You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

How Unconventional Majors Can Help You Thrive in Entrepreneurship For aspiring young entrepreneurs, studying something as seemingly unrelated to business as fine art or anthropology might end up teaching you way more than you realize.

By Lambeth Hochwald

entrepreneur daily

Ask David Dietz, the founder of sustainable fashion retailer Modavanti, and he'll tell you double-majoring in Arabic was one of the best things he ever did.

"When you study Arabic, you have to be very disciplined and diligent about learning the grammar rules, practicing writing the script and, of course, reading," says the Georgetown University graduate. "As a young entrepreneur starting a business, that sort of discipline is imperative."

Why Taking Anthropology and Other Unconventional Majors Can Help Entrepreneurs Succeed

Professor Neck connects with his students

While Dietz acknowledges taking businesses classes like economics helped, some experts believe young entrepreneurs are actually more artistic than they would like to think.

"An entrepreneur creates a business from a dream in the same manner that a painter creates a masterpiece from a canvas and tubes of paint," says Philip Black, the president of Houston-based Urban Business Initiative, an organization that provides business education classes.

And the similarities don't stop there. "Successful entrepreneurs spend countless hours at their kitchen table working out the details of their business just as a virtuoso spends long hours rehearsing," Black says. "And both need the confidence to ignore criticism."

But when it comes to nailing down a major, the answer isn't so simple.

"I always tell my students to major in something they're passionate about," says Christopher P. Neck, an associate professor of management at Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business.

Once you find your passion, next comes the goal of learning as much as you can about that discipline and the industries related to it.

"For example, if you want to be an entrepreneur in the music industry, learn as much about music as you can," Neck says. "Then perhaps minor in some business courses like marketing and accounting or some computer-related courses."

As for Dietz, studying Arabic has done more than increase sales. It has also given him instant credibility.

"When I meet a designer or brand rep at a trade show and they are Middle Eastern, speaking Arabic is an almost automatic guarantee that I'll be able to sign that brand," he says. "It has already happened three times and was something I could never have planned for, or accomplished, had I only studied economics."


Four unconventional majors: If you are still unsure about what possible areas you should explore, workplace consultant Steve Langerud steers you to four majors you should consider to help bolster your entrepreneurship skills:

1. Geography. Studying the lay of the land, can actually help entrepreneurs develop skills in data analysis, patterns and trends.

2. Anthropology. Understanding people and systems are a key skill for entrepreneurship. Also, if you can learn how to do an ethnography (research that focuses on a particular culture), you'll be well equipped in the business world when engaging with various people.

3. English. Developing the ability to read and analyze dense materials with a critical eye, delving deeply into character and motivation and clearly expressing yourself in writing are backbones for successful entrepreneurs. These skills will help you know yourself, your employees and market.

4. Law. Knowing the right question to ask is more critical to entrepreneurs than knowing the right answer. Plus, being familiar with the law can assist you when making imperative decisions for your business.

What other unconventional courses have you taken that have helped you be a better entrepreneur? Let us know in the comments.

Lambeth Hochwald is a freelance journalist, whose stories have appeared in magazines such as Coastal Living, O The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple and Redbook. She is also an adjunct professor at NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

Sam Bankman-Fried Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Multibillion-Dollar Crypto Fraud

Southern District of New York Judge Lewis Kaplan said that the loss amount to the victims of Bankman-Fried's crimes surpassed $550 million.

Side Hustle

This Mom Started a Side Hustle After a 'Shocking' Realization in the Toy Aisle. Her Product Was in Macy's Within the Year — Seeing Nearly $350,000 in Sales.

Elenor Mak, now founder of Jilly Bing, didn't plan to start a business — but the search for a doll that looked like her daughter inspired her to do just that.

Growing a Business

To Achieve Sustainable Success, You Need to Stop Focusing on Disruption. Here's Why — and What You Must Focus on Instead.

Instead of zeroing in solely on disruptive innovation, embrace a pragmatic approach to innovation, recognizing and leveraging the potential within ongoing industry shifts.

Marketing

5 Ways to Get on the Media's Good Side (and Stay There)

When you're trying to make a name and a mark for yourself and your business, it's really important to get on the media's good side — and stay there.

Business News

Mark Zuckerberg Told Meta Engineers to 'Figure Out' Snapchat's Privacy Protections: 'We Have No Analytics on Them'

Recently unsealed court documents detail "Project Ghostbusters," Meta's project to work around Snapchat's end-to-end encryption to intercept data.