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School of Hard Knocks

Graduates of the hardest school there is — life itself.

45 profiles, published in 3 installments. Every profile is fact-checked against its sources, and every source opens inside the magazine.

Forty-five profiles, across three installments, of graduates of the hardest school there is — life itself. There are no degrees on this list; the education was the obstacle course.

The installments feature Anne Mahlum, Ari Rastegar and Ben Pogue; Jason Mickool, Jason Wersland and Jesse Cole; and Mike Wystrach, Neil Patel and Omar Soliman, among many others.

What the forty-five share is not a background but a method: learn it by doing it, usually because there was no other option. Each profile is told in its own facts and checked against its sources — the diploma, such as it is, is the company.

Anne Mahlum
Image: AnneMahlum.com
The Lists

School of Hard Knocks — The Top 15, Part 1

Featuring Anne Mahlum, Ari Rastegar, Ben Pogue, Blake Johnson and more.

15 profiles · Anne Mahlum, Ari Rastegar, Ben Pogue … · Read →
Jason Mickool
Image: Florida Financial Advisors
The Lists

School of Hard Knocks — The Top 15, Part 2

Featuring Jason Mickool, Jason Wersland, Jesse Cole, Jhalesa Seymour and more.

15 profiles · Jason Mickool, Jason Wersland, Jesse Cole … · Read →
Mike Wystrach
Image: MikeWystrach.com
The Lists

School of Hard Knocks — The Top 15, Part 3

Featuring Mike Wystrach, Neil Patel, Omar Soliman, Onyi Odunukwe and more.

15 profiles · Mike Wystrach, Neil Patel, Omar Soliman … · Read →

Questions & Answers

Can you succeed in business without a college degree?

45 profiles, published in 3 installments. Every profile is fact-checked against its sources, and every source opens inside the magazine. Graduates of the hardest school there is — life itself. It links to 3 stories and articles — open any card to read the full piece.

What do self-taught owners learn the hard way?

Graduates of the hardest school there is — life itself. 45 profiles, published in 3 installments. Every profile is fact-checked against its sources, and every source opens inside the magazine.

How do I read the full stories on School of Hard Knocks?

Choose any card on this page. Each one opens a full page of its own — the complete story or article, with its sources linked.

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