Soon after walking down the aisle to receive his MBA diploma from the Weatherhead School of Management in 2006, Douglas Younger III was finding ways to improve the lives of others. “Inspiring people is something that is part of my DNA,” said Younger. He used this passion to start his own business, 3STEPSFORWARD, a full-service marketing agency located in Silicon Valley that supports entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofit startups.
Younger’s need to uplift others led him to venture into the virtual airways with a small business podcast called Twist of Fate. Within just 12-months, he had more than 150 thousand followers.
Get to know about Younger:
What is your favorite memory at Weatherhead?
While working as a laboratory manager at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Department of Molecular Biology, I would provide rides back to the dorms in my dream car, a 2002 Ford Mustang GT, to Nikita Kaushik Joshi, one of my laboratory colleagues. Today, we have been married for 23 years, have 3 children and live in a beautiful home in the San Francisco Bay Area.
What is something interesting you're working on personally or professionally?
Professionally, I am starting my 5th year as a minority entrepreneur, still beating the odds (45% of new businesses fail in 5-years). I am also working to expand the reach of my podcast to help others find the inspiration to make the world better. Personally, I am still struggling with work/life balance, so I have taken on new hobbies which include surf fishing, home winemaking, and home gardening!
What advice would you share with current students?
Create value everyday of your life for your domestic partner, family, and/or community and you'll NEVER be forgotten. Fundraise everyday of your life & build financial literacy as it is the ONLY pathway to multi-generational wealth.