Most Americans spend their 20s working, in some capacity, for The Man. It’s not a bad deal – you do his bidding for 40 hours a week, and he cuts you a check like clockwork. If you’re lucky, the insurance plan is decent.

But an enterprising few escape the cubicle farm or the checkout counter to build their own businesses. They learn quickly that, in his own way, The Man works harder than anybody else. They also find the rewards are worthwhile.

Some of these young entrepreneurs can be found in Augusta, and they shared the secrets of their success with Lounge.

Meet...

The music venue owner and promoter: Musician Nick Laws, 26, opened rock club Sector 7G in 2005.

The restaurateurs: Colleen McBride, 27, Peter McBride, 29, and John Pannell, 31, are developing White Azalea, a 45,000-square-foot eatery in downtown Augusta.

The retailer: “I walked through fire for this store,” Adam Tolar says of Big City Music. He bought the business in 2004, at age 20, with loans from banks and family.

The real estate developer: Starting at 29 with little money, Tyson Schuetze did renovations himself and rolled profits from his first property into the next. Now he has an employee who manages construction projects.