How To Have Your Childhood Dream Job As An Entrepreneur
What did you want to be when you grew up and how does that relate to what you do now (if at all)?
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
1. Sports Agent
“I loved sports statistics. My Dad would be amazed that from the age of 6 I would grab the sports page of the paper and read the box scores. My infatuation drove me to want to learn as much about people as possible (not just athletes) so I could sell others on their talents. Now I manage over 20k contractors across the US and can identify their strengths and weaknesses efficiently.”
– Vinny Antonio, Victory Marketing Agency
2. A Comedian
“Although I was never very funny, I desperately wished I could be a comedian. As a business owner, I find it’s my role to educate and entertain customers using a bit of my true personality. I get on stage every day in front of my co-workers, journalists and clients to make them just a bit happier, and hopefully, put a smile on their face.”
3. The Captain of a Soccer Club
“Everything I learned about leadership and teamwork I learned while I played soccer in my hometown as a 10-year-old. “
4. An Astronaut
“As I was growing up, I wanted to boldly go where no man had gone before. That all changed when I discovered video games as a middle schooler, and I have continued developing ever since. I think a sense of wonder and exploration of new worlds is a vital component of my industry, and even though I don’t leave this world physically, I certainly enable others to do so virtually.”
– James Simpson, GoldFire Studios
5. A Civil Engineer
“When I was growing up, I wanted to be an engineer and to build bridges and buildings. I’ve always been analytical, but I’ve found that I also excel at developing interpersonal relationships. In many ways, my current business (online marketing) lets me be both analytical while still allowing me to leverage my social skills.”
– Nick Reese, Microbrand Media
6. A Psychologist
“Growing up, people fascinated me – how they thought, what drove their motivations and why everyone seemed so different, yet so alike at the same time. I was sure that I would focus on the field of psychology as an adult. But, after receiving a degree in the field, I learned that practicing it didn’t need to involve someone lying on my couch telling me their problems. It was applicable to understanding myself, my clients and everyone in between – regardless of the product or service. It relates to everything in my life now.”
7. The President of the United States
“I dreamed of going into politics and working my way up to the position of president. While I’m not the leader of the free world, I am the leader of my successful company! I relish the “political” side of what I do – all of the business development, working with people and developing close relationships. “
– David Ehrenberg, Early Growth Financial Services
8. An Actor
“When I was a kid I always wanted to be Hollywood actor. This does not relate to my professional role now as an entrepreneur and chief revenue officer, but I figure if I start enough successful companies, maybe Justin Timberlake will play me in a movie someday.”
9. A Chemical Engineer
“I have always loved the concept of building and making something from nothing. About half way through college I realized what I really did not like was physics. In my current position as COO, I am constantly building new processes and taking things apart and rebuilding them to create greater efficiency. I love nothing more than being brought a problem that just take some tweaks to the process to fix.”
– Laura Land, Accessory Export, LLC
10. An Inventor
“I dreamt of being an inventor, which is what I ultimately became. The modern day inventor: an entrepreneur! I get to dream up crazy ideas and muster the team and resources to turn an original vision into reality.”
– Prerna Gupta, Khush Inc. (Acquired by Smule)
11. A Writer
“Thank goodness, because who knew that being an entrepreneur would involve so much copy writing! Most people underestimate how much writing is involved in promotion, pushing products, sales and pitching. No matter what you sell or who you sell to, you need to be a decent writer.”
– Vanessa Van Edwards, Science of People
12. A Salesman
“In the fifth grade, I bought Life Savers from the store and sold them individually to my classmates for 5 cents. I was thrilled when I made my first sale and grossed a penny. When I realized I couldn’t make that much money doing this, I walked door to door in my neighborhood trying to sell individual sticks of gum, but alas, no takers.”
– Geoffrey Stenrick, SimpleRay
13. A Magician
“I wanted to be a magician – a wizard. I wanted to be Merlin in Disney’s “The Sword and the Stone.” I tried to build a time machine out of paint, make a flying machine out of a t-ball set and get my turtle to talk. At this point, sending electrical signals through thin air is the closest I’m going to get to making real magic.”
– Ty Morse, Songwhale
14. An R&B Singer
“I wanted to be a smooth R&B singer. I wanted to be on the stage moving people with my voice. Problem was, I couldn’t sing. In fact, I might be more tone deaf than anyone who has ever existed. But, what I really wanted to do was travel, impact people’s lives and perform a great show on a stage. As a professional speaker, I do those things every time I travel to one of my 100 speaking engagements. Although I’m not crooning, I’m spreading a positive message to students on how to use education to change their lives. By being a speaker, I’m doing all the things I wanted to do as a singer. People ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, but I think the “why” is more important.”
– Arel Moodie, College Success Program
15. A Knight
“They’re courageous, chivalrous, fearsome and allowed to wield an epic sword. What’s not to love? I’m still pretty obsessed with knights, castles and wizards, but unfortunately, I have yet to officially become a knight. Still, where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
16. A Sprinkler Collector
“Hilariously, when I was nine, I was featured in our local Alaskan paper about my large (60+) sprinkler collection. Since our summers were short, and the ground was usually frozen, everyone watered their lawn manually. I used my collection to get the whole street going at the same time. Fortunately, I later channeled that same passion into entrepreneurship.”
– Tyler Arnold, SimplySocial Inc.