(AURN News) — Chris Koerner doesn’t look like a typical business mogul. A self-described introvert, he built a media and entrepreneurial empire from a quiet office with just a smartphone camera and a relentless drive fueled by rejection. But as corporate layoffs surge and economic uncertainty rattles working families, millions are turning to him for something rare: free, honest and practical advice on how to launch a business — no MBA required.
Koerner, a serial entrepreneur with more than 75 ventures under his belt, has gained massive popularity by sharing bite-sized business ideas across social media platforms. His message? Skip the business plan. Find a customer. Launch today.
“I just give the ideas away,” Koerner told AURN News. “I have more than I can launch, and it feels good to know people are starting businesses because of something I said.”
He’s not exaggerating. Koerner’s content has helped spark countless ventures, from pressure-washing startups to pumpkin porch-decorating side hustles. His gift, as fans describe it, lies in taking what seems ordinary and spotting hidden value — then teaching others to do the same.
His journey began not with capital but with necessity. Growing up lower-middle class, Koerner sold golf balls from a red wagon and mowed lawns to pay for school trips. At 19, he spent two years as a missionary in Eastern Europe, enduring more than 50,000 rejections while knocking on doors. That, he says, rewired his brain.
“Failure doesn’t scare me anymore,” he said. “That’s the real reason I’ve been able to try so many things.”
Koerner is now the co-founder of several successful ventures, including TexasSnax.com — a viral e-commerce operation born from selling Buc-ee’s snacks online before the brand offered e-commerce — and a growing portfolio of RV parks, digital agencies and real estate holdings. But he insists success hasn’t come easy.
“There were years I made nothing. Feast or famine. There were days I wanted someone to just tell me what to do and send a paycheck.”
Plenty of younger workers — particularly millennials and members of Gen Z — have grown disillusioned with corporate life. Many are underemployed, and some are unemployed altogether. For them, Koerner’s message lands differently. It’s not just practical — it feels like permission to try something small, be scrappy and figure things out as they go.
He especially wants working-class and overlooked communities to see entrepreneurship not as a far-off dream but as a practical option — a way forward. For those recently laid off, he suggests simple service businesses like window cleaning or helping local companies with marketing — ventures that don’t require a big investment but can bring in money fast.
Koerner is upfront about the risks. Launching a business, he says, comes with stress, uncertainty and more than a few emotional ups and downs. But he’s just as vocal about the upside — the independence it brings, the clarity of having a mission and the personal growth that comes with building something of your own.
“I don’t care about being a billionaire,” he said. “I’d rather own 10 small businesses and have fun.”
And if someone’s wondering where to start? “Find a paying customer who isn’t your mom, and go from there. That’s the only way to know if your idea works.”
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Jamie Jackson:
