After Having a 'Hell of a Year,' This Entrepreneur Rewarded Himself With the Car He Wanted, Not the Car He Needed 'Anyone who says money can't buy happiness has clearly never driven my car,' says Steven Sashen, CEO and co-founder of Xero Shoes.

Most entrepreneurs are concerned first and foremost about making payroll. If they accomplish that, they start to think about making some money themselves. And if they accomplish that, maybe they think about splurging on something they've wanted for a long time -- an extravagant watch, a second home, a fancy car.

For Steven Sashen, CEO and co-founder of Colorado-based Xero Shoes, it was…a Subaru. "I'd see a car on the road about once a week," he says. "Every time, I'd think, Wow, that is supercool. What is it?" And every time, it was a Subaru BRZ -- known as a snug, affordable little speedster.

For a long time, Sashen was in no position to buy a new car. He and his wife, Lena, had founded Xero Shoes in 2009, an evolving line of lightweight, minimalist shoes and sandals that feel like going barefoot. The company grew methodically, year by year.