Simon Squibb: From Homeless Teen to Millionaire Entrepreneur

Simon Squibb is a remarkable entrepreneur who has gone from being homeless as a teenager to building multiple successful businesses and dedicating his life to helping others achieve their dreams. In this in-depth interview, Simon shares his inspiring story and offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs.

From Homeless Teen to Entrepreneur

Simon's entrepreneurial journey began at age 15 when he found himself homeless after his father passed away suddenly. With no other options, Simon started knocking on doors offering to do gardening work:

"Through sheer desperation I walked up the driveway of this house and knocked on the door and I said my name's Simon Squibb, I've got a gardening company and I'd like to take care of your garden."

Despite having no experience or equipment, Simon managed to convince 11 people to hire him that first day. This early success awakened his entrepreneurial spirit:

"For the first time in my life the entrepreneur muscle in my brain, this muscle I want everyone to wake up so they've got choices, it woke up."

From there, Simon went on to start multiple businesses, including a successful digital agency that he later sold to PricewaterhouseCoopers. He credits his early struggles with teaching him valuable lessons about business and resilience.

Misconceptions About Entrepreneurship

Simon is passionate about dispelling common myths and misconceptions about entrepreneurship that hold people back:

"People think building a business is hard. No, working for someone else is hard."

He argues that while starting a business can be challenging initially, it gets easier over time as you learn and grow. In contrast, working for someone else often becomes more difficult and less fulfilling as time goes on.

Simon also takes issue with the oft-repeated statistic that 90% of businesses fail in the first year:

"Do not say 90% of businesses fail in the first year. It's not true, it's a lie and you're peddling that myth which will hurt innovation."

He cites the actual statistics - 23% of businesses fail in the first year and 64% fail within three years. While still significant, these numbers are far less daunting than the 90% figure.

The Power of Giving Without Expectation

A core philosophy that drives Simon is the idea of giving without expectation of anything in return:

"I sleep better when I've helped someone in a day. I genuinely feel happier and I think actually this is human nature."

He argues that humans are naturally wired to help others in their "tribe" without expecting direct reciprocation. Our modern transactional mindset of "give and take" is actually unnatural and leads to unhappiness.

Simon puts this philosophy into practice through his social media content and philanthropic efforts:

"I'm doing it for selfish reasons. I sleep better when I've helped someone in a day. I genuinely feel happier."

By freely sharing knowledge and resources to help others achieve their dreams, Simon finds deep personal fulfillment while making a positive impact.

Building a Massive Social Media Following

Over the past five years, Simon has built a social media following of over 11 million people across platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. He credits his growth to consistency and a willingness to put out imperfect content:

"I posted twice a day for the last five years as well. And I put up stuff that now I'm embarrassed of and I've taken some of it down."

Simon emphasizes the importance of just getting started and learning as you go, rather than waiting for perfection:

"The very first few TikToks I did was me with my son at London Zoo and he's dancing...I deliberately haven't taken them down because I want people to understand that sometimes you just have to follow your passions."

He also highlights the power of live streaming to build genuine connections with your audience. Simon has gone live every single day for the past 5 years, even when no one was watching initially.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

For those looking to start their own business, Simon offers several key pieces of advice:

Start with What You Enjoy

"Make a list of all the things you enjoy doing...and then try to apply a business model to that thing."

Rather than chasing trends or trying to force yourself into a business you don't enjoy, Simon recommends starting with your passions and natural strengths.

Just Get Started

"Thank God I started a gardening company. It's not glamorous, no one thought it was cool, it was dirty work, it was hard, I made lots of mistakes but thank f*** I did it."

Simon emphasizes the importance of taking action and learning through experience, rather than waiting for the perfect idea or moment.

Embrace Failure as a Learning Opportunity

"I feel like the failures really taught me important, like, fundamental lessons. I'll never forget much more than the successes I've had."

Rather than fearing failure, Simon sees it as an invaluable teacher that provides lessons you can't get any other way.

Focus on Cash Flow

"Once people understand cash flow, again when I launched Fluid I won a client, they paid a 50% deposit and I used that 50% deposit to pay everyone to do the work."

Simon highlights how understanding cash flow can allow you to start businesses with little to no upfront capital.

The Importance of Financial Education

A major focus for Simon is improving financial literacy and business education, which he sees as sorely lacking in the traditional education system:

"School teaches you the opposite. Sit down and recite the answers to this exam all on your own, don't cheat, don't ask anybody else and don't get any help."

He argues that this mindset is completely backwards from how the real business world operates, where collaboration and leveraging resources is key to success.

Simon is particularly critical of the emphasis placed on home ownership as the ultimate financial goal:

"When you're young you should see the world, you should go where the opportunity is...buying a house where you grew up and living in it, I don't mind people doing it if they understand - again this is informed consent - as long as people understand it's not an asset, it's a liability."

He encourages young people to prioritize mobility and investing in themselves over tying up their money in property early on.

Simon's Vision for the Future

Ultimately, Simon's goal is to empower as many people as possible to pursue their dreams and live life on their own terms:

"I want to wake up that entrepreneur muscle in people. I want to help them totally train it and leverage it."

Through his social media content, philanthropic efforts, and new book, Simon hopes to provide people with the knowledge, inspiration and resources to build meaningful businesses and lives.

He envisions a world where everyone has the opportunity to do work they love and contribute positively to society:

"I want everyone to be rich...I think the whole world needs to get rich."

Rather than seeing wealth as a zero-sum game, Simon believes widespread prosperity is achievable and would lead to a better world for all.

By freely sharing his knowledge and resources, Simon Squibb is working to make that vision a reality - one aspiring entrepreneur at a time.

Key Takeaways

• Don't let fear of failure hold you back - embrace it as a learning opportunity
• Focus on cash flow to start businesses with minimal upfront capital
• Prioritize mobility and investing in yourself over home ownership when young
• Give freely without expectation to find deeper fulfillment
• Consistency and imperfect action beats waiting for perfection
• Start with your passions and natural strengths when building a business
• Traditional education often teaches the opposite of real-world business skills
• Widespread prosperity is achievable and would benefit society as a whole

Simon Squibb's journey from homeless teen to successful entrepreneur and philanthropist is a testament to the power of resilience, generosity, and believing in yourself. His insights offer a valuable roadmap for anyone looking to build a meaningful business and life.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56R4-Hg8nW4