Have you ever wanted to create an app, but dismissed the idea because you knew nothing about coding? That did not stop 14-year-old Robert Nay. He decided that since he did not know how to code, he would learn. He researched at his local library to learn more about programing and in only a month had written over 4,000 lines of code for his app.

Bubble Ball was released in 2010 in the Apple App Store. It was downloaded more than two million times in the first week, and eventually dethroned Angry Birds from the #1 spot on the App Store’s list of free games. The game is puzzle-style involving physics with 72 levels—120 levels for those willing to purchase the premium version. In addition, there is now a community levels feature in which users can create their own levels to share with other players.

What I appreciate about Nay is that he did not let his limited knowledge keep him from pursuing a goal. He channeled that passion into gaining the skills and knowledge needed to make it happen. His dedication to his product is evident, and I strive to have that kind of dedication for the projects I take on.

Were you one of those kids who built things out of cardboard boxes? I know I was one of them, and so was Caine Monroy. At age 9, Caine build his own cardboard box arcade in the front of his dad’s auto parts shop. In the summertime, he would go with his father to work every day and build new games for his arcade. Some of the games and mechanisms became quite complex and were extremely clever. Caine would work every day even though it took quite a while to have his first customer. His commitment certainly paid off.

Nirvan Mullick stopped by the shop one day to purchase a door handle for his car. He was immediately amazed by Caine’s arcade and bought a “Fun Pass” for $2 (a Fun Pass let you have 500 plays on any of the games—good for one month). A few weeks later, Mullick stopped back at the shop to speak with Caine’s father. Mullick was so inspired by Caine’s arcade that he wanted to make a short film about it. He started the film making and decided to take it a step further. He created a Facebook event for a surprise flash mob at Caine’s arcade and word quickly spread. The event attracted an incredible amount of attention from the news, Reddit, and other venues on the internet.

Eventually, a college fund was set up for Caine and donations quickly exceeded the original goal. Caine’s creativity has inspired things like the Global Cardboard Challenge. Children from all over the world build games and other inventions out of cardboard and share them on the internet to show Caine and to inspire other kids.

Caine retired his arcade at age 11, but today (now 14-years-old) Caine is still seeking to inspire young creators. He has done speaking engagements with Mullick and is currently an aspiring engineer.

Caine’s perseverance has paid off in a big way. Through running his arcade, he gained more confidence and has been able to dream big for his future. I admire the fact that he cared enough about his business to keep running it even though, in the beginning, he did not have a single customer. He spent that time making his arcade better.

Taylor Swift? An entrepreneur?

Celebrities are rarely thought of as being entrepreneurs. However, oftentimes when you look at their careers, you can see hints of an entrepreneurial mind. Taylor Swift is no exception. At the age of 12, she was doing what she loved—making music. She took advantage of every opportunity to share her music with the world, from festivals and open mics, to walking right into record labels and handing them her demo CD. She was determined to do what she loved for a living.

Eventually, Swift was offered a record deal after a music producer heard her play at an open mic, and she is with the same label today. No matter what you think of her music, her success is undeniable. On top of her numerous big-name awards—including 10 GRAMMYs—her albums and song releases have set outstanding records. Her upcoming album, reputation, has already had each one of its three singles reach #1 in several countries. This fact does not sound very noteworthy, considering her past success. However, Swift has not done a single interview or promotional event to market her newest album. Instead, she invited fans she has interacted with on Tumblr and Instagram to her home to listen to the album before anyone else.

What I appreciate about Swift’s career is that she is walking that line between being true and expressive in her art, and managing the business aspect of it. As a photographer, I relate to this balancing act. You do not want one side to take away from the other. Art is important to every human being whether it is expressed as a song, a photo, or even a sport one plays. When you are given the opportunity to do what you love for a living, you are faced with many decisions on how to handle both areas of your art. Those decisions on either end will define your success. Swift has met each of these challenges with careful planning and decision-making.

I admire Swift’s ambition and her persistence in the face of criticism. I also admire her involvement in every aspect of her career—lyrics, music, tours and set design, and so much more. She has worked hard to be where she is today, and I aspire to work as diligently as she has done.