Everyone knows that if you want to succeed in the business world, you need more than an idea. It’s a good piece of grounding advice for any aspiring entrepreneur to keep in mind, but all too often, it leads people to dismiss just how powerful a great idea can be.
It’s true that there’s much more to a successful company than just an idea — but an idea is where it all begins.
The five entrepreneurs profiled here have everything in common that you’d expect. They’ve built successful companies, generated impressive profits, and harnessed the power of technology to promote, grow, and scale their companies even further, and they’ve become distinguished in their respective fields.
However, they also have something else in common — each of their business ventures started with a revolutionary idea.
Those ideas are all different, but each one is meant to change people’s lives for the better. These entrepreneurs aren’t pulling the ladder up behind them.
Instead, they’re empowering their clients by teaching them the same strategies and technologies that got them where they are today. Their businesses focus on coding, marketing, learning the ins and outs of blockchain technology, and more.
The entrepreneurs on this list come from diverse backgrounds. Many haven’t followed traditional career or educational paths, and many of them also took detours through different fields before discovering their true calling.
Their stories are sure to inspire and entertain you, and they might just leave you asking yourself — what can you do with an idea?
1. Arthur Bernier
Arthur Bernier, Jr. — better known as “Big Poppa Code” — believes that technology holds the power to solve real-world problems.
After years of working as a tech lead, chief technology officer, startup co-founder, and an instructor at the world’s largest coding boot camp, he decided to dedicate his life to bridging the gap between technology and humanity.
Bridging that gap is the mission behind BigPoppaCode, where Bernier offers coding lessons and programs for people breaking into the tech world for the first time and those trying to level up their expertise. As a lifelong advocate for the humanization of tech, he offers his students one-on-one guidance and mentorship.
He’s also the creator of Deeper Than Code, a podcast that delves into the technological renaissance, the people who shape it, and the mindset it takes to succeed.
Big Poppa Code has already helped thousands of people find their footing in the world of technology, but he’s just getting started. In the coming months, BigPoppaCode will be rolling out new online courses and collaborating with tech industry experts to create new workshops and webinars.
Bernier hopes that Deeper Than Code will reach more people than ever, too. With new co-hosts Chrissy Todd and Shelby Taj, he’s working on expanding the podcast into new and exciting formats.
2. Shanda Sumpter
Shanda Sumpter founded HeartCore Business to coach entrepreneurs into reaching their goals without the lengthy trial and error process she used to build her successful businesses. It took her almost 15 years.
“People don’t have that long anymore. But they can’t progress when they allow ideas of identity to discourage them. Like, ‘I’m not rich. I’m not good with money. I’m not a marketer.’ They put these false identities on themselves. You just have to care about a topic, and I can show you how to build an influence audience of 500 to 5,000 people in 60 to 70 days.”
Sumpter says everyone has the marketing skills she teaches, which are little more than giving advice. Adults forget how to do this due to the daily pressure of supplying measurable results for a boss, but it can be relearned.
“12-year-olds know how to do this. They just don’t have the pressure of, ‘I have to produce for somebody,’ or ‘I have to be good before I even start.’ They do it out of pure passion.”
Another critical issue for entrepreneurs is organizing their priorities. At first, Sumpter focused too much on products and not enough on her employees.
“I flipped it to, ‘Who are the people I want to work with? How do I find them and provide value for them?’ I moved into being a million-dollar income earner.”
Shanda Sumpter’s aim with HeartCore Business is to help people not only work for themselves but break through the six-figure ceiling, just like she has.
3. Austin Blake-Smith
In a world where most marketing is digital, Austin Blake-Smith is keeping things old-school.
Blake-Smith is President and CEO of a start-up business development firm. But rather than sticking to digital marketing like most agencies, his team focuses on experiences and events.
“We create experience for our clients’ consumers through events, and we operate as an external sales force to develop new business,” he says. That approach has proven to be a successful one as his company has ten offices coast to coast and generates $200+ million annual revenue for its clients.
Austin and his firm’s success is particularly remarkable because he comes from humble beginnings, a one-stoplight town in Georgia. He grew up playing all sports but zeroed in on football as a senior and played out his D1-Collegiate Career in Texas. He got his MBA and then decided to chase childhood NFL dreams into mini-camps and OTA offers but was unsuccessful, so he pivoted to business.
Blake-Smith has approached business with the same grit he had on the football field. This has led him to become one of only 20 business-development consultants for a half billion dollar per year brokerage and also landed him on the cover of his Industry Magazine, LIMITLESS.
In addition, Austin is the president and CEO of HeadPillow, a company that makes specialized pillows for beauty and medical applications. He also owns a staffing agency called Co-Lab HQ and a start-up clothier called byAustn that specializes in formal business wear.
Throughout his journey as a business owner, he’s never lost sight of a particularly important goal of creating opportunities for other people, which has now become his primary mission!
4. Jason Appleton
What do you get when you combine a big man with big ideas? You get Jason Appleton, a.k.a. YouTube’s Crypto Crow. Now a successful businessman, teacher, and creator, Appleton started as a larger-than-average kid whose grade school principals kept trying to bump him up two grades so he would be around students his size and with his intelligence. Appleton sabotaged these attempts.
Jason’s first successful entrepreneurial venture was in the fourth grade, charging a dollar to draw full-page copies of popular children’s trading cards. Not surprisingly, he was suspended. He quit school as soon as the law allowed and worked as a computer helpline representative, having memorized every version of a popular operating system. He could answer questions accurately from memory.
Later, he booked tours for musicians and then moved into mixed martial arts promotion. “This was when it was still considered human cock fighting. I built the careers of several fighters.” Jason was at the forefront of pulling the sport into respectability.
Finally, Appleton discovered his passion: cryptocurrencies. After teaching himself everything there was to know, he became Crypto Crow to teach others how to enter the field. He has now found his niche.
“You need to follow your passion to profit. Any business I’ve started or venture I’ve had with the goal to make a lot of money not only never lasted, but never hit the mark. The one time I finally let my passion run, doing something I truly believed in, it changed my life entirely.”
5. Jason Wojo
Jason Wojo, a self-made multi-millionaire with a net worth of $4 million, has significantly impacted the advertising industry by helping businesses achieve profitable and consistent growth. At just 27 years old, Wojo and his business have scaled over 1,320 businesses to six figures and 58 businesses to seven or eight figures. The business’ methodology revolves around four essential components: creating irresistible offers, crafting high-converting sales and landing pages, executing omnipresent ad campaigns, and meticulously tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive profitable behaviors.
Under Jason Wojo’s leadership, the business has generated over $148 million in online revenue through paid ads. This success is attributed to their wide-ranging services, which include ad creation, funnel design, landing page optimization, email management, and video ad editing. The client portfolio features prominent figures and brands such as Andy Elliott, Kris Krohn, Ryan Pineda, Pace Morby, and Jamil Damji.
With $34 million spent on paid ads and $148 million generated in return, the business boasts a lifetime return on ad spend (ROAS) of 4X. This means for every dollar invested in ads, clients see an average return of four dollars. The firm’s client-centric approach focuses on identifying and addressing pain points to enhance service delivery. A core value of “Team First” has cultivated a dedicated team of 56 professionals, effectively servicing over 310 clients and maintaining a client retention rate of more than 80 percent.
Jason Wojo’s firm continues to set benchmarks in the advertising industry by utilizing innovative strategies and a data-driven approach to drive client success. The firm’s dedication to building foundational KPIs and implementing effective ad campaigns ensures clients achieve their revenue goals with predictability and profitability.
