Dale Bell, 17, is an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and sports enthusiast from the UK who is best known for his work in youth enterprise and building systems from the ground up. From a self-taught web specialist to one of his hobbies, fixing computers, those systems can vary from virtual ones to physical ones. In his recently acquired role as the President and ‘Voice of the TeenEntrepreneurBlog.com’ (August 2011), he is working to combine both his virtual expertise along with his hands on experience as he works with emerging teen entrepreneurs and innovators around the globe to move them from idea to IPO.
How important is it for people to stay positive?
It’s very important for people to stay positive as it’s the key to being able to maintain a good outlook on life. No matter what skills and/or talents you may have, if you aren’t positive, it’s going to be very hard to stay focused to help you achieve those goals you’ve set yourself.
One of the main reasons I’ve found for people to have a negative attitude is the fear of failure. This applies a lot to new business start-ups especially as the fear factor is an ever-present barrier in the back of people’s heads doubting their every move.
Failure can actually and SHOULD be viewed as a positive. The most successful people in the world have all made mistakes and what did they do? They learned from and didn’t give up.
Two things I constantly do to maintain a positive attitude are the following:
- Stay in the present
- Be around positive people
By staying in the present and not thinking about the future, you will learn to appreciate what you currently have instead of always wanting to be somewhere else or have something you do not possess at this moment.
Being around positive people will make you not only maintain a positive mind set but to also feel better in you’re physical self which will make you happier and more productive.
What got you interested in entrepreneurship?
I first got interested in entrepreneurship when I was 14 years old after watching an episode of Dragons Den. I knew then that I did not want to work for somebody all my life but to create my own future.
It was watching that show that gave me the inspiration to not only better myself but also people around me.
What are some of your goals & ventures?
My current ventures are Lymm Design and Lymm Hosting. Lymm Design offers website design along with graphic design (logo, banners, stationery, etc).
I am also the manager of Teen Entrepreneur Blog. In the next year, I’d love to make a name for myself in the Public speaking circuit.
Tell us about Teen Entrepreneur Blog. What are your goals with this project?
The Teen Entrepreneur Blog was founded by Shonika Proctor but I am now managing it. The blog is for teens and ‘young’ entrepreneurs who request support. We realise that there are a number of sites that are providing tools and motivational articles etc. to young entrepreneurs, but few, if any, provide mentoring and personalised responses to the young people who write in to them.
We work on a few select projects throughout the year with a private group of teens (less than 20 teens selected globally). With the teens, we provide them with a ‘personal advisory board’, fundraising, marketing support and specialised consulting.
My goal for this project is to make the Teen Entrepreneur Blog the ‘hub’ for teens and ‘young’ entrepreneurs alike to connect to get help with there idea. I want to become the ‘voice’ for teens.
You have a passion for sports. What are some of your favorites?
I do. I like most sports but my favorites being football, rugby and athletics. I cannot stand cricket or anything to do with horses
Are you a reader?
The only books I ever read are business books. The current book I’m reading is Ryan Blair’s ‘Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain’.
More about Dale
Inspired not only by building things from scratch, but also by the world of design, Dale brings a natural motivation to appeal and connect with the current generation of teen entrepreneurs participating in the program, who have a combined age of nearly 3 years younger than its original followers (current age is 16). Having been active in the teen entrepreneurship space, including serving as a moderator at Teen Business Forum and guest blogging at EpicLaunch.com, Dale is more than equipped to serve his peers in an advisory level.
Dale is also currently planning a speaking tour starting in his native UK, where he will speak to his peers on lessons learned through sports. He is a huge advocate for giving more global recognition and opportunities to UK teens and intends to make the Teen Entrepreneur Blog just the beginning of his greater vision.
Dale’s Portfolio of Business Cards, Banners & Logos
Related Posts:
- Interview with Stephen Perkins: A Teen Entrepreneur
- Ways For Teens To Make Money Online
- Interview with Marquita Herald: The Gift Giver
- Interview with Amy Parmenter of the ParmFarm
- Interview with Nile Flores of Blondish.net
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"You’re such a smart boy!" were his first accolades heard. So, it’s no wonder that this phrase became the title of his business, Smart Boy Designs.
Read more about Christian 
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I love reading about guys like Dale. As a college student, I hope to create a creative career, and have a large effect on people, and create change where it is necessary.
So, good luck to Dale, and hopefully his success continues on into the future.
This is really cool Christian. I can see with an attitude like Dale’s he will do good in this world. Thank you for sharing Dales dreams with us. With his positive attitude he will do wonderful.
Debbie
Debbie recently posted..How to Know that you are in a Healthy Relationship!
Twitter: smartboydesigns
October 3, 2011 at 7:55 pm
You’re sure welcome, Debbie. So happy you thought his thoughts were inspiring. He sure WILL do some great things in this world. Happy to know our world has motivators like him available.
Dear Dale:
You’re hired!
Love your passion and energy and can’t wait to see what the world has in store for you!
Twitter: dale_bell
October 4, 2011 at 1:46 pm
Christian, thanks ever so much for featuring me on you’re site! I really appreciate it.
Thanks to Mark, Debbie and Christopher for you’re lovely comments
You can reach me on Twitter here – @Dale_Bell
Twitter: smartboydesigns
October 4, 2011 at 6:40 pm
You’re very much welcome. Thank YOU for taking the time to answer the questions in such a beautiful way. People are learning a lot from you.
Dale,
You’re such an inspiration for people like me. I’m already 23, 6 years behind you in time, and I haven’t even accomplished half the things you’ve achieved for yourself.
It’s people like you who motivate me and constantly make me push myself to work harder towards achieving my goal of becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Thank you for sharing and giving valuable advice that isn’t run-of-the-mill. Just wanted to let you know that your efforts have not gone to waste!
//Daniel
Daniel Lim recently posted..My Role Model in Dance: Sim Chin Ta
Twitter: dale_bell
October 7, 2011 at 3:17 am
Hi Daniel,
Glad the interview has helped someone.
Remember that you can’t predict the future, but you can invent it
“I knew then that I did not want to work for somebody all my life but to create my own future.”
They just keep getting younger and younger, don’t they? Awesome! Congrats to him!
Brock Blohm recently posted..Achieve Your Goals – A Little Piece At A Time
Chris, thanks very much for doing this wonderful with this kid prodigy. Am astounded by his little piece of wisdom about how most of the times, people who are negative are just fearful. Fearful of failure, fearful of giving it a try and not succeeding to the degree that they might wish to.
Twitter: smartboydesigns
October 6, 2011 at 12:57 pm
I loved his thoughts in that area too. I can totally identify and see it in my own life too. When I’m negative, I’m usually just scared. Always. Every time.
Twitter: dale_bell
October 7, 2011 at 3:35 am
Kid Prodigy? WOW! haha. I’ve certainly not been called that before
We are all constantly learning everyday and should relish the challenge of failing. If you don’t fail, you’re not taking a big enough calculated risk to help us reach our goal/s.
Failure is different for us all but it is just a negative state of mind that should not hold us back from what we want to achieve. The best defence against negativity is positivity.
As the great writer and novelist Michael Korda once said – “To succeed, We must first believe we can.”
Hi Christian, thank you for this interview ! It is always so inspiring to read and hear the voices of young ones. Esp those with dreams and passion to pursue what they really want. It ‘s like there is always no boundaries in their dictionary. Impossible is Nothing! Just DO IT!
The world is just so big out there! We just got to go taste it! But it is also quite disappointing to see how some youngsters don’t know what they want. Some of them will just waste their lives on streets or doing things that aren’t healthy for their future at all. But I also admire those who have since changed and moved on a new life. Cheers to more People like Dave out there, who help change and improve society.
May
Twitter: smartboydesigns
October 12, 2011 at 1:08 am
I think the beauty of what Dale is doing is that he inspires not only youngsters, but the older crowd also.
His message his trans-age. Live life, reach for more and create.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about Dale. I’m excited to have been able to get in contact with him, and feature his projects. We can and should expect great things from him.
Hi Christian, absolutely!! I just realised I typed Dale’s name incorrectly in my first post. Apologies. True, we all learn together regardless what age we are. It is so cool to see older crowd stepping back into school again to pursue what they missed out during their younger days. The best part is, sometimes they can even do better than the young ones! amazing!
May recently posted..Do you plan?
Twitter: smartboydesigns
October 12, 2011 at 1:48 am
If they have their motivation and desire in place, surely, the older ones can go back to school and work wonders. It’s awesome.