David Brier

America is the greatest startup in human history. And this year, we turn 250. All without a business plan, zero venture capital, and no proof of concept. Just a dream from a handful of people who had an idea. It's time to build something different.

I say this as someone who grew up in Brooklyn with some talent and that same hopeful gleam in my eye. I had no formal business training, no connections, and no safety net. Just unkillable curiosity, determination, and resilience. Over the last four decades, I've built brands, generated over $9 billion for those with similar dreams, making millionaires and billionaires, and I've written two number one bestsellers and received the Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship medallion. Where else could a kid from Brooklyn with no pedigree achieve that and walk into rooms and ask, why the hell not?

It's the same audacity I see in the greatest people I know. The ones who show up with an idea that has no precedent and the sheer guts to question what's possible. These people are my clients, my friends, the people I'm honored to work with every day. Audacity is having the courage to speak, sing, tell a story, or challenge an industry norm. That's what this 250th birthday celebrates. Not fireworks, not hot dogs, not a day off. Something much, much bigger.

The Declaration of Independence was not a list of best practices. It was consequences be damned courage and the naivety to question what came before. It's why I interchange any of these words with one another. Creator, founder, entrepreneur, innovator, rebel. They share the same audacity, just a different century. Creators aren't someone with a ring light and a content calendar. Founders aren't defined by a job title or a pitch deck. And entrepreneurs aren't those who read a book and then say the right things at dinner parties.

True creators invent things that didn't exist. True founders envisioned the color of walls long before the blueprint. And entrepreneurs bet on the dream when it's still a bit fuzzy. That is the American spirit in action. All the while asking, why the hell not? If you've ever taken a gamble, you know the feeling. America was that gamble and we are its legacy. That curiosity built this country.

So here's my ask on this 250th birthday. Instead of seeking permission, look for that spark that asks, why the hell not? Happy birthday, America.