Doing something different from the status quo is difficult. Doing something different when you are young is very difficult. From my experiences as a young entrepreneur, I have faced some very ironic challenges. I am sure I am not alone. These are the kind of ironies that make you appreciate getting where you want to be:

• When I applied for "independent study" credit for running my own business, I was asked by the university administration to submit my credits as an internship instead. They asked if one of my "more experienced" (read: older) employees could sign off as my supervisor.
• While raising money to start brass, one person wrote to me, and I quote: "Mr. Sims - Being so obsessed with money at your age is pathedic. Go out and have some adventures and do some good in the world. Oh yeah, get a good education." He didn't take time to learn about my goal of helping other people understand money. I didn't worry about him telling me to "get a good education" when he didn't even spell "pathetic" correctly.
• During the first few years running this business, I had to rely on rides and shuttles to get to and from the airport. Despite being a Premier Executive flyer, I couldn't rent a car. At 23 I can rent a car now, but I still get charged $10 a day as an "underage" fee.
• When I was interviewed for an article by a business magazine, I was surprised to find our story and my personal photo inappropriately placed in a "SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION." I looked like I was selling a cheesy get-rich-quick real estate scheme. When asked to print a correction, they wouldn't even apologize.
• It is not unusual to be the butt of jokes for being the youngest at business dinners. One particular evening the jokes went on for four hours, ranging from my age to my choice of drink. Someone even pinched my cheeks. The funny thing is I gave a keynote speech the next day with the cheek-pincher's boss's boss's boss.

I share these examples because we all find ourselves in frustrating situations that seem unfair. Keep going. And along the way, make sure you don't make the same mistakes. Don't judge people by their appearance or age. Don't take advantage of people. And if someone tells you your dreams are impossible, go do something about it. Go prove them wrong. Now that would be ironic.

Bryan Sims, CEO