Portfolio Portrait: Be Afraid, Just Not of Failure

Editor's note: In a video series, Portfolio.com is talking with young entrepreneurs about their backgrounds, their companies, and their philosophies about business. Click here to see more videos on YouTube.

Scott Gerber is a very busy man. An entrepreneur in his own right—he founded a video PR company called Sizzle It!—Gerber's also established himself as an expert on the topic of youth entrepreneurship with columns in several publications (including Portfolio.com) and by authoring the book Never Get a "Real" Job.

On Wednesday, Gerber launched his latest initiative: the website for the Young Entrepreneur Council, an organization he founded last year as a home for ambitious, self-made business professionals under the age of 30. The website bills itself as "the world's first help desk for young entrepreneurs."

Recently, Gerber spoke to Portfolio.com about how he approaches business, how he balances his personal and professional lives, and what he tells young entrepreneurs. "Be afraid. Be very, very afraid, but not afraid to fail," Gerber says, adding that the fear should be about not experiencing life to its fullest.

See the full video here:

See more entrepreneurs in these Portfolio Portrait videos:

• Arel Moodie Hits the Road: Arel Moodie is a different kind of entrepreneur. The business he co-owns isn't about technology or e-commerce or professional services. It's about inspiration.
• Ryan Allis' Call to Action: Here’s a bad week: a deal to buy your business for $100 million falls through and your business partner gets cancer. That’s what happened to Ryan Allis, CEO of iContact. Hear how those experiences gave him a new approach to his company.
• Adam Witty Books It: The founder and CEO of Advantage Media Group, a publishing and video company based in Charleston, South Carolina, offers his story about how he grew his business and the advice he'd give a young entrepreneur.
• Cameron Johnson, a Young Veteran: If anyone could be described as a "born entrepreneur," it would be Johnson. With a dozen startups to his name, Johnson says he doesn't accept "no" for an answer.