69. Making a World More Respectful, Stylish, Gentlemanly

With an industrious mother and grandfather, Zacchary worked in family businesses in his teens, making up for time lost to childhood illness. Launching his first of many companies at 19, with guidance and support of his developer / restaurateur grandfather, he embarked on the entrepreneurial path he follows to this day.

Having spent 70% of his childhood quite ill, Zacchary was despondent. At age 12, he contemplated suicide. Perched several floors above ground in the latest house his mother had bought to flip and resell, he convinced himself, “No, I’m not going to do that. I’m going to change my life.” And he did.

Fed up with the coarseness of modern life, Zacchary observes, “The first rule of life is to be nice. People are so wrapped up in their own little bubbles, they forget how to be nice to others, and it can be the smallest of things, like calling people by name.”

“I have a love-hate relationship with technology. I love social media, but I also think it’s a time- and energy-sapper. I love Twitter and Pinterest as social media engines.” For online tools, Zacchary is a fan of Trello, a task management system, and Evernote. “I love Evernote,” he says. “It’s my life-saver.”