If you have been in blogosphere during the last the you will know this man. He needs no preamble… some refer to him as Britain’s answer to Gary Vaynerchuk, some call in The Infopreneur but he just calls himself… James Richmond!

The questions to this interview were thought of after reading and watching ‘A Blogger’s Success Case Study’ by Maren Kate, so I suggest you go there first so that you can understand why I asked some of the questions I did. The first question especially was because I could see how family orientated James is, I think he is pure inspiration!

Being the great person he is, James agreed to this VIDEO interview! Not only did he do an interview, he did two parts! Though I do not think you deserve to have to wait for the second part, it has such good answers… so here are the two parts of James Richmond!

More Information about James Richmond:

• The Infopreneur About Page
• A Blogger’s Success Case Study

Please comment with questions for James, questions help everybody (including himself) learn… so they are important! Also, what do you think of this comparison with the great Gary Vaynerchuk? Even if you perhaps have even something bad to say about him, I am sure he would really like to know your comments!

Today I have an exciting interview for you to listen to! I will soon (hopefully) be updating this post with a transcript and more information, but I really want to publish it for you all to listen to. This is the first audio interview to ever be published on Success Circuit, so I did have quite a few technical problems… hopefully you will be able to hear it all.

I am sure you can see why I think Dale is so inspirational. He is 18 and is working on starting up a transatlantic airline… that’s big aspirations and he is going after them very quickly!

You can find even more about Dale at dalejstephens.com.

[audio:http://successcircuit.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Interview%20with%20Dale%20Stephens.mp3]

Hello everybody! How has your day been?

As you may know, I was recently interviewed by the wonderful Sarah Cook of RaisingCEOKids.com. So today I was pleased to see my face (okay, a terrible picture… but it’s me!) on her website.

Although at the beginning I was extremely nevous as it was actually the first audio interview I have done, there is a lot of answers (and of course questions) that you will enjoy reading and take a lot away from.

You can read the whole interview at Raising CEO Kids. Be warned though, being an audio interview there it is a bit “all over the place”, there may be a couple of errors in what I said, as I do mumble a bit, but I believe we have corrected them all!

Below is a small extract of the interview, I hope you like it!

Shane

“Sarah – And so what about for parents? I know you’re parents have probably really supported you so what about for parents? What would you recommend to other, because you’re not a parent. But if you could say, “This is what I love that my parents do or this is what I wish that my parents would do to support me.” What were some ways that you feel like parents can best support their kids in being in business and in archiving their life goals?

SH – Well, I think that parents that give their children money to start up, although that will help them, I think that you’d learn much more if you start with little money. I know some people, not many of us. Some people get given large amount of money from their parents just like that and they do successful. But they’re not as successful as they would be if they started with nothing.”

How many times do I have to say it?! Success is not about money. Money is just a (albeit nice) bonus of Success.

Why do I mention this? Well, Success Circuit is meant to be about helping you to define what success is, see other peoples success and reach your own. People have mentioned to me that I am straying from this subject. Well, that may be the case but I believe that all the posts are somehow linked… so shortly I shall be adding a section to each new post (and maybe the old ones) explaning how it relates to success. However, as I do value everybody’s opinion I will try to focus more on writing about success.

Now, back to the title. Success is not about money, money is just a bonus of success. Read it. And again. And again! Ingrain that quote into your head.

“Success is not about money, money is just a bonus of success.”

Shane Hudson

Do you agree? Not everybody does. But I believe that if you go into anything with the mindset of making money, you will just lose money. Indeed, if you are making money and change your mindset while you are successful you will probably lose your success. Infact… not only would you lose your success, you would lose people’s respect and your reputation!

Remember one of the simplest quotes ever? Money does not bring happiness.

I asked Nicholas Cardot from sitesketch101.com about his opinion of my quotation (as I know he does not 100% agree with it, and was one of the people I mentioned earlier) and he gave a great answer through Skype which I wish I had recorded. Basically, he said that he wants to make money from blogging but also wants to help people. Therefore, he makes money while giving people great value products that helps them.

That I believe is fine, as long as helping people is the top priority. Though of course I do understand the fact that we all need money to live.

What is your opinion about this? Do you agree with me, or not? If not let me know… I won’t bite!!

UPDATE (10 minutes after posting!):

Nicholas Cardot: How much money do you make on Success Circuit?
Shane Hudson: I do not make money on Success Circuit
Nicholas Cardot: So then is that article a result of truth or the result of your disgruntled feelings for those who are making money on their sites? Sort of a justification to yourself for why your not making money?
Shane Hudson: uh.. no but very interesting view
Nicholas Cardot: So what is success to you?
Nicholas Cardot: Pageviews?
Nicholas Cardot: Connections?
Shane Hudson: Helping people
Nicholas Cardot: Readers?
Shane Hudson: no, dont care about stats
Nicholas Cardot: You can’t feed your family on ‘helping people.’
Jordan Cooper: if success means helping people, then why do you want us to RT, comment and share your stuff?
Shane Hudson: so that other people can read it and be helped?
Shane Hudson: lol I agree with you.. no need for an argument
Nicholas Cardot: There’s nothing wrong with trying to be rewarded for providing great value.
Jordan Cooper: Shane, why aren’t you out helping people then? quit blogging, you can help others WITHOUT a blog
Nicholas Cardot: Are you helping people? I mean really? Are you doing something that really makes a difference to people?
Shane Hudson: No I agree Nicholas… you are one of the people that gives value therefore deserve the rewards. Some bloggers write purely for the money
Jordan Cooper: I think almost all of us do
Shane Hudson: what, give value or write for the money?
Jordan Cooper: money
Jordan Cooper: you can’t look at things from extremes though
Jordan Cooper: I enjoy helping people, I really do… but seriously, I wouldn’t be here if I couldn’t make money doing so
Shane Hudson: fair enough
Jordan Cooper: admitting that to yourself is paramount to keeping the things you do truly authentic
Shane Hudson: Thats a bit like going to a job interview and being asked “why do you want to work here” and replying with “its good money” lol
Shane Hudson: but I understand
Jordan Cooper: yeah… but I’ve actually said that in job interviews
Shane Hudson: really? did they accept you?
Jordan Cooper: yeah
Shane Hudson: wow
Jordan Cooper: because being that honest gets you mad respect
Shane Hudson: Yes that is true

As you can see, there are many different views about this. Especially due to the fact that there are different levels of success and of wanting/needing money.

If you are interested in finding out more about these amazing people I speak to on Skype, they are Nicholas Cardot from sitesketch101.com and Jordan Cooper from Not A Pro Blog. Their views are extremely valuable and I hope you can decide on your own view from reading through ours.

I promised you an interview in the post yesterday, you can have it today! As you know I find Corey Freeman to be a very inspiring and amazing person to talk to. But why? Well just read this interview and you will understand all! As you can see, this interview is set in a more conversational tone.. for two reasons. Firstly, it was done through Skype and secondly, we speak to each other quite often so it is not as formal as interviews usually are!

Could you please tell us about yourself?

My name is Corey Freeman and I’m a 17-year-old entrepreneur from the USA, I currently do freelance web design although I’ve done a small amount of graphic design and I’ve done a lot of freelance writing. I just started Minus the Pie Media and hope to turn it into a publishing house.

What is Minus the Pie Media, and what plans do you have for it?

Minus the Pie Media is my new company brand so basically anything I do will have the MTP logo on it, I’m hoping to turn it into a publishing house to make books and websites and maybe one day publish movies.

Wow, might need your help later on with publishing a book! Hehe

What do (or did when you were younger) want to be when you “grow up”?

I wanted to be a LOT of things when I grew up but mostly i wanted to own my own business, haha… my own kennel or my own restaurant, etc.

Well you are certinally achieving that early on, well done!

How would you describe your lifestyle?

I’m not actually that big on “buying” stuff. So I’m upper-middle class but I don’t like…go shopping every weekend or anything. I like to chill and play video games, watch DVDs or Hulu.com when I have nothing interesting and I hang out with my best friend down the street, haha

How often do you work on your sites and MTP? What kind of work does it take to keep them all running smoothly?

I do -something- everyday whether it’s just sitting around thinking up new ideas or actually making content and designing a website. I communicate a lot with other contacts in various niches about ideas and the best way to execute those ideas and maybe 20% of the time I actually make something so…communication is what keeps them going: customers, clients, readers, whatever. I just talk, haha

How do you go about meeting new contacts? Is it through social media such as facebook and twitter, recommendations from others or another way?

Yes and no, haha, I interact with people on twitter a lot, but I prefer talking to people via instant messaging. Umm I might see someone really impressive on a forum or an expert on twitter and contact them via email and grab their MSN or Skype and then chat them up about an idea or whatever but I also have, you know, small talk and “bonding” i guess you could call it. I like to say “hi” every once in a while. I’d like to think that’s what makes people remember me. Probably not though!

One thing that you have recently (infact as of writing this, yesterday) released is Headway Hacks Premium. Could you please talk about Headway Hacks and what the Premium section allows access to and why people could not just use the free content?

Umm so I bought the theme Headway like two months ago? And I thought it was really cool and I was considering writing an unofficial guide, of course at the time my only site was writerseven.com (currently down) and It wasn’t relevant… So I got together with the guy from headwayhq.com to work on it, but he is opposite me so then I just…started headwayhacks.com and it got noticed

Headway Hacks Premium is kind of a double feature you -could- just use the normal version of the site, because those are the tutorials i write first. HHP is where I take that content and expand on it, or make a video on it and there are some articles written -just- for HHP members, like how to use your site in new and interesting ways, and soon there will be full-fledged “how to move from concept to completion” videos, etc. Also you’ll have access to downloadables, like skins, styles, and custom leafs, for free. In the future, all of what you can find on HHP will be available as a buyable PDF guide or something

The thing is, a lot of beginning users come to Headway Hacks searching for basic information, I think the more hardcore users could benefit from some hard-core attention. Although there is a special beginners category with a TON of video content. So it’s a double feature in that it has stuff for beginners and advanced users

That sounds very impressive, lucky for those who use headway!

You mentioned Writer Seven, that was the first site of yours I heard about so could you speak about that and any plans you may have for the future?

Writer Seven was actually made after the collapse of a big project I was working on, and it was when I was kind of about to give up on blogging. Everybody encouraged me to start it, and since I’m a writer by talent, I took it up it was basically no bull-sh** writing tips for the rest of us.

You have big guys like Brian Clark of copyblogger and everybody talking about freelancing and hemmingway and all of this “advanced” writing stuff and nobody was talking about what needed to be said, for those $0.01/word guys. So that was my target audience – the outsource crowd from like…india or the phillapenes who wanted to start making money they could be proud of.

As far as future plans go, I may re-open Writer Seven if I find a good way to monetize it. That content takes a lot of brain power, and I need money for college.

You spoke about encouragement… have you ever had times where you thought yourself as a “failure”? If so how did you stop feeling like it? If not how do you keep yourself so optimistic?

I’ve never thought of myself as a failure because you kind of have to fail at something first.

That sounds kinda weird haha… I don’t actually set -goals-

Well there goes my next question!! Haha

Goals have a number of problems.

Explain

They’re time oriented, so if the deadline passes, you feel like a failure if you don’t meet a goal at all, you feel like a failure… it hangs over your head and all this crap, who wants that?

I agree with your point of view, though I have never heard it in that way… very interesting! Okay, instead of failure.. how about motivation? What keeps you motivated?

I would say my curiosity, haha, I love learning about stuff and the only good way to learn is to practice so if i stop blogging, i stop learning, and that’s no fun!

What an amazing way of looking at it!

Could you please describe, and explain, your personal definition of the word “Success”?

It depends on what you’re trying to do. So I would say there are two:

1. Completeing the challenges you set for yourself; and
2. Fixing a problem in any way possible that works positively

I personally just try to be better today than I was yesterday!

“I personally just try to be better today than I was yesterday!”

Corey Freeman

What an incredible mindset!

If you have no goals, do you have any plans for the future?

Umm in the “future” I’m going to be attending college for business administration and then working on building my business up. Probably going to hire somebody other than just me, haha

If there was just one thing that you would like people to remember about you, what would it be?

If there was one thing I would want people to remember, it’s that no matter how I might come across, I’m always just trying to help. And I am a girl, so don’t let the name confuse you.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

And…be sure to check out my personal blog if you get really bored and I actually manage to update it, because that’s my personal hub for the time being.

Thank you Corey, what great answers!

Links that you might find useful are shown below.

• Headway Hacks
• Writer Seven (Currently down but linked just incase it is revived.. which I personally am hoping for!)
• Corey-Freeman.com

You are probably asking “What on earth is a Manualist!?!” well, I decided to look it up on good ol’ reliable Wikipedia.

“Manualism is the little-known art of playing music by squeezing air through the hands. Because the sound produced has a distinctly flatulent tone, such music is usually presented as a form of musical comedy or parody. The musical performer is called manualist, who may perform a cappella or with instrumental accompaniment.”

Wikipedia – Manualism (hand music)

I am also going to tell you a little story about how I found out about this amazing man. On British TV there is a program on Channel 4 called Rude Tube, which is basically a compilation of popular You Tube videos. I cannot remember what position he was, but he was very high and I thought to myself “wow, someone that has become THAT popular just because of their hands has to be classed as successfull… I had emailed him before the clip was over! Don’t forget to go to his YouTube channel, Gunecologist, which has over 150 videos with some having millions of visits per video! So without further ado here is the great manualist, Gerry Philips!

Firstly, could you please tell us about yourself?
I’m 49 years old. I live in troy, Michigan. I’m married 13 years to liz from new Zealand. I have 2 stepsons. Scott and tim and a shi-tzu named jake. I own a gunshop in Waterford, Michigan. That is where the name gunecologist came from.

What did you want to be, during your childhood, when “you grow up”?

I wanted to be a professional manualist. I ended up working in the family business.

How has being able to play music on your hands affected your life and did you ever believe that it would have that affect?

When I was 9 years old I thought I invented playing songs on the hands until 5 years later when I saw a man named john twomey on the tonight show with Johnny Carson play stars and stripes forever. That was also the first time I heard the term manualist, which means “one who works with his hands”. When youtube became popular , I thought I would put a video or two on and see what happened. I never expected I would have 18 million views. It has sent me around the world making commercials and performing on tv shows. So, yes it has enhanced my life.

How would you describe your lifestyle?

I work 10-12 hours a day. 6 day a week. I don’t have much time for any lifestyle. When I get gigs is the only time I get away and it’s harder than working my regular job. Especially the travel.

Did you put any effort into getting so popular on YouTube (with loads of videos getting over 50 thousand hits and some with more than a few million!)? If so, what did you do? If not, how did it happen?

I put more effort than you can imagine into the videos. Learning the songs note for note sometimes takes weeks of listening to the song over and over in the car. Then play it live for a camera without making too many mistakes. I always thought there were songs I just couldn’t play because they were too hard, or I didn’t have the speed or the notes were too long. I have figured out ways to do these songs. 10 years ago, if you asked me to play the green hornet theme or classical gas or the star wars cantina band song I would have said it’s impossible. Now anything is possible

I first saw what you do on Rude Tube, a TV program on Channel 4; do you often get a lot of media attention (such as TV, Newspapers, and the Internet)?

Yes, at one time I was doing 3 interviews a day by phone to radio shows around the world. Lots of magazines newspapers and tv. The internet is the biggest.

Have you been able to make money from YouTube and your ability to make music with your hands?

Yes. But, I don’t make money from youtube. All money has been from live performances and tv shows.

If you could go back and change one thing in your past, what would it be?

Nothing, I have done everything I wanted to do and more.

Do you think you would have been able to be so popular if it was not for YouTube and the internet?

No.

Could you please describe your personal definition of the word “Success”?

When the musicians who wrote and performed the songs I love are watching my videos and telling me how good they are. Examples: brian may, guns and roses, Ronnie Montrose and the california guitar trio.

What plans do you have the future?

On the 21st of this month (Novemeber 2009) I am the celebrity guest star at a charity event for 90 charities in ohio. They are expecting 4000 people. I am honored to be asked.

If there was just one thing that you would like people to remember about you, what would it be?

That I was a musician. Not just a guy who farted with his hands.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thank you!

Thank you very much Gerry. I hope you all liked the inteview, I shall now leave you with some of his most popular videos.

And for those of you that want to be able to do this yourself…

Well now is the time to stop! I would like to introduce you to a book that I recently had the pleasure of reading. “Stop Peeing On Your Shoes: Avoiding the 7 Mistakes That Screw Up Your Job Search” is a book written by career consultant Julie Bauke.

There are two main reasons as to why I recommend you to buy this book (don’t worry, I am not trying to make you click an affilite link). The first reason is obviously content (after all Content Is King), every single word in the book is important. There is no “filler” content, the whole book is useful. Secondly, Julie has a writing style rarely seen in books… she is funny. Yep, a useful humourous book… impressive!

I was going to give you a massive review but why? Nope… better idea… lets interview the author!

Firstly, could you please tell us about yourself?

I am a Career Strategy Consultant and I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I speak professionally, write and coach clients to live the career of their dreams. Most of my one-on-one work is with senior level professionals and professional athletes, but in my writing and speaking, the messages, and info are for everyone.

What did you want to be, during your childhood, when “you grow up”?

I always liked talking to and learning about people and I always loved to write. I got into Human Resources work for the first half of my career- it’s the most people oriented side of business. I found that no matter what job I was in HR, I was always drawn to career conversations. I made a decision to move in to the career field for the second half of my career and have been wildly happy ever since. What I do is what I was meant to do.

You have recently released your book “Stop Peeing on Your Shoes”. Why did you write it?

The book was the result of my 10+ years coaching really smart professionals and seeing them make the same mistakes, regardless of how successful they were in their careers. Career Management is something that no one teaches us- we typically stumble through it and hope to figure it out. The problem is that most don’t.  My book as meant to get people started on the right foot- and to prevent them from making those mistakes.

As I have mentioned earlier, you are a very clever yet humorous woman. Most people either write really intensely with amazing information or they are more casual but with less useful information. Yet you write in a funny AND amazingly informative way, how do you manage it?

Thanks. My writing style is exactly like my speaking style. In fact, one of my good friends read the book and said it was exactly like spending the day with me. There really isn’t much to laugh at in job search as it is very serious and fraught with all kinds of pitfalls. BUT, at the same time, it can be very funny in kind of a “ya gotta laugh, or you’d cry” way. I really tried to capture that in the book by filling it with 100% true client stories of the good, the bad and the hilarious, and the use of cartoons.  My style is very direct, so I wanted the book to be very direct and very helpful, while making you smile.

Who/what is your greatest inspiration?

I would say that every client who sat at my desk over the years so completely burnt out and feeling so hopeless inspired me to inspire others to be in control of their careers. Companies absolutely do not care about your career the way you should. You have to drive your own Career Bus instead of careening through it as a passenger.

What would you say is your greatest passion and how does this passion affect your work?

Because I am in a career I love, I want others to experience the joy that it can be to truly be excited on Monday morning and as I say “skip to the shower”.

How would you describe your lifestyle?

Filled with male creatures. I have a husband, two teenage sons and three dogs, so that is 6 males and me. I love it. My kids, husband and dogs are all great. I like to think that I have found my perfect balance as the kids know they are top priority but that Mom is a better Mom when she has a career. I’m not a domestic- cooking and all of the other stuff that goes with running a perfect house is not my strengths or interests. I admire people who do it well, but it’s not me. We can’t do it all, so I choose to focus on the stuff I love and know that my kids will not be in therapy some day because there was dog hair in the corner.

Have you ever had times where you thought yourself as a “failure”? If so how did you stop feeling like it? If not how do you keep yourself so optimistic?

Yes… When I was in a big job with a gorgeous office and looked around and felt empty. But I quickly got to “it’s not me, it’s that the job is wrong for me” and set about making a change.

Your book speaks a lot about common mistakes, rightly so as it is what makes the book so useful, yet what intrigues me is what would you say is the most unique situation/mistake you have come across whilst you have been coaching?

Definitely the guy who had toy safes delivered to his top companies of interest that had his resume locked inside. This was before 9/11. Needless to say, it fell flat.

What advice would you give somebody wanting to speak at an event, possibly even as the keynote speaker?

You have to have something to speak on that people want to hear. Start speaking for free at lunchtime professional events, church, etc. and get your message honed and your speaking skills polished.  Be ready for someone to come up to you and say “I’d love to have you come speak at an event I’m hosting. What is your fee?” You’re off and running!

If you could go back and change one thing in your past, what would it be?

Not a thing. I am so happy with where I am today, that I believe everything that has happened, good & bad, has brought me here.

How has the internet improved your business? If there was no internet how would your business differ from its current form?

It’s been transformational. People can find you, follow you, engage with you from anywhere in the world. Without it, I would be limited to handing out marketing materials in my own community and hoping for the best.

Could you please describe your personal definition of the word “Success”?

Using your natural skills and talents, and pursuing your interests (and getting paid for it!) while maintaining a healthy personal life.

Obviously you have written your own book but what other books would you recommend to somebody that is looking for a job, or to improve their career?

I like Career Distinction by William Arruda & Kirsten Dixson. It’s a great way to get in touch with your personal brand, i.e. how others see you and how you see yourself

What plans do you have the future?

Continue to grow my business to spread the word that we all need to find what makes us skip to the shower. Yes, it’s takes courage, answering hard questions, and some risk. But the result is more than worth it.

If there was just one thing that you would like people to remember about you, what would it be?

I genuinely care about others finding their own version of career success but believe it is something that cannot be delegated or outsourced. And that I love to laugh…!

Thank you Julie.

Today I have the great honour of introducing you all to Jason O’Neill, who started his first business (Pencil Bugs) at the ripe age of 9!

I believe Jason is an extremely interesting and inspiring young entrepreneur, certinally one you want to be following!

Firstly, could you please tell us about yourself?

I am a 13-year-old entrepreneur and started my own business, Pencil Bugs, kind of by accident when I was nine years old. I am in 8th grade, go to a private school and live in Temecula, California with my mom and dad.

Not many people start a business at all, yet you started when you were 9! What have you learned since then?

I have learned more than school will ever teach me. The possibilities of things to learn are endless when you are not just reading from a book. The biggest skill I have learned is public speaking. It was really scary in the beginning but now it is kind of fun. They don’t teach that in school. Well, at least not in a business way of public speaking. I’ve also learned about all aspects of running a business. I may not always do the specific tasks every day because I am still in school but I know how to do my own accounting, update my website, fill orders, and many other functions so I could do them if I had time.

How did you come up with the idea of donating to charity and have you had any specific experiences from doing so?

Donating is very important. Ever since I started my business I knew I wanted to help other kids. So I started by donating to a foster home in Temecula.Then last year I began a program with Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California. Each quarter, I use a portion of my sales and buy toys, games, books, and other activities for the kids in the hospital. The thing about donating or volunteering your time is that you don’t have to give a lot. Even the smallest amount or effort can make a difference in someone else’s life.

Who/what is your greatest inspiration in business and life in general?

My parents are my inspiration and drive for the business. They have taught me everything I know and they support me through everything I do. I hope to continue my business and become so successful that I can do more for other people. One of the important people I look up to is Bill Gates. I admire him for all the charitable giving he does.

How would you describe your lifestyle?

I feel I have a very easy lifestyle. I am a pretty regular kid. I go to school, do homework, but my parents don’t over schedule me with a lot of extracurricular things so I get plenty of time to play and be a kid. I guess my business is my extra thing. I am happy with how things are.

Would you say that you are so successful because of your parents and the way they have brought you up? If so, what do you believe is the most important thing they have taught you?

My parents are everything to me and without them I wouldn’t even have a business. The most important thing I learned from them is to never give up. If you do, you will never know what you could have accomplished. But even with all the support, it’s still hard being a kid with a business because we don’t always want to do what’s necessary. I’m just like everyone else. We all have tough times and decisions now and then.

Does being a successful entrepreneur change the way the other people at school treat you? If so, has it resulted in bullying?

Most other kids don’t see the magnitude of what I am doing. I do get bullied as a lot of kids do at sometime but it is not because of my business. A big problem is that some people just don’t see the real value of what I am doing so it means nothing to them. I don’t really talk about my business with other kids unless I’m speaking at another school or event. I think sometimes my classmates feel jealous so I just keep my accomplishments to myself at school.

What does it feel like to be featured on websites such as Forbes and ABC?

It is a real honour to be listed on the big ones. Sometimes even today, I still can’t believe that I have been on Forbes twice. The good thing is, the articles haven’t been about money. When Forbes contacted me about including me on their Top 10 Role Models List, I was so surprised because of the celebrities they also included. It’s more important to me that the media focuses on what I do and my charitable donations than how much I make. Money isn’t everything and I’m certainly not rich by any means but that will come. The big media is really great but I’m just as happy to give interviews for blogs and other websites. I’ve learned that you just never know who might read about you who could make a huge difference in your life or business.

Have you ever had times where you thought yourself or your business as a “failure”? If so how did you stop feeling like it? If not how do you keep yourself so optimistic?

If I said I never felt like a failure, I’d be lying. I think everyone has at least one moment when they question what they’re doing. Thankfully, I have my parents to get me through those times.

Now time for a strange question… on your website it says you play Runescape, this is actually a game that a lot of entrepreneurs I know (including myself) have played, do you believe that by playing the game it has taught you anything that you have been able to use in business?

I think Runescape can teach many good life skills like learning about the economy and pricing. Since it is an online multiplayer game, what one person does effects everyone else. The prices of items are always changing and that’s what makes it so fun. It can teach you valuable life skills without you knowing it and the game itself is really fun. Of course you could just play for the fun of it but I like to analyze new ways of making money so it takes a lot of time but I do have limits on how long I can play video games or be on the computer.

“but I do have limits on how long I can play video games or be on the computer”

What advice would you give to somebody wanting to start their first business?

Get help! No one should do it alone. If someone else has done it before, learn from what they have already done. You don’t need to go through it again. No matter what age you, are help is important. Then when you have gotten experience, you can help the newcomers. It is an endless cycle.

“Get help! No one should do it alone”

Do you believe that entrepreneurship is something that can be taught or that it is in the blood?

If you try something hard enough you can find a way to do anything. I don’t believe I am a natural born entrepreneur. My business happened by accident when I wanted to help my mom with a product she was doing for a craft fair. She told me I had to come up with my own idea to sell so that’s when Pencil Bugs were born. But before that, it’s not like I was thinking, “Hmmm, I should start a business even though I’m only nine.” My start was purely accidental. It’s just that once it started, with the help of my parents, my entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. But if you ask my mom, she’ll tell you I’ve always been somewhat of an inventor since I was really young. I used to make contraptions and put toys together to see how things would work. So maybe people do have something in them?

“My start was purely accidental.”

What was the best advice you have ever been given?

My parents tell me to never give up since you will never know what might happen if you quit.

If you could go back and change one thing in your past, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change a thing. There may be things that I didn’t like about what I had done but if I changed anyone of them I wouldn’t be here now.

How has the internet improved your business? If there was no internet how would your business plan differ from its current form?

Internet is one of the biggest reasons my business is successful. The internet lets age be no boundary. So without the internet, it would have been a lot harder to get exposure and I’m not sure if I would have continued.

Who made your website? Was it somebody you know, yourself or a company?

My mom made my website. She actually has a side business designing websites. I’m lucky she knows how to do that because it saves a ton of money not having to pay an outside company.

What plans do you have the future?

I have many plans but my current project is getting the Pencil Bugs mass produced. We are in the final stages with a manufacturer so hopefully before next year, real production will begin. I also have designs for a Pencil Bug plush toy, board game, video game, and maybe even a cartoon or a movie.

If there was just one thing that you would like people to remember about you, what would it be?

I want people to remember all the good things I did with my money like helping the kids in the hospital. That’s really important to me.

Thank you very much Jason.

Hey everybody,

Today I have a BIG treat for you! Joe has agreed to take some time away from his busy schedule in Joeville to share his top secret advice with us all, I hope you like it… I find him very inspirational and this explains why.

Hey Joe,

Firstly, could you please tell us about yourself?
I’m Joe baby! I live in Kansas, wife and 3 kids, and my day job is a network engineer, however I’m working my way into full time consulting/marketing

Who/what is your biggest inspiration?
My family is my biggest inspiration, being able to provide for my wife and kids is what motivates me to try harder to build my empire

You have a very humorous blog, is it a reflection of your real personality or did you decide to make it funny because it grasps attention and readers easier?

That’s all me baby! When I was getting started, I read some marketers say you need a “character” to market online. I felt that was dumb, I’ve always been a real dude and so I just said I would give the people me, and that way if they hate me, at least they are hating me for me…likewise, when the love me, it’s for me and what I bring. It’s working out well so far.
You always have something to talk about, is there any “secret recipe” to this?
No, not really man, there is always something to talk about, always something around you. Sometimes it’s stuff I’m working on, sometimes it’s questions I have, other times it’s just random life stuff…whatever. People just want to hear from a real person, most of the times if you mix a lil knowledge and advice with some real life stuff, they enjoy that a lot more than just teaching stuff all day every day.

How do you keep yourself motivated?
Noing the goals and plans I have for my family man. There’s tons of stuff I want to do for them, myself, and others in the world. I can only do that if I’m in charge of my own thing, so that’s where I’m working towards.

You come across amazingly confident on video, how do you do it?!
You know man, I just try to keep it real. If I mess up, I keep it in there. I’m not afraid to talk in front of people or crowds, it’s very natural for me. So speak on video like I would if we were in person.

What is your opinion social media (such as Twitter and Facebook)?
It’s priceless if you know how to use it right. Use it to build relationship, show your personality, and share your expertise. People want to connect with you, so do it. It used to be the GURU and then the other folks, now, people want to feel connected to the folks the learn from, study, and purchase from. Social media gives you that…you just gotta have a plan and know what ya doing man!

Have you ever had times where you thought yourself or your blog as a “failure”? If so how did you stop feeling like it? If not how do you keep yourself so optimistic?

Hmmmm, when I can’t do or provide everything I want for my family, that makes me feel like a failure, that’s why I’m so motivated to take control and build my own brand. So then it rests on me, I’m calling the shots and if it fails I can’t blame anyone else.

I am constantly tweaking and redefining my approach as I learn more. I find things that “vibe” with my style and I add it to the mix. So far, just being me and sharing what I know has proven to be much better than trying to come off as some know it all loser just trying to push products and not caring about individuals I come in contact with.

When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up? Have things changed? If so what has changed?
Ha, well, I don’t know about a child, but when I was in high school I wanted to be a few things! A model, a clothing designer, rap artists….. As you can see, everything pretty much revolved around me being in charge of my career. Yeah, things have changed quite a bit, I I’m not a rap star and have no desire to be though I’m heavily involved in music. I’m not a model, but I can be when folks send me gear or hats lol. I will be releasing some exclusive Joeville apparel so I guess that takes care of the designer part hahaha. Get that sammich hat soon boyeeeeeee.

If you could go back to when you were starting up, what advice would you give to yourself?
FOCUS!!! I tried so many things man, until I realized the best thing to do is pick something and work with it. I got enticed by all the shiny things man! Those days are over, and now I can help others because of my experience.

What plans do you have the future?

Keep spreading the Joe-ness around man, grow the Joeville community, take on more consulting clients, maybe get into some coaching or something. Basically whatever I feel man, just knowing I will be doing what I want to do daily is enough motivation to keep me going forever.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
If you want something real come on over to Joeville! Get involved, subscribe, and see what I got to say. I like interaction so don’t be a stranger. We welcome everyone over there!
Thank you very much Joe.

Here is another interesting interview for you, this time it is with the entrepreneurial 15 year old Benjamin Lang. I hope you enjoy it!

Firstly, could you please tell us about yourself? (Who are you, where do you live, how old are you, what do you do for a living?)

I’m 15 years old. I live in New York currently. I’ve lived in a few different countries and speak 3 languages. I started an eBay selling business about 7 months ago, the real spark came when I was on Channel 12. From there business grew and I started working on web design. So now I sell stuff on eBay and I am starting to design people’s sites.

You have a variety of websites and skills, why did you start these and how did you go about it?

Well as I learnt more and more I became more curious… so I bought a few websites, started doing a few different things and learnt on the way.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

I don’t need motivation, I’m always motivated!

I know that you went to Israel, how did this help you and what did you learn there?

Well Israel was a turning point in my life not only in the business aspect. I did though start my ebay business there. I started by selling my grandfather’s camera equipment online. The cash started pouring in because it was quite expensive equipment. So I thought, maybe if I sold other people’s stuff I could make even more… which eventually lead to the creation of my business.

Have you ever had times where you thought yourself or your websites as a “failure”? If so how did you stop feeling like it? If not how do you keep yourself so optimistic?

The only site of mine that’s not going very well is www.teenbizstarter.com. I wanted to help out other teens start businesses but I can get the site how I want it so it’s not really going anywhere.

Do you believe that entrepreneurialism is in the blood or that it can be learned?

I think its both. My dad is an entrepreneur but I think that you can learn how to be one if you are very motivated.

What advice would you recommend to other young entrepreneurs?

I would say networking, perseverance and creativity is very crucial. I’ve been working on networking very hard. It takes a lot of effort but pays off. Perseverance I feel that I’ve mastered, I try very hard to be successful at everything I do. Creativity is very important and I’m still working on it.

What plans do you have the future?

I’d like to start bigger companies and work as an entrepreneur for my whole life. Hopefully by the time I’m 21 I’ll be competing with Google.

Thank you very much Ben. I am sure you can see why this is inspirational, everything he says shows that he has dedication and purpose. I wish him the best of luck, perhaps he might even stick around here and help give tips?