At Under30CEO, we constantly push people to do what they love, live a life that truly brings them satisfaction, and make informed decisions no matter what society wants us to do. It’s about having a “goal driven” mentality and living a lifestyle that excites you every single day.
We caught up with The Summit Series travel team for an amazing weekend conference that brings together young innovators from around the world. The Summit Series team is led by Elliot Bisnow, who believes that the most important element of this lifestyle and the realization of your dreams is to surround yourself with like-minded people who share your mission. There is no better example of young people living with the idea that doing good and making money are not mutually exclusive than the curators of the Summit Series.
Mark Korshak, Justin Cohen and Joshua Zabar joined us to talk about joining the team and doing things out of the box. It’s not often we talk about those who work for others, but when they have a mission to change the world, joining forces seems like the right thing to do.
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You guys are really “living the dream”. Can you highlight the lifestyle and mission of Summit?
The Summit Series brings together young entrepreneurs, innovators and influencers through invitation-only events and conferences to inspire positive social change. Through unprecedented “summits”, the community is given the opportunity to develop business, personal and philanthropic growth through experience sharing and dialogue inspired by renowned companies and today’s most important thinkers.
DZ: We encourage people to grow outwardly, not inwardly. Collaboration is our way of doing things. Our lifestyle promotes personal growth in a way I have never experienced before. This is what allows us to create such an amazing SS community and gives us the opportunity to make dramatic changes in the future.
DC: The Summit Series is also a lifestyle that includes adventure, travel and big dreams. We don’t have an office, we don’t have business attire, and we can run our company from any city in the world (provided WiFi is available).
MK: Josh and Justin did it!
What were you doing before you became part of the Summit Series touring team?
DC: I graduated from Indiana University in the spring of 2009. Over the past five years, I have run my own event business and hosted over 600 events ranging from fashion shows with Pharrell and NERD to private performances by DJ AM and P Diddy.
DZ: After graduating from Yale University in 2006, I briefly worked in financial services in New York City. After working with a startup in Los Angeles, Brett Levy, a friend of mine from my hometown, approached me about changing the world with the Summit Series.
MK: In the spring of 2008, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin. I recently launched a multimedia and creative company I recently launched a multimedia and creative company called Attainment Media. I filmed a video for a Summit Series event in Miami, and a few months later I was asked to join them full-time. I’m helping build the Summit Series community and also overseeing our upcoming summit in Washington, DC.
Was it difficult to put your promising young companies on hold to become an employee?
DC: It was a unique transition. It’s always hard to take a new step or make a change, but my current role at the Summit Series is as familiar as it is different. Before joining SS, I was used to running my own events as a chief feature architect. Now I’m part of the team. There are several different opinions to consider, not just my own.
DZ: I always wanted to live like this, I just never met anyone who wanted to do it with me. I’m incredibly impulsive and thought I was pretty progressive until I met the Summit Series team. They take the movement against the current to a new level. They are game changers and I wanted to be involved.
MK: There are very few companies where I would drop everything and go to work – Summit Series is one of them. Simply put, my work is amazing! I meet the most innovative young people in the world every day and introduce them to each other. We also get to live and work in some of the coolest cities in the US, so that wasn’t a problem when I got the call.
What was it like to just pick up and drop everything you’ve ever known in pursuit of an opportunity?
DZ: Logistically it was a nightmare. In 5 days, I canceled my lease on a wonderful apartment overlooking the Pacific Ocean, scheduled my car to be shipped home to my parents who needed another car, and “sold” every other thing I recently bought.
DC: The emotions generated by such a monumental transition are emotions that I long to experience and those that I have experienced before. Two years ago I wanted to reflect on my life and did something similar. I took my savings and clothes on my back and went alone to South America. For part of 2008, I was involved in humanitarian work, traveling across the continent and living with strangers with whom I could barely communicate. This experience allowed me to open my mind, and when the Summit Series team gave me the opportunity to achieve the same feeling, I had to take it.
MK: One word: liberation
What advice can you give to young people who are trying to surround themselves with a group of people they can feed on every single day?
DC:You have to find your niche and surround yourself with positive, united and respectful people. Find a group of people who are like-minded in their ambitions but who have unique skills that help the unit work.
DZ: Be open. Remove “can’t” from your vocabulary. Don’t put off until next week, next year, or 5 years what you can do today. Not just “try”. Set tangible goals and kick them out of the park. Push the envelope. Have an awkward conversation. Avoid people who promote the status quo.
MK: Building the right team is the most important element of a successful company. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses (including you), so surround yourself with people who are good at things you’re not so good at. You need a vision, but the most important thing is to have a team that can bring it to life.
For more information please visit http://DC10.SummitSeries.com. These guys are putting on an amazing event with some of the most incredible young leaders in the world. DC10 will take place from May 13th to 16th and Under30’s CEO plans to be on stage. Follow some past participants on Twitter.
Matt Wilson is the co-founder of Under30CEO. urging people to drop the 9-5 and get into something. Follow him on Twitter @MattWilsonTV as a member of Generation Y committed to helping every young entrepreneur on the planet.
