RISE #15: Capturing The Youth Market With Youthologist Vanessa Van Petten & The Amazing Josh Shipp

Building Your Business: Smarter, Faster, Cheaper

…and today we are also building it younger.

The youth market.

Those text-messaging, ADD, little crazy people.

Today we have not one but TWO bonus interviews with entrepreneurs that have this market cornered.

You will learn their secrets of how they built their businesses (and all kinds of other advice as well).

First up, is my good friend, author, blogger and “Youthologist” (cool term!) Vanessa Van Petten who was recently featured on The Real Housewives of Orange County. Vanessa has a tremendous business brain and also really understands Search Engine Optimization.

From SEO to the OC?!

You can also connect with Vanessa by checking out her great parenting website and Twitter.

Josh Shipp is an interesting character. Scratch that a HUGELY successful interesting character who is THE speaker for the youth market. He just gets kids (again in a non creepy way). Check out his style and his thoughts on leverage. How can you adapt part of Josh’s style for your business and marketing?

Josh has zillions of websites, but here is my favorite and a great place to interact with him. He is on Twitter as well.

And just in case you haven’t checked it out, I try to track down the very best and most interesting entrepreneur interviews for you on our Guests & Experts page including everyone from Gary Vaynerchuk to “The Millionaire Matchmaker” Patti Stanger.

Do you market to the youth market? What is your experience? Any tips? (We all benefit from your knowledge!)

WIN A FREE GOOGLE NEXUS ONE PHONE BY SUBSCRIBING VIA EMAIL!

So the winner of the BIG Google Nexus One Phone giveaway did not come forward. That sucks for him. But, it is fantastic for all of you. Because we are giving away a phone Monday on the show.

What do you have to do? Simple. Subscribe in the upper right hand corner via email. You can subscribe to daily updates or weekly updates. Whatever you prefer.

On Monday, one subscriber at random will be pulled as our winner (we will also pull four others in case #1 doesn’t come forward and we will then have a pecking order).

Oh and yes, if you are already subscribed via email you are entered.

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On that note, what do you think your next car will be? I’m still deciding…

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Comments

Fabian Ramirez

Really liked the information. I like the honesty that both of these people had. Thanks David for sharing these two with us. I'm putting myself out there as a Hispanic Youth Speaker and the information really set in for me. I also do SEO so Vanessa was also helpful.

David Siteman Garland

Great to here Fabian! Glad you found it helpful and that is great news you are now out there as a Hispanic Youth Speaker.

Roy Naim

WOW David..you hit this BIG.

For the past couple months, I was wondering how does one come to market to these kids. I knew technology and adapting to their cultures is the way to go!!

As well, one of my BIGGEST concern is our teens not getting the proper education in terms of money. I think if they are shown another way to make it they would love it more. I'd think that the belief that they can do anything they want nowadays is not being emphasize enough today. Serious about it. Whenever I am chilling with bunch of teens (I coach some teens for running/fund raising and we are going to Miami in 10 days to run a half marathon. Pretty awesome. We raised over 40K for charity), I tell them that nowadays they can do whatever they want for REAL. No BS. It's reachable. They do not have to be a doctor if they don't want to etc.

Another thing I been working on (just because it's something that bothers me IMMENSELY), and this is something that I actually got in touch with Josh Shipp (big fan and I look up to the guy, so thanks for the interview!!) and asked him about it. It's the fight against obesity for teens. It's insane and scary and something needs to be done about it.

So ya. I have SO much to say but I do not want to crowd this post LOL.

But thanks David for an awesome one today!!

David Siteman Garland

Roy - Glad you enjoyed the episode. And all comments are awesome long and short.

That is a great story on raising money for charity. Very cool.

Kids need to be inspired and encouraged as opposed to worrying about what they SHOULD do. For example: You should be a doctor. Or a lawyer.

Roy Naim

I agree. It's a culture thing. We are raised with the concept of "my son the doctor" or "my son the lawyer" or whatever of that caliber. But things are changing BIG time and our teens need to be ready for it. And with our school system in place, they will not learn the proper way of money (sound like robert kiyosaki here eh?). It scares me.

You see, I was raised with the same concept. People always said "Roy the this or that" while meanwhile I knew I was NOT going to be that or this. Just wasn't going to happen. I am also lucky because I have GREAT parents who support me (even if I am not a doctor) to keep on keeping and making it big.

Parents gotta start realizing that their teens are the future and if they don't want to be doctors...they shouldn't. Period.

That being said, the person who will step up like Josh Shipp and market themselves as the BIZ Guy for Teens....might actually make it big.

Now, I know I went a bit off topic but in terms marketing...they are the future as well...

David Siteman Garland

Everything is marketing :)

It is obvious there are definite issues on how our education works in terms of entrepreneurship.

For example, the SAT is nearly 100% left brained. No creativity.

Yikes!