Isac is a 20-year-old ambitious young man from Sweden who launched his first business at just 17. He started by buying used sneakers, restoring them, and flipping them for a profit. Over the years, he’s gained experience in various fields, including e-commerce, reselling, and social media marketing.
Today, he runs Origin Stories, an agency dedicated to helping content creators monetize their audiences through communities, courses, and newsletters. Isac’s mission is to empower his clients to build businesses with purpose, something they can be proud to showcase to the world.
Isac Marginean, Agency Owner
Can you share a defining moment in your life that shaped who you are today?
A moment that changed my life? Joining the gym. The gym saved me. It saved me from the streets, from sin, and from myself. But the truth is, the gym was just a tool, because GOD was the one who truly gave me a second chance.
I was going down the wrong path, hanging around the wrong people, doing the wrong things at the wrong time, just being stupid.
When I first joined the gym, I hated it. I actually wanted to quit six months in. But then, I made a decision to go all in. That’s when everything changed. Six months later, I looked in the mirror and smiled. I told myself, "Man, I’ve come a long way." That feeling—it’s addicting.
The gym built me up, not just physically, but mentally. It made me think about what I truly wanted in life. It allowed me, for the first time, to dream. To visualize the life I wanted. Because growing up, I never had someone I wanted to be like.
What were some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced, and how did you overcome them?
I’ve faced many challenges throughout my life.
I was born two months early, my lungs weren’t fully developed, and the chances of me surviving were slim to none. That day, I was supposed to die.
At nine years old, I was bullied for being overweight and wearing the same clothes to school. As a kid, that made me feel like everyone else was better than me, like they had more, like they were rich and I was poor.
At seventeen, I started my first business, which sounds amazing, right? But that was also the year I fell into depression. My father doesn’t even know this. We were in the gym together every day, and still, he didn’t notice.
On top of that, the people I once called friends turned on me by laughing and saying I should quit, and that I should feel ashamed of myself for starting a business.
At eighteen, my father nearly died. He had a heart attack and was close to losing his life. When it happened, I felt a fire inside me, like I could turn the entire apartment complex upside down.
My father is one of the strongest people I know. And ironically, the very next day, when I visited him in the hospital, the first thing he asked me was, “When can we go to the gym?”
Now, at 20, I feel behind in life. Stressed. Anxious. Like everything I’ve worked for was for nothing. Like I’m going nowhere. Like I’m being judged by everyone.
And on top of all this, I come from a broken home. I’ve never felt truly safe or at peace. There’s more to that story, but out of respect for my parents, I’ll leave it out for now.
I’m the kind of person who takes responsibility for everything I do. Even when it’s not my fault, I own it. That can be a good thing, but sometimes, I beat myself up over it for too long, and all it does is hurt me.
But despite everything, in these three years of being in business, I’ve built myself up as a person in ways I never imagined. I’ve broken out of my shell. I’ve become me.
And for that, I’m thankful. I’m thankful for the hard times because they made me who I am. Without them, I wouldn’t be half the man I am today. Because of that, I’m proud of myself.
Was there a turning point where you decided to take control of your own story? What inspired that decision?
I know that if I don’t take control of my life, no one else will. As a man, no one is going to save you. You have to pick yourself up from the ground over and over again and still act like everything is fine. That inspires me.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Where other people quit, I start.
Through this journey, I’ve learned so much about myself, business, and people. I’ve established values, figured out what I truly want in life. And even though I feel lost right now, deep down, I still have a vision for my future.
I want inner peace. A strong relationship with God. Financial independence. A loyal woman to share my life with. My own place. To personally pay off my father’s loans and finally send him on that trip to America he’s always dreamed of.
To me, that’s success.
It’s not about the money or the cars, it’s about experiences. It’s about the life you build and the meaningful relationships you create while you’re here on earth.
What lessons have you learned from your struggles that you hope to pass on to others?
So if you’re going through something today, if it feels like nothing is working, like nothing is going your way, be thankful. Because this is what’s going to build you into the person you’re meant to be.
I know it’s hard. Cry if you need to. And when you do, thank God for it.
One thing my father once told me, something I’ll never forget, is:
"Hard times create strong men. Strong men create easy times. Easy times create weak men."
“My grandfather walked. My father rode a camel. I’m in a Mercedes. My son is in a Ferrari. My grandson is in a Rolls-Royce. But my great-grandson will be walking again.”
This is what it’s all about. We need to build strong people, and that starts with hard times. Without struggle, we have nothing.
There’s no good without bad. No sun without rain. No joy without pain.
If someone is going through a difficult time right now, what message would you want them to hear from your journey?
I strongly encourage you, when you feel like you’re at your lowest, get down on your knees and pray. Only God knows the plans He has for you. Only He knows how your future will unfold.
Keep going. Don’t give up. It always gets the hardest right before you win.
Never stop. Never give up. You got this.
I’m Isac, and this is my story.
If this spoke to you, it would mean the world to me if you shared it with someone who needs to hear it. I want to help as many people as possible through my journey and my words.
Thank you for reading.
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