I embarked on my first entrepreneurial endeavor at the tender age of 15 when I began designing clothing for local musicians. I don’t know why I started so early, but I was immediately hooked. I had a knack for music industry fashion and, before long, I was designing clothing for some of the biggest bands of the 80s and 90s.

As my enthusiasm for clothing design ebbed, I started looking for a new challenge. Again on a whim, I decided to start a communications company. It was completely from scratch. All I had was a telephone (landline of course!), and a desk with a chair. Despite those humble beginnings, I was able to expand my company into 60 different U.S. cities within 5 years. Buyout offers were flooding in, so I decided to sell the business to a public company in exchange for equity. Soon after, my new parent company was also bought out. I ended up with an impressive nest egg and an entire universe of opportunity.

With my newfound financial freedom, I returned to my passion for music and entertainment. I actually became the biggest electronic music event producer in the U.S., throwing parties for 15,000 to 20,000 people a night. I rolled that success into a successful career as a recording artist… and then a much longer career as a music and television producer, again working with some of the biggest bands in the world.

After the turn of the millennium, my entrepreneurial brain latched onto a tiny, but powerful idea. Always a fan of tech and innovation, I was inspired by the rise of online entrepreneurship. My vision was to use the internet to connect business owners with a global labor pool. So I founded 123Employee, an outsourcing company with work centers in the Philippines. We were able to offer an affordable, agile workforce to independent entrepreneurs and small business owners.

123Employee was technically a brick and mortar business, but I really wanted the freedom to pursue passion projects and travel the world. So I set up systems that would allow me to manage everything remotely. And even after I had 1,000 employees on the books across 3 continents, I was able to operate the entire business with just my laptop and cell phone from anywhere in the world.

As I traveled more, and met other aspiring entrepreneurs around the world, I realized I had a passion for other small business owners and entrepreneurs reach their dreams as well. So I started public speaking and was soon sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in business. I wrote several books, including my biggest hit Outsource Smart which landed on multiple Best Seller lists including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, along with becoming an Amazon #1 Best Seller. I even founded an entire association (Virtual Entrepreneurs Association) dedicated to providing resources and support for entrepreneurs and small business owners at any stage of their careers.

I’m currently on the Board of 123Employee and am CEO of Michaels Press, a US based, Publishing House.