My Story

My life has become something amazing and it keeps getting better!

Hi,

I’m Jay F. Grissom and here is my story.

For the most part there is little about me that is remarkable. Some would argue otherwise because of the level of success that I’ve created in my life. Starting from a middle-class beginning in North Las Vegas as a kid really didn’t get my life off to a running start. I tend to focus on being a little better than average at most of the things I do.

That little bit of edge is because I hold onto things until I get them done. Sometimes I can’t sleep at night when I have something in my head that I need to complete.

I’m far from an over-achiever but I’m not a complete slacker either. For most of my work related activities, call me a “B+ student” if you were to measure my performance using our education system as an analogy.

I reserve my energy to get the “A+ scores” with my immediate family, my immediate circle of friends, and my business associates. (I believe we should treat our close loved ones better than we treat strangers. I feel deep down that, for most, it is the other way around. If you spend time watching people closely you’re likely to agree.)

I began working on myself and building a persona brand for reasons that have very little to do with money. There are some intangible benefits that come with learning how to create your own income versus relying on a boss to be your sole source of income.

My attraction to self branding, is really because I believe that its is the correct way to pass knowledge and the correct way to do business.

Like anything that is meaningful, it has been misrepresented (some people argue it is tooting your own horn) but that doesn’t deride its value. Its growth world wide proves that it is a sustainable industry that breeds leaders.

There are many people I consider true leaders that really have had a significant impact on my thinking, people like Tim Ferris, Gary Vaynerchuk, Malcom Gladwell, and Seth Godin are a few that I truly admire.

It is just like Winston Churchhill said: The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end there it is…

I liken this idea of self branding to working in an apprentice, journeyman, master model that forces a student to act in a hands on manner. This is in sharp contrast to the contemporary education system.

An apprentice becomes a journeyman when he has proved his competence. The same is so for a journeyman to master. And a master only maintains his position as a master so long as he continues to behave like one.

In short my reasons for working like this is simply because you can’t fake it.

You just can’t, it isn’t possible to have success and fake it… putting your life out into the public brings out every flaw, every weakness, and every unresolved issue that you have moving around inside you.

In short I think showing the world what you have to offer is a lot like molten heat that burns the flux out of piles of raw ore and in the end leaves much less material but the material is of extremely high quality. It forges the spirit.

This is in stark contrast to what I’ve seen in school and in the work place. I’m sure you can agree when I say it is possible to be faking it and do really well in Corporate America and often in school too.

Is what we have been told to do with our lives the right thing to do?

I did what we are all told to do. Get educated, get a job, work like a slave until you are ready to retire…

I only realize now after 20 years of service to an industry that could be likened to a human meat grinder the folly of my decision.

Escaping the SLAVERY of Corporate America has been my only goal for years now. Only in the last 2 years has that become truly a reality for me.

You see I made a horrible mistake when I embarked on Information Technology (I.T.) as a career. The money for me has been remarkable for many years in I.T. and thankfully I have been very good at it so getting paid well in the field has come very naturally for me.

Being good at I.T. has been a double edged sword though:

While the money has been fantastic. The side of the blade that has put me into the role of Corporate American Slave tethered to a cell phone, laptop, and vpn connection has opened me up to the reality that we are all just killing ourselves working for the Corporate Human Grinding Machine.

Because of this I knew there had to be a better way and creating a personal brand not only fit my personal agenda for self development it also fit my plans to create more time freedom and a way of life that allowed me to interact with others in a way that benefits both me and them mutually.

It also creates great opportunity to build on the things you have a passion for. Which is really what I think we are here for. I don’t think we are here to be slaves to some other person’s/corporation’s dreams… we are here to share our dreams and passions with others.

If you have good reason’s to fuel you, and you are ready to find those people that everyone always talks about when they say its not “what” you know it’s “who” you know… things will change for you.

It is a simple choice to make a change, and if you stick with your choice you’ll have everything you have ever wanted. I know I do, and I hope you will too.

Share your strength with the world and the world will carry you on its shoulders.

Take it easy,

Jay F. Grissom