To stay a motivated and inspired entrepreneur is a difficult task in even the best conditions. Tasks and personalities under your care can get messy, and mistakes and failures happen even to the best. In the face of myriad responsibilities and expectations, it can be easy to lose track of the motivation that keeps starting and running a business easy, fresh, and full of passion.
Social media is a perfect place to get inspiration from some of the greatest thought leaders in the world. Let those who have trodden the path of entrepreneurship before you show you how it's done with their daily -- even hourly -- blasts of brilliance and advice.
Here are some of the most inspirational social media users I've found who speak directly to the heart of the entrepreneur.
1. Ryan Holmes -- @invoker
Followers: 54.8 thousand
CEO of Hootsuite and founder of new media company Invoke, Holmes is ranked a top-ten influencer on LinkedIn. This serial entrepreneur is one of the biggest proponents of tech and social media, and his influence reaches far and wide.
2. Murray Newlands -- @MurrayNewlands
Followers: 455 thousand
UK-born Murray Newlands, successful entrepreneur, columnist, global speaker, business advisor, and investor, is recognized by the U.S. government as an "alien of extraordinary ability." His presence on social media, including Vine and Instagram, reflects the hard work he does every day to be successful, utilizing gratitude and positivity at every turn.
3. Bernadette Doyle -- @bernadettedoyle
Followers: 79.7 thousand
Bernadette is changing marketing from the inside out -- literally. She teaches entrepreneurs how to attract clients by changing their mindset from seeking the clients to having them seek you. Her Twitter is full of great articles, insight, and advice on becoming a client magnet.
4. Seth Godin -- @ThisIsSethsBlog
Followers: 515 thousand
Godin's blog is one of the most followed blogs in the world. Author of 17 books (many were bestsellers) and one of the world's leading experts on the post-industrial revolution, Godin writes about leadership, the way that ideas spread, marketing and more.
5. John Rampton -- @Johnrampton
Followers: 471 thousand
Young entrepreneur and blogger John Rampton is riding the joys and sorrows of building a startup, and his inspirational quotes can inspire any bootstrapping individual who feels that rollercoaster of entrepreneurial emotion. If you want to feel less alone on your journey to success, follow Rampton.
6. Steve Blank -- @sgblank
Followers: 148 thousand
Steve Blank is more than just a heavy academic hitter named one of the "Masters of Innovation" by Harvard Business Review. Before his stints teaching Customer Development at Berkeley, Stanford, and Columbia (among other schools), Blank spent 21 years developing eight tech companies, four of which went public. In other words, he knows what he is talking about.
7. Kathryn Minshew -- @kmin
Followers: 23.6 thousand
This powerhouse YC-alum entrepreneur and founder of The Daily Muse was named one of Forbes 30-under-30, and one of Inc.'s 15 Women to Watch in Tech. Follow her social media for excellent career advice and coaching.
8. James Altucher -- @jaltucher
Followers: 147 thousand
Trader, investor, writer, and entrepreneur James Altucher has made a career out of exposing his failures. His brutally honest and insightful approach to entrepreneurship and being a good person has gained him many followers. Check out his blog and his Twitter for great life advice geared towards the business-savvy.
9. Ali Brown -- @Alibrown
Followers: 76.4 thousand
Named the "Entrepreneurial Guru for Women," online marketing maven Ali Brown was born to teach others how to build their businesses. A millionaire at age 35 and mother of twins, she now devotes her time to helping women entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses.
10. Sallie Krawcheck -- @salliekrawcheck
Followers: 34.7 thousand
Currently CEO of global professional women's network Ellevate, and soon launching Ellevest, a digital investment platform for women, Sallie Krawcheck is one of the most followed women on LinkedIn. Krawcheck used to head Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney, and her experience is extensive. She is building huge things, and you'll want to watch it unfold.
11. Tim Ferris -- @TFerriss
Followers: 1.28 million
If you want motivation, look no further than Tim Ferriss. Author of three #1 NYT bestsellers, including the Four-Hour Workweek, Ferriss has made a career out of teaching others how to work far less for more money. Follow Ferriss for tips that will change your life, from productivity to how to build more muscle.
12. Dharmesh Shah -- @Dharmesh
Followers: 278 thousand
Shah is the founder and CTO of Hubspot, and also founded OnStartups.com, an incredibly useful blog for startup entrepreneurs. Shah's blog and Twitter are essential resources for anyone looking to found a business in the tech space.
13. Paul Graham -- @PaulG
Followers: 279 thousand
In 2005, Graham and two of partners started the massively successful Y Combinator, the first startup incubator of it's kind. Not only is he an investor and advisor, Graham is also an author and programmer. If anyone knows what the next big innovations in tech are going to be, it's him.
14. Eric Knopf -- @ericknopf
Followers: 38 thousand
With his "steady stream of ridiculously interesting and helpful links for startups," Eric Knopf, founder of event management software company Webconnex, is a great resource for small business owners. Knopf runs a very small company (less than 20 employees) and holds strong values of integrity, passion, vision, and putting people first.
15. Jess Weiner -- @jessweiner
Followers: 11.2 thousand
Jess Weiner is an LA-based CEO and blogger who has made her life's mission working with brands and media to create better messages for girls and women. She is real, raw, hilarious and poignant. Weiner's work to bolster self-esteem is incredibly necessary in this day and age.
16. Neil Patel -- @neilpatel
Followers: 181 thousand
Neil Patel is a serial entrepreneur, and co-founder of KISSmetrics, Crazy Egg, Hello Bar, and QuickSprout. He is also a heavy contributor online at places such as Forbes and Entreprenuer. He is a power marketer, and conveys his knowledge in a digestable fashion.
17. Gary Vaynerchuk -- @garyvee
Followers: 1.1 million
Known as the "wine guy" Gary is not afraid to experiment across social platforms, but for famously, he is known for "jabbing" and even thanking people that follow him on Twitter! He is a great example of getting out their and putting in work.
18. Ramit Sethi -- @ramit
Followers: 97.1 thousand
Ramit is the best selling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich and talks about everything from startups, to even emails that he gets! If you are looking for a laugh, with a dose of personal finance wisdom, Ramit is your guy.
19. Leo Wildrich -- @leoWid
Followers: 37.2 thousand
Leo is the co-founder of Buffer, the easiest tool to use to schedule posts on social media. If there were two words to describe Leo, it would be transparent, and humble. Not only does he tweet about many aspects of business, but also likes to write about the successes and failures happening at Buffer.
20. Dave McClure -- @davemcclure
Followers: 307.9 thousand
Dave is the founding partner at 500 startups, a leading incubator in Silicon Valley, with a presence internationally in countries like Mexico. Dave's posts range from disruption in the venture capital space, to supporting his 500 Startups companies. If you want to learn anything about venture capital, Dave is the first person you should ask.
21. Guy Kawasaki -- @guykawasaki
Followers: 1.5 million
Guy is one of the most notable entrepreneurs globally, with experience that ranges from his time as Chief Evangelist at Apple, to running a venture capital fund. Guy shares interesting articles about startups, and even sheds light on marketing techniques to grow your business.
Who are you going to follow in 2016?