Archive for Blogging

From Baseball to SamCart

Scott Moran - SamCart | LinkedIn

Scott Moran was just a student at Grove City College when he started experimenting with his future career options. Scott studied marketing and management while in college. Scott’s career all started when one brother said to the other brother, “Hey, I want to sell stuff on the internet.” And just like that, they began to bring to life their ideas. In 2009, Scott and his brother Brian started an online company called Train Baseball. Train Baseball taught the two of them many valuable skills. Each of them learned how to use Facebook ads, control an online company, and overall, learn how to sell. At its best, Train Baseball made around $10k a month. Despite this success, the two brothers still wanted to grow. They began to develop ideas and recruit others to their business. They recognized that they needed employees who were skilled with software developing, so they hired two to help them build SamCart. SamCart was launched in September of 2016. SamCart is an e-commerce company that helps you grow. SamCart is successful because they capitalize on webinar registration. They spend around 25,000 dollars a day on advertising their company. The email lists are constantly growing and providing customers with the opportunity to expand their knowledge with SamCart. The second way SamCart rose to success is their webinar training. SamCart offers educationally packed, and wisdom filled advice for the consumer. At the end of the training, SamCart will be mentioned. This gives the company more advertisement and awareness of their brand. Lastly, SamCart rose because of its digital products. They offer a bundle to enhance customer purchase decisions. SamCart powers entrepreneurs to start their own company, and to do it correctly. Now, SamCart is used by over 75,000 customers who altogether sell more than 2.8 billion dollars in products. From Train Baseball to SamCart the two brothers have certainly put in the work to succeed in their business.

Check out the official website here!

Helping Young People Achieve Their Dreams as an Entrepreneur Who Has Achieved Hers

Erin McGoff was in the midst of getting her degree to American University when she started realizing her talent in professional advising. People seemed drawn to her for help with applying to jobs through resumes, interviews, and beyond, and McGoff enjoyed every minute of it.

However, this prospect was left unexamined as she graduated and became an editor and director of films, including award-winning Amazon film “This Little Land of Mines.” McGoff was supported through winning various awards, including AU SoC Woman of the Year Award and the International Reporting Fellowship award from the Pulitzer Center, and has worked with many mainstream companies, including National Geographic and Google.

However, McGoff saw an opportunity in the surge of popularity with TikTok during the pandemic to fill the gap in a lack of career advice being readily available to those who needed it. She started posting tips on navigating the professional world, including a humorous element to appeal to a young target audience she thought might benefit from such advice as her friends did and which she delighted in as a young adult. Her main channel is deemed AdviceWithErin and exists over several channels, boasting 845,000 followers YouTube and 2 million on Instagram.

Scrolling through McGoff’s YouTube account, users are met with videos detailing anything from “How To: Negotiate Your Salary in a Job Offer” to “How to Deal with a Rude Person (in work and life)” to “Cabin Tour: building a TINY HOUSE (325 sqft) | Update #3,” showing a diverse pool of content that appeals to many different demographics within her target audience of those seeking advice in entering the professional world and those just generally interested in her channel. McGoff is an exemplary example of someone who kept a skillset in her back pocket and acted on it from a mindset of openness and passion whenever she saw an opportunity to do so.

Matt Mullenweg: Creating Words

A software that hundreds of Grove City College students use everyday, and I am using right now, is WordPress. Matt Mullenweg, at just 19 years old, created the widely used blogging site that is used by thousands of people everyday, and takes no experience to build a blog or a website. Mullenweg was getting tired of popular blog websites not being updated, and was not ready to let go of his passion for blogging.

One thing that is extremely inspiring about Matt is that he did not let his desire for a dying art stop just because his resources were limited. Instead, he took the problem by its horns and was able to create a company that he was passionate about, but that would also solve problems for others. With the creation of WordPress, people can learn how to start their own website, as well as join blog forums to discuss their passions.

One takeaway from Mullenweg’s creation of WordPress is never stop chasing something you are passionate about, even if no one else is interested. This niche market that Matt got himself involved in is now a thriving hub for businesses, school, non-profit organizations, and hobbyists. If everyone chased their passions and got involved in their own niche marketplaces, the whole world would thrive with creativity.

An Interior Designer Entrepreneur

Anita Oghenevwede Precious is a 29-year-old entrepreneur who started an interior design business at the age of 21 fresh out of college. She called her business Noani Home, targeting a gap in the market for well-detailed decorative art pieces. A talented painter and artist herself, many of her paintings are found in homes today.

While finding her footing in the industry she discovered her niche. She called it “Caffe latte-themed spaces.” Her company has hired many talented people within Nigeria. She also works as a fitness and beauty enthusiast and travel influencer. Anita constantly pushes the limits of traditional design leaving a lasting impact on the world of interior design.


She gives credit to her family of industrious and hard-working women to her drive for success. She sources 80% of her resources from local producers and manufacturers. Talking about the niche her company identified, she talks about “caffe latte” and how the spaces she leaves give a warm vibe such of that of a warm drink of coffee and milk.

She found that decorative art wasn’t easily accessible to many who wanted it, and that there were many art lovers in Nigeria who were interested in her work. She hired talented artists from Nigeria to help source unique work.


Anita uses music as inspiration and calming source and says that traveling inspires her to find new niches and find ways to explore new prospects.


Advice that she gives to young entrepreneurs is that just having a passion for design isn’t enough, you have to develop a passion for the hectic process of creating and producing to stay the long course. You can read more about her passion for unique design here!

Chris Bumstead: Bodybuilding Redefined

(LEFT SIDE – Arnold Schwarzenegger, RIGHT SIDE – Chris Bumstead)

Born in 1995, Chris Bumstead, better known as “CBum,” is a Canadian bodybuilder and social media influencer who has quickly become one of the most recognized figures in the fitness world. Best known for winning the Mr. Olympia Classic Physique title four consecutive times (2019–2023), Bumstead has solidified his position at the top of the bodybuilding elite. Starting his competitive journey at just 19, his natural talent and relentless dedication quickly set him apart, earning him comparisons to Arnold Schwarzenegger. Like Arnold, however, CBum’s influence extends far beyond the bodybuilding stage.

Fitness is a notoriously difficult industry to breakthrough. The competition is high with established and professional athletes with pre-existing followings. Specialized diets, supplements, training programs, and competition fees can create financial barriers for aspiring bodybuilders. Slow physical progress, hormonal fluctuations, and mental barriers can all hinder one’s success. Bumstead has overcome all this and more. Not only has he attained a physique to be desired by sedentary and active people alike, but he’s also successfully translated his fame into multiple entrepreneurial ventures. He launched Bum Energy, a sports and energy drink company, and co-founded Raw Nutrition, a supplement brand focused on high-quality performance and recovery products. His partnerships with popular brands like Gymshark, Vaughn’s Treats, and Revive MD reflect his hands-on approach, ensuring that the products he endorses align with his values of transparency and quality in fitness.

In addition to his business endeavors, CBum is also a massive force on social media. With nearly 5 million followers on TikTok and over 24 million on Instagram, he’s one of the most influential fitness personalities online. He connects with his audience by sharing workout routines, nutrition advice, and personal insights into his life. Bumstead has been open about his struggles with mental health and his battle with IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune disease, further endearing him to fans for his vulnerability and authenticity. Bumstead’s combination of physical achievements, business ventures, and online transparency has made him a fitness icon. By redefining what it means to be a bodybuilder in today’s world, Chris Bumstead has inspired millions to pursue fitness.

Matt Mullenweg: The founder of WordPress

Where it all began

Born and raised in Houston Texas, Matt had a seemingly normal childhood to most. He was introduced to the technological world through his father who was acomputer programmer. Eighteen-year-old Matt loved to blog on a platform called b2/cafelog. This site soon was taken down by the owners and this is where Matt decided to launch his own site with the help of his friend Mike Little. In 2003 he and Mike soon built what we know as WordPress, and it was widely received by the public. Matt was only eighteen at the time of founding WordPress and he was still in high school. Due to his chronic migraines Matt was absent from school and this could have kept him from graduating but he was able to push through. After high school Matt continued his education at The University of Houston and chose to study philosophy and political science. During college Matt still worked on WordPress and grew more and more detached from his schoolwork. This lead Matt to drop out of college in 2004 to focus on WordPress entirely.

At nineteen years old Matt was offered a job at CNET in San Fransico which allowed him to work part time on WordPress. He stayed at CNET for only a year as he wanted to work full time on WordPress. Matt began building his team adding former Yahoo! executive Toni Schneider to join as CEO. Over the years Matt has joined several other ventures such as Automatic, GitLab, Global Multimedia Protocols Group, and helped launch Ping-O-Matic. Ping-O-Matic is a mechanism to help notify search engines about blog updates. These ventures led to Matt having an amazingly successful career with WordPress. WordPress powered about 40% of the internet in 2021 so one can only imagine how much it has grown in just three years. Approximately 400 million people visit WordPress sites each month. Overall, Matt Mullenweg is someone that is forgotten by most but as we can see and use in class WordPress is a very collaborative and easy service to use.

 

 

The Sweetest Devotion: Ashley Hetherington’s Journey as a Christ-Centered Influencer

Struggling to find her footing on a path through a season of worldly pressures and broken relationships, Ashley Hetherington was a young woman on the hunt for meaning and purpose, an unconscious search for her Lord burning from a heart of confusion riddled with footholds. But now, standing on the other side of this mountain of turmoil, is an emboldened 24-year-old woman of God whose radiant passion for Christ shines through her efforts as an influencer, author, and content creator. This renewed relationship with God that grew from one of the darkest periods of Ashley’s life has lit in her a fervor for helping other young women come to terms with fighting their own battles, especially concerning faith.

Hetherington has achieved this through business initiatives that, initially, took a leap of faith to pursue wholeheartedly; graduating from Miami University with a degree in interactive media studies and journalism and thus armed to aid in the growth of other companies, she never thought her own writing and social media presence would grow into anything more than a hobby and college pastime. But keeping God central to the trajectory of her life and career has led to a fruition of and full-time devotion to this mission through many outlets.

Ashley’s simple aim has been to encourage her fellow sisters in Christ, citing Proverbs 16:24: “Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.”  She orchestrates a variety of media to reach her followers, including several bestselling books and eBooks, an online blog called “The Honey Scoop”, social media channel (accessible through Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook), a podcast, and a free email subscription for weekly devotionals called “The Hive.” Additionally, Hetherington has a premium Bible study deemed “The Tree”, which includes a daily Bible reading plan, weekly devotional video, monthly group calls with women from across the globe, and access to recommended worship playlists, podcasts, and book recommendations. Ashley’s content, especially “The Tree”, reaches thousands of women from all over every year, uniting them under the purpose of growing into stronger, faith-filled daughters of Christ.

Notably, amidst this success, Hetherington always offers this glory back to Christ. She stated in an interview with Peer Magazine, “I’ll never forget that in one of the lessons [at Miami University], we were taught we are in the business of effort and God is in the business of result so it’s on us to put in the effort. To put in the work, to do the time, to be consistent, to innovate, to network, to show up every day, but God is in the business of results.” In Zero to One, Peter Theil remarks on “the guiding concepts of business”, among these principles being that “it is better to risk boldness than triviality (p. 20).” Ashley Hetherington is living a life and guiding a mission that testifies to the truth in this notion—whatever the internal struggles and external obstacles someone faces, a heart and business built on the Rock will flourish in His perfect timing for the glory of His kingdom.

Matthew Mullenweg: Internet Powerhouse

Matthew Mullenweg is a beast. He is co-creator of many open course organizations, including WordPress, a program that powers over 31% of the entire internet. However, this idea didn’t come out fully baked. Back in high school, Matt noticed that there were few news websites on the web. Matt would instead read blogs written by various professors and write some blogs of his on using Movable Type. This program became costly, so he ended up switching to b2/cafelog. b2, an open-source blogging tool. Matt enjoyed coding, so he decided to build something that would combine the utility of Movable Type and cafelog, so him and a friend both put together the first iteration of WordPress in January of 2003. In May of 2004, WordPress was fighting to get a bigger audience, and they received much attention after a competitor changed pricings for their service. This drove many people away to look for other options for internet platform providers. WordPress was there, ready to help the thousands of people that were searching for a more affordable service. After CNET saw the great success Matthew was having, they invited him to come work on their site that was using WordPress. Matt, obliged, but eventually left to focus his attention on the program itself. The years go by, and Matt was doing great. He added many new features onto WordPress, and it catapulted in popularity over the next few years, and powers over a quarter of the internet today.

Dave Portnoy- Barstool Sports

David Portnoy is an internet and sports sensation. He grew up in Massachusetts and attended the University of Michigan. He had a minor job directly out of college at a small marketing firm in Boston but eventually left his job to start Barstool Sports in 2003. Barstool Sports started off as a sports newspaper that Portnoy himself would hand out in downtown Boston and in subway stations to people passing by. The newspaper had some trouble taking off at the beginning and the only sponsorships they had were with some small sports betting sites which were illegal in America. Believe it or not but Barstool Sports started to gain some traction in and around Boston once Portnoy started adding different things that would appeal to men on the covers of his newspapers. Portnoy eventually graduated from the newspaper and opened up his blog in 2007. Portnoy himself comes off as a ruthless type of person in his blogs and on the internet for his political incorrectness and has gained the name El Presidente amongst the fans of Barstool Sports. As of 2022, Portnoy still owns Barstool Sports and is in charge of the creative thought process for the blogs. In 2020, Penn National Gaming bought a 36% stake in Barstool which gave Portnoy $135 million in cash. Portnoy has retired his persona of the big ruthless “bro” as some would say and now has a series of going around the country reviewing pizza shops trying to find the perfect slice. When it comes to Dave Portnoy himself, he may not be the best person and there are many negative things that surround him, but all entrepreneurs should take his gritty push to become rich and famous and implement that into their work ethic. Not many people would go out and stand on subway stations for hours in consecutive days to try and make a name for themselves and their product.

Anna Akbari

Anna Akbari is a Sociologist and entrepreneur. She combined her interests and is the founder of Sociology of Style. She is a former professor of media, culture, and communication. She has published books that she has written, she has co-written, and that the has ghost written. She believes she is an “innovation strategist” and that thinking differently is the key to innovation. Sociology of Style is a website with a weekly newsletter. Within this newsletter is commentary on culture, style, and image. Sociology of Style also focuses on topics such as technology, gender, sustainability, and other trending topics. An interesting fact about Anna is she eats the same breakfast and lunch every day. She states, “More choices require time and energy and shift our focus away from other things that matter. More choices also breed a sense of anxiety about making the right choice”.  Her posts have a very free spirit vibe, while also having an individualistic empowerment focus. She has created a brand so outside the box through writing, speaking, and leading high profile individuals. Once she gets people to trust what she is speaking about her brand makes money through self help books, courses, media appearances, and paying to work with Anna directly.