These Two Entrepreneurs Exemplify the Perks Of Starting Early and Making it Big Andrew Ragusa and Lior Poly took different paths, both of them found success
By Nishit Sangwan •
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The Internet has allowed even the youngest of people to launch their own businesses. While it is always advantageous to start a business as early as possible, people can switch careers at nearly any point in their lives. Andrew Ragusa received an education in one area before pursuing another, while Lior Poly started and stayed in the tech realm. Though these entrepreneurs took different paths, both of them found tremendous success.
New York native Ragusa was disengaged in high school as it taught people to think like employees rather than leaders. He obtained a bachelor's and master's degree in healthcare administration, hoping to make it big in this corporate area. His mother was a well-connected hospital administrator, and Ragusa thought this could give him a chance to meet the right people. He worked in healthcare for ten years, two of which were spent as a secretary in a primary care physician's office.
Though he constantly applied for promotions and transfers, Ragusa was constantly denied. He was more than qualified but kept being told someone with more experience was awarded the job. Eventually, he got fed up and quit, remaining unemployed for two years in a stagnant job market until a real estate course on Groupon caught his eye and led him to get a temporary license.
Three weeks later, he was seeking formal real estate training and found great success in just two years. In an industry with a high fail rate, Ragusa closed ten transactions his first year in business. He was named the top 40-Under-40 by the Queens Courier and survived the pandemic by flipping houses to recoup investments. Ragusa's next endeavor: investor training to give others financial opportunities.
Poly is a millennial with a lifelong passion for tech. At 15, he was coding and building his own websites. He did seek education in app development but quit school at the age of 20 to work on his ideas and launch his own business. With a desire to monetize his websites, Poly dove into the world of digital and affiliate marketing. This industry combined two of his passions, and he advanced his skills by reading applicable books, especially those by Tim Ferriss.
Behind his computer, none of Poly's clients knew he was a teenager. His skill spoke for itself, and age was never a factor. By learning from several failures, Poly gained invaluable experience that has led him to where he is today. He netted his first $1 million before the age of 21 thanks to the Internet and the opportunities it gave a "kid working from his parent's house". He has worked with some of the world's biggest names in commerce such as Booking.com, Amazon and Alibaba.
Now an angel investor for several startups, Poly has a business network that spans three offices in three countries with over 70 employees. He strives to inspire young entrepreneurs by showing them what it is possible to achieve with no one's help. Poly fully embraces the lifestyle of a digital nomad as he plans to bring more value to his clients through technology.
Ragusa and Poly did launch their careers from a young age, but one took a bit of a detour. The point is, possibilities can arise when you least expect them, and the best-laid plans can turn out to be duds. These entrepreneurs achieved success through hard work and natural skills. What matters is how you develop such skills if you want to make it big in your field.
