Below is a list of some of the individuals featured in 50 Interviews: Entrepreneurs by Brian Schwartz:
The interviews featured in 50 Interviews: Entrepreneurs by Brian Schwartz present a rich tapestry of insights drawn from the experiences of 50 diverse entrepreneurs. While each person's journey and industry are unique, there are several common threads and recurring lessons that emerge across the stories. Below are the overarching themes and key takeaways identified through these conversations:
A significant number of the entrepreneurs emphasized the importance of action over perfection. Many of them shared that they didn't feel fully ready when they started but took the leap anyway, learning along the way. Starting before you have all the answers was a recurring principle, as entrepreneurship often requires responding to challenges in real-time rather than waiting for perfect conditions.
Takeaway: Don't let over-preparation or fear of failure stop you; action is often the best teacher.
Failure is not the opposite of success; it's part of the process. Many entrepreneurs faced setbacks---whether financial, operational, or interpersonal---but they framed these moments as opportunities to learn and improve. Rather than avoiding risk, most interviewees saw failure as an inevitable and even necessary step in building resilience and wisdom.
Takeaway: Develop a healthy relationship with failure; it's an invaluable teacher that sharpens your ability to succeed.
Relationships are central to entrepreneurial success. Whether discussing mentorship, collaboration, or engaging customers, the importance of building trust-based relationships came up repeatedly. Networking was a vital tool for finding opportunities, learning from others, and establishing credibility. Entrepreneurs also stressed that people prefer to do business with those they know, like, and trust.
Takeaway: Genuine connections with the right people can open doors you didn't even know existed.
Nearly every entrepreneur stressed the importance of being deeply passionate about what you do. Many faced long, grueling hours and challenges that would have been insurmountable without a true sense of purpose or inspiration. Passion is what kept them pushing forward when things got tough, and it infused their work with meaning.
Takeaway: If you don't genuinely care about your business or mission, it will be hard to build the resilience you need to overcome obstacles.
A consistent theme across the interviews was an insatiable hunger for learning and the willingness to adapt. These individuals viewed challenges as opportunities for growth, actively sought out mentors, and remained open to discovering new ways to improve themselves and their businesses.
Takeaway: Approach every challenge as an opportunity to learn, and never stop seeking new insights.
Many of the entrepreneurs highlighted that their most successful ventures were those that directly solved a real or pressing problem. They didn't start by focusing on their product or service but instead identified gaps in the market, inefficiencies, or unmet needs and built solutions tailored to those.
Takeaway: Success is rooted in bringing value. Shift your thinking from selling to solving.
Resilience was a defining trait among these entrepreneurs. They persisted in the face of challenges like financial struggles, failed partnerships, and business setbacks. Their stories reveal that entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart---it requires grit, creativity, and a mindset of viewing adversity as fuel for growth.
Takeaway: Success rarely happens overnight. Resilience and persistence separate those who find success from those who give up too soon.
The importance of hiring the right people was another consistent message. Many interviewees shared stories of how hiring the wrong employees or partners created setbacks. While it's tempting to fill positions quickly, especially in the early stages, finding people who align with your vision and values is worth the wait. Similarly, addressing personnel issues promptly prevents toxicity from spreading within teams.
Takeaway: Build a team of people who share your values, vision, and determination to grow.
Nearly all the entrepreneurs credited at least some of their success to mentors, advisers, or peer networks. They emphasized the importance of learning from experienced individuals who had already faced the challenges they were struggling with.
Takeaway: Find mentors, advisors, and peers who challenge and inspire you to grow personally and professionally.
Knowing your purpose---why you're in business and what meaningful impact you want to make---grounds you in difficult times. Entrepreneurs emphasized that it wasn't just about making money but about creating something of value, solving problems, or leaving a legacy.
Takeaway: Revisit your "why" often to stay inspired and focused as you navigate challenges.
While several entrepreneurs promoted the importance of vision and planning, they often cautioned against rigid adherence to a business plan. Business landscapes change, new opportunities arise, and adaptability is critical. Staying agile and pivoting when necessary were key factors in their ability to survive and thrive.
Takeaway: A plan is a starting point, but flexibility is what sustains success.
A critical lesson across industries was the power of putting the customer first. Many said that listening to customer feedback and prioritizing their experience allowed them to better shape their products, retain loyal followers, and differentiate themselves from competitors.
Takeaway: Your business exists because of your customers---invest in their satisfaction and engagement.
Entrepreneurs repeatedly highlighted the value of listening to intuition while testing and validating their ideas. Many validated their gut instincts with small experiments, research, or customer feedback before going all in. This approach mitigates risk while maintaining creative vision.
Takeaway: Balance intuition with validation by testing small before committing big.
While financial freedom is often a goal, many entrepreneurs defined their success by the personal fulfillment they derived from their work. Building something meaningful, spending more time with family, or achieving personal growth were just as important, if not more so, than hitting revenue targets.
Takeaway: Define success on your terms---not someone else's metrics.
Starting each day with gratitude was mentioned as a grounding practice that brought clarity, focus, and positivity. Many entrepreneurs noted how their attitude toward challenges shifted when they consciously practiced gratitude for their opportunities and lessons.
Takeaway: A grateful mindset fuels positivity and resilience in both life and business.
The stories in 50 Interviews: Entrepreneurs remind us that while their paths are unique, the core principles required for entrepreneurial success---action, resilience, relationships, purpose, and adaptability---are universal. These lessons form a guidepost for anyone aspiring to start or grow their ventures, while also dispelling myths and romanticized ideas about what entrepreneurship entails.
Featuring:
The 7 distinctions of successful entrepreneurs is a culmination of research in depth interviews with hundreds of highly successful individuals who agreed to take part in the 50 Interviews project launched in 2008.
While only a handful of interviews are included here, you can read all the interviews at www.50interviews.com
Have a love affair with yourself!
Teachers and pastors are great examples.
*It's not about the money, but...The larger the problem you solve, the greater the rewards for solving it. And the more you earn, the more people you are helping... it's a good measurement of effectiveness.
Risk = opportunity for something better!
Risk = reward (victory is only sweet when you've had to overcome great obstacles)
Risk = new possibilities & a chance to grow.
You must have faith when no one else does.
Confidence = Trust + Discipline/Commitment + Patience
Here's the secret: You must be willing to first accept the worst possible outcome and you must maintain faith that the right outcome will occur, no matter what.
Success lies just beyond the point when most people quit. Your desire to quit will be the greatest just before you succeed! (read Bob Parson's 16 rules to success)
Fulfillment in your life's work: When you uncover your true passion, it doesn't feel like work. When you find a purpose greater than yourself, you find the key to overcoming the fear to risk it all!
Emulating is a great way to get onto the field, but all great accomplishment in the world has stemmed from someone doing something different. At some point, the rules will need to be rewritten (or broken). Eventually, you need to blaze your own trail and innovate to find success.
It's the uncommon answer to the common problem (Michael Gerber).
Who we are need not be determined by our past, but the future we CHOOSE to live into!
Success relies on maintaining a positive outlook, especially when times are particularly tough in the beginning.
When faced with a new challenge or setback, successful entrepreneurs look at the event from a new perspective.
Take personal responsibility for all out outcomes (good & bad). Every setback is a growth opportunity.
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.
High self-esteem is vital! Take care of yourself so you can be at your best for others. To maintain confidence in the face of uncertainty, you must be strong emotionally and physically, so take care of yourself!
Learn to trust your gut: Following your gut takes courage and a willingness to live with yourself no matter what the outcome.
My own self-esteem mantra: "I'm not as good as I'm gonna get, but I'm better than I used to be."
Everyone has a mission, that mission has a purpose, that purpose is fueled by passion, and executed through service. (credit to Mary Goulet)
Be Nimble: have a loose agenda and don't get attached specific outcomes. Learn to let go when you need to.
Learn to be comfortable with uncertainty. Once you are own the path, trust it -- no matter where it takes you. Nobody is going to tell you what to do.
Maintain confidence in the face of uncertainty. Entrepreneurs often exhibit confidence despite having all the answers.
A deeper dive on a few key concepts
Are entrepreneurs born or made? Where do your decisions come from? Are your beliefs still serving you? How do you adopt new beliefs? Change the people you surround yourself with. Change your environment. Consider the source of your beliefs.
Often two sides of the same coin, example: I quit my job -- celebration & possibility! I lost my job -- despair & scarcity
The result is the same = no job!
The same experience can be viewed as a setback or an opportunity.
Successful entrepreneurs know from experience a silver lining will usually appear from what might first appear as a 'setback.'
An idea without a deadline is just a dream.
Use 8 UP. Do 1 thing each day to move towards your dream
Try to do 1 thing towards your dream each day and you'll be amazed at where you can go...
These are few of my favorite tools available today:
Truth #2 - We want to be part of something bigger than ourselves.
It didn't hit me for a long time, but the reason why people were drawn to 50 Interviews was because it presented them the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
I wrote this in the beginning of 50 Interviews...
50 Interviews mission is to expand a proven framework of helping others uncover their true passion and find greater fulfillment in life and work. Consisting of a team of correspondents who seek out the truth, we explode myths and reveal the unwritten rules in a way that moves us from spectator to participant in our chosen endeavor.
By the time each correspondent has interviewed 50 experts in a field, they find themselves transformed in the process and awake to the vital mindset with the confidence, support, and resources necessary to insure success in literally ANY endeavor.
The final result is expressed in a form of ‘career cliff notes’ made available to anyone in that field seeking greater knowledge, and to satisfy the curiosity of those seeking a glimpse of what it is like to stand in their shoes.
Our greater purpose is that more of us discover our true passion and fulfill a purpose greater than ourselves. Doing so contributes more to the world and impacts others in a powerful way. Imagine awaking every single day as excited as you were on Christmas morning when you were ten years old. People do, and so can you.
My goal for the next 6-12 months is to get another five or so books completed in the series with my ‘correspondents’ as authors and then I’m confident I’ll have enough leverage (& protection) to approach some of the larger publishing firms.
I realize that my opportunity to teach at SLOCA & inspire may open the door to a 50 Interviews program for youth. Specifically, those who's parents are open to a non-traditional education.
Inspire gives me an opportunity to offer a 50 Interviews curriculum, which can be delivered over year and funded through the homeschool model.
I wonder if I had stuck it out longer. I wonder if I let my need to earn a living derail me. I wonder where I'd be today if I just kept interviewing people and coaching others through the process as well. I gave up the traditional book method because the profit on books was low and the effort for authors was high. Perhaps the effort was misplaced.
If I had to do it over today - I might explore taking the hotseat model on the road. But if I do, I need to find other sources of revenue since colleges and clubs don't always have a budget to pay for speakers.
I would build an email list at 50insights. I would segment the list by topic of interests. I would seek out others to expand the model - setting up a speakers bureau to handle the bookings and take advantage of the geographic reach of each author.
A viable model may simple leverage the existing content, but repurpose it in a more accessible model.
It hit me that podcasting provides the perfect medium for me to expand this beyond myself. I vary both the host and the interviewee. Natalie interviews Matt. Matt Interviews Natalie. Jennifer interviews Rocky. The best interviews contain the aspect of admiration and honor. The interviewer knows is an honor and privilege to interview the individual. The result is gold that should be shared. The questions stem from a space of knowledge which is far better than someone who knows little about the topic asking 'canned' questions that provide little value to the experienced fan.