Jimmy Tomczak lives a mission to design, inspire, and connect. Jimmy founded Tombolo, a social enterprise that partners with designers to create innovations with impact. Made in the USA, Tombolo’s eco-beach gear encourages people to get outside and live.
His work’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, CNN, Mashable, and more. Jimmy also consults with companies on brand strategy, business development, and the creative process. A University of Michigan graduate, StartingBloc Fellow, Crain’s 20 in their 20s honoree, and lover of all things adventure – one of Jimmy’s favorite things is a good bonfire, preferably by the beach with friends and fun.
1. Be Willing to Let Go
Our lives are so full of clutter and unnecessary baggage that often times, it is by decreasing the things, commitments and relationships that we are able to increase our happiness and fulfillment in life.
So often we get attached to unhealthy ways of living, even going as far as to wear it as a badge of honor. The wall street CFP working 80+ hours a week, barely able to keep himself awake without stimulants, the young entrepreneur running multiple companies and allowing his relationships to fall into the ground, and even the college student trying to balance too many different commitments, must learn to let go if they want to be happy.
Learn to live with less, learn to say no more, be willing to say yes more. Live your life and don’t let it be dictated by the things and responsibilities you have.
2. True Entrepreneurship is Seeing the Need in the Market
While nearly anyone can become skilled enough to own and operate a business, it takes a special talent and gift to be a true entrepreneur, someone who sees a need in the market and acts on that need.
The entrepreneur is not just a business owner and a business owner is not necessarily an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship requires innovation, hustle, and a high tolerance for risk taking. Entrepreneurship requires you to find a need in the market and fill it.
3. Get Outside and Live
Too many of us spend our days, weeks and lives in a tiny little bubble filled with nothing but social media, Netflix, work, and bar hopping Friday night. To quote William Wallace “All men die, not all men truly live.”
If you want to live a happy, fulfilled life, get out there and freaking live! Go on a hike, take an adventure, get lost, talk to a stranger, life is too damn short to spend in fear and mediocrity…get out there and live!
5. You Don’t Need a Board Meeting You Need to Connect
One of the biggest mistakes in business today is that there is no connection between people. They spend millions on retreats and meetings when they should be investing their time in getting to know, love, and connect with their employees.
Life is all about relationships, and if you want to live a great life, you will learn how to become a master at connecting with others and building great relationships.