“I wasn’t the biggest academic at school. But I truly valued the people around me. I became friends with as many people as I could because I knew every one of my classmates would become successful.” -Chris McKinley, USMA ‘14
Chris McKinley graduated from West Point in 2014 and is the founder of Toes To Barbell, an apparel company serving the fitness community. He’s also the founder of Catch Your World, an innovative app that serves as a virtual time capsule allowing you to create incredible memories with your friends and family, and then to decide when those memories should be shared.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How to bootstrap a business in your spare time
- A quick way to launch an online shop and sell your products
- How a side-hustle can improve your skill-set and increase your value at your day job
Words of Wisdom
Chris built both of his businesses in his spare time while serving on active duty. He says that the most important step to getting an idea off the ground is to start making commitments to people. When you make commitments to others and pay others to help you bring your idea to life, it puts you in an action mindset and you start looking for ways to get a return on your investment. You also benefit from the power of teamwork to bring your idea to life.
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Chris McKinley
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Show Sponsor
This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Shopify is an e-commerce platform where you can sell online, on social media, or in person. I use Shopify for my online store to sell StrengthsFinder coffee mugs and love it!
Get a 14-day free trial by checking out Shopify!
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Special thanks to Chris for joining me this week. Until next time!
-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01
