I pitched Albano 18 months ago through LinkedIn. Didn't close the deal, but gained a great mentor and friend. He's bootstrapping his second business (Alza) after successfully exiting his first. I have all the respect in the world for anyone willing to build a business, but

Your competition can’t copy your startups: - Speed - Culture - Execution - Vision - Story - Team - Brand So focus on those things.

Some of the best advice I’ve been given as an entrepreneur: “Do the hard things first.” Changed everything for me when I started applying it.

Delivering on your promises is an underrated skill in entrepreneurship. It’s really easy to say you can solve a big problem for customers—it’s another thing to actually do it.

Biggest regret while running my first business was trying to pass off being the head of sales. People care about your story and vision even more than the product. Game changer for my second business.

I try to tell every new entrepreneur I meet the same thing: mentally, you’ve gotta be all in. If you don’t believe you can do it, nobody else will either. I wasn’t there in my first business and it cost us. I owe 100% of the success I’ve seen this go-around to my mentality.

Loyalty is far more valuable to me than talent. Even if we were stacked against the most talented community builders on earth: I’d pick my team to win everyday. A team who will do anything for one another because they believe so strongly in what they’re building is dangerous.

50% of startups don’t see year six. I’ve lived that statistic—and seen many bootstrapped entrepreneurs do the same. But odds can be beaten with the right people in your corner. If you’re building a business from scratch: keep going. We’re all just getting started.

Surround yourself with people who will tell you what you need to hear. My first business suffered because I didn’t take this advice. Now, all I care about is hearing the truth from people close to me. The people who really want you to win will be candid—find those people.

I don’t personally know anyone who regrets becoming an entrepreneur. I know a ton of people who are miserable at their 9-5 and want to be part of something bigger. Bet on yourself.

Acting as a head of sales rather than a head of community was my biggest mistake after bringing Thrive to market. Making that switch has allowed me to develop a real relationship with our customers. And 82% of last week’s new members came via referral.

My friend Marissa spent years in auto shops, knows that world inside out, and now runs a killer sales coaching business for those same owners—mostly making money through FB and referrals. She's a savage. She's running a webinar today for our community on how to be an authority

New Bootstrappers.com is live with Eric Harrison of Thrive. Eric Harrison (Eric Harrison) closed six-figure consulting deals in college. Then ran out of clients, cash, and confidence. Instead of giving up, he built Thrive, a founder community for the ones who feel alone. Now