“What are your goals… what are the babysteps to those goals… and do you have them written down? If not, why?”
All by the age of 25, Todd VanDuzer has:
- Earned over $85,000 in college scholarships to ASU W.P. Carey where he graduated with a degree in Business with honors.
- Co-founded Student-Tutor, a successful tutoring company that has helped clients nationwide skyrocket their grades & test scores
- Co-founded Duzer & Koh LLC, a property management and real estate investment company that currently owns 4 properties in Tempe, AZ.
- Founded a non-profit, Desert Canvas, an organization that helps communities grow through conscious based music and arts festivals.
- Traveled to over 33 countries, rock climbed 2000+ foot cliffs, and highlined 3200 feet over the fjords in Norway.
- Provided marketing consulting for million dollar start ups.
- And more!
Todd attributes his success in multiple areas of life to…
- Self-Efficacy: Extent or strength of one’s belief in one’s own ability to complete tasks and reach goals.
- SMART Goal Development: The process of developing lofty goals with SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) babysteps.
- Organization Management: Using stress free techniques to increase productivity and efficiency from nationally recognized books such as Traction and Get it Done with his own twist.
- Social Interaction: Understanding the psychology/science behind people and how to develop, manage, and lead a team that likes, trusts, and follows you toward a common goal.
Learn More About Todd
Early Years
From an early age, Todd figured out ways to make his goals a reality. In middle school he started a stringing machine business, saved up his profits, and — instead of buying a new Xbox like most kids would — he purchased investment books so he could self-learn how to invest in the stock market.
That same year he decided to break the mile record at school, a record that had not been broken for over 10 years. He started training by running laps by himself around the track after school and later inspired his PE coach with his tenacity to offer better guidance once she realized he was serious. He ended up breaking the mile record plus 7 additional track records that year.
He earned the title of Valedictorian and was voted best athlete of the year.
High School
In high school Todd continued pushing himself and ran a 4:27 mile on the track team, graduated with a 4.3 GPA, started a successful tutoring business, and earned over $85,000 in scholarships for college. He was Captain of the cross country and track team and helped take his team to the California State Championships two years in a row.
College
At age 18 and a freshman at ASU, Todd decided to be on his own financially, taking no money from his parents even though they offered it. Using a tax credit and student loans Todd went out to purchase his first home at age 19 and started traveling internationally spring of his freshmen year once he figured out he could fly for free using his father’s flight benefits.
His first tutoring company funded his 5 trips to Europe, Costa Rica, and South America over the course of 2 years until the company went bankrupt due to him focusing more on travel and fun – something he will NEVER regret.
Todd continued to take his own approach throughout college, traveling internationally often and taking classes that interested him rather than what was advised such as hip hop, latin, and country dance. Todd dabbled in a couple of other ventures that did not go anywhere.
As he approached his last year of college and needed to complete an honors thesis to graduate he decided to create a business plan for a new tutoring company. Todd worked on the business plan and partnered with Laura Petersen, a credentialed teacher with a Master’s in Secondary Education to help develop the company. The company launched a couple months before he graduated.
Post College
Since graduating from college Todd has done many successful and exciting things including:
- won a 30-day trip through China with a friend and $7,500 where he helped promote CheapOair via social media
- partnered with Derek Koh to purchase 3 successful rental investments
- grown Student-Tutor to be a successful tutoring company that helps students nationwide skyrocket their grades and test scores
- rock climbed 2000+ foot cliffs across the world
- been hired as a marketing consultant for million dollars start ups
- founded a music festival with an estimated 5,000 person attendance this year
- and given speeches in front of 500+ people at high schools, companies, and events.
Todd is now preparing to embark on a 5 year trip around the world in his van giving motivational speeches, growing the festival, and enjoying what life has to offer.
Did you know?… In 2012 Todd VanDuzer won an all expenses paid trip to China for 30 days where he helped promote CheapOAir via social media! On the trip Todd lost his iPhone, ran across the Great Wall of China, sang karaoke with locals, did the world’s biggest bungee jump, and more.