"The best way for businesses to thrive in a challenging market is for the entrepreneur to admit that the "hero syndrome" is a problem"
The Real Jason Duncan is the founder of one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America and one of the top entrepreneurial companies in the country. He is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur and founder of 12 companies who got his start in entrepreneurship as an unemployed schoolteacher in 2010.
Educator-turned-entrepreneur, Jason now runs a mastermind called The Exiter Club that teaches entrepreneurs how to live #TheExitLifestyle through a method he calls #ExitWithoutExiting, which focuses on four core principles they can use to break free from the daily grind of business operations. He is also the host of the internationally syndicated podcast, The Root of All Success, which can be heard on all podcast players as well as viewed on YouTube. Jason lives in the Nashville, Tennessee, area with his high school sweetheart. He loves riding motorcycles and camping in his RV.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Jason Duncan: In 2010 I was an unemployed school teacher who became an accidental entrepreneur. I ended up building a very successful lighting business and then in 2020 decided to step away from daily operations so that I could focus on other projects. Now I’m able to continue to make money from that other business while I teach and coach other entrepreneurs how to do what I did. I call it exit without exiting. The idea is that all entrepreneurs can live the exit lifestyle if they follow four core principles that I used to step out of daily operations and into my best life.
I run an exclusive mastermind called The Exiter Club for entrepreneurs who want to put into practice the four core principles that lead to #theexitlifestyle. I also provide live group coaching programs and individual private coaching for entrepreneurs.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Jason Duncan: The best way for businesses to thrive in a challenging market is for the entrepreneur to admit that the “hero syndrome” is a problem. The “hero syndrome” is when the entrepreneur becomes the center of his business and everything revolves around him. That is not sustainable and can actually hurt a business long-term. The businesses that grow beyond the “founder as hero” are the ones we read about in the news. They are the ones that are growing and doing amazing things around the world. Entrepreneurs must be able to embrace delegation, eliminate stress, establish the correct systems and processes, and invest in people the right way so that they can have a business that can thrive in their absence.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Jason Duncan: One of the things I learned is that we cannot allow fear to be the motivating factor behind our decisions. Businesses that shut down due to fear and uncertainty either had a very hard time getting back into the normal rhythm of business or never opened back up at all. This is a self-inflicted wound. Were there certain dangers that needed to be mitigated? Probably. But the reality is history is now teaching us is that it was not as bad as everybody thought. Those who were bold and continued to press forward for the sake of their businesses, their customers, and especially their employees, have reaped the benefits of brave entrepreneurship. Do not make decisions based on fear.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Jason Duncan: The lighting business that I started in 2010 had a significant decline in cash flow at the beginning of the pandemic due to the fear of our customers. We never shut down, but our customers prevented us from coming into their buildings. This essentially slowed cash flow to a stop. If we can’t get into the buildings, then we cannot perform the projects. If we can’t perform projects, we can’t get paid. What I learned is that we must adapt very quickly to the market so that other people’s decisions do not negatively affect our bottom line any more than is absolutely necessary. We also have seen a significant decline in the need for our core services, which is why we have been ramping up alternative services in the electrical contracting market. Our electrical contracting division is growing significantly.
My coaching business, on the other hand, has blossomed and flourished during the pandemic. Many entrepreneurs have finally realized that they cannot be the center of their businesses. They must learn how to scale a business that does not require their role as a center of daily operations.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Jason Duncan: Honestly, I don’t think that there is anything I look back and wish differently in my business as it relates to the pandemic. As far as moving forward from 2022 and beyond, I know that I am going to pay much more attention to the projects that I’m passionate about as opposed to those that can just simply make me money.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Jason Duncan: I expect to see a lot of online businesses fail. Too many people have saturated the market who are unprepared to deliver. Just hopping onto a current bandwagon is not an indicator of success.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Jason Duncan: 6-8.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Jason Duncan: As a business coach, it is vitally important that when I am communicating with a prospect who is interested in being a part of my mastermind, I tell stories about other people’s experiences. Just simply reciting the features and benefits of my mastermind is not enough. People want to see and hear and feel what is happening as a result of being part of The Exiter Club. There are some amazing stories of success that my prospects need to hear before they make a commitment to join the club.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Jason Duncan: While it probably will sound very self-serving, I believe that the biggest challenge facing most entrepreneurs is their lack of awareness of their need for an outside perspective. It took me seven years before I hired my first business coach as an entrepreneur. It was then that my life and business changed forever. Had I hired him years earlier, my story would be much different and much better at this point. So the challenge is for entrepreneurs to recognize that they need a coach in their life. They need to join coaching programs, hire a private coach, or join a mastermind. These outside perspectives can mean the difference between being a “job owner” and a “business owner”. There’s a big difference.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Jason Duncan: I would love to learn more about how marketing messaging works. I feel like I can explain my offer well enough, but evidently, I’m missing something because I don’t have as many prospects and clients as I would like. Marketing has always been a weird thing for me. It’s just not ever 100% within my grasp. I have hired a new marketing team to help me with this and I am hoping that 2022 leads me to a deeper and more thorough understanding of how to present my message in a way that resonates with my prospects.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Jason Duncan: For too long many entrepreneurs have ignored the need to develop a positive and affirming company culture. Business as usual is not necessarily pleasurable for employees. We must make sure as owners and founders that we develop a culture in our workplace that makes people feel heard, understood, and valued. I’m happy to say that I have some employees who have been working for me for a very long time and I think that it is due largely in part to the fact that I pay very close attention to making sure that culture is protected and positive at all times.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Jason Duncan: I would want the superpower of perfect, crystal clear messaging that presuades people to take immediate action.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Jason Duncan: Success is all about getting the results you intend. For me, the results that I want in my life are complete control over my time, energy, and money. I want to be respected by my friends, colleagues, and family. And most importantly, I want to treat other people the way I would want to be treated. If I can accomplish these things, then I am successful.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Jason Duncan for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Jason Duncan or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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