How This Entrepreneur Went From Confused College Drop-Out to World-Class Public Speaker

In this video, public speaker Yahya Bakkar shares his struggles with identity.

learn more about Gerard Adams

By Gerard Adams

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It's hard to figure out what you're supposed to do with you life and what your purpose is. And all too often, many of us find ourselves in identity crises, unsure of who we are and what we should be doing. The good news is -- you're not alone.

On this episode of Leaders Create Leaders, Entrepreneur Network partner Gerard Adams meets with world-class speaker Yahya Bakkar, who travels the world to share his own story and struggles with identity. Born in Saudi Arabia, Bakkar moved with his step-mother to New Jersey at age 5. Throughout his childhood, teens and early adulthood, Bakkar struggled to figure out who he was spiritually, socially and professionally. Always looking to be accepted by his father, he eventually went off to school to become a doctor as his father wished. However, during class one day in his early twenties, Bakkar realized he still didn't know who he was but he knew it wasn't a doctor.

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Dropping out with thousands of dollars of student debt, and as a result getting kicked out of his father's home, Bakkar moved forward and realized his purpose was to help others through leading, teaching and public speaking. Today, Bakkar has taken the stage over 500 times and is recognized by organizations like TEDx, Yale and Harvard. He's on a mission to help other young people understand and reach their full potential and become world-class speakers too.

To hear Bakkar's full story, click play.

See more episodes of Leaders Create Leaders Season 1 and 2 on Gerard Adam's YouTube channel.

Related: How This Inspiring Entrepreneur Built His Own Community

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Gerard Adams

Entrepreneur, angel investor, self-made millionaire at 24

Gerard Adams is The Millennial Mentor™, inspiring the generation to leverage their passions for success and create the lifestyle they dream of. A serial entrepreneur, angel investor, self-made millionaire by the age of 24 and millennial himself, he is most popularly known as the co-founder of Elite Daily. To date, he has built, backed or invested in nine businesses across multiple industries that have all delivered over seven-figure profits. Gerard has recently developed a video series, Leaders Create Leaders, to offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Learn more at GerardAdams.com

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