Nic lives in Canberra, Australia and is SPURstartup's first official ambassador. Nic has a passion for entrepreneurship. After taking FirstGear, our intro startup course, he asked how he could be involved to spread the word about SPURstartup to other high school students in Australia. Our answer? Welcome to the team, mate.  Get to know Nic and his passions! Check out the Q&A below.

Why are you interested in Entrepreneurship?

"Ever since I was young I have loved exploring news ideas and new ways to learn. I enjoy taking risks, working hard and being someone who wants to bring something new and improved into the world. I was fortunate to grow up around business as my dad is a consultant/entrepreneur, he played a huge part in me wanting to be an entrepreneur and gave me the love for business. In school, the topics I enjoyed most were centered around themes that consisted with business and entrepreneurship."

What are you most passionate about?

"My passion lies with three things that really shape my life. The first thing is family and friends, I love spending time with family and friends and building relationships and sharing experiences. Giving back to the community is something I place an immense value on. My third passion is sports, growing up my family would always be playing sports in the backyard and enjoying what nature had to offer."

What do you see as the biggest obstacle young entrepreneurs face?

"First the facts. over 90% of startups fail. I believe there are two big obstacles entrepreneurs face. The first obstacle is entrepreneurs are stuck in the mindset that they have to do everything in the business from finance to sales. Learning how to ask for help and take on board other people’s opinions is vital. Asking for help doesn’t show your weakness, it shows you want to learn. SPUR gives entrepreneurs a chance to ask questions and get the support every young entrepreneur needs. The second obstacle entrepreneurs face is work ethic.

'The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary'

This is one great quote. Working long hours to perfect your business or product is all about being an entrepreneur, knowing how to work hard is something entrepreneurs must know."

Why do you want to take SPUR to the Outback?

"Australia is developing a growing startup culture. While the demographics are different to the United States, the opportunities and innovations are abundant. I think there are so many unique ideas in Australia that are not being acted on because people do not have the knowledge of how to go about being an entrepreneur. SPUR is a great resource to teach young entrepreneurs like myself the steps to take to set up a business, and information you have to think about in order to maximize your business! I hope to educate people in Australia of SPUR and launch more Aussie startups!"