do you do?

My name is David Askaripour and I am the founder of Mind Petals. Mind Petals was created in June 2006 as a way to connect various young entrepreneurs across the world. Through experiences, insights, failures, and success, Mind Petals is a great place to share information with other young entrepreneurs.

On the Mind Petals profile it’s stated that you started being an entrepreneur when you were selling candy in 4th grade. What else in your life has motivated you towards entrepreneurship and marketing?

I can’t put my finger on any one moment that motivated me towards entrepreneurship. I guess it had a lot to do with the support from my parents, they always told me that I could do anything in this world. Ever since I can remember, I was always running some sort of business and constantly thinking about how I can change the world someday.

You started CashCampus, a media company aimed at youths. How did CashCampus come about? What does CashCampus do now (or will do)? What is the overall vision for CashCampus and its projects?

I created Cashcampus as a service that would allow students to purchase and sell class notes and study material to their classmates. Currently, I have sold the service which at the time was “cashcampus.com” and I still use the domain name for my corporate site. The future of Cashcampus, LLC lies in Mind Petals.

Mind Petals is now my life’s pride and joy. I wake up every morning ready to help as many entrepreneurs as possible — as many people as possible. Mind Petals is turning into a more than a company, it’s becoming an idea. An idea that anyone can have what they want out of life if they are willing to fight for it and help others along the way.

How did Mind Petals come about?

It came about when I noticed the lack of unification of young entrepreneurs on the net. So I got to planning and made it happen.

Your advisory board consists of a variety of young entrepreneurs in various fields. How did all of you get together, and how do you work together? What sort of people make up the Advisory Board?

Over the past year I have come across various intelligent, motivated, and savvy entrepreneurs over the internet and events. The advisory board consists of a well-rounded group of trusted entrepreneurs that I have become close friends upon starting my network.

Some of the people in the board run entrepreneurship programs at major colleges, some run marketing companies, some are in business school, and others run their own venture development firms. Together, we provide great synergy to help steer Mind Petals in the right direction. We all have an extreme love for entrepreneurship and always willing to lend a helping hand.

There are plenty of blog networks online, with varying degrees of success. What does it take to form and manage a successful blog network?

Well, I don’t consider Mind Petals a blog network as many would. But in many ways, it does work like a blog network, indeed. It takes a lot of organizational skills to properly run any sort of network. You have to be a good leader and know exactly what type of people to include in the network. It all comes down to preparation and having a focused aim for the network.

Some entries in the Mind Petals network have questioned the need for traditional education when it comes to entrepreneurship. In your opinion, is traditional schooling necessary for one to be an entrepreneur? Does it hinder entrepreneurship? What sort of education would be best for entrepreneurial people?

Absolutely not. Traditional education has nothing to do with entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is a state of mind and something that simply can’t be taught. Business can be taught, but not entrepreneurship.

However, in most cases I don’t look at school as a hindrance to entrepreneurship. School usually complements entrepreneurship and helps put you in a position to meet tons of great people who can help you succeed in life.

The best education is to get started with your company right away. The lessons you learn while running a company is the truest form of education for any entrepreneur.

A recent post suggests that young entrepreneurs would be better at teaching entrepreneurial classes at university than the actual lecturers. Is this always true? How could young entrepreneurs reach out to each other and share knowledge amongst themselves?

The post suggested that if more and more young entrepreneurs continue to start businesses while colleges continue to hire professors who have no real experience in entrepreneurship, then sure: there will me more young entrepreneurs out there with more lessons, experiences, and insights to share than professors in college.

The best way for young entrepreneurs to reach out is to start a blog and to attend events. Starting a blog will allow you to connect with the world. The blogosphere is really heating up and we now how over 60 Million blogs on the net. It’s a perfect platform to reach out to fellow young entrepreneurs. Additionally, services such as meetup.com make it easy to find entrepreneurs ship groups in your area as well as create your own events.

In a post on another of your projects, Marktale, you mention that entrepreneurs shouldn’t be afraid to take risks and do something out-of-the-ordinary. In Malaysia, and many other places, young people are often afraid to take risks as it’s often not seen as “proper” or “safe”. How can youths gain more courage to take those risks? What can they do to motivate themselves?

True entrepreneurs are naturally motivated people. You have to be able to “listen to yourself first.” Which means being able to ignore any thoughts of doubt and fear. Spend time everyday thinking about what you want out of this world and how you plan on making it happen. Read books on entrepreneurs such as Gates, Branson, and Walton. Constantly think about your vision and never let go of those thoughts. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something in life. Forget the status-quo and allow yourself to be the leader that you are.

The more and more risks that you take, the easier that it will become. So it’s in any entrepreneurs best interest to start working on their venture now and not later. Entrepreneurs have to seek opportunity where others see risk.

How was your education like? Did you go through the typical schooling process (kindergarden, elementary, high school, college/university) or was yours more unusual? Where did you think you obtained the most learning and education?

I finished college in December 2006. I attended Pace University in NYC and graduated with a degree in English. The number one thing that I learned in college was understanding social interaction.

Through all the parties, classes, events, study sessions, presentations, etc… I really began to understand how people react, respond, and interact with one another. This is priceless information that I used to help build my business. Information that I will use for a lifetime.

In the larger scheme of things, school is more focused on “certification” and not “education.” Most of the real education in life should come from your “own” studies and experiences gathered throughout life. College is just a small piece of the puzzle.

In Malaysia, the common ideal is that everyone should get straight As, go to university and get a degree so that they will get a high-paying job and a respectable life. What do you think of that ideal? Are degrees, grades, or high-paying jobs really necessarily for satisfaction and happiness?

The average GPA of millionaires is a C so I would say that getting straight As does not correlate to success in life. Satisfaction and happiness is in the eyes of the beholder. We each have to seek what makes us truly happy in life. For some, it’ll be making money. For others, it’ll be changing the world. And for others, it’ll be both.

What does entrepreneurship mean to you?

It means changing the world in some positive way through a business and helping as many people as possible along the way.

Where do you get your ideas and energy for all of them? You seem to be a very busy and active person!

My ideas come from my passion to change the world. That is what keeps me energized and motivated, the desire to bring about change. Additionally, I do a lot of reading, studying of various business models, and hanging around extremely ambitious and intelligent people who know a lot more than I do.

Where do you see yourself and your projects in the future?

I see myself expanding Mind Petals into a young entrepreneurship powerhouse. I see myself doing a lot more public speaking about entrepreneurship, more writing, and continuing to help as many other entrepreneurs as possible.

Who or what have been your greatest influences, in entrepreneurship and in life in general?

My mother has been my greatest influence in life. All of my successes would not have been possible without her guidance, support, and love. She’s been in my corner from the beginning and someone who I truly look up to.

Richard Branson is an entrepreneur that I definitely look up to. His fun, energetic, and innovative way of conducting business has taught me many lessons.

How does one become an entrepreneur? Do you need a great idea, or enthusiasm, or specialized knowledge, or anything else?

Entrepreneurs are born, not made. It’s one of those things that is either in you or isn’t. The entrepreneur has a burning desire to succeed no matter how difficult it gets.

What would you like to say to budding entrepreneurs out there?

Stop waiting and start doing. Life is too short to be sitting on the sidelines while the whole world passes you by. The time to act is now, not later. Embrace the unknown. Embrace uncertainty. Embrace fear. Follow your dream no matter what and you’ll find success.

Do you know any other youths with interesting stories to tell? Let me know!

Links in Post: