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Successful Dropout

Interviews with successful entrepreneurs who left college to pursue their ideas.
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Now displaying: 2017
Dec 25, 2017

Stephen Olmon is a business development executive, investor, writer, and was formerly a consultant at KPMG. His current company, SimpleLTC, was acquired in 2016 after seeing significant revenue growth during his tenure. He is passionate about all things finance - he loves the ins and outs of traditional investments, is a self-taught cryptocurrency investor, and is currently writing a book on personal finance. Stephen loves disruption in any market and wants to be at the forefront of that disruption whenever possible. Stephen, his wife Jennifer, and soon-to-arrive daughter are based in Dallas, TX.

Stephen is a childhood friend that I've recently re-connected with and it was awesome to have him on the show talking about two of his favorite subjects; finances and crypto. As crypto is becoming more popular, it's important to understand what it is, how it could shape the future, and how to safely get involved.

Here are just some of the things we covered in this episode:

  • What is cryptocurrency and blockchain?
  • Is there a bubble?
  • What can crypto and blockchain technology be used for?
  • You've bought cryptocurrency before, you just didn't realize it!
  • You first steps to get into crypto and some general advice
  • Some pointers on how to choose what to invest in
  • Stephen tells us how much money he has made in crypto (no not really, but kind of)
  • Mistakes that Kylon has made in the crypto-verse
  • Crypto terminology
  • And much more!

Resources

Below are several resources, links and tools relating to crypto. Everything from early beginnings to who to follow in the space.

Early Beginnings

NSA Document “The Cryptography of Anonymous Electronic Cash”, 1996 

Weidai’s theoretical b-money (referenced in Bitcoin white paper)

Original Bitcoin White Paper

Ethereum White Paper

Updates and News

Coindesk

Coin Market Cap

Coinbase Blog

Recent Thought Leadership

Bruce Fenton speaking on “Bitcoin as the Global Reserve Currency”

Maria Bustillo’s “You Don’t Understand Bitcoin Because You Think Money Is Real”

Ari Paul of BlockTower Capital speaks on the value of cryptocurrency (11/27/2017)

Blockchain and Online Marketplaces

Blockchain

Don Tapscott’s TED talk on “How Blockchain is changing money and business”

How Blockchain Works illustrated by Israth Elona

Investing

Coinbase - #1 platform for retail investors

Coinigy - #1 crypto trading and analysis platform

www.coinigy.com

Intro to Crypto Investing and Analysis by BTCKYLE

How to profit in the new cryptocurrency economy by Rocky Darius

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Dec 18, 2017

Stephen Warley is a self-employment advocate and coach. He is the founder of LifeSkillsThatMatter.com. He believes self-employment is the future of work. He wants to inspire you to create your own work. He teaches self-management skills to the side hustlers, freelancers and solopreneurs. He’s been self-employed for the past 17 years. During that time he built a sales training business with annual revenue of $600,000, ran his business from Spain for 4 months and has saved enough money not to work the next 8 years of his life. I have a new long-term friend in Stephen Warley. The dude is centered, sharp, and extremely passionate about improving other's lives. When it comes to the future of work, how to become self-employed and how to achieve self-awareness, Stephen is the guy to talk to. Wherever you are on your journey, this episode will have something for you. Here are some of the things we chat about:

  • The future of work
  • Practicing self awareness
  • 10 life skills that matter
  • You don't have to work 100 hours a week to be successful
  • Finding your optimal time for output
  • And tons more!

Awesome quote from Stephen:

"Before "stuff" (things you have, buy, status symbols, "the end goal" etc), comes money. Before money, comes relationships. Before relationships, comes knowing who to reach out to. Before knowing who to reach out to, comes understanding yourself, your values, your needs, and your abilities."

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page. Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Dec 11, 2017

Zach Coppinger is a full time entrepreneur and real estate investor. Since 2013, he has bought and sold over 120 properties. He invests primarily in single family residential properties. He does some fix and flips, but his primary focus is long term buy and hold properties. He started his company three years ago, and has built a strong team of contractors, bankers, private lenders, attorneys, title companies, etc to continue building his portfolio. He thinks single family real estate is the greatest asset class to invest, and is an asset class accessible for anyone to invest (barriers to entry are very low). Quote of the week: “Good entrepreneurs find reasons to do things, not reasons to not do things."   

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page. Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Dec 4, 2017

Abbey who is currently 18, founded the Diverse Gaming Coalition after being heavily bullied in high-school, causing her to drop out among other reasons. Diverse Gaming Coalition focuses on ending bullying and harassment while modernizing the culture we use to educate about harassment. She cares about various social issues, while volunteering for organizations such as Born This Way Foundation, Peace First, and more. She is a current Sophomore at Southern New Hampshire University studying Non-profit management.

I had a great time chatting with Abbey. Just in the hour I talked with her I can tell she has a huge heart and an incredible drive to help people...so much so that she dropped out of high school to start her non-profit despite the criticism from family and friends. In this episode we explore the pros and cons of earning a degree, the issues and solutions surrounding bullying and harassment, marriage, gaming, mail (yes mail) and much more!

Quote of the day: "“If you fear to be criticizedsay nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Nov 27, 2017

Swarnav is the CEO of TouchLight a power generation solutions company for commercial spaces. He is also a regional board member for the CleanTech Open Midwest. He brings experience in Materials Engineering and extensive knowledge of commercializing new technologies in the Clean Tech and software space.

Loved chatting with Swarnav...not only does the guy have a unique name, he also has a unique solution to producing electricity. We talk about:

  • Elon Musk and robots taking over the world
  • Zombies
  • Counting cards and why you shouldn't play poker or BS with Swarnav!
  • What future tech can we look forward to?
  • Innovative solutions to generating electricity and how Swarnav came up with the idea for his company
  • Taking entire airports off the power grid
  • Recommended books
  • Tons more!

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Nov 20, 2017

Steve Patterson is a philosopher and author working outside of academia. He is also the host of the Patterson in Pursuit  podcast, where he has been traveling the world, interviewing intellectuals from various backgrounds on different topics. He's spoken with everybody from professors at Harvard to Buddhist monks in Thailand and Japan. His work covers a range of topics from epistemology and metaphysics, to the philosophy of mathematics, politics, and economics.

I was absolutely embroiled in my conversation with Steve....who knew you could get philosophical about mathematics?? Does 2+2 NOT equal 4 in some cases? Steve has the ability and willingness to ask the tough questions in search of truth. Asking these kinds of questions can be extremely uncomfortable, especially if you are questioning a worldview you've known all of your life! But it's absolutely essential if you want to grow your perspective and understanding as a human being. To be human is to search for truth. Learn to be skeptical and to question societies most basic assumptions...it can be scary at first...but you will be better because of it. Get your mind off the conveyor belt. Break free. 

 

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Nov 13, 2017

Bennett is a recent college dropout who left the classroom to bring his education to the real world. Driven by a strong entrepreneurial aptitude, he focuses on creating products and systems to beat the statistic that 90% of startups fail. Currently, he is the Chief Operations Officer at siëo, a company helping startups start up.Bennett helped grow the company from 6 to 23 team members over a rapid four month period. He is the youngest C-suite executive on the siëo team, due to his ability to execute on long term visions by creating strategic operational infrastructures and nurture a high level of scalable growth. Bennett has led the creation of a professional services and consulting program, which has doubled in profit for the past three consecutive months.

Bennett’s background is rooted in philanthropic and international leadership training. He launched his first business at the age of 17, a non-profit focused on providing scholarships and strategic guidance to college-aged big thinkers. By 18, he was living in a small community in Northern Ecuador working to improve the local educational system through youth groups and community outreach.

Now, as a 21-year-old with a refusal to accept the status quo, he is working to create large-scale impact through helping entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses.

Exclusive to Successful Dropout members

20% off of any Spark Package

Click HERE!

 

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Nov 6, 2017

Damien is a modern-day Don Draper, without the alcoholism and misogyny. An Air Force veteran and creative entrepreneur, he developed a proprietary brand development methodology which has been used in support of LinkedIn, Adobe, Tesla and hundreds of other brands in Silicon Valley. He is the expert at the intersection of business and humanity ensuring brands keep pace in times of exponential change.

This episode is incredible. Branding is such an interesting and nuanced subject and Damien is the expert. Get a pen and paper and get ready to take some notes as you listen to this one...there are so many little nuggets of truth and wisdom!

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Oct 30, 2017

As a 14-year-old, Cameron Zoub had an entrepreneurial drive. His pull towards business was so strong that he left the public school system and got his GED so he could devote all of his time to his business endeavors. Now at 18, he has successfully raised 1.4 million dollars through angel investments and paid back his original investment in full, in only one years time. Each startup has progressively increased his profits and exposure. Currently, he is running 3 companies, and ready to launch 2 more. His companies will exceed 1 million dollars in profits this year. His goal is to grow his capital so he can move into the VC space. One of the main reasons for Cameron dropping out of high school was due to the fact that he felt he was being held back. In the future, Cameron plans to enhance public schools and lead a widespread initiative to make extensive changes to improve the educational system while continuing to grow and start new businesses.

Cameron is a killer dude. He is only 18 years old and already has millions in sales under his belt...I had a blast chatting with him. If you want some proof that it's never too early to attain massive success...listen to this episode!

Some of the things we talked about:

  • Hacking Instagram and gaining 1000 followers a day...organically!
  • Montessori education
  • Using acorns to learn the basics of businesses
  • Build your product for one customer
  • Spend more time perfecting your market, not your product. Focus on market before product. 
  • How to find the right business idea for you

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Oct 27, 2017

After asking the Successful Dropout audience what questions they would like answered live on the podcast, Kylon and his wife Te give their answers to the following questions:

  • How do I find people who would be interested in partnering on a business?
  • What are the top 5 marketable skills I should always be working on?
  • What is your spirit animal?

Resources:

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Oct 23, 2017

Oliver is a 30 year old fully qualified chef turned Entrepreneur who gave up his full time job at the age of 25 to achieve one goal: to become a millionaire by the age of 30.He’s spent the last 5 years establishing himself along side his businesses online and is now working on two new start ups. One of those startups is actually a community called REBELHEAD which has a very similar “why” to successful Dropout. Oliver and I have been chatting off and on for awhile and I couldn't wait to get him on the show!

Oliver is the epitome of a Successful Dropout. His journey is inspiring and his mentality and drive is infectious. If you have an interest in building incredibly successful online businesses...Oliver is the guy you should be listening to! 

 

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Oct 20, 2017

Damien is a modern-day Don Draper, without the alcoholism and misogyny. An Air Force veteran and creative entrepreneur, he developed a proprietary brand development methodology which has been used in support of LinkedIn, Adobe, Tesla and hundreds of other brands in Silicon Valley. He is the expert at the intersection of business and humanity ensuring brands keep pace in times of exponential change.

Damien also has a ton of experience with freelancing and so I decided to bring him on the show, ask a lot of dumb questions, and get the scoop on what freelancing is and how to do it successfully. Damien is a boss. Enjoy!

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Oct 16, 2017

Keshav is a 20-year old drop out from San Jose State University and is the CEO & founder of an educational non-profit startup called Home room, a platform that works on transforming the communication aspect within the educational system. As an immigrant who came on the basis of education, Keshav grew frustrated with the educational system during college and wrote many articles on education, that reached hundreds and thousands of students who felt the same way, but didn't have the courage to speak up!

Keshav was inspiring to chat with. Immigrating to the United States, learning the language and culture without using TV or internet, dropping out of school to build a couple apps and a kickass company and still having time to write papers on the meaning of life...FOR FUN? I mean common, Keshav is my hero. Definitely check out his personal website, his app and his new company. Not only does he have a knack for design and building things...he is legitimately in the process of changing our educational system. Ladies and Gentlemen - I present to you yet another amazing Successful Dropout. You know what this means? If Keshav can do it, YOU CAN TOO. 

Now get off the conveyor belt and start taking your life and education into your own hands. 

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Oct 13, 2017

Seth Hymes, a recent guest on the podcast interviewed me on his YouTube channel. I had a blast and I wanted to share it with you guys this week. :) Happy Friday! 

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Oct 9, 2017

Josh Haynam is the co-founder of Interact Quiz Builder, a tool used by more than 30,000 businesses including The American Red Cross, Home Depot, and Forbes. He's probably seen more quizzes than any other human on earth right now.

I loved chatting with Josh. This guy is a straight up hustler, from starting a landscaping company at a young age, to making wads of cash fixing laptops in high school, to building the first and biggest quiz building platform online among several other businesses...Josh is the epitome of a Successful Dropout...even though he actually graduated! His story is a bit of a nail-biter at times...but it will inspire you.

 

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Oct 6, 2017

After asking the Successful Dropout audience what questions they would like answered live on the podcast, Kylon shares his top resources, habits, roles models and more in this Q&A style episode. 

Resources:

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Oct 2, 2017

Dr. Richard Shuster is a licensed clinical psychologist and the host of The Daily Helping with Dr. Richard Shuster: Food for the Brain, Knowledge from the experts, Tools to Win at Life which is regularly downloaded in over 40 countries. On his podcast, Dr. Shuster’s guests educate and inspire listeners through their stories, expertise, and passion for helping make a difference in the lives of others. His mission is to help people become the best versions of themselves and as a consequence, make the world a better place. A sought after media expert, Dr. Shuster’s clinical expertise and podcast have been featured in such publications as The Huffington Post, NBCNews.com, Glassdoor.com, Reader’s Digest, and others.

I loved chatting with Dr. Richard and hearing his inspiring story. Even though he is not a school dropout, he is a dropout from society's conveyor belt and fully embodies the Successful Dropout philosophy. After surviving a nasty car crash and evaluating his life in the seconds that he thought he was going to die, he decided to dedicate his life to becoming the best version of himself and to helping others do the same...no matter what. 

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Sep 29, 2017

Kylon and his wife Te get real about the future of the Successful Dropout community. 

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Sep 25, 2017

Travis is the co-founder and CTO of Newchip. An if you guys remember we’ve had Ryan Rafols on the show who is the other co-founder of Newchip. He believes crowdfunding is the future of investing and that millennials will lead the impending economic revolution. Travis has been involved in startups for over 20 years and has consulted over 2,000 startups and more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. More recently he helped build the fastest growth private company in Austin, winning Inc 500 #21, where they boot strapped a company from $1k per month revenue to over $1.2 million per month in less than 14 months, generating over $40 million in 4 years. Starting his Junior year in High School Travis took evening classes and joined the school’s work experience program in order to qualify for half days. By his senior year he was only attending 2 High school classes. At 19 he was already making $150k/year and at 21 he raised his first 10 million.

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Sep 22, 2017

Some vintage Successful Dropout here! Michael's episode used to be one of the most shared episodes on the show! Here it is again in all it's glory:

After deciding to skip college, Michael Fisk founded Photoboxx, an event based photo activation company that released one of the first Instagram printers in the world. Photboxx built it's foundation in the hashtag printing industry and has quickly become a product used internationally by some of the world largest brands including Harley Davidson, Coca-Cola, TGI Fridays, Teen Vogue and Acura. This new startup has inspired thousands of fans to engage with their favorite brands on social media. This guy is a rockstar of a Successful Dropout, a serial entrepreneur with a passion for business and for his wife and three daughters.

Time Stamped Notes

  • 00:55 Kylon's intro
  • 01:30 Michael tells us a little bit more about himself
  • 02:33 What is Photoboxx
  • 06:10 Michael shares his dropout story and why he decided to skip college
  • 14:48 Advice for how to communicate with parents about dropping out
  • 16:36 Michael talks about what he did for the first year after skipping college
  • 20:19 No focus, chasing every opportunity
  • 21:00 No money, so panhandled on the street!
  • 23:00 Started to zero in on a career - something to focus on long term
  • 26:20 Committed to photography business for two years and said no everything else
  • 28:00 Transition from photography business to founding Photoboxx
  • 30:00 How Michael generates revenue
  • 33:00 Michael's worst entrepreneurial moment
  • 34:10 AH HA moment
  • 36:24 What current Michael would tell past Michael
  • 40:17 Personal habit that contributes to Michael's success
  • 44:11 Recommended book
  • 44:41 Quality that Michael consider's essential to being an entrepreneur
  • 45:00 Recommended internet resource
  • 46:00 Michael's next big goal
  • 47:00 Advice for those who are considering dropping out
  • 52:00 Advice for those who have already dropped out
  • 54:07 Best way to connect to Michael

4 Key Points

  • No matter what position or job you have, do it to the best of your abilities!
  • Focus is key. Learn to say no to opportunity. Stop committing to multiple things at once and moving on if they aren't showing promise after six months. Define your Be, Do and Have, then commit to one direction for at least two years, saying no to everything else even if it's an enticing opportunity.
  • If you want to build a scalable business, learn how to work with people and build and lead a team.
  • Embrace the low points, because there is a lot to learn during those seasons, and ultimately it's just another step towards success. Also, often times, the best opportunities will come when you are experiencing your greatest challenges.

Resources Mentioned

THANKS FOR LISTENING!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

Sep 18, 2017

This is episode is part 2 with the incredible Braun Shedd! See his first episode here

I love chatting with Braun. Sometimes I feel like I'm sitting at the feet of a young Socrates in the making. The dude is an incredible philosopher - full of wisdom, alway searching, always questioning...the epitome of a Successful Dropout. I hope you enjoy listening to Braun in this episode as much as I did when we were recording!

Some of the things we talk about:

  • Forest fires and how the world is coming to an end
  • Cryptocurrency and investing
  • Braun Shedd was almost a Bitcoin millionaire. Almost. Got into BTC at $0.10!
  • Stealing his parent's electricity to make money
  • What Braun has been up to since Actiview
  • Chatting about startups
  • How do you know if you are building something people want?
  • The realities of building a startup
  • 3 things you definitely want to know before you jump into a startup

 

Crypto, startups, and how to get the most out of next year with Braun Shedd

 

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

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  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
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Sep 11, 2017

Seth Hymes is the Founder and CEO of In Demand Career Training.  In Demand Career Training teaches future entrepreneurs how to get a job in the rapidly growing field of digital marketing. A graduate of NYU's film school, Seth found digital marketing in 2014 after successfully doing marketing for another company….not long after that he quit his job and began working for clients independently.  Since then, he has created the Digital Marketing Career Blueprint, which teaches students the in-demand skills in digital marketing from the ground-up, as well as how to put together resumes, talk to hiring managers, and get the job you want.  Seth has not only found great success with In Demand Career Training, but has also helped literally hundreds of students get interviews and jobs or become entrepreneurs themselves.

This entire interview was gold...but my favorite part is the wisdom Seth shares towards the end of the episode. Seth is extremely passionate about helping his students learn the ins and outs of digital marketing, and he's producing incredible results with most of his students getting great entry jobs without a college degree in under a year! There are a lot of scammers and posers out there...Seth isn't one of them. He is as authentic as they come. 

Resources

  • In Demand Career - check out Seth's website to start learning about digital marketing!

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Sep 8, 2017

There are two types of entrepreneurs...which one are you? One is better than the other.

This is another episode released a long time ago before Successful Dropout blew up. It has too few downloads...so here it is again! 

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Sep 4, 2017

Sean Kim is the CEO of Rype, one of the world’s leading language learning platforms, and the founder of The Growth List, a media company focused on helping you become your best self. He is also a Columnist on Inc. and a contributor to Fast Company, Observer, TIME, and a few other publications.

Sean shared a ton of value in this episode - no doubt a result of his wide array of entrepreneurial ups and downs. He has an incredible perspective on entrepreneurship and living unconventionally that I think you will enjoy. Here are some of the things Sean and I talked about

  • Sean's story - from first business to broke, stranded and homeless
  • Journeyed to Argentina and doubled his money!
  • The importance of experimenting - figuring out who you are and what you are good at
  • Transferable skills and career capital
  • What are your unique strengths? What are your competitive advantages?
  • How to win 30 consulting gigs in 30 days
  • Looking for that one thing that works out of twenty or thirty things you try and fail at.
  • Using pressure as a tool
  • Entrepreneurship can be learned! Handling pressure can be learned!
  • Hiking the Inca Trail (both Sean and I did it!)
  • About Rype - learning languages! 
  • Advice for future dropouts and current dropouts

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
Sep 1, 2017

This week I brought a special guest on - my second cousin Christian Bell. It was an absolute pleasure to chat with him. He has uniquely varied experiences in formal education, Ivy League schools, government, and small business that provide well-rounded perspectives on the pros and cons of each. 

We chat about:

  • Ineffectiveness of government and lack of incentive
  • Checking the appropriate boxes to get into Ivy League schools
  • Christian's experience at various Ivy League schools (Oxford, Yale etc.)
  • Education doesn't foster curiosity, most of the time it even beats it out of you.
  • How important are the "regular" school subjects, for example history? Should you take the time to learn it even though you may never use it again? Or should you only invest your time into your natural curiosities? Or both?
  • Many shirts are too short for my torso 
  • Is a degree in business necessary to start your own business?
  • If you are going to college - be intentional!
  • Free college only serves to lower the overall value of a college degree. 

Resources

THANK YOU!

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

Additionally, reviews for the podcast on iTunes are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show and I read each and every one of them.

Join the Successful Dropout Nation!

  • Subscribe to the Successful Dropout Podcast.
  • Enter your email on the top right of this page for regular emails from Kylon Gienger on how to drop out, grind, and succeed.
  • Follow @kylongienger on Instagram!
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