Ed Rosser, founder and creative director of NX Magazine
Ed Rosser is the founder and creative director of NX Magazine, which strives to inspire and educate by showcasing and engaging members of the next generation through interviews, articles and features. NX gives it’s readers an insight into different experiences from a variety of industries and different lines of work, including entrepreneurs, students, professionals, apprentices, creatives and more.
What is your background? What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?
I remember being on a bus on my way to college thinking I want to look at anything and everything and think about how it could be made or done better for the world. I grew a love for the thought of being independent and mapping out my own path for my career. I have come to realise over the years that I’m not very academic, my GCSE’s couldn’t get me into the school I wanted to, so I had to re-think what I would be doing for 6th Form. I decided and was lucky to take up a Business course at the City of Oxford College, and this is when my business career had mentally started for me. My family is also very business savvy, and if it’s not business then it’s something creative. Surrounding myself with the right people, not just family members, this goes for friends too has also played a huge part in my mentality to want to be an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurship is realising a dream, talent or something you love and then working hard every day to make it your full-time career.
How and when did you know your idea was good enough to develop it?
Speaking about it with family, friends, contacts etc. It’s important to vocalise your ideas to the right people and get as much feedback as you can. Whoever I came across and spoke to about the project loved it and found it to be important. I have had a good hunch about it since I had the idea to start it up, but having people around you saying it’s a good idea gives you that extra push to get it done.
What would you say are the top 3 skills that needed to be a successful entrepreneur? Why?
Dedication, a burning passion & faith.
What is your favourite part of being an entrepreneur?
Being able to direct my own path for my career.
What individual, company or organization inspires you most? Why?
A$AP ROCKY – First of all I’m a big fan of his music and how he switches up his style on all of his projects, down to the music, videos, photography, branding etc etc. A$AP stands for ‘Always Strive and Prosper’ and as an entrepreneur, this is a saying I like to live by.
If you had 5 minutes with the above individual/ company/organization, what would you want to ask or discuss?
I luckily have had the chance to meet him which was one of the best moments in my life! Unfortunately, I wasn’t running the magazine at the time, I was just exploring the idea of starting up a clothing brand. He gave me some good energy and words of motivation which I’ll take with me.
If I could re-visit that situation now I would ask to do an interview and get him on the cover of the magazine! Maybe one day. If he accepted the interview then I would have a few questions for him!
What would you say have been some of your mistakes, failures or lessons learned as an entrepreneur?
Not acting quick enough for certain situations.
Taking a back seat when work seems completed, there should always be something to do, you have to always keep working as there is always something to do!!
How have you funded your ideas?
All personal so far, I have worked at a few jobs full-time and part-time to help save money to invest in projects. I have worked mainly in the food and beverage industry including Soho Farmhouse, Itsu as a sushi chef, Weatherspoons, St Edmunds Hall to name a few. Then it has just been a case of re-investing whatever I invest and get back. I am looking for a big injection of cash to fund some bigger ideas for the magazine to be able to take some bigger and important steps, but we’re working and we will see what happens.
What is good about being an entrepreneur in Oxfordshire? Bad?
Being an entrepreneur in Oxford has its pros and cons. A lot of young people can’t live here because of the cost of living around here, so I find a lot of my work comes from elsewhere. For inspiration Oxford has it all, it’s an amazing place with a lot of history. I have been lucky enough to have been brought up here.
If a new entrepreneur or startup came to you looking for entrepreneurship resources, where would you send them? (Anything Oxfordshire especially!)
I would send them to my website (www.nxmagazine.com) and my magazine which has a lot of success stories from entrepreneurs. I would also say invest your time to watch Gary Vee, a Belarusian-American entrepreneur who posts very useful content on YouTube.
Any last words of advice?
Follow your dreams always, but understand realising your dreams might take time. Nothing can stop you if you keep working regardless.
