Interview with Anthony Adams: drinkthc.com your hangover cure!

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I graduated from college in 2006 with a degree in marketing. After being laid off earlier this year, I decided to start my own business (The Hangover Cure at www.drinkthc.com) instead of trying to find another corporate job. And I think that’s what drives me to succeed, I am so petrified at the thought of having to work for other people for the rest of my life that I really don’t have an alternative in my mind. I don’t know what I would do if I had to go get another office job right now. So my biggest motivator is being as happy as possible at all times, which means working for no one but myself. That’s what drives me, I know I only get one shot at this and I don’t want to spend it doing something I hate.

We know you are a younggogetter, but I am sure there is more to you than that. What are some other things you have done prior to your current job or things you are currently working on?
I worked for a small software company here in Dallas out of college, doing Boiler Room style sales calls all day, which I loved. I was recruited by IBM soon after, where I worked as a software sales rep for two years. Currently, I’m working on an eBook dealing with successful online business creation in plain English, a few new supplement concepts for my company, Apollo Nutrition, and looking for distribution for a canned/ready-to-drink version of The Hangover Cure. We are also working on a few potentially massive distribution deals that I cannot get into right now. But 2010 looks like a very good year for my company.

What has been your biggest asset while building your business?
Probably the support of my family and friends, who I am so grateful for. It took a while to convince some people, like my dad, that I wasn’t sitting around all day watching Sportscenter, but he is on board 100% now. My mom is probably my biggest fan and has always offered unconditional support, so it’s nice to be able to vent to her from time to time. Starting and running a business, any business, is mentally taxing with all the ups and downs, so it’s vital to surround yourself with positive, supportive people to counter-balance all the doubters out there. That’s really all you need; people who care about you. The rest works itself out. Get that strong inner circle and make sure they know they are appreciated.

Adversely, what has been your biggest vice?
I’m not sure if I would call it a vice, but math was always my worst subject in school, so anything involving numbers, and there is plenty of it with what I do, gets really old, but it’s just part of the gig. I’m not a big fan of spreadsheets though.

What can we expect next from the talented Anthony Adams in the near future?
It’s tough to say, with the way technology is changing right now and the fact that I run a primarily online-based business. I’d like to get involved more with social media on a personal level, maybe add a blog to www.drinkthc.com to connect with customers. I have a number of projects in my head I would like to get to at some point soon, I just need to sit down and prioritize my time over the next year.

Everyone starts to feel burn out on a project every now and then. What do you do to keep yourself motivated and focused?
I have a picture of an office cubicle in my office with the caption ‘never go back’ below it. That’s all the motivation I need. No matter what I am doing, no matter how late I am working or how tedious or mundane my current project might be, anything is better than being back in the cube farm. It’s soul crushing. So whenever I find myself tired or burned out, I just look at that picture. It might sound silly but that really is all the motivation I need to keep going.

Can you give us three tools that you use every single day to make your life as a younggogetter more efficient, productive, or fun
From an efficiency standpoint, I use Gmail as an external storage drive, which helps out a lot. I also like Evernote for storing all the random information I come across online that I can’t possibly remember or organize on my own, it’s like my second memory really and I would highly recommend it for anyone running an online business. Finally, I’m a big fan of Twitter. It’s easily the best way I know to generate free buzz for a product or service online and I think we are just seeing the beginning of its real potential.

What is your favorite quote?
Two come to mind: ‘Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ by Samuel Beckett and ‘Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it’s time to pause and reflect.’ by Mark Twain.

And last but not least, if you could give one piece of advice to fellow Young Go Getters, what would it be?
If you do something you love long enough, you will be successful. I have no doubt in my mind. But it takes time and you will make mistakes, so make sure you are doing something you like, if not love, because you will be doing it at 2am from time to time while your friends are out having fun. Just because the internet removes traditional gatekeepers and puts a wealth of opportunity at your fingertips, you still have to get out there and grab it. No one throws up a website and sits back collecting $10,000 a month with minimal effort. You are still building a business, so be prepared for a marathon.