I've always loved to write, and I kept a diary of what I thought about my business, being an entrepreneur and other things of interest to me.

Sometimes Plan B can have the same desired outcome, but a different path for getting there.

Expose yourself to as much as possible. Attend conferences no one else is attending. Read books no one else is reading. Talk to people no one else is talking to.

Long-term goals are dangerous. They limit you. They hinder you from reacting to new conditions.

It got a little stressful in my first two years of high school, trying to make conference calls with investors in between classes, but I definitely learned a lot of important time-management lessons.

Sometimes I have to pause to make the distinction between Ben the teenager and Ben the businessman.

Talk to people no one else is talking to. Who would have thought that giving a speech at a funeral at age 12 would introduce me to a man who would introduce me to my first business contact who would introduce me to several other important people in my life. That's luck. That's randomness.