Rebel Entrepreneur with Alan Donegan
Episode Summary
About Our Guest
Alan Donegan is the co-founder of PopUp Business School and a legend in the Petrella household. He started PopUp Business School with Simon Paine in 2012 to help others start their own business without debt or formal business plans. PopUp Business School has helped over 11,500 people in 10 countries start their own companies. Its work has been backed by organizations including Henley Business School, Westminster City Council, and the Department for Work and Pensions.
Alan is also a well-known member of the FIRE Movement (Financial Independence, Retire Early), a Chautauqua speaker, and an outspoken critic of both traditional business and financial advice.
Alan works tirelessly to inspire people to take control of their own financial destiny, making and investing their own money to build the life of their dreams. He does this through PopUp Business School, Rebel Entrepreneur the Podcast, and his blog Alandonegan.com
Show Notes
Today Alan speaks with Christine about the misconception that making money and doing good are opposites, his frustrating experience seeking support while starting his own business, and how this led him to look for a better way. He talks about his mission to change the way entrepreneurship is taught around the world, and to help people create their own sustainable income. He also explains how his company is able to give courses away for free using corporate sponsorship programs, and how entrepreneurs are adapting their businesses during the pandemic. Alan shares some great advice on finding your passion and turning it into a business and encourages listeners to get outside their comfort zone to find success.
Alan’s Rebel Entrepreneur podcast covers a range of fantastic topics, including when to quit your day job and dealing with overwhelm. He also offers a free 10-week personal finance course called the Rebel Finance School, where students learn how to live a financially abundant life.
Episode Highlights:
Starting a business while giving back and not going into debt
Origins of PopUp Business School and Alan’s journey to entrepreneurship
His experience growing up in a household with great debt
His mission to change the way entrepreneurship is taught around the world
Every business makes the world a better place
Robin Hood Business Model and using sponsors to offer free courses
Example of a couple who started an escape room business using PopUp principles
How businesses are adapting during the pandemic
Finding your passion and turning it into a business
Risking time, energy, and rejection in entrepreneurship rather than money
Free Rebel Finance School offered on Zoom
Quotes:
“The biggest misconception for me is people think that making money and doing good are the opposites. And if I want to do good, I need to take a job with a charity and not make any money. And if I want to build a business, I need to be sleazy, corporate.”
“I just think entrepreneurship is taught backward all around the world… Everywhere you go, it’s taught backward. I’m on a mission to change that, Christine. I’m going to change that around the world, and help people make money, do something they love, and have a bit more fun.”
“The way to get wealthy in life is to help other people.”
“I believe that every business, I don’t care what you do, helps other people.”
“Of the 380 people that came along, we started 122 businesses, and of those 122 businesses, 75% were still trading five years later.”
“We have a far higher success rate, without using debt, than people who are lending money to help people start businesses. I think that says a huge amount.”
“I think entrepreneurs quite often don’t know enough about the numbers. They’re passionate about the flowers, the product, the thing. But they forget to look at how much it costs.”
“The message I would have for everyone here is problems are going to happen. Problems are a sign you are alive. There is only one group of people who don’t have any problems, and they’re in the morgue.”
“It’s not that you won’t have problems or crises, it’s how you respond to them and it’s how you react.”
“You won’t know what you’re passionate about until you try stuff. So get out there and try things, test things. Every time you test something and you don’t like it, that’s knocking one off the list and you are making further forward progress.”
“The only moment you get the real truth is when you ask for the money because up until that point, people will be nice to you. So with a business idea, the mini-experiment is asking a bunch of people to buy.”
“It doesn’t matter if it fails if you haven’t gone into debt.”
“We all have many passions. We don’t have to hone in on one. We can use that together.”
“We have focused for a long time on learning how to create a financially abundant life, and we want to give that away.”
“Everything you want in life is outside your comfort zone. Otherwise, you’d already have it… So my closing message is please go out there and get a little uncomfortable.”
My husband Tony (left) meeting Alan! (2020)
A dream come true! Such a cool moment!!! We will never forget his kindness and advice.
Links:
Follow The Give Back Model Podcast on Instagram @thegivebackmodel
You can learn more about these and other incredible free opportunities and resources that Alan and his team are offering at AlanDonegan.com.