5 Entrepreneurs Unafraid to Bet On Themselves and Double Down

Although these entrepreneurs make their livings in industries varying from e-commerce to fashion to music and everything in between, one thing stays consistent between all of them. They’ve all been able to stay laser focused on their goals and have stopped at nothing to achieve them. No matter how crazy they may seem at the time, nothing has been able to sway these entrepreneurs from finding success in their own right. Needless to say, it paid off for each of them in a big way. 

Kaho Shibuya 

Kaho Shibuya is an entrepreneur and influencer based out of Tokyo, Japan. Growing up, Shibuya was fascinated with the English language and studied it seriously in high school and in college. She would go on to spend time as an English teacher in Japan, and as an editor and reporter for a Japanese sports publication. Her time in the media opened her eyes to how powerful the industry was, and it wasn’t long before she transitioned into pursuing her own career.

She began growing a YouTube and social media following thanks to her time in the adult film industry, and she began to utilize this audience to drive her YouTube and writing content. From there, she began leveraging her brand to have successful stints as a DJ and anime actress, and even has a role in an upcoming anime series that is set to release. She’s found her way as a female entrepreneur, even with all of the prejudice directed at her by male counterparts in the industry. Shibuya is unafraid to be her authentic self, and her brand has blossomed as a result with her audiences recognizing and appreciating this.

Dennis Kenney 

Dennis Kenney is a New York City based stylist and entrepreneur. Kenney had an unusual breakthrough into the industry, with no technical background in fashion. What he did have, however, was a persistence with posting his outfits on social media that allowed him to build up a following. From there, he leveraged his following and unique style to land a job as a creative director, and he hit the ground running. He’s become known for his distinctly risky styles and is unafraid to take risks in his career.

One of the biggest risks he’s taken in his career was when he chose to dress a morning TV host in a risque outfit, one that would be fit for a nighttime show. But the choice was well received and it only confirmed to Kenney that he knows how to make the right choices even when they seem risky. Kenney has also done work for Good Morning America, the Academy Awards, Grammys, Tonys, Met Gala, and various TV shows on HGTV and TLC. He’s doubled down on his unique style with his own clothing line called NONDK, and has certainly established himself as a real player in the fashion industry.

Christoph Filgertshofer 

Christoph Filgertshofer is a German ecommerce entrepreneur. He runs multiple Shopify stores, and generates multiple 5 figures monthly off of them. Ever since he can remember, Filgertshofer has had an entrepreneurial mindset. When all of his friends got iPods from their parents, he set out to buy one for himself. After flipping anything he could get his hands on like Pokemon cards, he had enough money to buy his own iPod. While it was something small, the seed was planted in his mind that working for himself was something he really wanted to do. After working to grow a substantial YouTube following, Filgertshofer wanted to move into ecommerce.

While his initial stores were failures, Filgertshofer was determined to make it work. He spent hours upon hours taking ecommerce courses and reading anything he could get his hands on about the topic, and his efforts paid off. His first store after that point was a jewelry store, and it didn’t take long for it to begin generating 5 figures in revenue each month. Now that he’s well established, Filgershofer devotes a large part of his time in collaboration with Shopify to bring online ecommerce education to the next generation of entrepreneurs. He knows that eliminating the learning curve will save a lot of time and money, and he makes it his mission to impact as many people as possible. 

Graham Byers

Graham Byers is an ecommerce entrepreneur based out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Byers took the traditional route of attending college, although he didn’t use his degree for very long post-grad. Instead, he met his business partner in his fraternity and the rest was history. The duo founded an ecommerce company, and it found success rather quickly. The company generated multiple 6 figures in revenue within its first year, and Byers was able to sell the company after only a year. From there, he relocated from California to Puerto Rico where he still resides today. 

Byers still works at his current ecommerce business but has since expanded into founding a real estate company. He’s fortunate enough to spend time enjoying his life near the beach, and its a testament to what hard work and persistence can do in the long run. While he was growing his initial ecommerce venture, Byers was also working full time at a software company while he worked on ecommerce at night. While it required a lot of hard work and perseverance, the end result was certainly worth the hours and hours of input into the business while also working full time. His success is no mistake, and Byers’ ability to work through struggles and stagnant times in his business will enable him to find success in whatever he is pursuing. 

Travis Guterman 

Travis Guterman is a celebrity business manager who represents YouTubers, writers, directors, actors, and professional athletes. He acts as their personal CFO and ensures that they reach their long-term financial goals. All too often, talented individuals come into a lot of wealth in a short period of time and don’t know how to manage it. For Guterman, he not only makes prudent financial decisions for his clients, he is also there to advise his clients when they go to make a large purchase and asks the hard questions.

Guterman always had an appreciation for YouTube as a platform and recognizes that YouTubers are massively talented and successful in what they do. He’s been able to build a roster of big-name YouTube stars because most of the other business managers are older and overlook digital talent; it’s not uncommon to still hear people say that YouTube and TikTok are merely just fads with a limited lifespan. Thanks to his deep understanding of the platform and the influencers on it, Guterman has been able to connect with his clients, provide valuable guidance, and become a major player in the industry.