--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Believe it or not, the first spark for…" description: "\"Believe it or not, the first spark for everything I've done today came down to me meeting one person in college who changed my life. A student named An..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/elliott-bisnow-50506_across_believe-it-or-not-the-first-spark-for-ev_425712.jpg" --- # Believe it or not, the first spark for everything I've… ![“Believe it or not, the first spark for everything I've done today came down to me meeting one person in college who changed my life. A student named Anthony Adams who lived across the hall from me in our freshman dorm showed me what it meant to be an 'entrepreneur' when I saw him launch his own…” quote by Elliott Bisnow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/elliott-bisnow-50506_across_believe-it-or-not-the-first-spark-for-ev_425712.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/elliott-bisnow-50506_across_believe-it-or-not-the-first-spark-for-ev_425712.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/elliott-bisnow-50506_across_believe-it-or-not-the-first-spark-for-ev_425712.jpg) > “Believe it or not, the first spark for everything I've done today came down to me meeting one person in college who changed my life. A student named Anthony Adams who lived across the hall from me in our freshman dorm showed me what it meant to be an 'entrepreneur' when I saw him launch his own start-up company.” [Elliott Bisnow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-bisnow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A chance encounter with a college roommate sparked the entrepreneurial drive that led to many ventures. **In simple terms:** Meeting a roommate sparked entrepreneurial drive. Key Takeaway Seek inspiring peers to ignite ambition. Themes entrepreneurship mentorship college life networking inspiration Mood enthusiastic reflective Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - startup brainstorming - career counseling - network events Key Concepts social capital role models career development Questions to Reflect On - Who in your life has sparked your ambition? - How can you become that spark for others? A Different Perspective Not all encounters lead to lasting impact; follow‑through is essential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Across](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/across/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came/) [Changed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed/) [Changed life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changed-life/) [College](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/college/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Dorm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dorm/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneur/) [Entrepreneur Saw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneur-saw-2184577/) [Everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everything/) [First](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first/) [Freshman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freshman/) [Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hall/) [Him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/him/) [His](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/his/) [Launch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/launch/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lived/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Meant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meant/) [Meant Entrepreneur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meant-entrepreneur-3764128/) [Meant to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meant-to-be/) [Meeting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meeting/) [My life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-life/) [Named](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/named/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/own/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Saw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saw/) [Spark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spark/) [Start up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-up/) [Student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/student/) [Student Named](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/student-named-3764129/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) ## Related quotes > [I don't give up. I'm definitely meant to be an entrepreneur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-yeoh/i-don-t-give-up-i-m-definitely-meant-to-be-an-entrepreneur/) [Cheryl Yeoh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-yeoh/) > [“One fall day in Boston, a tall mechanical engineering student named Joe entered the student union at Harvard University. He was all ambition and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/one-fall-day-in-boston-a-tall-mechanical-engineering-student-named/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“There is something indefinable in an entrepreneur, and I saw that in Steve," he said. " He was interested not just in engineering, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/there-is-something-indefinable-in-an-entrepreneur-and-i-saw-that-in/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [“As ever, the accountant in me saw the risk, the entrepreneur saw the possibility. So I split the difference and kept moving forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-knight/as-ever-the-accountant-in-me-saw-the-risk-the-entrepreneur-saw-the/) [Phil Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-knight/) > [“You need to have faith in yourself. Be brave and take risks. You don't have to have it all figured out to move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/you-need-to-have-faith-in-yourself-be-brave-and-take-risks-you-don-t/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [In 1991, I co-founded my first start-up, Ink Development, which made software for an early tablet computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-omidyar/in-1991-i-co-founded-my-first-start-up-ink-development-which-made/) [Pierre Omidyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-omidyar/) > [The first rule of successful business is - treat it as a business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kushal-desai/the-first-rule-of-successful-business-is-treat-it-as-a-business/) [Kushal Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kushal-desai/) > [American nuclear reactors are well into middle age. The median age of an operating reactor in the U.S. is 34 years, placing start-up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/american-nuclear-reactors-are-well-into-middle-age-the-median-age-of/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [For me, the winning strategy in any start-up business is, 'Think big but start small.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-busquets/for-me-the-winning-strategy-in-any-start-up-business-is-think-big-but/) [Carmen Busquets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-busquets/) > [Even though it was a start-up with fewer than 20 people, and I was pregnant with my first child, the best decision I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-wojcicki/even-though-it-was-a-start-up-with-fewer-than-20-people-and-i-was/) [Susan Wojcicki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-wojcicki/) > [“Don't wait for the right moment to start, start and make each moment right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/don-t-wait-for-the-right-moment-to-start-start-and-make-each-moment/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [“Real change is difficult at the beginning, but gorgeous at the end. Change begins the moment you get the courage and step outside your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-t-bennett/real-change-is-difficult-at-the-beginning-but-gorgeous-at-the-end/) [Roy T. Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-t-bennett/) > [It's much harder these days as a start-up to do physical devices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andreessen/it-s-much-harder-these-days-as-a-start-up-to-do-physical-devices/) [Marc Andreessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andreessen/) > [Like many start-up stories, mine has been rocky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-lubetzky/like-many-start-up-stories-mine-has-been-rocky/) [Daniel Lubetzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-lubetzky/) > [Lease terms don't fit start-up lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-hirschfeld/lease-terms-don-t-fit-start-up-lives/) [Alexa Hirschfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-hirschfeld/) ## More by Elliott Bisnow > [Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship. It drives everything: Job creation, poverty alleviation, innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-bisnow/entrepreneurship-entrepreneurship-entrepreneurship-it-drives/) [Elliott Bisnow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-bisnow/) > [Everyone has an 'I thought Elliott was crazy' story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-bisnow/everyone-has-an-i-thought-elliott-was-crazy-story/) [Elliott Bisnow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-bisnow/) > [I believe the quickest and most sure way to reduce poverty, raise living standards and create jobs around the world is to make economies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-bisnow/i-believe-the-quickest-and-most-sure-way-to-reduce-poverty-raise/) [Elliott Bisnow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-bisnow/) > [That's what my life has come down to - how can I have fun for me, be with my friends and my family, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-bisnow/that-s-what-my-life-has-come-down-to-how-can-i-have-fun-for-me-be/) [Elliott Bisnow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-bisnow/) > [There is no greater feeling in business than building a product which impacts people's lives in a profound way. When we look around at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-bisnow/there-is-no-greater-feeling-in-business-than-building-a-product-which/) [Elliott Bisnow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-bisnow/) > [The only currency isn't money. For me, it's about how can you build a good business that's also a social business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-bisnow/the-only-currency-isn-t-money-for-me-it-s-about-how-can-you-build-a/) [Elliott Bisnow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-bisnow/) [Explore all 7 Elliott Bisnow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-bisnow/) ## More Across quotes > [I realized I couldn't be a journalist because I like to take a side, to have an opinion and a point a view; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-realized-i-couldn-t-be-a-journalist-because-i-like-to-take-a-side/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [Many of us believe that we need health care reform. That being said - Americans felt like they weren't being listened to. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/many-of-us-believe-that-we-need-health-care-reform-that-being-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What happens is this sort of bleed-over from the tabloids across your movie work. You go to a movie, you only go once. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/what-happens-is-this-sort-of-bleed-over-from-the-tabloids-across-your/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [I've never been invited to do an exhibition or do a talk in England, except once, about 10 years ago. I've given talks all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wildsmith/i-ve-never-been-invited-to-do-an-exhibition-or-do-a-talk-in-england/) [Brian Wildsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wildsmith/) > [Realizing that they can't get their agenda across: against religious liberty, against a culture of life, they can't get those issues across through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-parsley/realizing-that-they-can-t-get-their-agenda-across-against-religious/) [Rod Parsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-parsley/) > [I think if you look all across the country, the so-called Blue Dogs are all gone to kennel. There are no more Blue Dogs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-think-if-you-look-all-across-the-country-the-so-called-blue-dogs/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I look forward to the day that a lot of the folks that you all talk about and cover on this network will begin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-look-forward-to-the-day-that-a-lot-of-the-folks-that-you-all-talk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't know how 'X Factor' works. I was only there as a guest judge for a day. But I watched 'The Voice' a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ora/i-don-t-know-how-x-factor-works-i-was-only-there-as-a-guest-judge-for/) [Rita Ora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ora/) > [I'm liking the Bundesliga. There's a lot of top, top defenders that you come across.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reiss-nelson/i-m-liking-the-bundesliga-there-s-a-lot-of-top-top-defenders-that-you/) [Reiss Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reiss-nelson/) > [In my district, I have a very clear mandate to work across the aisle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elissa-slotkin/in-my-district-i-have-a-very-clear-mandate-to-work-across-the-aisle/) [Elissa Slotkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elissa-slotkin/) > [Mahindra's brand strategy is about niches across areas of mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anand-mahindra/mahindra-s-brand-strategy-is-about-niches-across-areas-of-mobility/) [Anand Mahindra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anand-mahindra/) > [When I was in Greenough, Montana, I came across a bear cub. I was off this path, and I thought, If there's a bear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-roker/when-i-was-in-greenough-montana-i-came-across-a-bear-cub-i-was-off/) [Al Roker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-roker/) > [Extreme weather threatens our energy and electric grid, federal buildings, transportation infrastructure, access to natural resources, public health, our relationships across the globe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cartwright/extreme-weather-threatens-our-energy-and-electric-grid-federal/) [Matt Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cartwright/) > [We have a workforce crisis across the NHS with around 100,000 vacancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-javid/we-have-a-workforce-crisis-across-the-nhs-with-around-100-000/) [Sajid Javid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-javid/) > [It's time for all of us to unite across the state of Washington to build a working Washington. Let's get to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/it-s-time-for-all-of-us-to-unite-across-the-state-of-washington-to/) [Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/) [Browse all 722 Across quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/across/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Believe it or not, the first spark for everything I've done today came down to me meeting one person in college who changed my life. 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