Featured Blogger: Amy Cosper of Entrepreneur Magazine

Every Monday we bring you a feature on a talented blogger who inspires us. This week we are honored that the Editor of Entrepreneur Magazine, Amy Cosper agreed to let us feature her. Named as one of Twitter’s top 25 smartest women, and an all around renaissance woman when it comes to start-ups and the entrepreneurial spirit – Amy is one of our absolute favorite fire crackers. Did we mention how excited we were she was excited to have us feature her?

Tell Us a Little About Yourself.

I’ve been in media for my whole career, mostly at larger media companies. For two years in the late 90s I ran my own media company with a partner. It was called Avvio Media and if you haven’t heard of it, it’s because we tanked it. I studied art history and Italian at the university of Colorado and when I graduated, the two most marketable skills I had were: writing and researching. Well, also, I can tell you what paintings are from the Hellenic vs Hellenistic period. But that didn’t pay the bills. I fell in love – I mean, head over heels in love – with magazine publishing and creating. I know we’re in a digital world of zeros and ones, but I love holding this magazine at the end of every production cycles and knowing there is a permanence to print that digital will never have.

What Was your Biggest success?

I think one of the biggest successes we’ve had is 6 years ago when I started, reimagining what the brand could be and rebuilding the staff and the structure from the ground up. We shaved millions off the operating budget and created an entrepreneurial structure that is very much like the one our readers adopt: high technology, outsourcing, communicating and allowing a virtual workforce. It is a bit unconventional but it works for us and it helps us understand our readers’ pain points.

How Often are you Pitched?

I get pitched literally thousands of times a week and that’s pretty cool because I’ve learned that people are passionate and persistent when it comes to new ideas and new ways of thinking.

How does a pitch get your attention?

Anything that is innovative or inventive, solves problems and has that magic to it … that gets my attention. Also, a non-irritating approach from PR people is always much appreciated

You speak a lot about being Fearless and having the entrepreneurial spirit. Tell us more about the spirit you recognize.

Not everyone agrees with me on the fearless philosophy. The entrepreneurs we interview and really surround ourselves with daily have this ability not to look at obstacles and be afraid, but look at the end game, the vision. And if you have fear, that vision get clouded, muddled and you can crash and burn because the obstacles get bigger and bigger the more you look at them

What makes you fearless?

Because I have to be. I mean, I am working as a magazine editor. That space is changing and evolving into something else. I have to fight to stay relevant and meaningful. If I live in fear of that, I am automatically irrelevant. Plus, I’m a total adrenaline junkie.

What has changed in entrepreneurship in last 5 years?

A LOT!! First of all, it’s now a cherished and respected path to choose entrepreneurship. It’s freedom and it’s creating your own destiny. The subject has jumped in popularity on university curriculae and it’s now cool and chic to be an entrepreneur. Easier and more non-traditional access to capital through crowdfunding allows more and more people to go out and raise money. And the topic is skewing with young people.

You were rated Twitters Top 25 Smartest Women. What makes you so successful on that platform?

I’m not sure I’m any smarter than anyone on twitter but I do know, I use my own voice and an authentic to who I am and what my mission is: inspire and be of service.

What woman do you look to for inspiration?

I don’t just look to only women for inspiration. Limor Fired at Adafruit is one of my favorite, most passionate entrepreneurs doing cool things in the maker movement. And, of course, my mother is my greatest source of inspiration. She was told me this: The sky is the limit, and sometimes that means you need to let yourself explore.

What are your top 3 tips for young entrepreneurs?