With the growth of Secret Entourage in 2014, along with the amazing amount of support we have received from 100’s of our incredible teachers in the Secret Academy, it was only a matter of time before we decided to begin recognizing one of them each year for not only their contribution and efforts to our brand, but their contribution and efforts to society as entrepreneurs. Before we unveil who the 2014 Entrepreneur of the Year for Secret Entourage is, I want to share with you my personal definition of what a true Entrepreneur really is, and what differentiates the great from the good.
What is an entrepreneur?
Years ago, if you would have asked me that question I would have told you that an Entrepreneur is an inventor, an innovator, and someone who doesn’t answer to anyone but him or herself. However, after having spent a decade in corporate leadership, as a small business owner, and as an Entrepreneur, today my perspective has completely changed.
An Entrepreneur is more than an inventor or innovator, and certainly isn’t just someone who is self employed; an Entrepreneur is an extraordinary person who is able to see the world not for what it is, but rather for what it can be, and as a result chooses to do something about it to help get the world to that place they envision. Being able to see into the future is the role of a visionary – which is a quality many entrepreneurs possess – but being able to create and mold the future is what truly defines an entrepreneur’s main quality and ability.
What differentiates great entrepreneurs from good ones is not merely the success rate or the wealth they’ve acquired along the way, but rather their ability to inspire, motivate, and help create a culture of greatness around them while having to personally overcome high levels of stress and solitude on their way to the top.
You see, the hardest part of being a real entrepreneur is that you and only you really see and believe in the way you envision the world should be, and because of this you are met with resistance, opposition and negativity day in and day out. In times when the simplest gesture would change your life – it’s not made towards you. And in the earliest days when you need the most help – none is given to you.
Yet, despite this journey in which the hardest stages are often traveled alone, and despite the high level of mental stress and conditioning it requires to keep going, being a great entrepreneur means knowing how to protect those around us from being impacted by the same high level of stress while at the same time continuing to push forward and create an environment where others can be their best – even if at times it means compromising our own needs and happiness. It is the ability to put the vision and those helping bring it to life before ourselves, making sacrifices others would never make, and jeopardizing even the best of yourself for the ultimate goal of bringing an idea to life. Regardless of your need for money and your need for success, if you’re a great entrepreneur, you’ll quickly find yourself and your needs taking 3rd, 4th and 5th place to everything else that matters.
This is the definition of Great Entrepreneurship; a person who can create solutions for the world without fear, without doubt, and without mental help. A person who can venture on the border of insanity only to get to know themselves better and to push the boundaries and limitations of their mind to a place where others do not believe they can go.
In 2014, I had the pleasure of meeting such a man, and one that shared many of my beliefs towards giving back and helping others, one that I knew had also gone through incredible hardship and understood the true meaning of being a great entrepreneur. The best part of it all was that he believed himself to be just another guy working hard and giving back, but to me he was far from ordinary – he was extraordinary; in his thinking, his belief, his execution and more importantly his ability to create a culture where he fostered the spirit of entrepreneurship in others, dramatically improving the lives of everyone he touched, worked with and interacted with.
It will come with no surprise to anyone who knows him that this man is none other than:
1st Phorm Founder and CEO: Andy Frisella.
After having spent a decade working for no money but only because of a belief he had, Andy has not only successfully created an amazing chain of stores known as S2 Supplement Superstores, but has also created his own supplement product line called 1st Phorm. He has built an empire worth 9 figures, and is an incredible advocate for inspiring others on a daily basis through his Instagram channel and Facebook feeds. He is truly an inspiration and role model, and is the definition of a GREAT entrepreneur.
Make sure to check out his amazing success story on our homepage, and an exclusive look into his life and success in an amazing 1 hour conversation I had with him at his house in Missouri.
– Pejman Ghadimi
Years ago, if you would have asked me that question I would have told you that an Entrepreneur is an inventor, an innovator, and someone who doesn’t answer to anyone but him or herself. However, after having spent a decade in corporate leadership, as a small business owner, and as an Entrepreneur, today my perspective has completely changed.
An Entrepreneur is more than an inventor or innovator, and certainly isn’t just someone who is self employed; an Entrepreneur is an extraordinary person who is able to see the world not for what it is, but rather for what it can be, and as a result chooses to do something about it to help get the world to that place they envision. Being able to see into the future is the role of a visionary – which is a quality many entrepreneurs possess – but being able to create and mold the future is what truly defines an entrepreneur’s main quality and ability.
What differentiates great entrepreneurs from good ones is not merely the success rate or the wealth they’ve acquired along the way, but rather their ability to inspire, motivate, and help create a culture of greatness around them while having to personally overcome high levels of stress and solitude on their way to the top.
You see, the hardest part of being a real entrepreneur is that you and only you really see and believe in the way you envision the world should be, and because of this you are met with resistance, opposition and negativity day in and day out. In times when the simplest gesture would change your life – it’s not made towards you. And in the earliest days when you need the most help – none is given to you.
Yet, despite this journey in which the hardest stages are often traveled alone, and despite the high level of mental stress and conditioning it requires to keep going, being a great entrepreneur means knowing how to protect those around us from being impacted by the same high level of stress while at the same time continuing to push forward and create an environment where others can be their best – even if at times it means compromising our own needs and happiness. It is the ability to put the vision and those helping bring it to life before ourselves, making sacrifices others would never make, and jeopardizing even the best of yourself for the ultimate goal of bringing an idea to life. Regardless of your need for money and your need for success, if you’re a great entrepreneur, you’ll quickly find yourself and your needs taking 3rd, 4th and 5th place to everything else that matters.
This is the definition of Great Entrepreneurship; a person who can create solutions for the world without fear, without doubt, and without mental help. A person who can venture on the border of insanity only to get to know themselves better and to push the boundaries and limitations of their mind to a place where others do not believe they can go.
In 2014, I had the pleasure of meeting such a man, and one that shared many of my beliefs towards giving back and helping others, one that I knew had also gone through incredible hardship and understood the true meaning of being a great entrepreneur. The best part of it all was that he believed himself to be just another guy working hard and giving back, but to me he was far from ordinary – he was extraordinary; in his thinking, his belief, his execution and more importantly his ability to create a culture where he fostered the spirit of entrepreneurship in others, dramatically improving the lives of everyone he touched, worked with and interacted with.
It will come with no surprise to anyone who knows him that this man is none other than:
After having spent a decade working for no money but only because of a belief he had, Andy has not only successfully created an amazing chain of stores known as S2 Supplement Superstores, but has also created his own supplement product line called 1st Phorm. He has built an empire worth 9 figures, and is an incredible advocate for inspiring others on a daily basis through his Instagram channel and Facebook feeds. He is truly an inspiration and role model, and is the definition of a GREAT entrepreneur.
Make sure to check out his amazing success story on our homepage, and an exclusive look into his life and success in an amazing 1 hour conversation I had with him at his house in Missouri.
– Pejman Ghadimi
PS: His cars aren’t too shabby either.