Being an entrepreneur today has grown into an all-encompassing position with varying routes. With the different technological tools and resources at hand, the possibility of following this particular path holds a different meaning than years ago. This is because the ways in which people connect and communicate has allowed for the globalization of business, reaching places and audiences that were once unreachable.
In response to these changes, there has been a rise in pursuing entrepreneurship because of its ‘democratization.’ In other words, there was a drastic decrease in the costs of creating a business and gathering an audience due to the power of the online sphere. Moreover, the idea of following a 9-to-5 job has never been more unappealing to younger generations, as they grew up in a different environment than those before them. The technological revolution opened the door of opportunities and accessibility to people beyond their direct surroundings. Couple that with the economic crashes, like that of 2008 and the instability during the COVID-19 pandemic, only perpetuated the idea of only trusting yourself with your financials, especially in terms of business. In fact, it is said that roughly 75% of 2,000 top-earning millennials are expecting to start their own company. With these statistics, it is no wonder people are looking up to those that are already paving the way towards entrepreneurial portfolios.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, it is easy to be misled by those that advertise the lifestyle of it online, as many don’t share the actualities of how they got there. Leaving out these details can make it difficult for those that are only chasing the outcomes without knowing the process. Therefore, finding entrepreneurs that are transparent about their experience, knowledge, and methods can make it all the more inspiring and reachable to younger audiences.
An example of an entrepreneur who makes it a goal to share his journey in an authentic way is Brian Underwood, CEO and co-founder of Prüvit – a lifestyle brand that works with exogenous ketone technology in order to help individuals grow into the best version of themselves. With over 30 years of experience, Underwood aims to create content for his audiences that brings value and meaning to those following an entrepreneurial path. He does so by being honest about the workload, determination, and self-awareness one must encompass in order to be successful.
Underwood’s position is only reinforced by how he has worked to build the company from past ‘failures,’ which he takes as ‘learning opportunities.’ That experience and perspective is what helped this category-king scale so rapidly. Within his role, he has cultivated a community that follows Prüvit’s ketone technologies and mission to ‘make people better.’ In turn, Prüvit has become a worldwide leader in this marketplace with over 100 million servings delivered worldwide and a valuation of $1.4 billion. Through this experience and success, Underwood continues to push the growth of the company, all while sharing the progress of not only the company, but also his own career and personal goals. A way in which he does so is through his podcast, “Be You with BU” and on social media, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Through these channels, he communicates the failures, successes, and lessons he has had along the way that led him to where he is now. Providing his audience with genuine background, tools, and advice in order to pursue their own entrepreneurial passions has become a key component in Underwood’s career. In doing so, his podcast is within Apple podcasts’ top 10 “Entrepreneurship” category, as well as top 50 “Business” category. Underwood is excited to continue expanding his influential reach in order to inspire entrepreneurs, as well as further the success of Prüvit.