It has been over 4 years since I've actively focused on the Think Entrepreneurship website, and I've finally made the choice to get back into writing and sharing my experiences in the world of entrepreneurship. It has honestly been way too long. In this article we'll talk about the website, what's been going on the last few years, and plans for the future.
History of TE
I will give you the short backstory of Think Entrepreneurship's history. The domain was purchased in 2007 when I was a senior in college at the University of Nebraska college of business. The purpose of the site was to share what I'd learned as a young entrepreneur with my peers, and to inspire others to start a business. Articles were written about how to register a business, ups and downs we go through as entrepreneurs, and various other entrepreneurial tips.
It was in about 2011 or so that I went to my first conference about internet business named NMX (formerly Blog World). At this conference, I met Pat Flynn, John Dumas, Amy Porterfield, Rick Mulready, Antonio Centeno, and a number of other prominent online entrepreneurs. At the time, some of us were just starting, and others had been at it for awhile. I'd been podcasting a little bit prior to the conference, but nothing was monetized and I'd had little success bringing in money online.
In addition, I had a Youtube channel where I'd been interviewing entrepreneurs since 2008. This hadn't picked up a whole lot of traction, but it did allow me to make incredible connections with entrepreneurs.
When I got home from the conference, I decided to focus on podcasting and launched the Think Entrepreneurship podcast. I interviewed a number of amazing entrepreneurs including Brian Scudamore ( founder of 800GotJunk ), Fran Tarkenton ( NFL hall of fame player and businessman), Kevin Harrington ( Shark Tank investor ), and others. The podcast was going well, but it was at that time that I was really getting into woodworking and wanted to do something else. The ThinkEntrepreneurship blog hit 6 figures in net income in 2015 and has been a great way to help others in the Entrepreneurial niche.
Launch of DIYPete.com
In mid 2013, a site named DIYPete.com was born. Woodworking and DIY projects has always been a passion of mine. After sharing photos of projects I'd built on Facebook with friends, they started asking if I had plans or could help them build the tables and furniture with them over the weekend. While I'd love to help everyone build the furniture, I realized I could help more people by creating plans and videos to show the process. The plans and videos were broken down to make each project as easy as possible. The DIY Pete Youtube Channel slowly started to gain traction.
Within one year, the channel had 10,000 subscribers and the feedback was great. I got my first paid sponsorship with Glidden Paint and NFL.com. They were looking for someone to promote their NFL team colors paint through Youtube. So I built a Minnesota Vikings rolling bar cart and a Denver Broncos themed hutch.
Things continued to grow over the years and the channel now has 310,000 subscribers and 25 million views as of September 2019. Numerous opportunities to work with brands and other creators come in all the time. I now can charge in the $7000-$10,000 range to do a sponsored video for a brand. Sponsorships are only one part of how content creators can monetize things, but it is certainly nice to have the opportunity.
Plans for the Future
DIY projects and Entrepreneurship are both big passions of mine. Both sites have generated consistent passive income over the years that has continued to grow and allow opportunities I'd never thought would happen.
Growing the DIY Pete Youtube channel and DIY Pete brand has been an incredible thing and something I'm asked about frequently. People often ask how to start their own DIY youtube channel and brand. To be able to help these folks, I plan to create resources that will get them started and on the track to creating passive income online. I plan to continue building the DIY brand, but also getting back to my roots of sharing experiences in entrepreneurship and inspiring others to start their own businesses.
Podcast coming back
The podcast will be coming back in 2019. While it is a lot of work, the podcast was incredible for expanding the network and getting the opportunity to talk with incredible people around the world. I'll be outsourcing the editing and having help to make the Think Entrepreneurship Podcast a reality later this year.
Focus on Priorities
The past few years have been a bit different than others due to the purchasing of a 10 acre fixer upper property in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near the foothills. This has been an incredible amount of work, but it has been worth it as I am getting exactly what I want. One downside of this has been less time to pump out new projects on the DIY site, and less time to write for Think Entrepreneurship.
In the near future I will be focusing more on automating and systemizing parts of the business. Hiring others to help with the remodel and with various parts of the business will be essential to getting the businesses to the next level. A focus on creating online courses, new content, and consistent content will be a thing of the future.
Brief overview
The past few years have brought new opportunities, growth, and success in business and personal life. There have been ups and downs along the way of course, but ultimately things are going in the right direction. The DIY website idea came into fruition and has grown into a successful business with a devoted audience I get to share with and learn from. While this has taken a lot of time to build, it has been worth it.
I'm now looking forward to sharing what I've learned from building this online business in the DIY space and becoming what they call an “influencer” in that space. I'll be sharing both business and personal experiences in upcoming posts and podcasts. You'll also be seeing more in-depth posts about how the DIY business was built and monetized. In addition, we'll talk a lot about health, fitness, lifestyle, aviation, and online business.
Looking for your help!
I'm looking for your help in getting Think Entrepreneurship back up and going. Please let me know what you'd like to read, see, and learn. How would you like to be inspired? Are you interested in having any specific guests on the Podcast? Please comment below. I'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for sharing