Making Good Men Better - Jason Wetzler Leadership

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jason Wetzler, Coach of Jason Wetzler Leadership, LLC., located in Rogers, AR, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Our business exists at the cross-section of leadership and entertainment. Our purpose is to make the world a better place by making the lives of those around us better.

We accomplish this through leadership training and workshops, keynote addresses, curriculum development, and content we share via social media and a weekly newsletter. Our content stems from a mixture of the world's top leadership authorities (Simon Sinek, Brene Brown, John C. Maxwell, and more) and Jason's life experiences. His 93-year-old Grandma Dorothy is his biggest source of inspiration and where most of his lessons can be cited from.

With a focus on personal growth and leadership, our customers are anyone who wants to improve their lives. Over 80% of our current clients are student leaders aged 15-21. While grown-ups are always fun to work with, we've found student leaders particularly hungry and humble.

Tell us about yourself

When I was seven years old, I co-emceed the community talent show in the small town of Canby, Oregon, where I was living at the time. I memorized and told jokes between performers and introduced the next act. I became addicted to making people laugh. Most kids were holding G.I. Joes while I wanted to be holding a microphone. A few years later, as a 7th grader, Judson Laipply spoke at an event I attended. Afterward, I asked him what it would take to become a motivational speaker. He told me to start speaking as often as I could, even if it cost me money to do so. I started volunteering to speak at events, and before long, I was spending all the money I could earn to travel and speak at events around the state of Oregon.

Eventually, I attended Oklahoma State to study Agricultural Leadership. Halfway through my freshman year, a professor told me, "You want to be a motivational speaker? Well, you're a white, middle-class male who's never seen a hard day in your life. How about I hit you with my car in the parking lot, so you have something to talk about?" I changed my major and, upon graduation, took a sales job in the pharmaceutical field. I hated it. I took every vacation day I had to speak at events. I didn't make it two years as a salesman before getting fired. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

With my savings dwindling, I had a choice. I had received a job offer from a corporation to do on-the-job training for new hires with a comfortable salary and benefits. Or, I could start my own business and try speaking full time. That was almost three years ago, and I haven't looked back.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Last year, I wrote the curriculum for and facilitated a week-long conference for high school students that focused on community service. The end goal was to send students home with a fully-developed plan for a service project they would implement in their hometown. A few weeks ago, I received a message from one of the students who attended the conference. She told me that she had been struggling with unbearable depression. She told me that learning how to make a difference in other people's lives gave her something to live for. She told me that plan she created is what is keeping her head above water and that she knows how life-saving serving others can be. That is my biggest accomplishment.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

This will be unorthodox, but for me, it's working with other people. As the decision maker, I don't have to consult with a board or have four meetings to decide the color of a t-shirt. I lived that in the corporate world and disdained it. However, I know the research behind the power of teams and understand that a pack can go much further than a lone wolf. Cooperating with others can be a challenge, but if this is an area of growth for you, lean into it, find a coach, and invest in your growth because the dividends are worth it.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Find a great CPA. The IRS doesn't mess around. If they're expensive, it's probably a good sign.
Clearly identify the problem you are solving or the hole you are filling in your respective industry. For me, it was a shortage of entertaining leadership experts. There are lots of experts and even more entertainers. Very few know their stuff and communicate it in an engaging way.
Always be asking, "How can I serve?" It may not make you any money, but it will take you further. When I attend events as the keynote, I always ask what else I can help with. Sometimes that means setting out chairs and trash cans. Sometimes that means making a coffee run for the A/V crew. I'm there to serve my clients, not just provide a product.

I hope you make someone better today, even if that someone is you!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.jasonwetzler.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jwleadership
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonwetzler/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jasonwetzler
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-wetzler-4839618b/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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