I’ve never really considered myself an entrepreneur, even though technically and by definition, I’ve been one a few times. When I started Social Media Explorer as a blog in 2007, my hope was to use it to publish my thoughts on an emerging industry trend and perhaps position myself as a thought leader.
A couple of years later, that blog was the shingle I hung out in the consulting world. It then became a boutique strategy agency. I brought on a business partner and we grew to seven employees at one point. 
In 2016, I co-founded the Conversation Research Institute with two partners as well. We tried for two years to bootstrap an idea that turned out to be too far ahead of its time. It was also intellectual property heavy without subsequent technology, so it wasn’t as attractive to investor dollars as it needed to be to survive. 
While my side hustle role as an influencer in the social technology space can also be defined as entrepreneurial, it’s less build-a-business and more help some people out and make a little side money along the way. 
So I’ve been an entrepreneur, but not with a great deal of intent or focus. 
Lately, I’ve been hinting around at a new thing I’m doing. It’s a startup of sorts I’ve been building in what little spare time I have, but it’s something that I think you’ll agree fits into a passion spot for me and has a heck of a lot to do with influence marketing.
The idea was actually born out of this podcast, so in a way, you have a lot to do with it. 
It is a new business. I’m not leaving Cornett. It’s still a side hustle project at the moment, but for the first time in my professional life, I’m going into this with the intent and focus of building something exceptional. 
I’ll tell you all about the Marketing Podcast Network in today's commentary.
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