MY CAREER PATH

SERIAL STARTUP

Jeff Sarris ’04, MS ’06, takes lessons from his own lean startup journey to help launch other entrepreneurs.

Deep down I’ve always been a problem solver, which is why I was drawn to math and technology. I attained my first paid web design client in high school, but the foundation of my understanding of logic and programming was established at Elmhurst. To this day, these skills are essential to what I do as an entrepreneur.

As I look back, I think our paths are a series of inflection points. Those moments may not be our first exposure to an idea, but they’re the ones that stick. For me, one such moment was in 2007 when I picked up a brand-new book called The 4-Hour Workweek. That book opened my eyes—not to the promise of the clickbait-y title, but to the possibility that entrepreneurship was a viable path.

Once I saw that, I couldn’t unsee it.

From that moment forward I focused on using my existing skill set to help people who were doing things that I believed in. In time this led to revenue and, subsequently, the co-founding of my company, SPYR Media, where my business partner and I develop brands and businesses from the ground floor. Over the years we’ve been privileged to assist many amazing entrepreneurs, such as The Minimalists, who have now reached over 20 million people through their blog, books, podcast and our Netflix documentary, Minimalism.

One major takeaway from my experience is that improving someone else’s life is always a good business decision.

No matter your aspirations, my advice is to get started, be open to ideas unlike your own and seek your potential inflection points. None of us have it figured out, but one day you too may look back upon Elmhurst as one of the places that laid the groundwork for your life’s work.

I just made my first gift to Elmhurst. Here’s why.

As an Elmhurst student, I studied in Italy for a semester, participated in a sorority and had four internships. My time at Elmhurst was a wonderful experience, and it set me up to succeed.

I want all students to be able to dream big for their education like I did. So, when Elmhurst rolled out the diversity and inclusion scholarship, I knew it was time for me to give back. Giving to Elmhurst is a tangible way to help students access a life-changing experience.

SARA STEINHOFF ’16, MBA ’21 First-Year Admission Counselor

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If you haven’t given to Elmhurst before, now is a great time to start. As a first-time donor you’ll receive a special gift—along with the satisfaction of knowing you’re making a difference.

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