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LA woman spent $50K building a company that sold for $22M only to buy it back. What aspiring entrepreneurs should know
Yahoo Finance· 2026-01-27 12:00
Core Insights - The article discusses the journey of Jaclyn Johnson, founder of Create & Cultivate, highlighting her initial success, the challenges faced post-sale, and her decision to buy back her company [4][6][18]. Company Growth and Development - Create & Cultivate evolved from a side hustle into a national movement, hosting sold-out events with notable figures by 2020 [2]. - Johnson initially had a marketing business and $50,000 in savings before launching Create & Cultivate, which outgrew her marketing agency [3]. Financial Transactions and Valuation - Johnson sold Create & Cultivate for $22 million in 2021, but later bought back the company at a lower valuation, aiming to rebuild it into a $1 billion brand [4][6]. Entrepreneurial Challenges and Realities - The article emphasizes the high failure rate of small businesses, with approximately 20% failing in the first year and nearly 70% by the tenth year [7]. - It discusses the disconnect between entrepreneurial success stories and the statistical reality of many startups, highlighting survivorship bias [9]. Financial Considerations for Entrepreneurs - Starting a sustainable business often requires significant capital, typically between $50,000 to $150,000, with online ventures still needing substantial investments for scaling [11]. - Many entrepreneurs face the challenge of sustaining operations through the first year, often relying on personal savings or high-interest debt [12]. Risk Management and Strategic Planning - The article advocates for calculated risk-taking rather than reckless gambling, suggesting that successful founders protect themselves before making significant leaps [13]. - It recommends maintaining six to twelve months of expenses as a financial buffer before leaving a full-time job, allowing for flexibility during early growth periods [15]. Rethinking Success in Entrepreneurship - Johnson's experience illustrates that wealth does not always equate to fulfillment, as she reframed her journey to focus on purpose and creative control [18]. - The article concludes that entrepreneurship remains a viable path to wealth creation, especially in an economy marked by wage stagnation, but emphasizes the importance of pairing ambition with prudence [19].
Breaking Barriers | Alina Alam | TEDxThe Lawrence School Lovedale
TEDx Talks· 2026-01-26 16:16
Once upon a time, many years ago from today, there lived a young girl who believed in everything magical. magical. So, here I am just coming back from school and it was pouring that afternoon and those little eyes, those twinkling eyes which were wondering here and there glimpsed upon this one auntie, old auntie on the road. I went back home that day. I got a bag, an oversized bag, filled it with every possible goodie that I had, caught hold of an umbrella and told my mother, "Take me, take me to that aunti ...
The CEO of a $2 billion healthcare firm only felt rich after he paid off $100K in student loans—but that joy ‘disappeared’ in less than 3 days
Yahoo Finance· 2026-01-25 09:03
Company Overview - Sami Inkinen is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and scaled three companies, including two unicorns, over a 20-year career [2] - Currently, he serves as the CEO of Virta Health, a healthcare business valued at $2 billion [5] Financial Milestones - Inkinen repaid $100,000 in student debt, which he considers a significant moment of financial success [2][3] - He sold secondary shares worth $500,000 pre-tax in 2008, allowing him to pay off his student loans and purchase personal items [3] - Trulia, a company he helped scale, was acquired by Zillow for $3.5 billion in 2015 [5] Entrepreneurial Journey - Inkinen's first entrepreneurial venture was Matchem, a mobile software company he co-founded in 2000, which he sold for a few million dollars [3] - After graduating from Stanford's MBA program in 2005, he declined a lucrative job offer from McKinsey to pursue entrepreneurship [4] Personal Philosophy - Inkinen emphasizes that financial security is not the primary driver of happiness, stating that the thrill of having no debt was short-lived [6] - He believes that money does not define life satisfaction or happiness [6]
This millennial founder got rejected 73 times before building a 9-figure coffee company. One more no, ‘I would have figured out how to sell a kidney’
Yahoo Finance· 2026-01-24 13:54
Company Overview - Fellow is a premium coffee and kitchenware brand that has grown into a retailer of various products, including coffee makers, grinders, and kettles, available at major retailers like Target, Costco, and Nordstrom [2] Founder Background - Jake Miller, the founder of Fellow, pursued an MBA at Stanford and initially envisioned a minimalist coffee steeper for both hot and cold brews [2] - Before becoming an entrepreneur, Miller explored various jobs, including construction and marketing, ultimately realizing his passion for building and design [4][5] Funding Journey - Miller faced significant challenges in securing funding, experiencing 73 rejections from angel investors and small funds before finally breaking through [2] - Early funding was secured through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, but institutional capital proved difficult to obtain [2] Market Insight - Miller identified a gap in the home-brewing market, noting that the rise of meticulous coffee roasters was not matched by well-designed brewing equipment [5]
X @The Economist
The Economist· 2026-01-24 02:20
AI is changing entrepreneurship as we know it. Could it help to establish the first single-person unicorn—an unlisted firm worth more than $1bn? https://t.co/I7oFd1HnnJ ...
What happens when women stop waiting | Sonam Garg Sharma | TEDxGreenfield Women
TEDx Talks· 2026-01-23 17:10
[music] [applause] Good evening everyone. There is a sentence many women grow up with. It's not spoken loudly.It's not written anywhere but repeated quietly through life. Wait. Wait till you are ready. Wait till the kids grow up.Wait for someone to say yes. Wait till the timings are perfect. Today I'm going to tell you what happens when a woman does not wait.Because future does not begin someday. It begins now. 15 years ago I was standing in an hospital corridor where my father was fighting cancer.My family ...
Reimagining Education for a Changing World | Dr. Rashmi Mantri | TEDxMCGS Youth
TEDx Talks· 2026-01-23 15:47
Hello everyone, my name is Rashmi Mantri. I born in a village Pushkar as a sixth and a female and the unwanted child. Pushkar in 80s and '9s was a rural and underdeveloped area where almost no electricity, no school facilities or no water facilities was there.By the time we used to reach to the school or cardio was done for well we have to go to far away well to get or get the water from there and we have to learn under the kerosene lamps and the street light to complete our studies. Those moments taught me ...