Who on Twitter inspired you to finally go from employee to self-employed (or side hustler)?
The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC recently published #FixYoungAmerica: How to Rebuild Our Economy and Put Young Americans Back to Work (for Good), a book of 30+ proven solutions to help end youth unemployment.
1. Pamela Slim
I followed Escape from Cubicle Nation, and the tips and stories were so valuable and inspiration as I made the transition to self-employed. Now, as a full-time entrepreneur, I still follow @pamslim for ideas, inspiration and resources.
– Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems
2. Chris Guillebeau
@chrisguillebeau was the very first person l found who showed me what’s possible as a self-employed entrepreneur. I left my job over two years ago and haven’t looked back since — in large part to his advice.
– Sean Ogle, Location 180, LLC
3. Gary Vaynerchuk
@garyvee is a huge inspiration to many people. His passion for entrepreneurship and business is just so inspiring, it makes you want to join in.
4. Patrick McKenzie
@patio11 makes the leap from employee to self-employed simple for software engineers. There isn’t anyone out there that shares as much knowledge about marketing software products as him.
5. Chris Brogan
@chrisbrogran was one of the first people I started follow on Twitter way back when. I found the way that he did business very appealing, as well as inspirational. He made a point of sharing valuable information and it helped me quite a bit.
– Thursday Bram, Hyper Modern Consulting
6. Brent Beshore
@BrentBeshore, the CEO of AdVentures, inspired me to take the leap into the crazy world of entrepreneurship.
– John Hall, Digital Talent Agents
7. Chad Roffers
@ChadRoffers was my original mentor. He challenged my perceptions and got me to think bigger. He encouraged me to get a budget together and gave me the courage and self-confidence I needed to believe in myself and jump off the entrepreneurial cliff.
– Nick Reese, Microbrand Media
8. Jeff Keni Pulver
@JeffPulver is the founder of the State of NOW / #140conf in New York. My business partner met and heard him at fashion140, and we have both been following him ever since. His tweets and retweets demystifies a lot of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in the social media age.
– Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches
9. Tim Ferriss
After reading The 4-Hour Workweek and reading Tim’s blog and Twitter @tferriss, I knew it was time to start something on my own and escape the corporate grind.
