question. It’s more about the emotion and the feeling that a horned Viking helmet provides than it is about any historical reference point. I certainly don’t think I have any Nordic blood in my veins, but to be honest I haven’t paid for one of those DNA tests—so who knows?
What I do know is that the design studio I own, Skidmore, has a rich history of being bold, fearless and fun. We take pride in the people here at the studio who work side-by-side every day producing extraordinary creative, while we continue to defend the city of Detroit that we call our home. The Viking helmet is a perfect symbol for that message. It also represents how I want to live my life. Bold, fearless and unafraid to fail. I imagine that those Vikings who boarded their ships centuries ago, setting off on a journey to some unexplored location, experienced many of these same emotions.
You’ll also see many references throughout the book to “charting your own course” and setting off on your journey. I oftentimes picture my life as an entrepreneur in a similar way to a captain of a ship setting off to sea. I have a destination in mind, but also know there are variables and circumstances I just can’t predict that will force me to alter the course. I constantly read the winds, the patterns of the ocean and the forces of nature along the way. IMO, this is how an entrepreneur must act and react in order to find success.
So, the helmet is our visual reminder to stop playing it safe. To risk much, fear little. To assume the role of captain of your ship, and make the best choices you can along the way. Shout “We are Sparta” to the clouds when you feel like it. And if you end up with a client who sucks the life out of you, tell them to fuck off no matter how much revenue they bring you. Yeah, I’m talking to you, Sean.
A pink bike?
Yep, it all began with a pink bike. When I look back, I can see much of my stubbornness, impulsiveness, need to be different and tendency to dare from my first big purchase as a 12-year-old boy—a brand new ten-speed. At the time the Schwinn bike with two derailleurs and 10 gears represented freedom and coming of age. Only little kids rode a three-speed bike with a banana seat. I was 12 freakin’ years old. I had my own paper route. I was making good money shoveling snow for the neighbors. I was babysitting the most difficult kid in the neighborhood. And, damnit, I was going to buy me a bike. My own bike, with my own money.
I convinced my dad to drive me down to the Schwinn store in Mt. Clemens. Because a Schwinn was the Cadillac of bikes in 1975. This store had hundreds of bikes, and the inside smelled like rubber bike tires and chain grease and freedom. It was amazing.
The salesman/owner, who knew my dad, showed me lots of blue and green and black bikes. But they didn’t feel right for me. For one reason or another, they just didn’t “feel” right. Then I spotted the pink bike sitting alone in the corner of the store. “What about that one?” I asked. “Kid, you don’t want that bike,” the owner laughed. “It’s pink, been here for a while—it’s the only one we ordered and we can’t sell it.”
That’s all I needed to hear. I wanted that bike. I could feel it was right for me. My dad, trying to talk me out of the purchase, asked why I wanted that particular one. He told me if I needed more money for one of the other bikes, he’d make up the difference. “No,” I told him. “I want that one. I like the idea that nobody else will have one just like it. And, I like the idea that it’s different.”
That was my personality in a nutshell. I’ve always had a strong desire to go against the grain. To challenge convention a little bit. Sometimes more than a little bit. I knew I’d get teased by my friends some, but I also knew that I’d be remembered as the only boy with a pink bike. And that bike got me through high school and most of college at Central Michigan University.
And it had an added benefit of announcing my presence. When that pink bike was parked outside Anchor Bay Junior High School, the local drug store or, later, at my first real job at The Anchor Bay Beacon, New Baltimore’s local newspaper—people knew that I was there. It was my calling card. My first bold brand statement. By the way, if you walk into Skidmore today you will note that we have two pink bikes in the lobby for the staff to ride around Detroit. Coincidence?
The profiles
In this section, you’ll get a chance to take an inside look at 11 amazing entrepreneurs. I’ve had the privilege to speak to many more entrepreneurs than I had space to feature in the book. All the men and women I interviewed were incredibly open and giving of their time and their difficulties during their journey. I am forever grateful for how they opened their souls for this effort. I can only hope that I was able to capture the essence of who they truly are. Amazing entrepreneurs who have successfully Dared Mighty Things!
What’s the deal with the Personas?
As you navigate your way through these 11 entrepreneurial profiles, you’ll find each story includes several ‘personas’ described at the end of the chapter. When I sat down and chatted with these millennial entrepreneurs, I heard several consistent themes develop. I learned each of their routes to success included seven common personas. While the waypoints on the paths they took were always different, the places they stopped along the way almost always were the same. Those stops are the personas. These seven personas would reveal themselves during these discussions. My hypothesis going into this project was that I would find some commonalities. I was surprised, however, at how often these seven personas appeared with each profile. There is a more detailed persona described in Part 2 of the field guide, but you’ll note there are two key personas highlighted within each profile.
1. Chase Fancher—Founder, Oak & Oscar Watch Co.
2. Sekou Andrews—Founder & CEO, SekouWorld
3. Melissa Price—CEO & Lady of the Vault, dPOP!
4. Taylor Bruce—Publisher, Wildsam Publishing
5. Veronika Scott—Founder, The Empowerment Plan
6. Brian Wong—Founder, Kiip
7. Nailah Ellis Brown—Founder, Ellis Island Tea
8. Steven Counts—Founder, Counts Photography, NYC
9. Courtney Powell & Joe Vennare—Founders, Kinsman Men's Shop & Fitt.com
10. Dave & John Vermiglio—Founders, Grey Ghost Restaurant
11. Alex Clark—Founder, Bon Bon Bon Chocolates
Chase Fancher
"Make no little plans, for they have no magic to stir men's blood."
- Teddy Roosevelt
Chase Fancher
Who: Chase Fancher
Where: Chicago, IL
What: Founder, Oak & Oscar Watch Company
Previous: Real estate appraiser
@oakandoscar
TL;DR
