I haven't met any of the following individuals but their stories have stayed with me ever since I stumbled upon them. They're not celebrities but normal every day people who have done something different and therefore created a name for themselves online.

Jason Surfrapp―wore T-Shirts for a living

Jason has inspired me to think for myself.

Jason wanted to earn a living by doing something different. When he thought of wearing T-shirts for a living people told him he would never be able to make it a business. He managed to start I Wear Your Shirt and keep it running for three years. From that experience he grew a following and then sold his last name for $45,000 in 2012 and again for $50,000 in 2013. This year he wrote a book about his experiences and lessons learned during the last five years. He writes about social media, business, and advertising on his blog and Medium.

Jennifer Dewalt―made 180 websites in 180 days

Jennifer has inspired me to keep learning.

Jen's background is in fine art with a focus on sculpture and performance art. One day she decided she wanted to be a web developer. So she took it upon herself to learn how to code by building 180 websites in 180 days. Every day she learned a new skill, language or framework. It's interesting to see how much she learned in 6 months. By her 100th day she had already used frameworks I had only dreamed of learning. Her story made me realize that it's never too late to learn something. And when you find something you are passionate about use that passion to learn in an interesting way.

Alastair Humphreys―cycled around the world in 3 years

Alastair has inspired me to focus on the small things.

Alastair cycled around the world―it took him three years. This caught my attention but what held on to that attention was his ongoing lifestyle. He didn't just do this one big trip but he continues to do a lot of smaller ones too which he calls Microadventures. These Microadventures stirred inside me because they are all about having an adventure filled life without having to drop everything for 3 years like he did. I've learned to focus on work when I'm at work, and to focus on the small things when I'm not.

There are other people with just as impressive stories but I don't recall their names or websites. There is something different about Jason, Jen, and Alastair. I constantly check their websites to see what they may be planning to do next, or to simply re-read their stories, for a dose of inspiration. Jason clicked with my curiosity in business, Jen clicked with my experience as a website developer and love for side projects, and Alastair clicked with my thirst for adventure.