TalkTime: Master Networker of Macon
In 2016, Forbes called Deep Patel a “top 25 marketing influencer,” and Inc. named him one of the “top 11 youth marketers to follow this year.” Oh, yes, this Georgia native is still a teenager in high school. How did he come to write A Paperboy’s Fable: The 11 Principles of Success, his debut book? Learn about his remarkable journey and secrets to getting there.
What prompted you to become an entrepreneur
and get as deeply involved in business and marketing
as you have?
My father is an entrepreneur, and he has made his
own way his whole life. I guess that rubbed off on me
because I want to make my own way as well. I also just
love to make something out of nothing and build it up
to its highest potential.
Where do you attend high school?
Stratford Academy in Macon, Georgia.
Did you find that your age was an advantage, a
disadvantage, or did it not matter when you talked
to people?
I feel like it has been more of an advantage than
anything else because I know I am inexperienced, and
I am much more apt to learn from much more experienced
individuals. I make sure that I handle everyone
I deal with at a certain level of respect, and I think
that my ability to be humble and learn has opened up
many more opportunities for me.
What do you believe is your mission? You talk
about value-add quite often. What kind of value are
you adding to the world of business in general?
I believe my mission is to encourage, educate, and
inspire other young entrepreneurs to pursue a path as
intimidating yet rewarding as I have. I always strive to
find the perfect blend of passion and income since I
have such a love for business and I want to prevent
myself from focusing solely on the money and look at
more of the purpose. A business is not succeeding if it
does not add value, and I believe my book has added
value to many readers as a valuable deposit into their
reservoir of knowledge.
How have your parents influenced the person
you have become?
Without a doubt, my parents have molded me
into the man I am today. My father always taught me
and exposed me to the world of business, and he instilled
a strong work ethic in me that is an “always
hustling” mentality. My mother has taught me to respect
everyone.
Of all the advice you give, which one is the most
difficult for you to follow personally?
Delegating is probably the hardest because I want
to be sure everything is perfect. Delegating is essential
for good business practice because there is just no way
that you can finish everything yourself without caving
in. I struggle so much with this because I am very
much a perfectionist.
You approached quite a few high-profile sources
for interviews, and they became the basis for your
book, A Paperboy's Fable. Tell us how you nabbed
these interviews and what was the one surprising
thing you learned at the end of it all.
LinkedIn is an extraordinary community full of
professional and influential people, and so I thought
it would be a great resource for my book. I set up my
profile and started networking with people I believed
could help me. They had larger connections and from
there, I continued to build connections. There were
many who didn’t have time to respond, but I kept
trying anyway. I thought it was a numbers game. I
expected to hear back from 1 out of every 25 people
that I contacted. And when an influential figure like
General Petraeus agreed to do the interview, it fueled
even more motivation.
What do your friends think of your fame? Your
parents?
My friends always tease me for being a published
author who still has to pass high school English. My
two closest school friends actually got interested in
what I was doing, and they ask me things they can do
to get into the business world. My parents are still a
little shocked that it has gotten this big, but they tell
me all the time to not let it get to my head. However,
since it has blown up, my parents have fun with being
able to say they raised a “celebrity.”
Do you have siblings? How does that dynamic
work at home?
I have an older sister who attends college at the
University of Georgia, and we have always gotten
along well enough. I mean, there are always the sibling
scuffles whenever she comes over, but she has always
been supportive.
What do you want to explore next?
I’m still debating whether college is a good fit for
me. In the meantime, I’m working on two other books
and am getting to launch my latest venture: SocialNitro,
a social media management tool.
Poornima Apte is a Boston-area freelance writer and editor. Learn more at WordCumulus.WordPress.com.
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