#40IN240 | The Intrepid Mini-MBA E-Book Project

I asked 40 people, friends of mine from metro Atlanta, to share lessons learned from their lives…so that younger generations might benefit from the joy and pain of their experiences. Here is the result of their heartfelt labor…

Click the image below, or download the 40in240_E-BOOK here.

Here are the contributors:

Robyn Cobb “Don’t be afraid to pioneer new territories, investigate and embrace new opportunities regularly.”

Todd Youngblood “You might be smart, but you are not the smartest. You might be knowledgeable, but you are not the knowledgeablest. We all need help always.”

Carol Flammer “Whether it is riding horses or hiking, snowboarding or football, find a hobby that you can use as your release throughout your life.”

Erik Wolf “You’re going to feel like an idiot. Often.”

Kevin Metzger “Start doing something you love regardless of the money when you graduate.”

Marisa Sharpe “Get creative. Use color. Add pictures. Write in crayon. Do whatever it takes to visualize your dreams.”

David Cohen “If you know it’s right, don’t wait to be authorized, take control, take initiative, take permission.”

Jenny Schmitt “Create your own ‘company description’ to define the kind of company and work environment you want.”

Chris Jordan “Success isn’t necessarily a desk job, or a benefits package. Success really is a journey.”

James Ball “The people that surround you matter.”

Kat Cole “One guiding principle I learned is the principle of “You Never Know.”

Terry Barber “Don’t “do life” as a loner.”

David Eckoff “One small change now can lead to a change in DIRECTION.”

Stephanie Frost “I didn’t like the sameness of a job. It was like the movie Groundhog Day in real life. Boring.”

Lee Kantor “Do more. Think less.”

Rachel Rose Belew “Don’t ever feel pigeonholed into a career discipline just because you majored in it.”

Stephen Bistritz “What valuable lessons I learned…on the very first day of my working life!”

Laura Scholz “Because the truth is, the REAL education begins the minute you step outside of the college bubble.”

Gareth Young “It slowly dawned on me that my career was being shaped more by friends and colleagues who genuinely cared for me than by my intellect.”

Taryn Pisaneschi “Getting help accomplishing things via delegation is not a bad thing.”

Jacqui Chew “Always stay two steps ahead of your boss.”

John Cloonan “Oh, and about that growing up thing – don’t do it.”

J Cornelius “If your goal is be famous, your fame will be lonely.”

Jeff Sheehan “The world will truly mold you.”

Victoria Dunmire “It’s all about you. Yes, you heard me right. YOU.”

Stephanie A. Lloyd “You don’t always have to start with the jugular. Sometimes a nip at the ankle is all it takes.”

Kellye Crane “I fought my lack of control over life vigorously at first, and it only made the journey more difficult.”

Joyce Bone “Responsibility can dampen enthusiasm. Add responsibilities slowly and with thoughtfulness.”

Torri + John Westmoreland “The insight you gain working for a cause will keep you focused on what’s really important in life.”

Stone Payton “Speed amplifies talent, training, timing, technology, and tactics.”

Mike Schinkel “Serendipity only occurs in the presence of others.”

Bert DuMars “Never let geography hinder your career.”

Willie Jackson “Make a habit of deferring your dreams, and you’ve made the first steps towards a life of wasted potential.”

Amy Otto “Find someone you look up to and ask them for help.”

Monique + Justin Honaman “The high road has less traffic…”

Ron Davis “We all can’t be CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies, lawyers or doctors, nor should we.”

Tom Royce “Expect to fight fear.”

Christy Annis “Work to make yourself happy. And trust your crazy ideas.”

Marna Friedman “Life is like the electives you were allowed to pick in college.”

Brandon Sheats “Sometimes, nothing will make sense.”

[doodle by david cohen]