Who have you observed to be the most standout influencer today and why?
These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC has also launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
1. Elon Musk
“It’s got to be Elon Musk. He shot an electric car that he made into space using rockets that he made at a fraction of the price of any other space contractor. He sold 20,000 flamethrowers with a few tweets in four days. It’s pretty clear he’s captured the imagination of the nation like no one else.”
Tim Chaves, ZipBooks Accounting Software
2. Ryan Holiday
“Ryan Holiday puts out high-quality content, but more importantly, he’s not afraid of writing something that may receive criticism. He introduces Stoic philosophy to the ambitious masses. Because of its ancient roots, it’s often misunderstood. Ryan reduces this topic to consumable bites and is changing the way entrepreneurs, athletes and executives approach their perceptions and actions.”
Daniel Reilly, B2X Global
3. Linus Sebastian
“LinusTechTips has become ubiquitous at every tech-related blog or website. It seems like every time I go on Newegg or Amazon to look for computer hardware and other tech someone will link to one of his videos. Linus’ ability to completely corner this market is impressive, as well as his ability to break down complicated tech concepts in an approachable way.”
Bryce Welker, CPA Exam Guy
4. Jeff Bezos
“Jeff Bezos invested time and money in selling books online, a business move that turned into a moneymaking game changer for the publishing and e-commerce industry. He applied that same business-selling model toward making it possible to buy almost everything else online causing business corporations and marketers to approach the e-commerce business more strategically.”
Chris Quiocho, Solutions Aviation
5. Tom Fishburne
“Tom Fishburne is a veteran marketer and cartoonist and the content he builds leaves powerful impression about the state of the industry. Cartoons are a remarkable form of shareable media and he has nailed it. When it comes to innovation, marketing and creativity and I need to tell the story visually, I come to marketoonist.com curated by Tom.”
Shilpi Sharma, Kvantum Inc.
6. Tim Ferriss
“In many ways, Tim Ferriss has challenged the way we think about business. Instead of counting the hours that our employees are working, we should be paying attention to the productivity. The internet has changed the way we do business, remote work is increasing and more people are starting to implement his ideas.”
7. Clara Shih
“Clara Shih, who is the CEO of advisor-client engagement company Hearsay, has established herself as one of the top influencers in her realm. If you need to connect with your clients in a digital fashion, she’s the person to listen to. She is also on the Board of Directors at Starbucks and an Industry Influencer for ThinkAdvisor.”
Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
8. Mark Zuckerberg
“Mark Zuckerberg has inspired us to go after our dreams, even without a pedigree. When you have that burning passion to achieve something, don’t stop until you achieve it. He also inspires people to go after their dreams with humility and conviction. Many of us are giving our passion the back seat. If Facebook had been put on hold, it wouldn’t be what it is today.”
Sweta Patel, Silicon Valley Startup Marketing
9. Tony Robbins
“Tony Robbins has empowered countless entrepreneurs, including myself, to step up and take responsibility for the lives we build. His message is concise and gets at the root of what’s standing in the way of personal success: ourselves. Robbins’ influence has become contagious and he has established a devoted community of empowered individuals that span all walks of life.”
Joe Beccalori, Interact Marketing
10. John Mackey
“John Mackey is a standout influencer. He created the natural/organic food industry in co-founding Whole Foods Market. I loved his book “Conscious Capitalism” as his views reflect my own on how to use market forces for social change. I admire John’s humbleness. He still drives a Honda Civic and flies commercial airlines and he even set standards for animal welfare treatment after shareholder protests.”
11. Gary Vaynerchuk
“Gary Vee has to rank in the top five influencers on the planet right now, specifically because he does not sell any courses around being an influencer. He just does it. He takes on getting his ideas and opinions out into the world, to empower other people and to show billion-dollar brands that he and his company are where they want to place their bets. He may succeed in owning the Jets one day.”
Paul-Anthony Surdi, Academy of Responsible Tattooing, LLC
