Startup Stories #1

Adventures from the Entrepreneurial Edge

Welcome to the first edition of the Startup Stories blog carnival. No lists, no opinion pieces - just first-hand accounts of people living the entrepreneurial dream.

Inside the Green Room - Internet marketer extraordinaire Donna Fox shares her experience as the only woman (not counting staff and spouses) at a conference of 100 top internet marketers. Sexism is alive and well.

Chef Jeremy Smith of T2 Nutrition Shares His 3-Sheet Story (video) - The creator of prepared gourmet meals for athletes tells how he got the idea for his business, the challenges he's faced and lessons he's learned. Very funny and insightful.

The Startup Depression - The buzz in the business blogosphere this week was Jason Calacanis' look at what the current economic crisis means for companies. In it he shares the story of "the worst year of his life", the crash of Silicon Alley Reporter, his first business. While somewhat dark at times, he ends optimistically with 10 suggestions for winning in a down market. And this is why I love stories -- without his story, that list wouldn't be half as powerful. Context creates meaning.

What Was Your Defining Moment in Your Business? - A collection of 7 mini-stories from entrepreneurs in response to the question, "Did you ever reach a defining moment in your business when you just knew it was going to be a success?" Just goes to show good stories don't have to be long.

Are We Products of Our Entrepreneurial Environments? - John Jantsch shares the story of his entrepreneurial upbringing and asks readers to do the same. Be sure to read the comments and maybe share your own story.

Still Blogging - Entrepreneurship professor Jeff Cornwall reflects on five years of blogging and tells the story of how he started.

Patricia Barber, Danny Meyer, art and you - Seth Godin provides another example that stories don't have to be long to be deep. Attending a musical performance reminds Seth that "in an increasingly commodified world, it turns out that genuine expressions of kindness and art are valued more than ever."

I hope you've enjoyed this first edition of Startup Stories. If you'd like to have your own story included in a future edition, please review the posting guidelines and then submit your post.