Entrepreneur
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I’m the founder of SimonYoungWriters and cofounder of iJump and Looksy.org.
SimonYoungWriters is a group of freelance writers from diverse backgrounds. We connect writers and organisations so those organisations can get their message across clearly, and in a way that makes sense on an emotional as well as an intellectual level.
iJump helps organisations and people jump into what we call the “social media playground” – social networking, blogging, podcasting and virtual worlds. Marie and I help people see these things as the tools they are, not just as distractions.
Looksy.org is the world’s first consumer-generated documentary, about (and by) a whole generation – Generation C. I joined forces with Jake Pearce and Ilai Amir to build a bridge of understanding between Generation C, and the businesses smart enough to listen.
How did I get this way?
I love business – which would surprise you if you knew me at a younger age. I grew up with my head in the clouds, writing, reading, drawing cartoons – anything but paying attention to the serious subjects like maths and accounting.
When I did set up my first business in 1999, I unleashed a latent passion for business. Puzzled, I looked into my family history and realised that my mother and both her sisters had been self-employed at some stage, though not entrepreneurs in the traditional money-making sense. Instead, their entrepreneurship was about creating things.
Auntie Ros and Uncle Brian made honey and sold fruit in the orchard, enabling them to enjoy a rural lifestyle. Auntie Jill and Uncle Russ made art – you should see the stuff Russ made with anvil and hammer. And mum made clothes and arranged flowers. None of it earth-shattering stuff, but stuff that made you want to break the mould, to do things differently.
Business also enables you to learn more than you ever would in a “day job”. Most of my career has been motivated by the desire to learn how things work, or more importantly, how people work.
One of my secret goals when I began in business was to give advice to people on pursuing their own dreams. I don’t know if I’m much of a role model, but feel free to ask me a question about your dream.
