Think Big Partners Announces Sarah Snyder as Newest Partner

It’s a core belief at Think Big that entrepreneur is not so much a title, but a spirit. It’s a pulse that courses through the veins of a growing company. We know that behind every great company are people who embody this spirit, people who embrace change, face the unknown and are willing to try new things. We’re lucky enough to have a team of these people, and we’re happy to announce that we’ve named one fearless entrepreneur on our team, Sarah Snyder, as partner.

Prior to 2010, Sarah, an event planner at the time, had aspirations of planning the Oscars and working on Disney parades. But it wasn’t until an entrepreneurship conference put on by Think Big that she found her direction. Her passion is events that change people; events that teach them and empower them.

“I decided right there that I wanted to make a difference with the events I planned. I began as a volunteer for Think Big, and found myself working full-time not long after,” said Sarah.

During her early days at Think Big, Sarah’s major accomplishment was starting the Think Big Coworking community. What started as just “space to fill” has blossomed into an active, engaged and close-nit coworking environment. In her new role as Partner, Sarah will continue the momentum she helped start and has big plans for developing the community further.

When asked about what “partner” means to her, she said that partners take care of each other.

“Partners help round out the thought process, fit together and create a whole perspective,” she said. In her day-to-day partner role, Sarah will continue to grow parts of the Think Big business regionally and nationally. While her major focus is on strategic partnerships, she will continue to manage the Think Big Coworking space.

Because she’s been a part of Think Big since the beginning, she’s seen a lot of changes and forward progress.

“A lot of things we’ve been dreaming about are finally starting to become a reality. The potential for growth and success feels very close. My passion for Think Big comes from creating jobs in KC, and as cheesy as it sounds, I think we can change the world – one job at a time.”

2014 is going to be a big year for Think Big. Stay tuned for some big announcements from Sarah and the rest of the Think Big team this Spring/Summer.

Contact Sarah if you are interested in partnering with Think Big at sarah.snyder@thinkbigpartners.com.

Happy Halloween! The Top 10 Fears for Entrepreneurs

Halloween is almost here, Kansas City entrepreneurs! October 31st will be the perfect night for walking through Kansas City haunted houses, pumpkin carving with the family, telling ghost stories, and of course, Trick-Or-Treating.  And although most successful entrepreneurs are not afraid of Grim Reaper costumes, “haunted” cemeteries and scary music, there are other fears that haunt Kansas City entrepreneurs every day in the workplace.  So, in honor of this spooky holiday, I have compiled a list of the Top 10 fears for entrepreneurs.  

Don’t be afraid, take a look:

1.  The Fear of Failure

Without a doubt, most entrepreneurs have a fear of failure.  When 50% of new businesses fail within the first five years, it’s difficult to overcome the fear of failure.  Instead of letting this fear define who you are and where your company is going, use the fear to push yourself beyond what you thought you could do.  Prove yourself (and the statistics) wrong—do not let failure be an option.

2.  Economic Uncertainty

Ten years ago, economic uncertainty was probably not a major fear of most entrepreneurs. The times have changed, however, and companies big and small, young and old, are worried about what the declining economy means for them.

3.  Being Your Own Boss

Being your own boss can be terrifying.  Not only do you have to keep tabs on your company, but you also have to keep tabs on yourself and make sure that you are doing everything it takes to create a successful startup business.  Entrepreneurs must be able to motivate themselves throughout each workday to see that all necessary tasks are completed.

4.  Raising Capital

Having enough money for establish a startup is one thing—staying afloat is another.  You will need money to start up, operate and grow your business.  To ensure that you have enough money to develop a successful startup, seek capital from a venture capitalist, angel investor, and the like.  Recently, the development of online funding platforms, such as peerbackers, KickStarter, Indie GoGo and Rock the Post have helped many entrepreneurs reach their American Dream.

5.  The Job Will Consume Your Life

It’s true: entrepreneurs can spend anywhere from 50-72 hours a week on their businesses.  In order to overcome this fear, be sure that you have your work-life balance in place even before your business starts up.  This means to prioritize what’s most important to you.

6.  High-Wire With No Net

When you have been in your own small business and survived the early years that weed out most startups, you have the fear that you can never turn back to “the devil you knew” (i.e. traditional employment). The struggles of entrepreneurship make you forget why you left corporate America in the first place and your memories become revised to dwell on how easy and happy it all was “back then”.

7.  The Length of the Process

Many entrepreneurs fear the overall longevity of a startup venture.  It takes time to grow a business so an entrepreneur must be extremely patient throughout the entire process.  And although your business may be getting more profitable every year, you look at your old car in the driveway and then your neighbor’s new Lexus and feel that if only you’d stuck to corporate, you’d have new toys, too.  Patience is virtue!

8.  The Merry-Go-Round Stopping

Entrepreneurs who already have an established company often fear that their company will slowly begin to fail.  Even though everything may be going well in the beginning, entrepreneurs always fear that the phones will go silent and that no one will want what they sell anymore.

9.  Getting Stuck

Although many entrepreneurs fear that their businesses will stop all together, even more seem to worry that their company will merely never make it to the top.  This entrepreneurial fear is that the company will never break through the wall of the business by being just “okay”.

10.  The Competition

Entrepreneurs always live in fear that someone else out there may be smarter than they are and therefore, develop a better product or service, consequently, blowing theirs out of the water.  It’s best to use the competition as a driving force for your company to become a better, more successful one instead.

During this Halloween, don’t let your fears impose on your entrepreneurial dreams.  Continue to reach for your goals, never let your fears bring you down, and of course, Think Big.  Happy Halloween, entrepreneurs!  

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

In-depth with the Think Big i-Team: Brennan Power

This summer, Think Big Partners proudly took on its biggest project of all—managing 9 rockstar interns!  We were so excited to bring on these 9 eager students that we felt like we had to come up with name for them—they are now known as the i-Team. We can’t wait to teach the i-Team all about the world of entrepreneurship, startups, marketing and all things in between.  Learn more about i-Team member Brennan Power, one of our four copywriter interns.

NAME: Brennan Power

FAVORITE COLOR: Blue

FAVORITE TV SHOW: True Blood

SECRET FUN FACT: Great artist, specifically drawing.

As the summer comes to a close for the i-Team, we at Think Big would like to showcase the final piece of the i-Team puzzle: our fourth copywriter, Brennan Power. Mr. Power is somewhat of an international man of mystery.  In fact, he was late to the party known as the i-Team this summer because he was studying abroad down under in Melbourne, Australia.

So what have we learned about Brennan in his short stint at TBP? For starters, Brennan is a lifelong citizen of Kansas City, Missouri. A graduate of Pembroke Hill, like fellow i-Team member Max Gall, Brennan was a phenomenal two-sport athlete in his high school days, wielding a mean stick in both hockey and lacrosse. In high school, Brennan was also the president of the Spanish club, which like any presidency, yielded the amazing perk of a free Chipotle burrito every month. Talk about power! But Brennan made sure he was not above the people.  In fact, whenever asked, he would willingly lend his skill as an artist to teachers and classmates by designing flyers for events and clubs around the school.

After graduating high school, Brennan embarked to the east coast to attend Boston College. Brennan will head back to school in a little less than a month to start his senior year and graduate with a degree in history and sociology.  As an avid volunteer, Brennan spends a lot of his time in the intercity school reading program Jumpstart. In this program, Brennan helps teach students reading and writing skills.

Brennan’s love for sports has also continued into his college years.  Brennan is a member of the Boston College intramural club hockey team.

During breaks from school, Brennan enjoys music blogging to stay current with the hottest hits. He also enjoys hiking and sees it as a great way to relax and take in fresh air.

Now time for the golden question: How does Brennan Think Big? Brennan likes to be original and sees it important for a person to stay true to themselves and their style. As he puts it, “It’s the best way to become successful.  People appreciate that and can see that it’s genuine.” 

We look forward to the exciting things Brennan has in store and are delighted to welcome him to the team!

Entrepreneur Corner Brings Out the Inner All-Star in All of Us

It may have been over 100 degrees outside during last week’s First Fridays, but that didn’t stop Think Big from throwing a killer party! Last Friday, Think Big Partners held their first-ever All-Star baseball inspired Entrepreneur Corner as part of First Fridays. There was pitching (baseball-style and entrepreneur-style!), music, popcorn, pictures, chalk and of course, ice cold beer (we had to cool off somehow!).   

First Base: The Life Equals photo booth was the beginning of the Entrepreneur Corner journey. There was a wide array of baseball props—from a Royals jersey to a baseball mitt. You could even write snarky messages on hand-held chalkboards.  Pictures from Life Equals will be posted on Facebook soon—stay tuned!

Second Base: Time to pitch! We gave each attendee just three attempts to throw their fastest pitch.  A radar gun read the exact speed of each pitch. Even Tyler Prochnow, one of Think Big’s cofounders, was spotted trying his fast pitch (and pitched 72mph!).

Third Base: After pitching (literally), attendees moseyed over to a different type of pitching experience. A camera was set up to record people pitching brilliant, wacky even outrageous ideas—ideas for business, ways of life, or even reasons why they should be the next president! Topics were written on tiny baseballs for those that couldn’t think of anything to pitch.  Stay tuned—winners of this pitching portion will be announced soon and will win tickets to Royals and T-Bones games!

Home Plate: Finally, it’s beer time! Think Big was serving free beer (3 kegs worth!), courtesy of Boulevard Brewing Company. It was such a hit there was always a line. In case you got hungry, popcorn was served—free of course! All this was going on while Bobby Miller (DJ BMJ) was laying down the tracks!

Hopefully, you made it to Think Big’s Entrepreneur Corner this month and enjoyed all the activities. If not, we’ll be here next month with more fun things in store for you!  Stay tuned on our blog for more pictures and an announcement of our pitching winners! 

Hai Chen and Tyler Prochnow of Think Big getting refreshments.

Alysa Tarantino of Think Big serving up ice cold Boulevard Wheat!

View of the crowd from the bizperc roof.

DJ BMJ spins some beats.

How Fast can you throw? We tested everyone's pitch speed!

A great crowd at Think Big's July Entrepreneur Corner!

VIP party on the roof.

Ready...aim...fire!

The pitching leaders.  Not too shabby! 

Think Big's Laura Goede gives it her best shot.     

Free beer, free popcorn, awesome networking!

Think Big employees enjoying the beautiful night.

The Think Big Team after successful entrepreneur corner! 
Thanks to everyone who came out! 

AgLocal: Bringing Power to the Meat Lover and Innovation to the Midwest

Take a drive through the Midwest and you'll see a lot of a little.  You'll see cornfields.  You'll see flat farmland.  And you will certainly see grazing cows.  And although many people joke about the snoozefest that is endured while driving through the Midwest, it's that uneventful, flat farmland that has helped to jumpstart one of the coolest startups at SXSW.

Don't believe me?  Take a look at AgLocal, a startup based out of Overland Park, Kansas, picked to pitch at this year's SXSW Accelerator.

Co-founded by Naithan Jones and Jacob McDaniel, AgLocal is a marketplace that connects independent farmers and producers with the demand of local businesses and consumers.  AgLocal is made up of a mobile app as well as a website that aim to provide producers with better local options for cheaper, higher-quality meat.  In other words, AgLocal brings "power to the meat lover."

"I am really looking forward to the energy, the creativity and the people at South by Southwest," said Naithan Jones of his anticipated venture.  "South by Southwest is a hub of ideas.  I cannot wait to spread the word about AgLocal there."  

AgLocal is one of 48 contestants (chosen from a pool of 670!) to participate in SXSW's Accelerator on March 12-13 in Austin, Texas.  The Kansas-based startup will compete in the Innovative Web Technologies portion of the Accelerator against Trapit, OneID, Scrible, Prism Skylabs, Viztu Technologies, BrandYourself.com and ZeroDesktop (a majority of which reign from California).

According to Jones, AgLocal is extremely unique to the other competitors in the Innovative Web Technologies category.

"We are not a tech company, we are a people company that uses technology," he explains. "We stand out and have the ability to be very unique because we have much more to educate people on.  We are also one of the only companies in the Midwest featured at SXSW.  This is a great opportunity to talk about innovation coming out of the Midwest. None of this would have been possible without the support we've gotten from Kansas City."

In addition to being honored as a contestant in the Accelerator at SXSW, AgLocal is also a featured startup for the Startup America portion of SXSW, which is to take place on March 12th in Startup Village.

But what's next for AgLocal after SXSW?  Because the Midwest startup will be experiencing so much exposure down in Austin, the startup is preparing for big things during the remainder of 2012.  According to Jones, AgLocal will continue to build by running hackathons, hiring new interns, collaborating with developers in San Francisco, finalizing products and closing major deals.

Best of luck to Naithan Jones and then entire AgLocal team during SXSW!  We will be rooting for you from Kansas City!

How does Naithan Jones Think Big?

"I always ask myself what I can do that's bigger than myself.  I want to work with people who understand a problem and have a desperate need to help solve it.  That's my take on startups in general.  I also believe it's important to take life seriously, but not yourself seriously."

-- Naithan Jones, AgLocal

Follow AgLocal! @AgLocal

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Dwolla: The Midwest Startup with 700 Interested Investors and a Billion Dollar Idea

How the startup that attracted 700 investors out of Des Moines, Iowa is impacting the world with a unique approach and creative culture.  

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

It’s a pretty big deal to be named a Top 10 Startup of 2011.  But it’s an even bigger deal to be named a Top 10 Startup of 2011 and be from Des Moines, Iowa. 

A few days ago, ReadWriteWeb counted down the Top 10 Startups of 2011, which included a list of some of the most popular new businesses of the year like Zaarly, Fab.com, Pinterest, Dropbox and Evernote.  And among these well-known names was one company that was launched out of Des Moines, Iowa:  Dwolla.  

Dwolla is a mobile payment platform that sends and receives payments to bypass credit card fees.  With Dwolla, a user can sign up, load their accounts and head over to a retailer that uses Dwolla for mobile payments.  Dwolla offers a cheaper, safer and overall better payment experience.  

But in founder Ben Milne’s mind, Dwolla is much, much more than “a different and better way to access money.” 

Instead, Dwolla has become Milne’s haven for creation, innovation and collaboration.  The company has allowed Milne to build a culture unlike any that PayPal or Visa contribute to the user experience.  

“My favorite part of this venture has been the ability to create,” says Milne of launching the Dwolla startup.  “It’s empowering to come into the office with an idea and at the end of the day, it’s built.  At Dwolla, creation is just a part of everyday life.  Solving problems is part of our culture.”

And these problems are not ones that can be shooed away.  Dwolla has been known to be a product that solves “million dollar issues”.  According to Milne, the creation of Dwolla has positively affected people, small business and even large corporations. 

Although Dwolla is extremely successful (with over 700 interested investors and with moves between $30 and $50 million per month), Ben still believes that the company is just at the beginning on the startup journey.

“We have a long way to go,” he says.  “But these successes have truly validated our efforts.” 

But what’s it like building a successful startup out of the Midwest?  Obviously, Ben has not received the same resources or support that he would if he moved the company to Silicon Valley.  So how has the Des Moines startup gotten by? 

“The truth of the matter is, startups are hard everywhere,” says Milne.  “We actually had an advantage because we have a strong team and great community members.  If we had the opportunity to move, I would say no.  It’s good that it’s here.  We want it to be here.” 

How does Ben Milne of Dwolla Think Big?  “I don’t just want to pay the bills.  I want to do something that makes an impact.  I want to solve a problem that impacts the world.” 

We believe that Dwolla does just that. 

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

KCNext Champions Gigabit Challenge Finale on Jan. 18

KCNext (The Technology Council of Greater Kansas City) has always been a champion for Kansas City entrepreneurs, startups and growth.  As a leader in Greater Kansas City's technology spectrum, KCNext has been leading the way on a number of exciting tech developments in and around the Kansas City area.  In fact, the Technology Council of Greater Kansas City serves as the regional advocate for the tech industry and supports more than 65 tech/IT company members in and around KC.


So partnering up for The Gigabit Challenge seemed to be a no-brainer.


With their involvement in The Gigabit Challenge, KCNext will help to grow the existing base of technology firms in KC, recruit and attract technology companies, aggregate and promote our regional tech assets and provide peer interaction and industry news.  


A huge thanks to KCNext for supporting Think Big's Gigabit Challenge Finale event!  Without the collaboration and partnership of a strong KC organization like KCNext, The Gigabit Challenge Finale may not be possible!  Now that's how you Think Big.


Follow KCNext! @KCnext
Follow The Gigabit Challenge! @GBChallengeKC
Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

The South Thinks Big: Introducing Think Big Memphis!

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR 


Kansas City thinks big.  Baltimore thinks big.  And now, it's Memphis's turn. 


The Think Big conference is heading to the South!  After seeing the success of the first annual Think Big Kansas City, the second annual Think Big Kansas City and the first annual Think Big Baltimore, Memphis decided to jump on the entrepreneurial bandwagon, too.  Introducing, Think Big Memphis: The Premier Conference for Entrepreneurs, Investors and Startups! 


This Fall, join Memphis entrepreneurs, startups and big thinkers as the southwestern city we all know for its BBQ, Elvis Presley and the Mississippi River amps up its entrepreneurship and technological growth.  Think Big Memphis will be a jam-packed day in which aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs can come together under one roof to celebrate entrepreneurship, build the Memphis startup scene and find motivation and inspiration to turn an idea into something big.  


Want to become a part of the Think Big Nation?  Contact us at 816-842-5244 to hold the Think Big conference in your city!  Visit http://www.thinkbigkansascity.com for more information.

How Does a Coworking Space Impact an Entrepreneur?

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR 

These days, it seems like you can cowork anywhere.  Coworking spaces have been popping up across the globe and the movement is only growing stronger.  But when it really comes down to it, do they truly impact entrepreneurs and help startups succeed?  We decided to take a look at bizperc tenant Coty Beasely, who has worked in this Kansas City coworking space for about five months now.


Since joining the bizperc coworking space, Coty has undergone a lot of positive change within his business.  He attributes most of his growing success to the strong networking he has received while working in bizperc.


Since Coty joined bizperc, he has:

• Effectively continued to grow his design startup, Beasley Creative
• Increased his connections to other Kansas City businesses
• Landed a larger pool of clients including Flamin' Ass Salsa, the Nelson Atkins Museum, Taplicious, FindIt Media and Videolabs 
• Went from working on $300 projects at home to working on $5,000-$8,000 projects at bizperc
• Increased his revenue by 400%
• Met a business partner (another bizperc tenant) and launched a new startup called Flow which will focus on projects worth $10,000+ 
• Grew to the point of moving up to the 5th floor of bizperc where more established businesses cowork

This was all achieved in under 5 months! 

Coty is just a small testament to the power of an effective coworking space.  Coworking spaces connect like-minded individuals, they accelerate businesses and they increase the chances of startup success.  So what are you waiting for?  Join a coworking space today and Think Big!

To learn more about the bizperc coworking space, visit www.bizperc.com or contact Sarah Snyder at ssnyder@thinkbigpartners.com. 

Follow bizperc! @bizperc

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

The Story of LiveOn

How the one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing startups killed it by taking risks, engaging the experts and being able to think big

WRITTEN BY ALLISON WAY, SENIOR COPYWRITER & CHIEF EDITOR

In Kansas City, where the aroma of the Rivermarket’s fresh produce and bustling energy of downtown seem to collide, there lies a modest building on the intersection of 7^th and Walnut.  From the outside, it doesn’t seem like much.  Standard red brick, numerous hazy windows, and a Thai restaurant sign are the only embellishments on the building’s exterior.  But the inside of the building is a different story.  It houses one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing startup companies—LiveOn.

LiveOn is a Kansas City startup born from the entrepreneurial mind of Jonathan Whistman that has an ambitious vision for capturing, celebrating and sharing life across multiple generations.  In order to do so, LiveOn has created a web application that helps users share their most important moments, while keeping those memories alive and safe for future generations.  In other words, it’s an online time capsule...with a little “oomph.”

If you’ve ever watched your child take his or her first steps and wished you could capture the moment with your camera and show it to them when they’re older, LiveOn can do that.  If you’ve ever wanted to share video from your college graduation with your great-great grandchild, LiveOn can do that.  If you’ve ever wanted to pass down memories with your future children, future grandchildren and future generations, LiveOn can do that.  LiveOn captures, displays and archives all of the most treasured moments in a life and allows them to be shared for generations to come. 

A funny thing happened at a funeral

LiveOn was born from a simple thought during a funeral.  Ironic?  Maybe not.  A few years ago, entrepreneur Jonathan Whistman, founder of the LiveOn, was attending a funeral for a family friend’s young son.  Although it was a time of sorrow and remembrance, it was also a time of awakening for Jon.  While attending the ceremony, he realized that the funeral had virtually nothing to do with the kid’s life.  Jon thought to himself, “There has to be a better way to tell a person about your life.  Why can’t we continue to share and enjoy things so that they can live on?”

What if you could rewind your life and watch it back?

Jon continued to ask himself this question as he began to develop the percolating ideas of LiveOn.com.  He knew that he wanted to create a place where memories could connect users with the families and last virtually forever.  But what else could LiveOn do? 

Jonathan began raising funds and hiring developers with help from Tony Karrer, former CTO of eHarmony, who was a huge help in LiveOn’s technological architecture and selecting the first Kansas City based developers. The first line of code was written on March 20, 2011 and the company executed a soft launch a few months later on November 1, 2011.

LiveOn experiences growth, change and money

With additional funding, LiveOn is growing very quickly.  Now numbering twelve employees, the company is looking to double its number of employees (more specifically, looking for a systems administrator, mobile developers and front end developers) and is finding new ways to expand its services. 

In addition, LiveOn has begun to further develop LiveOn Rewind. When the vision is complete, Rewind will be located in a “clean room” on the second floor of the LiveOn office building.  LiveOn Rewind takes old photos and videos that users send in and digitizes them.  Users can ship videos and photos, watch the LiveOn tech experts scan and digitize them via website, and record their voices over each picture in order to capture the moment accurately. 

 LiveOn: Inspired by Apple

When asked what company Jon admires most, he couldn’t help but sigh. 

“The answer is obvious,” he said.  “Just look at our offices.” 

And it’s true.  In every cubicle sat one hard-working LiveOn employee coding and punching away on a giant Apple screen.  LiveOn’s simplicity, creativity and consumer-awareness truly does have an Apple-esque essence.  But what other companies does the startup inspire to emulate?

“It’s the people in certain companies that inspire me most,” says Jon.  “I love looking especially at the 3-4 person companies.  They believe in what they’re doing the most out of anyone.” 

From the words of Jonathan Whistman himself

Starting up a successful company like LiveOn is not easy.  Just ask Jonathan Whistman about the business venture.  The funding didn’t just fall into his lap, the employee applications didn’t come pouring in and the business didn’t create itself in a day.  It takes a lot of effort to make a startup work—especially when it comes to believing in the idea.

“The hardest part of starting up LiveOn has been dealing with the mental challenges,” says Jon.  “I am in a new field, I need tech-capable people, there's no guarantee.  In the beginning I constantly asked myself, ‘Will I be able to do this?’  Finally, I just took a chance and did it.” 

But many potential entrepreneurs tend to ask the same question to guys like Jon over and over: why did you choose entrepreneurship and how do you know when to start the business?  Jon’s answer is quite straight-forward: 

“Why?  I don’t like working for other people!  People often view entrepreneurship as a danger because there’s no job security.  I believe that the secure corporate job is just an illusion of security.  I have learned that in entrepreneurship, I get to know exactly how many days I am away from being broke.  And then I get to actually do something about it.  In the corporate world, I never knew how many days away from broke the company was and therefore, I had no control.”

“Listen to the experts, but in the end, trust your gut”

If Jonathan Whistman has learned one thing from starting up LiveOn.com, it would be to go with his instinct.

“Always listen to the experts,” he says.  “But in the end, trust your gut.  And remember: there is a difference between advice and counsel.  Advice is something you can get from people who haven’t been through entrepreneurship.  Counsel comes from people who have lived through it.  Always seek counsel.”

How does LiveOn Think Big?

When asked how he Thinks Big, Jon replied with the following statement: “I believe anything is possible if people are willing to challenge conventional thinking.  I think people really do create their own destinies.” 

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

From Selling Christmas Trees to Hot Air Ballooning: 4 Lessons We Learned from Richard Branson

STOP 1 of the bizperc walking tour: Richard Branson Autograph 

When you walk out of the elevator and onto the 4^th floor of bizperc for the first time, you may notice the breath-taking view of downtown Kansas City.  You may notice the lime green stools that stand out behind the coffee bar.  You may even notice The Pursuit of Happyness or The Social Network playing on the big screen TV.  Or perhaps you’ll notice Richard Branson’s autograph, which is mounted prominently on the bizperc wall—right when you walk in.

Why is this autograph the first thing that we want entrepreneurs in our coworking space to see first?  There are many reasons.  But we’ll narrow down the top 4 for you.

Richard Branson defines the Think Big message.  He takes advantage of every opportunity thrown at him, he goes with his gut, he has fun and he thinks big, fast and young.  These four characteristics are the four that we try to implement in our bizperc coworking space, in our Think Big Partners mission and vision and within the entrepreneurs that we work with every day.

We display Richard Branson’s book cover, autograph and list of quotes because he upholds four characteristics that we cannot help but agree with.

Take advantage of every opportunity

From when he was 9 years old and started selling Christmas trees to his launch of Virgin Airlines and other Virgin companies throughout the world, Richard Branson has been seizing opportunities his entire life.  Mr. Branson himself may have said it best in his book Screw It, Let’s Do It, “If you recognize something is a good idea, or if there’s something in your personal life that you want to do but aren’t immediately sure how to achieve your goal, I don’t believe that the little word ‘can’t’ should stop you."

Go with your gut

In 1973, Richard Branson heard the music of Tubular Bells for the first time.  But nobody else seemed to like the music as much as he did.  Time after time, record companies turned Tubular Bells down.  But Branson had a good feeling about the band, so he decided to go with his gut.  He asked John Peel, host of a popular radio show to play the entire Tubular Bells album on the show.  After it aired, sales took off.  Tubular Bells became the soundtrack for The Exorcist.  But most importantly, Tubular Bells put Virgin Music on the map overnight.  Branson went with his gut, and when he did, magic seemed to happen.

Have fun

“I have no secret,” says Branson. “There are no rules to follow in business.  I just work hard, and as I always have done, believe that I can do it.  Most of all though, I try to have fun.”  Branson sincerely believes that work should be tempered by fun.  He thinks that fun refreshes people—it’s stimulating and vital on both physical and spiritual levels.  “Knowing how to laugh and love and appreciate each other is what life is all about,” he says.  Branson has been having fun his entire life.  From hot air ballooning across the globe to spending time with the family he loves, Branson’s life may be full of business, but most importantly, it’s full of enjoyment.  “Fun is at the core of the way I do business,” he says.  “It has been the key to everything from the start and I see no reason to change it."

Think fast, think young, think big

Much like us, Richard Branson thinks big.  But he also thinks fast and he thinks young.  These three ways of thinking are exactly what Think Big’s and bizperc’s core strategies are all about

Think fast: Richard Branson knows how to operate in a fast-moving world.  As he states in his book, Screw It, Let’s Do It: “Efficiency is fine, but things move so fast in the modern world that it’s better to be innovative, fresh, and original than lose the spark over routine or nitpicking ways.  The world is changing.  Ideas and opportunities are expanding fast.  Sometimes, your ideas don’t take off.  Even after careful research, not all ideas are good; sometimes your competitors have better ideas or they’re faster than you.  The modern entrepreneur takes failure in his or her stride and moves on."

Think young: Branson believes that no matter how old you are, you still have the ability to think young.  He believes that a fresh and youthful approach in everything, from business to lifestyle, will renew and re-energize.  In order to foster this “think young” mentality, Branson established the Branson School of Entrepreneurship at CIDA (Africa’s first free university).  All tuition is directed toward enabling young people to launch their own business.  Current stats?  In 2008, the program had 300 students incubating over 30 businesses. 

Think big: What may be our biggest reason that we love Richard Branson is that he thinks big.  With as much success as this man has, he cannot help but continue to be a big thinker throughout the rest of his life.  “Everyone needs to keep learning,” he says. “Everyone needs goals.  Whatever we want to be, whatever we want to do, we can do it.  Go ahead, take that first step—just do it.”

Follow me! @AllisonThinkBig

Last Chance to Enter the 25th Hour Entrepreneur Challenge!

Looking for a little marketing help but not quite sure where to get it?  Why not shoot for 25 hours of free marketing from one of Kansas City's marketing firms? The 25th Hour Entrepreneur Challenge will award one lucky entrepreneur with a free 25-hour-straight work session performed by the staff of InQuest Marketing during the month of October.  This package could include a business plan, marketing plan, media plan, creative concept, or digital solutions plan. 

But time is running out!  Entries are due on Friday, September 9, at 11:59pm!  That gives you two days to "wow" the InQuest Marketing team, prepare to talk about your awesome business idea, and (hopefully) gear up for some effective marketing work!

Interested? Apply online now at the 25th Hour Entrepreneur Challenge site. Good luck and be sure to Think Big!

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig

TEDxKC Blasts Off Tonight!

The buzz is in the air: tonight the TEDxKC conference will be in full swing at 6:00pm on the dot.  During the event, attendees are invited to examine how radical collaboration, transparency and an open-source mind-set are shaping the world today.  Tickets are (of course) sold out.  But for those lucky ticket-holders, the TEDxKC conference will take place from 6-8:15pm at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

To learn more about TEDxKC, check out the blog we wrote about it a few weeks ago:

TEDxKC on Think Big Kansas City blog

Have fun and Think Big!

Written by Allison Way
@AllisonThinkBig