Steve Akian got fired in his 20s.
He'll tell you it was fair. He was (in his own words) a bit irresponsible, doing a little too much partying and out having fun.
The next day he got to work.
That's the part people repeat. Fired one day, in business the next.
"It was my plan all along. The company that I was with also knew that I was active with it. I mean, I had a truck that was lettered."
He already had the truck.
It’d been stenciled in his backyard by a buddy while the two of them drank beers on a weekend. He'd been running work nights and weekends. His employer knew about it.
Getting fired just removed the last reason not to go all in.
Nine years later: 50 employees, just under $12 million in 2025, $13.5 million the goal for this year.
That stenciled lettering hangs on the wall of the office.
Most owners are waiting for a clean moment to make the leap. There isn't one. There's only the question of how much you've already built when the moment shows up uninvited.
Speak soon,
- Zach, Founder at Venveo