Get Jumping Stilts and Jump 7 feet in the air and run 20 miles an hour!
September 09, 2013
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Baratunde Thurston (@baratunde)
I’m counting down the thirty days until October 1st—when Without Their Permission hits the shelves—by profiling 30 innovators who exemplify the spirit of my book. Share-away! Everything is (almost) under 140 characters so you can read, get inspired, and be awesome.
6 of 30: Baratunde is the author of "How To Be Black" and co-founder of Cultivated Wit. He used to work for The Onion and is based on New York City.
Background
This man is funny. Very funny.
He was the Director of Digital for The Onion when I met him in New York and since then he’s been even busier. He’s got a NYTimes bestseller already under his belt (not literally, but maybe?) and he’s running a consultancy called Cultivated Wit that uses his superpowers to turn trite into terrific! Oh, and I should also mention Whiskey Friday — combining two things (almost) everyone loves and bringing together awesome creative people in the process.
Enjoy this interview with a fine Lagavulin.
What’s been the biggest rejection in your career?
My friend and I had a book deal all but signed, and the publisher just vanished on us. Like they got Taken, and we didn’t know Liam Neeson, so we had no way to get them back.
What’s the biggest barrier to entry for your industry?
An extensive personal and professional network. In other words: people.
How’d you first build an audience?
Email list. I added great value to people’s inboxes.
When did you first realize you were on to something?
In college a stranger approached me in the dining hall and asked to be added to my email list. Word had gotten around beyond people I knew.
Who’s coming up in your field who we should we all know about?
Kirsten van den Hul. She’s Dutch, speaks at least seven languages fluently, is political, is business, is a poet, is the future.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be like you when they grow up?
Be yourself. Relentlessly.
***
Baratunde used to clean bathrooms to pay for college — it’s impossible to doubt his hustle. And he’s not just having success, he’s doing it across fields and disciplines. There will be obstacles, and you won’t always have Liam Neeson to call for help, so don’t be anyone but yourself and stop at nothing to be great.
Please. The internet (and the world) needs more people living up to their full potential.
Did you see yesterday’s profile of Day[9]? Click here for a dose of awesome.
Featured on:Entrepreneurship & Small Business
Posted by:Alexis Ohanian
via 30 Days of Awesome: Baratunde Thurston (Cultivated Wit) | LinkedIn.
