BIO: Will Basta co-founded Ascend Ecom, an e-commerce automation agency and investment management company combining logistics, wholesale distribution, and e-commerce growth.
STORY: Will felt obliged to follow his family’s steps and went to university as a pre-med student. This left him with over $100,000 in student loans, yet he feels he’d have pursued other interests.
LEARNING: Take your time before rushing to the next phase in life. There are many options for acquiring knowledge; don’t limit yourself to university.
“Things change all the time. So step outside the rate race box laid out in society.”
Will Basta
Guest profile
Will Basta is the co-founder of Ascend Ecom, an e-commerce automation agency and investment management company, the only company in the industry capable of combining logistics, wholesale distribution, and e-commerce growth all into one.
With two years in the business, he’s made Ascend Ecom a company comprised of 500+ clients, two warehouses in Dallas, 100’s of employees, and millions of monthly revenues.
Worst investment ever
Will comes from a family of well-educated high fliers. His elder sisters went to Ivy League universities and are successful professionals. When he finished high school, Will felt obliged to go to the university and take the pre-med direction.
One of Will’s sisters took a $20,000 loan for him, but he had to pay the rest of the college fees. This saw him spend well over $100,000 in student loans and graduate with a general degree.
Will regrets rushing into university and putting himself in serious debt, yet he doesn’t see the value of that university experience. He wishes he had taken a full year after graduating high school and thought things through before joining the university.
Lessons learned
- There’s a lot of time, so you can take your time before deciding what’s next.
- University isn’t 100% necessary.
Andrew’s takeaways
- There are many options for acquiring knowledge; don’t limit yourself to university.
Actionable advice
Take your time because life goes by fast. Be aware of life’s rollercoaster and take a step back at every benchmark and chapter in your life.
Will’s recommended resource
Will recommends reading the book Own the Day, Own Your Life: Optimized Practices for Waking, Working, Learning, Eating, Training, Playing, Sleeping, and Sex. It touches on pretty much everything from waking up in the morning, what you eat, professional life, sex, partnerships, etc.
No.1 goal for the next 12 months
Will’s number one goal for the next 12 months is to keep bringing value to his clients and to take his company global. He wants to get into the Canadian and UK markets.
Parting words
“Stay positive, stay on the path and remember that being present is extremely important.”
Will Basta
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