Currently...

I'm neck deep in my second startup, Go Overseas. We have a great team and we're passionate about what we do.

I spend my day finding ways to make our website even better. Our goal is to help people make more informed, educated decisions when choosing between programs abroad. There are a lot of choices out there!

On Go Overseas, users can find every program in the world, along with ratings & reviews, articles, resources, etc.

I think a lot more people are willing to actually make the leap and 'Escape' when they read a first hand review of a program. Our goal is to help more and more people go overseas, even if just for a little while. Interacting with different cultures makes the world a better place - I genuinely believe that. We're just trying to do our small part.

Before I escaped...

Two very different things:

First, I spent nearly four unexciting years at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Manhattan. I worked as a CPA and consultant in the Real Estate and Financial Advisory groups.

When I left PwC nearly 7 years ago, I started my first company, Reach To Teach. We're now the largest education based recruitment company in Asia. We send 500+ teachers per year to schools across Asia, primarily in China, South Korea and Taiwan.

We're a small company, with 15 total staff. We enjoy working with each other and love what we do. There's a lot of personal interaction with people, which I really enjoy. Every day we help people escape the corporate world. I love talking with people and helping instil the confidence that there really is more out there than the inside of a cubicle.

My moment of truth...

I remember it distinctly: It was late and I was in the office. I was working on Excel and the lines of the spreadsheet started looking like the bars on a jail cell.

I felt like my personality was dying a little bit every day. I knew I had a great job, and was very thankful.

Even so, I realized I needed to take a risk and try something different. If I didn't, I knew I'd regret it. I made the decision then to quit and try something new.

Planning for it...

I wasn't as brave as I might have been.

First, I took a 6 month leave of absence from PwC. I had a few different entrepreneurial ideas, but decided on Reach To Teach. I had a friend who helped me get the website up and I was off and running. Before I knew it, I'd moved to Taiwan. It was a a very hard first 6 months getting the business going. I was almost completely out of money by the time the company started earning revenue.

I was lucky in the sense that Reach To Teach is a service business, so it didn't take much start up funding. It was really sweat equity more than anything else, and I put in a LOT of sweat.

Starting Go Overseas a couple years ago was both easier and harder. It was easier in the sense that I'd done it once before, and am more prepared for the ups and downs that come with starting a business. Go Overseas has been harder in that it required a more significant initial investment. That brings with it a different level of stress. 

The worst and best bits...

Without question, the best part is controlling my own destiny. I haven't had a boss in 7 years (which is a good and bad thing). I have an incredibly flexible schedule. I get to create my own company culture, and hire people I want to work with. I have the rewarding feeling of having created something meaningful.

The worst part is the amount of work. Entrepreneurship is hard, hard work. VERY hard work. I work more hours than I ever did at PwC. I'm responsible for every decision. Because I run two small companies, I need to get involved in everything: strategy, client development, payroll, HR decisions, billing... and the list goes on.

I would never trade my life, and the experiences I've had. Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone though. I'll admit that I occasionally wonder what it would be like to work a 9-5 job and have the luxury of mentally checking out every day...

Best advice...

With regard to entrepreneurship: Just get going and figure things out along the way. People can sometimes analyse business plans to death. If you're committed to a company, you'll generally find a way to make it work. Your business plan might change and flexibility is incredibly important in entrepreneurship.

Don't do it halfway. I find it strange when people tell me they're starting a business at night, after their day job. That doesn't work 99% of the time. Might you be the exception that proves the rule? Yes, but you're more likely to be part of the 99%. You are competing with someone who is doing the same thing, and they're doing it full time. Quit your job and dedicate yourself to the idea.

Also, there's nothing like being broke to motivate you to succeed... I speak from experience.

Useful resources and information...

Mentors, mentors, mentors. Find at least one, preferably three. They should be people you connect with, and whose opinions you trust. Mentor/mentee relationships can be incredibly rewarding for both sides. I'm both a mentor and mentee and they are some of the most rewarding relationships in my life.

Don't be shy about reaching out to people in your industry. If you're genuine in the way you approach people, you'll be surprised at how open they will be.

As for other information, I try not to overload myself. There's too much information out there and I try to be discerning with my time. I read http://www.inc.com/" rel="nofollow">Inc. Magazine regularly for business inspiration. I read the NY Times Magazine and watch the Daily Show/Colbert Report for spiritual inspiration.