At the beginning of October, I attended the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston. It was a week filled with inspiring panels, entrepreneurial spirit, and great ideas.
I met a lot of people, some much like myself who were just starting their career and looking to learn; some who were founders of their own startups. I also got to listen to athletes, entrepreneurs, musicians, and celebrities speak about their passions and give great advice. I definitely learned a lot and I left the conference feeling inspired.
One of the biggest underlying lessons of this entire week was that every idea matters. There truly is no such thing as a bad idea because with one idea comes a brainstorming session of more. If you have an idea for a product or a company, you should let it be heard. If it doesn’t work out the first time around, keep trying!
Jessica Alba is known for being a successful actress, but she also is a co-founder of The Honest Company. She created a company which makes all natural products ranging from baby needs to household items to skincare products. When she first had the idea for Honest, she sought out investors and was told no. Then she tried again about a year and a half later, and was told yes. One of her board members, Youngme Moon, put this into perspective by saying “When people say no to you, what they’re really saying is not yet.”
Jessica Alba started with one great idea, and although the answer was no the first time around, she believed that her idea mattered so she persevered.
Following your heart and making your idea come to life is one of the best feelings. Ask anyone who has created something that they love. Follow your passions and remember that every idea matters.
