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In a world that seems to favor top performers, we often overlook the mindset and the methods of everyday entrepreneurs—the underdogs and the misfits who have no particular advantage in life—yet somehow manage to succeed.

Author-and-entrepreneur Gary Schoeniger has traveled the world interviewing entrepreneurs and exploring the research to expose the hidden logic that exposes opportunities, optimizes engagement, and unleashes human potential. Whether you want to start a business, engage your team, or reinvent your career, this podcast will show you how an entrepreneurial mindset can empower ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

Gary Schoeniger is an internationally recognized thought leader in the field of entrepreneurial mindset education. As the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI) founder and CEO, Gary’s work has influenced a broad audience – from aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to academic and organizational leaders worldwide. These include the Kauffman Foundation, the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, the Cisco Entrepreneur Institute, Tecnolólogico de Monterrey, the European Commission, and the U.S. State Department.

Gary, along with Pulitzer nominee Clifton Taulbert, is the co-author of Who Owns the Ice House? Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur, an international bestseller described as “required reading for humanity.” He also led the Ice House Entrepreneurship Programs’ development. The Kauffman Foundation has recognized the Ice House Programs as “redefining entrepreneurship education in classrooms and communities around the world.”

In this podcast, Gary explores the entrepreneurial mindset as a cognitive framework essential for individuals and organizations to adapt and thrive in today’s rapidly changing world.

Are you an unlikely entrepreneur with a story to tell? Do you know someone who is? We’d love to hear from you!

Fill out the form on our Share Your Story page to connect with us.

Episode Blogs

TEMP S2 12 | Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile
  Welcome to the latest episode of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Project! In this special edition, we’re taking a different approach as we delve into the fascinating realm of the entrepreneurial mindset through the lens of psychology. Our guest today is Dr. Jennifer Hall, co-author of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile—a groundbreaking psychometric tool that assesses the entrepreneurial strengths of individuals across various domains, from students to organizational leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs. Dr. Hall and her team
TEMP S2 11 | Ideas Don’t Matter
Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Project. Today, I’m speaking with a special guest, Steve Orlando, who is not only an incredible entrepreneur, but was one of my very first students when I was experimenting with teaching entrepreneurship at a local high school back in 2006-2007. Trust me when I tell you Steve has an incredible story to tell. As a mediocre student from a working-class family, Steve wasn’t sure where
TEMP S2 10 | Learn By Doing
Today, we sit down with Stephanie Riel, founder of RielDeal & Co., a brand strategy consulting firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona. In this episode of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Project, we explore the origins of an entrepreneur’s passion and drive. Stephanie was inspired by her father’s journey as an immigrant entrepreneur and always knew she wanted to start something on her own. However, finding her true calling was a challenge. She persevered and ultimately found success,
TEMP 9 | Unlikely Entrepreneur
  Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Project. Today I’m speaking with my friend, collaborator, and co-author, Clifton Taulbert. Clifton has an amazing story to tell–from his childhood in the Mississippi Delta during the height of legal segregation to becoming a Pulitzer-nominated author and successful entrepreneur. I first met Clifton in 2008 while doing a research project for CISCO. It was his story that became the inspiration for the book Who
TEMP 8 | Maple Syrup
Today I’m speaking with Dave Yeany, the founder of Yeany’s Maple, a small but thriving maple syrup business located in Marienville, PA. This is really an amazing underdog story that you won’t want to miss. I met Dave a few months back when giving a talk in Marienville, which is a small town of approximately 3,500 people located smack dab in the poorest county in Pennsylvania. Little did I know there was an unlikely entrepreneur