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Entrepreneurship is hard, but one of the basic tenets of being a creator is knowing that you can build something completely on your own terms. For Michael Fenchel, a young physics major out of Wisconsin who loved being a creator, that meant starting companies - three of them at once, to be exact.  All three of those ventures ended up being successful, eventually leading him to start his newest company Paradox Ventures (prdx.co), a program providing personal development for entrepreneurs and leaders. But before that Michael stumbled with various failed projects, until he figured out something important - focus on adding value first, and making money second.  In this episode Michael talks about how he was able to build one of the largest co-working spaces in Madison, WI (100State), while starting a software company that supported live music events (Prism.fm) and running product at BlueTree Network. In each example he was able to get the business off the ground and identify talent in his network that would then take over leadership responsibilities in the businesses.  He also talks about how his experience launching and growing an education company called Breathe For Change inspired him to create a founder and leadership development business called Paradox that provides a true community for likeminded entrepreneurs that recognize the need to balance personal development with audacious professional goals.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.