Traditionally, people choose a career, and then the rest of their lives fit around the details of that job. However, in the past decade, more and more people are following a new and rather appropriate path to their life’s work. These folks are lifestyle entrepreneurs.
These days more people are choosing a specific lifestyle and then building a career around it. Actually, this approach to life and work seems much healthier overall. In theory, this new method has better sustainability because it’s designed to keep people engaged and happy rather than working passionless jobs with little satisfaction.
Let’s meet 7 lifestyle entrepreneurs you should follow because they are killing it and making their high school career counselors proud.
Erika Schlick
After contracting Lyme disease with symptoms that stumped her doctors for two years, Erika Schlick developed allergies and an array of other health problems that complicated her already intolerable symptoms. In an attempt to heal herself, she became interested in a multitude of healthy diets. After finally receiving a Lyme disease diagnosis, Schlick got busy educating herself about the disease.
Although she still owns a design firm, Schlick’s passion for understanding all of the details about her disease and how it affected her body led her down a whole new trail. Her website, Trail to Health, tells the story of her horrendous ordeal with advanced Lyme disease and offers informative and educational blog posts on health and nutrition.
Erika’s journey has also led her to become a certified health coach, and she provides coaching services in a variety of packages through her website. Her most recent venture is the publication of her new cookbook, Wandering Palate. Ericka Schlick is undoubtedly a prime example of a lifestyle entrepreneur to watch.
Scott Bartnick
Most people would be over the moon happy to land a Fortune 500 job right out of college like lifestyle entrepreneur Scott Bartnick. Although a tremendous accomplishment, he lacked a passion for this work. Learning his business savvy and gaining valuable business contacts while on the job, Bartnick began planning a better path early in his work-life.
Bartnick became familiar with the ultimate lifestyle entrepreneur, Tim Ferriss, and used his book, The Four Day Work Week, as a guide to design the life he wanted. Convinced he could live on $10 a day from eCommerce start-up revenue, Bartnick quit his job and began a journey that took him all over the world.
While traveling, Bartnick continued to work in the eCommerce space and developed, The Five Day Start-Up, a consulting business that teaches people how to be successful in the eCommerce industry. He even wrote a book that outlines his start-up strategies, appropriately titled The Five Day Start-Up.
Today, among other ventures, Scott is co-founder and COO of Otter Public Relations, a growing business recently named the #1 PR firm by Top Rated National. Things are certainly going well for Bartnick. At age 30, the world surely has not seen all this lifestyle entrepreneur has to offer.
Zhi Ko
With a degree in Architectural engineering, Zhi Ko could be doing many things other than making TikTok videos. But like all true lifestyle entrepreneurs, Ko is following his passion.
His journey began when cryptocurrency made its debut. Ko became intrigued with the concept and was dedicated to learning all of its details. He discovered he could share his expertise with the world via social media — and this was the beginning of a very lucrative career as an Influencer. Ko’s interest in cryptocurrency also led to co-founding Coindust, a micro-investment app.
Since his early days on social media, Ko has upped his game by becoming a TikTok sensation. His love for gaming and his unparalleled knowledge of the industry was the impetus behind using TikTok to share his expertise. Ko’s gaming niche experience has allowed him to amass a following of nearly half a million on TikTok alone, with over 9.5 million ‘likes’ on his videos.
Ko also has several businesses developed around his passions, including NekozTek, where he disseminates his expert advice on technology and gaming. He has also founded and shares ownership in a few other ventures. Two of these businesses are Nobel 5, a company that sells the hottest gaming equipment, and Radiance, his eSports community. Zhi Ko is another young lifestyle entrepreneur to watch in 2021.
Priscilla Jankans
Priscilla Jankans has a passion for nursing, but she also discovered she has a passion for business. In 2014 she founded a clothing boutique, starting with only $750. When Jankans turned this venture into a 6-figure per year company, she decided she might have a real affinity for start-ups.
Her next project, L.A. Nursing Service, utilized her nursing degree. L.A. Nursing Services is a traveling medical staffing agency that serves hospitals nationwide. This business eventually grew to 240 nurses, physical therapists, and other medical staff.
With the success of L.A. Nursing Services, Jankans decided her next company would be one that teaches others her tips for start-up success. And so she founded NurseProCEO, her consulting agency, in 2019.
For Jankans, what started as a side-hustle has become her full-blown passion. She and her team have developed an immersive program that helps entrepreneurs establish profitable and purposeful businesses. Her course teaches participants the step-by-step process of finding a career that fits their dreams and lifestyles. Jankans is a lifestyle entrepreneur who, like most, shares her experiences so others can also live the lifestyle they want and deserve.
Sister Kristy
Instagram sensation, Sister Kristy, has a phenomenal 315K followers and counting. But this small-town girl from Canada had to break the mold to get where she wanted to be. Expectations for Kristy included a somewhat familiar yet outdated path: go to school, get a good job, get married, and have kids.
Despite expectations, Sister Kristy became enamored with social media stars and decided to try her hand at it in 2016. Doing all of her own make-up, fashion schemes, back-drop scenery, and photography, Sister Kristy pursued her path diligently — and it’s certainly paid off.
With the ability to leave her 9 to 5 and pursue her social media fame full-time, Sister Kristy is living her dream. But she’s not all business. Kristy is an avid animal advocate and fosters many animals, especially cats, until they find their forever home. Sister Kristy says giving these animals a home to live in with loving care is a much better atmosphere than a shelter.
Even though Sister Kristy has reached an exceptional level in the social media arena, she still enjoys all aspects of her trade and continues to do all of her own prepping for photo shoots and her own photography. Sister Kristy is undoubtedly a lifestyle entrepreneur who will continue to make significant gains as an Influencer.
Jennie Monness
Jennie Monness has a long list of educational accomplishments in psychology and education. She has worked as a teacher, educational director, and center director for various early learning centers.
Being a mom herself, Monness looked for a way to utilize her education and passions and still be home with her children. This was when Monness began shaping her career around the lifestyle she wanted.
Monness founded Union Square Play, a place in New York City where parents could take their children for sensory play and share a sense of community with other parents. Additionally, Monness’s Mo’Mommies 8-week Mom-Tribe gatherings were a resource for parents with session topics on parenting aspects.
Like many others, COVID-19 forced Monness to think outside the box. She was able to keep her businesses going with online services because she knew parents needed her assistance, especially during the isolation of the pandemic.
In the initial weeks after going online, over 100 moms joined her crews. This success led to hiring additional facilitators and adding more sessions. Monness was overwhelmed with the response and was more determined than ever to provide for these families. Her services and successes are still hard at work.
Alicia Trautwein
As a mom of four children, all with different diagnoses, including autism, ADHD, anxiety, bipolar, depression, restless leg syndrome, & sleep apnea, Alicia Trautwein has become a champion for awareness. Her website, The Mom Kind, is a wealth of information about all things relating to autism and the other disorders affecting her children.
Her blog is also designed to help parents struggling to raise children with autism and other misunderstood disorders. Trautwein says that her ‘life’s purpose’ was made clear shortly after her two youngest children were diagnosed with autism. At that moment, she decided to take her passion for understanding the challenges of neurodiverse families and make it her career. Trautwein is a perfect example of a first-rate lifestyle entrepreneur.
Wrap it up
Life and career satisfaction is the key to being a lifestyle entrepreneur. Making your passions your work and tailoring your life for a perfect fit sounds a lot more satisfying than just doing something for a paycheck.
Maybe everyone should take a lesson from the seven up-and-coming lifestyle entrepreneurs above. They certainly seem to be doing something right.