Shortly after I met Megan and right as I was really coming into my own with writing & growing my business, she said to me, “You do know Chris Guillebeau, right?”

“Um, no.” I said. “Should I?”

I went home and devoured his blog for hours. I felt like I had found a place I could belong, a community I could relate to, a leader I could follow. This story is not unique; it is shared by tens of thousands of others.

I now have the privilege of calling Chris a friend and mentor.

From his popular blog, to his first book, The Art of Non-Conformity, to the twice sold out World Domination Summit, to his latest book, The $100 Startup, Chris is influencing and inspiring thousands upon thousands of artists, entrepreneurs, and motivated idealists. He is a humble leader, a shrewd strategist, and a practitioner of all that he preaches.

In his new book, Chris examines hundreds of You Economy businesses and analyzes what makes them work. Then he distills that information down into strategies, action steps, and practical ideas for you to use in starting or growing your own bootstrapped startup.

Here are the highlights from our interview:

  • Did you notice anything in common between all the businesses you examined? (1:06)
  • “They’ve pursued a passion or developed a skill and tied that to the needs of the market” (2:34)
  • How do you define a “startup?” (3:17)
  • What’s the benefit of staying lean & mean? (4:48)
  • “The number one thing people want is more freedom.” Click to tweet! (5:19)
  • How big can a self-funded business get? (6:21)
  • “It’s easier to create growth once you have something that’s already working.” Click to tweet!(8:18)
  • “What can you do to tweak your way to the bank?” Click to spread the word! (8:52)
  • What do you see as the future of this information economy? (10:30)
  • “Anything we want to do – we can either do it or we can figure it out.” Click to tweet! (13:00)
  • Why is it important to you to have a business that gives back? Is that an advantage in the 21st century? “I don’t really separate business & life.” (13:37)

Grab The $100 Startup today!

Can’t see the video? Watch it here.