Creating Worth Remembering: Jim Benton’s Journey from T-Shirts to Bestsellers

Join Jason Tharp in an inspiring conversation with Jim Benton, the creative genius behind “It’s Happy Bunny®,” “Dear Dumb Diary,” and “Franny K. Stein.” In this episode, Jim shares his journey from starting out in a T-shirt shop to achieving global success with his iconic creations. Discover how Jim navigates the challenges of the creative process, overcomes obstacles like a significant shoulder injury, and stays grounded amidst his achievements. Learn about the importance of constantly creating, finding hope in the face of adversity, and making things worth remembering. Perfect for aspiring creatives, fans of Jim’s work, and anyone looking for inspiration and practical advice on pursuing their passions.

FOLLOW JIM BENTON:
✩ WEBSITE - https://www.jimbenton.com
✩ WEBSITE - https://www.jokobo.com
✩ INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/jimbentonshots/
✩ AMAZON 📚- https://www.amazon.com/sk=jim+benton&crid=1U9GPD7ID10OY&sprefix=jim+benton%2Caps%2C113&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

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MEET JIM BENTON:

Started out in a T-Shirt shop near home, illustrated for newspapers, contribution editor for 10 years on writer's digest magazine...joke writer on Whose Line is it Anyway...

Jim created IT’S HAPPY BUNNY®, which has sold over three-quarters of a billion dollars at retail. It’s won five top awards from the licensing industry, a NCS divisional award for greeting cards, and The American Librarians Association designated It’s Happy Bunny books as Top Picks for teen readers.

His series, DEAR DUMB DIARY, is a New York Times Best-seller, and has over ten million books in print. It was made into a musical Made-For-TV movie, which Jim co-wrote and produced. 

His series, FRANNY K.STEIN, has sold over 5 million copies in 15 languages. 
His cartoon collections, DOG BUTTS AND LOVE, and MAN I HATE CURSIVE  were both nominated for Eisner Awards. 

Jim posts new comics to GoComics and his work has won Four divisional Reuben Awards., and is currently nominated for number 5.

Other titles include CHERISE THE NIECE, THE END- ALMOST, COMET THE UNSTOPPABLE REINDEER, CLYDE,  ATTACK OF THE STUFF ( nominated for a Milner award ), CATWAD, and BATMAN SQUAD with DC Comics. 

Credited contributor on the new ‘Despicable Me’ movie from Illumination.

CONNECT WITH JASON:

✩ Website - https://www.jasontharp.com
✩ BHP - https://www.beyondhopeproject.com
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✩ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wondervillestudios
✩ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thepowerupproject?_t=8e4jxMT9QFP&_r=1
✩ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/beyondhopeproject

OFFICIAL SHOP & BOOKSTORE:

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MEET JASON:

Hi, I’m Jason!
Ever since I was six, I knew I was born to tell stories. As a best-selling author, illustrator, and sought-after speaker, I've turned my personal battles with grade four brain cancer, obesity, and negative self-talk into fuel for transformation. My keynotes don't just talk—they spark potential, ignite creativity, and build resilience. If you're ready for an engaging experience that challenges the status quo and propels your organization to new heights, let's turn your 'impossible today' into 'possible tomorrow' together!

For more information or to partner with me - https://www.jasontharp.com/bookjason

Transcript

0:00

than that um anybody can say oh you're

0:02

mature for your age or you have a good

0:04

head on your shoulders or whatever it

0:06

may be um but and part of it is because

0:08

I'm from the Midwest but that that that

0:10

feeling and that embodiment of what is

0:12

an old soul um goes very very deep with

0:14

me so I do appreciate it and you know

0:16

for anybody that is out there listening

0:18

right I encourage you to take that

0:20

mindset as well of you know listen it's

0:22

not just about the mindset that I bring

0:24

to the table or you know trying to act

0:26

what is above my age but it's actually

0:28

embodying what is that Soul mentality of

0:31

how you treat others how you show up and

0:34

having somewhat again you know rooting

0:36

it back to what I think is a little bit

0:37

of a theme of an episode or maybe even a

0:39

title right is the courage to be able to

0:41

make those b

0:43

[Music]

0:57

movs i i want to get into talking about

1:01

why for a second but first I I just

1:03

wanted to just hit you right out of the

1:04

gate with the the question I asked

1:05

everybody um because I would I just I'm

1:08

so fascinated by your perspective on

1:09

lots of things but this one in

1:10

particular um so we Define hope a little

1:13

different on here so I Define hope as

1:15

the ignition swis the point to get

1:16

started um and then you know hope is

1:19

pretty much useless unless you take

1:20

action and you're going to start down

1:21

that path and you might I don't know

1:23

pick a guru you might pick a whatever

1:24

and you'll start down that lane and

1:26

you're going to fail like everybody else

1:27

does and most of the people Define that

1:29

as a failure and they think the path

1:31

left them uh what we try to say is like

1:33

no Beyond ho hope project we steer you

1:35

back and show you the path didn't

1:36

actually leave it just moved a little

1:38

and you learned so with a definition

1:40

like that um if you could go back at any

1:43

point in Nick's life what would you what

1:45

kind of hope would you give that person

1:47

what age what time you know and what

1:49

would that hope look like to you yeah

1:51

you know was actually funny because I

1:53

last night I had the pleasure of and I'm

1:55

sure you're familiar with um I had the

1:56

pleasure of sitting down with John aser

1:58

off so you know leader well-renowned

2:01

entrepreneur executive author everything

2:03

in between it was just the two of us and

2:05

you know I shared with John that there

2:07

because hope is a very big part of my

2:09

life um just in general no matter what

2:11

meeting um you know we may see a little

2:13

bit differently or whatever that may be

2:15

but you know we're sitting there at

2:16

dinner and I told them I go John you

2:18

know I do want to be upfront and tell

2:19

you in the fact that you know first off

2:20

it's an honor that you had asked me to

2:22

dinner even in the first place right um

2:24

but then secondly more so the fact that

2:26

right there's a little 14-year-old kid

2:28

right now that's tugging at my you know

2:30

shirt and you know I looking up at me

2:33

saying you know what man from you know

2:35

the kid that was raised in a you know 7

2:36

to 103 10,000 person small town in the

2:40

middle of the Midwest in Michigan right

2:42

they're you know tugging on your shirts

2:43

saying hey man you're doing it right and

2:46

more than anything that you actually had

2:48

the hope the Courage the dedication and

2:49

the action to be able to back it up um

2:51

because when I you know first had left

2:54

kind of you know my roots which was is

2:56

in Michigan um and moved out to Southern

2:58

California to go to school and you know

3:00

pursue what was a career in sports and

3:02

entertainment um you know I always had

3:04

the perspective that I'm going to go

3:05

build a life not live one but build one

3:07

right and there's a big difference

3:08

between those two things and you know

3:10

for me if I was to give that advice to

3:12

my younger self it's the I would say

3:14

it's a dual edged sword in two things of

3:16

number one that have the hope but most

3:18

importantly have the confidence in

3:20

yourself that you are doing the right

3:22

things you're putting yourself in the

3:23

right situation surrounding yourself

3:25

with the right people and right that

3:27

aggregate progress of what is positive

3:29

Behavior right it's going to catch up to

3:31

you right but then number two um it's

3:34

also that image of Hope in the sense

3:36

that um you know I when you're in a

3:38

small town like that you have a very

3:39

small town mindset right and that's

3:41

shared between the community not that

3:43

it's a good or not that it's a bad thing

3:45

right but it was the The Hope and not

3:48

limiting yourself to understanding what

3:50

is a true level of abundance and that

3:52

there is more than enough of everything

3:53

in everyone um and that you know as you

3:56

go out and build that life with that

3:58

sense of hope with you um you your eyes

4:00

are going to be opened up to incredible

4:03

people incredible experiences but it

4:05

only it really only happens through your

4:07

hard work your dedication and your

4:09

consistency yeah and you just

4:11

Illustrated exactly why I wanted to talk

4:13

to you which you know we we connected at

4:15

an event and um that small town shared

4:18

thing you know I'm smalltown Ohio you're

4:20

smalltown Michigan you know we you know

4:23

we have uh an age Gap but was amazing to

4:26

me is you know um it was the idea of

4:31

what we shared was exactly what you just

4:33

described and I thought about when I was

4:36

talking to you like if I was 23 I had

4:39

that same belief that you're that you

4:42

just described but I didn't actually

4:44

believe it like it was like I I knew

4:47

that I had you know quote unquote bigger

4:49

things ahead for me but I was scared

4:53

shitless to even try so I'm curious from

4:56

a standpoint of your shoes where did

4:58

that come from like where do you find if

5:00

you trace that back to that like you

5:02

know I mean I knew for me I was like I

5:03

got to get the hell out of here I don't

5:05

fit here yeah was it the same for you

5:07

like what was the actual jump that you

5:08

took because you didn't just move to

5:10

like a bigger city you moved moved moved

5:14

yeah no we we moved move and and it's

5:17

funny that you bring that up because you

5:18

know across the journey and whether it

5:20

was the day that right you take your

5:22

last drive through your hometown as

5:23

you're going to the airport or whether

5:25

it's years and years and years down the

5:26

road through you know the consistency of

5:28

you putting things into action

5:30

um you know for me what my guiding um I

5:33

guess Source was and I don't necessarily

5:35

mean this in a religious sense but it

5:36

was one simple word which is Faith right

5:39

faith in that that understanding of what

5:42

is more than enough in abundance but

5:44

also the faith in the sense of right

5:46

that that courage that the aggregate

5:48

Behavior will catch up to itself and and

5:50

having the faith that you know more than

5:53

anything you're going to fail but the

5:55

failures for me right don't get me wrong

5:58

I have my moments that right I got to

6:00

work through my own ego-based

6:01

Consciousness and fear and all these

6:03

different things to find the lesson in

6:05

it right but failure to me is nothing

6:08

but exciting because I know that it's

6:10

going to only only Propel me in a better

6:12

towards a better place let alone a

6:14

better situation right but you know as I

6:16

was making that jump um it really wasn't

6:19

so much the fact that I didn't fit in or

6:21

that I didn't love my friends or you

6:23

know the people that I had surrounded

6:24

myself with or even my community right I

6:27

still you know the moment that I take a

6:29

turn off of what is i96 in Michigan

6:32

right and I pull off at the Milford exit

6:34

I still get chills every single time

6:36

because it will always be home right I

6:37

have an M engraved in my heart for the

6:40

test of time right but for me it was

6:42

more

6:43

so you know I always had these very very

6:47

very large aspirations and dreams and an

6:50

understanding of how much the world and

6:52

the universe really had to offer and

6:55

more than anything you know when you

6:56

make that decision of where you're going

6:57

to go to college for example right you

6:59

you can make that easy decision of okay

7:02

I'm going to go to my state school right

7:04

which for me would be Michigan State go

7:06

green by the way um you know if I went

7:08

to Michigan State right what am I going

7:09

to put myself in this situation for yeah

7:11

there's great connection there's great

7:13

you know uh abundance of information

7:15

that you can absorb from being inside

7:17

the classroom but it's not going to make

7:19

me grow and expand as a human being as

7:21

much as I would like right because

7:22

you're naturally going to fit into what

7:24

is the 50 to 60 other friends that went

7:26

to your high school from your small town

7:28

right and you're going to have four

7:29

years of the same thing just on a

7:30

different level right and for me I knew

7:33

I didn't want that um and it was more so

7:36

uh the drive to go out and truly

7:38

experience life and kind of like I said

7:40

earlier go out and build it not live it

7:43

um you know I knew that going into it

7:45

right I was gonna it was going to push

7:46

my boundaries both mentally both

7:48

emotionally and especially spiritually

7:51

um but I knew that if I made that

7:53

decision now right because going to a

7:55

state school it's not like I'm going to

7:56

transfer in two years right you get

7:58

comfortable and then you you stay in

8:00

that ecosystem right so I'm going to

8:02

make that decision now and the reason is

8:04

is because the worst thing that can

8:05

happen is I go out there for a year I

8:07

learn a ton about myself I get a

8:09

lot more real world experience and if it

8:12

isn't something that's meant to be I can

8:14

always come back right but it was that

8:16

almost a little bit of fear in the sense

8:18

of if I don't P make that leap of faith

8:20

now it's always going to be that oh what

8:22

could have been right or what was left

8:24

on the table or not truly experiencing

8:27

and putting myself in a situation to

8:29

build the life that I wanted and to be

8:31

able to receive the abundance that I

8:32

knew was truly possible yeah I think I

8:35

think a lot of people um you know I I

8:38

meet lots of people that are my age that

8:39

think

8:40

that that the time has passed or they

8:43

think well it's easy for younger people

8:45

or they think all these things but the

8:47

big part I think that what most people

8:48

miss out on is that and I I really want

8:51

to encourage everybody to go back and

8:52

listen to everything Nick just said was

8:54

that it was all surrounded by bold

8:56

action like any growth that you're going

8:58

to have it's done through bold action

9:01

you you you really do need to like kind

9:04

of remove yourself from the way that

9:08

you've always thought and and kind of

9:11

roll the dice take a chance and I think

9:12

that scares the out of people so

9:14

much because they're afraid of that

9:15

unknown stuff like was there a

9:18

foundational thing when when you were

9:19

grown up like in your parents or and any

9:21

like thing that you read like what was

9:23

your what were your Heroes that kind of

9:24

like showed you that like it's okay to

9:26

dream crazy dreams and then go do them

9:29

because I think there's so many people

9:31

especially addressing that younger crowd

9:34

which I will say just so like a little

9:36

catch up from both of us like it's so

9:38

funny I just was inducted in that small

9:39

Town's Hall of Fame uh for all the stuff

9:42

that I've accomplished which the irony

9:43

of it is was this all the stuff that

9:45

everybody told me I wouldn't be able to

9:46

do uh which always cracks me up so like

9:49

what is like what was that for you that

9:51

was that marker I mean I know what it

9:53

was for me I'm just curious what it was

9:54

for you yeah so I I have to give a lot

9:58

of credit and really look forward to um

10:00

you know getting her feedback after she

10:02

listens back on this but um I gave a lot

10:04

of credit to my mother um I was raised

10:06

by pretty much a single mom um I had you

10:09

know what was my father was in my life

10:11

for you know a long period of time

10:12

especially throughout my childhood but

10:14

you know eventually as you get older and

10:16

you know I'm blessed to say right it

10:18

wasn't physical or emotional abuse or

10:20

anything along those lines right but it

10:21

was just more so I understood where my

10:24

priorities were I understood where his

10:25

priorities were and it was just a

10:27

natural you know different Paths of life

10:30

right and I've come to peace with that

10:32

most importantly because I forgave

10:33

myself which then empowered me to

10:35

forgive him right but my mother raised

10:38

me um I think and we share this right

10:40

you know coming from the Midwest you

10:42

have this almost this not unlimited but

10:46

a damn near unlimited source of

10:48

gratitude that you carry with you in

10:50

everything that you do um and that has

10:52

always been a foundation for me but um

10:54

you know I really give a lot of credit

10:55

to my mother because she raised me um

10:57

not only with Incredible values which

11:00

you know today I sit in a situation that

11:01

you know I serve as a vice president for

11:03

you know marketing and Partnerships for

11:05

um David Meltzer the speaker I know

11:07

you've had him on your show as well um

11:09

but it's something that right even the

11:10

values that we you know embody as a

11:13

company which are gratitude empathy

11:14

accountability and effective

11:16

communication right essentially the

11:18

reason that those resonated with me so

11:20

much is because it was in my innate

11:21

being because from a very very early age

11:24

right those were very very similar maybe

11:26

not the same terminology but they were

11:27

the same values my mother raised me with

11:30

right is it's the classic example of you

11:33

know when you're on an airplane and

11:34

you're traveling and there's that sign

11:36

in the bathrooms that says you know

11:37

please make sure to wipe the counter and

11:39

leave it better than you found right

11:41

those little simple lessons and the

11:43

foundation that she built me up with um

11:45

you know not only has developed me into

11:48

what I believe is a pretty darn good

11:49

person and someone that you know

11:51

contributes to society and treats people

11:53

right um but she was also the same

11:54

mother that you know when I was in love

11:57

with a motocross racer when I was a kid

11:59

and you know I really wanted to embody

12:01

that and Chase that dream and I wouldn't

12:03

reply unless you called me by his name

12:05

instead of my own right she would embody

12:07

those things as well and share those

12:08

with me right or when I fell in love

12:10

with Johnny Damon the baseball player

12:12

because I love the luscious locks and

12:14

standing out in the Outfield at Fenway

12:16

or whatever it may be it wasn't so much

12:18

of hey idolize that figure right and try

12:21

to take as many lessons as you can from

12:23

him but more so yes idolize that figure

12:25

and use them as a mentor from afar but

12:28

you can go out and do the exact same

12:30

thing it doesn't matter where you come

12:31

from because it all lies within in terms

12:34

of your own values your own

12:36

accountability and like you said in the

12:37

very beginning your ability to go out

12:40

and even though you have that fear and

12:42

anxiety that you know surrounds

12:43

different decisions or Pursuits of life

12:45

right you're not afraid to go out and

12:47

take bold action yeah well if mom is

12:49

listening I'll tell her she did a good

12:50

job um you you and I have had many like

12:53

private conversations and uh you're a

12:55

good kid and you know I don't mean kid

12:57

in the sense of like talking down to you

12:58

it's just odd because you're at the same

13:00

age as my kid so it's it's so weird to

13:02

like because when I talk to you you have

13:05

a very also unique thing that I find

13:07

about a lot of Midwest people is that

13:09

that old soul kind of vibe like it's say

13:12

you you got this like understanding of

13:15

and it's weird because like even when

13:17

meeting Dave it was like we had this

13:18

weird Crossroads of we're all Midwest

13:20

guys and it was like there was no like

13:22

hey how's it going it was like immediate

13:24

like oh I know you like and there was

13:27

never that and we all have this like old

13:29

soul Vibe about us that you kind of

13:31

almost can recognize in each of us so um

13:34

you know and I really appreciate that

13:36

because I'll tell you this is in just a

13:39

little bit of you know context for your

13:40

audience um I'm I'm 23 um you know in

13:43

terms of a little bit of my journey you

13:44

know I my 18th birthday was August 22nd

13:47

of 2018 um the next day was my move in

13:49

date to San Diego State University so

13:51

you know I moved 2,000 miles across the

13:53

country pretty quickly um and you know

13:55

from there again yes I was going to

13:57

school but you know my intention wasn't

13:58

to necessarily follow what a lot of

14:01

people thought was the reason I went

14:03

which was for you know the beaches and

14:05

the parties and you know the beautiful

14:07

women and beautiful people and so on and

14:10

so forth but again I wanted to build

14:12

right so I got heavily involved with

14:13

organizations whether it was you know

14:15

Greek life and you know being the vice

14:17

president of you know a chapter what was

14:19

a colony and then bringing back our

14:21

Charter right or whether it was our you

14:23

know Sports business initiative which is

14:25

actually how I got connected with David

14:26

in the first place um you know but then

14:28

you know when happens I had fast-tracked

14:30

my journey because I was getting fed so

14:33

much from what is that real world

14:35

experience and you know being an intern

14:37

with David and you know being in the

14:38

rooms and the relationships I was able

14:40

to you know manifest um that you know

14:43

from there I said okay listen if all

14:45

these classes are going to be online and

14:46

you know this is a great recommendation

14:48

to anybody that's somewhat in that

14:50

college realm or you know even relative

14:52

to my age is I said if I'm clicking on a

14:55

zoom at 9:59 for 10:00 class let me take

14:58

a step back here and let me use the

15:00

man-made construct of time and simply do

15:03

math based on my priorities right so

15:05

what I done is you know I was doing

15:07

eight nine classes a semester to

15:09

FastTrack I was basically what was a

15:12

full-time intern you know with David

15:13

building what I foresaw as my career or

15:16

at least a starting point for my career

15:18

but then I reverse engineered it to say

15:20

you know okay I have all these

15:22

opportunities that are feeding me some

15:24

more than others but at the end of the

15:25

day we got to make ends meet I got a

15:27

rent payment every month and so on and

15:28

so forth so I I I reverse engineered it

15:31

to say okay I'm going to take up a

15:33

part-time job and I took a part-time job

15:35

on campus at one of our you know housing

15:37

you know facilities and I was working

15:39

the desk but I would only work the desk

15:41

in certain hours 9: to midnight Midnight

15:43

to 3:00 or 3:00 to 6:00 a.m. right

15:45

graveyard SH now of course yes I had to

15:48

use math and the man-made construct of

15:50

time to make sure I was getting enough

15:52

sleep and taking care of myself and so

15:54

on and so forth um but it was also

15:57

something that I reverse engineered to

15:59

get paid for the activities that were

16:01

feeding me the most that I wasn't

16:03

getting paid for right until I was able

16:06

to be able to graduate of course then

16:08

fully transition full-time you know with

16:10

David um and then of course work my way

16:12

up to you know what is now a vice

16:13

president and you know kind of a

16:15

right-hand man um you know type role

16:17

which I'm unbelievably blessed with but

16:19

that compliment of what is an old soul

16:22

um Jason I I will tell you the moment

16:23

that the words old came out of your

16:25

mouth I knew what was going to follow um

16:27

and I automatically got chills up my

16:29

spine because um you know being somebody

16:31

and I'm so blessed to receive so much

16:33

you know gratitude and and um admiration

16:36

for the work that I've been able to do

16:37

and who I am at such a young age um but

16:40

that compliment within all is um there's

16:43

nothing that pulls up the strings at my

16:44

heart more than that um anybody can say

16:47

oh you're mature for your age or you

16:48

have a good head on your shoulders or

16:50

whatever it may be um but and part of it

16:53

is because I'm from the Midwest but that

16:55

that that feeling and that embodiment of

16:57

what is an old soul um goes very very

16:59

deep with me so I do appreciate it and

17:01

you know for anybody that is out there

17:03

listening right I encourage you to take

17:05

that mindset as well of you know listen

17:07

it's not just about the mindset that I

17:08

bring to the table or you know trying to

17:11

act what is above my age but it's

17:13

actually embodying what is that old soul

17:15

mentality of how you treat others how

17:18

you show up and having somewhat again

17:20

you know rooting it back to what I think

17:22

is a little bit of a theme of an episode

17:23

or maybe even a title right is the

17:25

courage to be able to make those bold

17:27

moves absolutely and I think that that's

17:29

the one of the big things that what I

17:32

was excited to talk to you about was

17:33

that this idea that like people they

17:36

they use ages some sort of definition

17:38

thing of like you know a person

17:39

shouldn't be able to you know be able to

17:41

do this at this age or they shouldn't be

17:43

able to do that at this age or whatever

17:45

it is people put these like stupid

17:46

filters on things that just doesn't make

17:49

sense and basically you know and I

17:51

really want to Echo this stuff like you

17:53

know what Nick is dropping is like some

17:55

gold nuggets for everybody to understand

17:57

is he went out and made made what he

17:59

wanted to be his life it's not like if

18:03

you're 50 you can't do the exact same

18:06

thing don't hold it against young people

18:08

when they're out there doing this stuff

18:09

and say that they don't deserve it

18:11

because he's busting his ass just as

18:12

much as anybody else is and I think

18:14

that's the big point is that I think you

18:16

your story serves not only to people

18:19

like my age that are kind of feeling

18:21

stuck but there's there's this young

18:23

voice out there that I think that I

18:25

could totally see you serving in that

18:27

world with the young people that are

18:29

that are basically getting jammed up by

18:31

all this crap that they're comparing

18:33

themselves to in life right now when

18:34

they're looking at all this stuff in

18:35

social media and I think that's what

18:38

when I first met you blew my mind was

18:40

this like you know here's this person

18:42

that's you know 23 I'm talking to him

18:44

and I and I feel I can feel the that old

18:47

soul energy and I I do in hearing you it

18:51

feels so familiar because it's what got

18:53

me where I was at at your age and it's

18:56

and I it it is like that little bit kind

18:59

of dawn me as you're talking I'm like my

19:00

God it's like I feel like I'm having a

19:01

conversation with where I was when I was

19:04

at this age yeah but the beauty of where

19:07

you're at is like you have this Clarity

19:09

that like God I if I could go back to

19:12

younger me and say that it's amazing

19:15

which you know uh we we have like five

19:17

minutes left I do have one last question

19:19

for you that that kind of Will Button

19:20

all that up so let's say let's say you

19:23

can go back you you mentioned the

19:24

14-year-old you I want you to manifest

19:26

that kid in front of you right now and

19:28

talk about the stuff that you're doing

19:29

because I I know that you've gotten to

19:31

meet some pretty incredible people from

19:33

our discussions stuff like that let's

19:35

say like little 14-year-old Nicks across

19:37

the table from you in that small town um

19:39

which I have I have you beat mine had

19:41

like 2,000 people so

19:43

um and you could talk to that person

19:46

like what do you think their reaction

19:48

would be and what would you then take

19:50

their reaction and feed what you're at

19:52

right now to build your next

19:54

thing yeah that's a beautiful question

19:57

and you know the first um you know

19:59

feeling that I get and I kind of get

20:00

chills as I'm you know saying it because

20:03

as much as I like to give and you know

20:04

I'm a servant Leader by definition um

20:07

you know I'm still practicing what is um

20:10

being able to fully receive right and

20:12

you know for me I I think that

20:15

14-year-old is sitting there and it I

20:18

I'm not a I'm not I can't quite cry like

20:20

David does but it does uh bring the

20:22

chills up my spine in the sense I think

20:24

he's sitting there saying I'm really

20:25

proud of you yeah and it's it's very

20:28

very

20:29

um interesting because being able to

20:31

receive what is the weight of that

20:32

message um is something that you know

20:34

I'm still even working through a little

20:36

bit but um you know I think he would be

20:38

able to sit back and say I'm proud of

20:39

you um for multitude of different

20:41

reasons but most importantly because no

20:45

matter what situation you were in no

20:46

matter what room you were in or who you

20:48

were conversing with um throughout all

20:51

the ups and downs the trials and

20:52

tribulations you've remained yourself

20:55

and that has been something that you

20:57

know since I moved out here and really

20:58

took full for lack of better words I

21:01

grabbed Life by the balls and said I'm

21:02

going to go out and build right ever

21:04

since that um that's kind of been what

21:06

has been my biggest non-negotiable right

21:09

is not take what is that um a little bit

21:11

of a self-proclaimed but reinforced by

21:13

Jason old soul right and don't let that

21:15

be compromised by anyone any anything

21:18

else or any uh you know situation or

21:20

opportunity um and you know as I would

21:22

sit here today and I would you know look

21:24

back across that other side of the table

21:25

and not only give that 14-year-old self

21:28

adice for him where he's at um but I

21:30

think the advice that he would continue

21:32

to give me is you know number one I

21:35

think don't be afraid to trust people um

21:38

that's something that you know whether

21:39

it's rooting back to father or whether

21:41

it's rooting back to different friends

21:43

that I think we've all shared different

21:45

experiences of you know you trust

21:47

somebody and that trust eventually gets

21:48

broken and burned right and you you

21:51

automatically build up what is this wall

21:52

for yourself and you know I think he

21:54

would give me that advice of you know

21:56

don't be so afraid to trust people um

21:58

but just be you know be hypercritical on

22:01

the people that you do trust in the

22:02

sense that you know make sure that they

22:04

are worth it you know for any pain that

22:06

you may experience from that

22:07

relationship or by letting down that

22:09

wall um and you know the advice that I

22:11

would give to him um is number one and

22:13

most importantly slow down because we

22:16

none of us can control time but you know

22:18

even when I was in those early days of

22:20

high school right is you know I would

22:22

sit there and don't get me wrong I was

22:24

grateful and I was unbelievably present

22:26

in every single moment but with that

22:28

that said I was also already thinking

22:30

about okay I'm a junior now I'm starting

22:32

to do these things I'm competing on you

22:34

know a national level and business

22:36

competitions and so on and so forth

22:38

right and I'm already thinking of those

22:40

next steps and if I could sit back and

22:42

give him that advice of listen just slow

22:44

down continue to be present and continue

22:47

to do what you do best which is truly to

22:50

be a sponge of everyone you surround

22:53

yourself with in any situation and room

22:55

that you walk into if you continue to

22:57

carry that on which I very very proud to

22:59

say that I have like when people ask me

23:01

you know what do you do or really what

23:03

makes you special yes I have great worth

23:05

ethic I'm midwesterner we work hard from

23:08

there's no sun up sun down no ninet to-5

23:10

we work until it gets done right I that

23:12

is non-negotiable right but I think at

23:15

the end of the day um you know being

23:17

present the ability to trust um but then

23:20

most importantly actually and continuing

23:23

to love the journey and never attaching

23:25

your emotions to an outcome um I think

23:27

especially with young people right we

23:29

say oh okay I'm going to make this bold

23:30

move and you know I'm going to move to

23:32

here and there and I'm going to do it

23:33

with this intention right but we

23:35

automatically attach ourselves not only

23:36

to the outcome but to a specific

23:38

timetable in which that is supposed to

23:40

happen for me right I never did that

23:43

right even when I said I was coming out

23:45

here yes I attached myself to a

23:47

timetable of a year to understand if it

23:49

was something that I wanted to continue

23:51

to feed but there was no oh I have to be

23:53

at this point by this time or anything

23:56

along those lines because then it's

23:58

going to take the Fulfillment it's going

23:59

to take the lessons and it's going to

24:01

take what is the true beauty of the

24:03

journey out of it for you and we all

24:05

know whether it's the houses or cars or

24:08

experiences or a title which are only

24:10

made for shampoos anyway right when you

24:13

reach there you will not be fulfilled if

24:15

you didn't enjoy the process and you

24:16

didn't enjoy the journey man Nick that's

24:19

a great answer my friend you know I I

24:20

just want to take a second we to before

24:22

we jump off here and just and just tell

24:24

you uh that I'm I mean I'm proud of what

24:27

you've accompl and I'm sure that your

24:30

mom is just beyond proud of what you've

24:32

accomplished and you know I just want to

24:34

take a second to celebrate you and just

24:35

let you know that man in the world of

24:37

being a human it's not easy and you are

24:40

doing a a a bang-up job of accepting who

24:44

you are and understanding those

24:45

adjustments and and realizing that you

24:48

know time is just that it's time like

24:51

and learning how to value that and I

24:53

will say as somebody that also had

24:55

struggled with receiving um that is

24:58

going to be a battle that you're going

24:59

to have to always be aware of and but

25:02

what you what you do in this is um is

25:06

just show up like you did and you know

25:08

in a weird way you may not feel what I'm

25:11

telling you right now but when you

25:12

listen back I want you to listen back

25:13

with this understanding that like man I

25:15

appreciate you sharing this journey with

25:16

me I appreciate being able to call you a

25:18

friend and I look forward to where this

25:20

all goes in the future I look forward to

25:22

seeing where you're going to go and I

25:23

just want to thank you for your time in

25:25

and joining us here and as always just

25:27

providing that little spark that you do

25:29

when uh ever we talk and it it's just

25:31

amazing so uh I appreciate you so thank

25:34

you so much I I appreciate you and all

25:36

the kind words first off and second for

25:38

you know anybody that's tuning in um

25:40

really really really appreciate um you

25:42

know not only any lessons that may

25:44

resonate with you but you know the only

25:46

thing that I would say in terms of a

25:47

call to action is please reach out to me

25:48

and let me know how you know not only I

25:50

can be of service but more importantly

25:52

how we can create collaborate and

25:53

Inspire together um I know that Jason

25:55

will put you know my contact information

25:57

or social channels or whatever it may be

25:59

in the notes um and more than anything

26:01

I'm grateful there's nobody I'd rather

26:02

share uh what is my first podcast

26:04

experience with than the man himself and

26:06

Jason so it's a true pleasure and an

26:07

honor I can't thank you enough for

26:09

having me on and I look forward to

26:10

coming back again in the future you

26:12

knocked it out man have a great day dude

26:14

beautiful all right you as well brother

26:16

thank you so much for everything man I'm

26:17

in a job all right appreciate you

26:20

[Music]

26:32