I enjoy meeting true innovators in any field. They are uncomfortable with the status quo and passionate about moving the world forward. Innovators also make for great interview subjects since their passion and enthusiasm is contagious. Any journalist will tell you—the most inspiring leaders are those who are passionate about the subject. In other words, you cannot inspire others unless you’re inspired yourself.
Steve Jobs once said, “People with passion can change the world for the better.” It means that people with passion are responsible for the world’s greatest innovations. They are also inspiring communicators who speak from the heart—their energy and enthusiasm is contagious because they exude pure joy for what they do.
An article in The New York Times labeled recent college grads “Generation Limbo” because their careers were “stuck” in neutral and they had few job prospects (although the hiring outlook for college grads is somewhat brighter, it remains difficult to get high paying jobs in fields that have undergone retrenchment such as banking, finance, law and some large tech companies like HP which has announced 27,000 lay-offs). But I believe this generation might surprise us (and themselves). In the past few days I’ve talked to several recent grads who, because they failed to find a ‘traditional’ job in this tough economy, succeeded in starting companies that matched their passion and their skill. As a result they are building innovative companies, services, and products they never would have pursued had jobs been plentiful. Here are three inspiring stories.
A tutoring program that gets an A in innovation. David Greenberg couldn’t find a job on Wall Street after graduating with an economics degree from NYU in 2008. The recession was in full force and jobs, especially in banking and finance, were nearly impossible to find. Greenberg decided to marry his skill in social media with his passion for education. With a $5,000 loan from his mother, Greenberg started Parliament Tutors matching private in-home tutors with students who need private tutoring and test preparation. Today his company has a full-time staff of four people, coordinates 600 tutors, and generates growing revenue. Greenberg told me his company started strong and brought in $8,000 of revenue in its first month. Today monthly revenue is closer to $50,000 and Parliament Tutors is on track to earn $600,000 in 2012. No, Greenberg isn’t a millionaire yet but he’s well on the way to reinventing a valuable service.
The Manwills
Taking a bite out of energy bars. Brittany Manwill graduated from the University of Oregon in June, 2009. She got a job in marketing in the company where her husband worked as an engineer. Both saw the writing on the wall as the company kept reducing their hours and cutting departments. The couple saved money and jumped ship. Both are avid outdoors people and married their unique skillsets with their passion. They started an energy bar company called Mazamabar. Manwill explained that her energy bars are unique because they are considered meal replacements instead of ‘snacks.’ Today Mazama Bars are handmade in the Pacific Northwest and marketed to hikers, skiers, bikers, and runners who need long lasting energy for grueling activities.
Andrew Legrand
Filling a legal niche for small businesses. Andrew Legrand graduated from law school last year and entered one of the tightest job markets for law school graduates in decades. Legard had two options—starve or innovate. Legrand leveraged his knowledge of the Internet and technology to build Andrew Legrand Law, providing virtual lawyers for business that are too small for a big city law firm but in need of more customized forms and legal advice than they could otherwise find online. Since Legrand stores all of his documents securely ‘in the cloud,’ he saves time and costs. Did Legrand have to make sacrifices? Sure he did. Despite having a law degree, he had to live with his parents for eight months while he got his company started and he makes less than he would be making in a traditional law firm. “Even though I’m near the bottom of my class in terms of income, I’m learning things that I never would have learned in a traditional law firm,” Legrand told me. “It’s going to put me ahead of classmates a few years from now. I’m learning to become a rainmaker.”
By definition, “innovation” is a new way of doing things that results in positive change and that’s exactly what these recent graduates are doing. Although they didn’t start out with the intention of becoming “innovators,” they have been forced to do so. They are introducing innovative products and services in the areas of education, law, and consumer products. And as people who are following their passion, they are among the best young communicators I’ve met. The lesson is clear—passion separates the average leader from truly inspiring innovators. I can’t wait to see the impact these ‘recession’ grads will have on the world.