Here he is!
Part of my job is talking with cool people and recently I got a chance to chat with Jason Bay of GenY Success.
Jason is fascinated by what makes successful people tick (kinda like me) and has created a business around answering that question.
He’s a top performer, marketing/business consultant, he’s interviewed 73+ uber successful entrepreneurs in various industries on his podcast and is an all around ninja-bad-ass.
He and I connected and talked about what's driving successful people today (Hint: It’s different than previous generations).
Just and FYI: I took your struggles, suggestions and comments and formed the interview based on those. So if you’ve asked me a question before, you’ll probably find the answer here.
In this interview, we talk about:
- Habits, Routines and Productivity: Morning routines of world class performers, productivity hacks, and maintaining high energy levels despite working such long hours.
- Marketing, Influence, Mindset and Dealing With People: How to find your mentor over a glass of beer, the single most important aspect of branding, and the secrets of massive self belief.
- Resources, books and tools: His most suggested book (hint: it's on my book list), why Ramit Sethi is one person you should be following and the best course in the world about starting your own business from scratch.
If you have additional questions for Jason, leave them in the comments section below.
With no further ado... here's my QA with Jason Bay of GenY Success.
On Habits, Routines and Productivity
BA: We all know the importance of morning routines. After interviewing so many successful people, how has your morning routine changed and what does it look like now?
JB: Hal Elrod wrote a book called the Miracle Morning, which completely opened my eyes to the importance of a solid morning routine. The biggest change I’ve added to my morning routine is asking myself, “Is what I’m about to do today getting me closer to my yearly goals?” If not, I adjust my tasks for the day. I get up between 6am-7am, exercise (usually weights), meditate (I love the Headspace app), journal, review my goals and double check my tasks for the day.
BA: What has been your favorite productivity hack you've learned so far?
JB: I love geeking out on productivity! My hack is very simple: spend 15-20 minutes every Sunday planning out your week and 5-10 minutes at the end of each day planning the next day. The biggest mistake I see in unproductive people is making a habit of waking up without knowing what you need to accomplish that day.
BA: As top performers we work long hours. What habits have you found effective for keeping energy levels high, despite the stress and demands of working 60+ hours each week?
JB: I interviewed Chris Bailey, founder of A Life of Productivity, and he taught me about his 3-part approach to productivity: manage time, manage attention and manage energy. We tend to overlook our energy levels the most of the three. Exercise each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Get your heart rate up and your blood flowing! Eat a balanced diet with little sugar, grains and dairy to keep you energy levels high. Make sure to eat an adequate amount of healthy fats as well...your brain is made up of primarily fat so you gotta feed it! Coconut oil, fish and avocados are staples of my diet.
BA: What strategies have you learned for maintaining consistency in performing top practices?
JB: Remove your feelings from your decision making process. Successful people take action on things they know will make them successful, even if they don’t feel like doing those things. Practice consistency by doing the most important, but least fun, activity first thing in the day. Consistency is a muscle. For me, exercise is not fun...but it’s the most important part of my day. I exercise anyway because I remove my feelings from my decision making process. The key to consistent high performance is showing up EVERY DAY, not just on the days where you “feel” like it.
BA: What are 3 key skills everyone needs to develop in order to successfully market their idea?
JB: On a basic level, marketing is about knowing your audience, engaging your audience and capturing your audience. Here are the 3 essentials skills one must develop in order to effectively do those things:
- Empathy. The key to understanding why customers buy is empathy. You have to be able to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Make a point of putting yourself in the shoes of the people you interact with on a daily basis to make this a habit.
- Copywriting. Effective copywriting is essential for every marketer. In order to engage your audience, you have to know how to write great headlines, articles, emails and other short form pieces.
- Sales. If you have an idea, you have to know how to pitch it and get others bought into it. This is a key part to validating your idea. Read the Little Red Book of Selling by Jeffrey Gitomer. Become proficient in selling your ideas to others.
On Marketing, Influence, Mindset and People
BA: We can't achieve our goals by ourselves. How have you been successful in finding mentors and mastermind partners?
JB: Identify who best aligns with your goals. The biggest mistake you can make when reaching out to mentors is to target people with notoriety...and no other reason. Just because someone has a ton of influence doesn’t mean they’re the best person to mentor you. Make a point to find people who are where you’d like to be. My litmus test for mentors is to ask myself if I would enjoy chatting with this person over a few beers.
BA: What's the single most important aspect of branding that set's new brands apart from the crowd?
JB: Define your story! Everyone is unique. Sit down to think about what you believe in as an individual or company. Why are you in business? Why is that important? And why is that important? Why, why, why!
BA: We all need to improve our capacity to influence others. What can we do to improve our capacity to influence people, specifically in a professional setting?
JB: Define your worldview. What do you believe in? And why would others care? Starting a conversation off with what you believe will help the other person determine if their beliefs align with yours (and that your beliefs align with theirs). Be interested in others. Ask questions. Find their why. Find their pain points.
BA: How has interviewing dozens of highly successful people changed your mindset about entrepreneurship and business?
JB: It’s opened my eyes to what’s possible! My favorite part about interviewing people much more successful than me is that I get to learn from their experiences. Connecting with other entrepreneurs through my podcast has helped me form friendships with people I would have never met otherwise. I now understand the importance of connecting with like-minded people...especially as an entrepreneur.
On Resources, Books and Tools
BA: What's one book you consistently recommend?
JB: Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. Success is a journey, not a destination. Your daily habits will determine how smooth your journey is. Our habits define us. This book will help you realize that you have to become who you would like to meet. You have to become the person your customers would love to work with. The work comes first. You have to change first. Opportunities come second. Give to get.
BA: What's one online course or product that was transformative for you?
JB: Zero to Launch by Ramit Sethi. I didn’t even end up launching a course after checking out ZTL, but Ramit’s understanding of marketing is phenomenal. I’ve learned tons of principles and tactics I’ve been able to apply to my marketing consulting.
BA: Who's someone that you admire and model your success after?
JB: I don't’ really model my success around a specific person, but I do look up to several people:
- Ramit Sethi (He’s not afraid to himself, even though he’s a bit of an asshole!)
- Tim Ferriss (I admire his perspective on productivity.)
- Tucker Max (He really understands people from a psychological perspective and is great at helping people.)
More About Jason
Reach out to me at [email protected] if you want to chat about anything Ben and I talked about during our interview. Want to start a business? Or run your current business more effectively? Grab my free toolkit at www.genysuccess.com/stopstartdo for 50+ app and book recommendations from 70+ of the youngest, most highly successful entrepreneurs around.