Start small, use your experiences, your skills and interests, the people you know and have helped to find an idea that could start your side business/side quest, then Click Publish on it and learn from the response.
First Steps for Starting Your Snowball
This is the overall process for starting something small and growing it.
1. Everything Counts – inventory every job, skill, hobby, relationship, audience you’ve served
2. Find Your Fire – what lights you up, what you go down rabbit holes on, what pisses you off
3. Connect The Dots – look for themes and patterns, then paste it into ChatGPT/Claude and ask for hidden themes
4. Find Problems – who is the specific person with a pain you know how to solve?
5. Imagine The Possibilities – what’s the dream, what could be— keep it light
6. Choose Your Snowball – pick ONE that aligns with skills + excitement + natural next step
7. Launch / Click Publish – simple landing page / website in a weekend, not 15 minutes
8. Listen and Learn – get feedback and evidence: who pings you, what patterns emerge
9. Keep It Rolling – iterate, tweak offer/audience, build momentum
Hi, I’m Cory Miller.
Entrepreneur. Builder. Teacher. Mentor. And a lifelong believer in the power of small beginnings.
For almost 20 years, I’ve been starting businesses, building teams, creating products, connecting people, and helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into something real.
But my entrepreneurial journey didn’t begin with some grand vision or master plan.
It started with curiosity.
Back in 2005, I was at a crossroads in my career. I’d worked in journalism and church communications, spent time in seminary, and was trying to figure out what came next.
I started a blog to share what I’d learned. That led me to WordPress, where I started experimenting with websites and themes. I released a free WordPress theme, and people started asking me to help with their websites.
That turned into freelancing.
And freelancing eventually led to founding iThemes in 2008, a WordPress software company I grew with an incredible team to millions in annual revenue, serving customers around the world. In 2018, we sold iThemes to Liquid Web.
One small thing led to another.
And another.
And another.
That’s how my first big entrepreneurial snowball got rolling.
Since then, I’ve continued building businesses, supporting entrepreneurs, developing communities, teaching, mentoring, and helping people navigate the challenges and opportunities of doing something of their own.
Along the way, I’ve experienced plenty of successes. But I’ve also had ideas that flopped, projects that fizzled, wrong turns, setbacks, and seasons when I wasn’t sure what came next.
And I’ve learned something important through all of it.
Everything counts. Everything builds.
The experiences we have, the things we learn, the people we meet, the interests we follow, and even the things that don’t work out can become ingredients for whatever comes next.
Why I Am Doing This
One of the most meaningful parts of my career hasn’t been the businesses I’ve built or the products I’ve launched.
It’s been the people.
The entrepreneurs I’ve helped get started. The people I’ve mentored. The connections I’ve made. The moments when somebody discovers they’re capable of something they didn’t think was possible.
I love those moments.
And that’s why I am launching Snowball School.
I want to help more people discover what’s possible for them—and then actually do something about it.
Maybe you’re dreaming about starting a side hustle or business. Maybe you’ve got an idea you’ve been sitting on for years. Maybe you’re at a crossroads, wondering what else you could do with everything you’ve learned and experienced.
Or maybe you simply have a curiosity you’d love to explore.
I believe there’s something worth discovering in all of that.
And I believe you don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin.
Through Snowball School, I’m sharing what I’ve learned about entrepreneurship, creativity, technology, people, and taking ideas into the real world.
We’ll start small. We’ll experiment. We’ll put things out there. We’ll learn from what happens. And we’ll keep moving.
Because sometimes a blog becomes a business.
Sometimes a hobby becomes a new career.
Sometimes a small idea becomes something you never could have imagined.
And sometimes the most important thing you discover is what you’re capable of.
That’s what Snowball School is about.
Helping you find your snowball, take that first step, and see where it leads.
I’m glad you’re here.
— Cory
Everything counts. Start small. Keep rolling.