The 20 Year-Old Who Built Seven Businesses (And Made Forbes 30 Under 30) | Dylan Capshaw

Most people wait until they feel qualified to start. Dylan Capshaw started before the world had any reason to think he was qualified at all. At 11 years old, he launched his first venture, a wildlife rescue that taught him the fundamentals of running a business. By 16, he opened Stemistry, a brick and mortar flower bar and coffee shop, becoming one of the youngest retail owners in the country. Today, at 20 years old, he has built or acquired seven ventures across retail, hospitality, nonprofits, and software, and was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list. But what makes Dylan's story remarkable is not just how young he started. It's that he did it without waiting for permission. While most of us spend years convincing ourselves the timing is not right, Dylan was already building. While others wait for approval, Dylan was learning through failure. While the rest of us overthink the first step, Dylan was already ten steps ahead. In this conversation, Dylan walks through what it actually takes to start before you are ready, how he leads people twice his age, why he hires people smarter than him, and what happens when your back is against the wall and you have no choice but to figure it out. He also gets honest about the cost of building multiple businesses at once, the voices that still try to sabotage him, why discipline matters more than motivation, and what he learned from losing control of one of his own stores. This is not a conversation about hustle culture or grinding yourself into the ground. This is about clarity, persistence, and the willingness to take the first step even when no one is watching. In this episode: How Dylan started his first business at 11 years old Why his parents let him raise exotic animals in their backyard What a wildlife rescue taught him about running a real business How he launched a flower business with zero dollars and zero experience Why he started hiring employees at 15 years old What it feels like to interview people twice your age How he lost control of one of his own stores and what he did to fix it Why delegation was his biggest blind spot The difference between faking it till you make it and actually learning What happens when your staff turns against you How he handles imposter syndrome as a 20 year old CEO Why he only hires people smarter than him What fortune favors action really means How to know when to pivot versus when to stay persistent Why discipline will always matter more than motivation What the graveyard is the best place for ideas actually means How to balance college, social life, and running multiple businesses Why he does not chase money or status What one life means to him and why it drives everything he does Dylan Capshaw is a 20 year old entrepreneur, Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, and founder of Stemistry, a flower bar and coffee shop with locations in Old Town Scottsdale and Downtown Phoenix. He also runs the Wild West Party Bus and continues to build businesses across multiple industries. Learn more about Dylan: https://dylancapshaw.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dylan.capshaw Nobody needs to give you permission to start. Timing is never right. You just have to take the first step and go for it. Chapters Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: One Life, Running Towards Goals Like We're On Fire 00:01:13 The Journey Begins: From Wildlife Rescue to Business at 11 Years Old 00:06:44 COVID Pivot: Building a Flower Empire from the Backyard 00:10:58 Why Wait? Nobody Needs to Give You Permission to Start 00:15:41 The College Decision: When Your Parents Finally Cave 00:20:12 Fortune Favors Action: Effort vs Results 00:33:39 Hiring People Twice Your Age: The Challenge of Young Leadership 00:46:02 The Rogue Store: When You Lose Control of Your Own Business 01:06:45 The Voices That Try to Sabotage You 01:21:18 One Life: Why We Should Run Towards Our Goals Like We're On Fire 01:26:38 When to Quit: Persistence vs Knowing When to Pivot #entrepreneurship #youngentrepreneur #business #leadership #forbes30under30