An Interview with Jonathan Jordan

Jonathan Jordan is a world-renowned executive, business coach, and a member of the prestigious Society for Neuroscience. He has successfully coached executives and other business leaders for over 14 years. Jonathan grew up in Ireland and initially became a licensed psychotherapist in the United States.

Jonathan then successfully served as an executive for Fortune 500 Corporations, where he led global initiatives to create cutting-edge brain-based training and leadership development programs. He was also responsible for coaching executives (from C-Level to mid-management) to help them develop leadership skills, and achieve work-life balance.

Jonathan is a Faculty Fellow of Florida State University and through a series of nationwide and international seminars, he trains scores of other professionals and business leaders in his unique synthesis of East-West practices, which can greatly improve human performance at work and in all areas of life.

In 2011, Jonathan was engaged by the United States Senate to deliver brain-based professional development workshops to the US Senate Staff on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. His first book was published in 2013 and is titled, "Brain Matters in Business".

Jonathan is currently the president of a boutique business and personal development firm, Global Change Management, Inc. There, he utilizes mindfulness and other brain-based practices to coach clients to obtain greater success and satisfaction in their business, career, and life in general.

In this interview, Jonathan shares his entrepreneurial background as a business coach/speaker who's an expert at applying neuroscience to improve human/ workplace performance. He also shares a bit about his habits and what his typical day looks like, along with how he handles fear and mistakes in business.

His advice for entrepreneurs starting a business in Florida:

First, be passionate about what your business is offering. Believe in your product or service. Second, no matter how good the product or service is, you have to focus on selling it. Third, get yourself a good business coach, it's well worth the investment.

Can you tell me a little bit about Global Change Management, Inc? What else do you do as an entrepreneur?

Global Change Management, Inc is an award-winning business and personal development firm that provides coaching for executives, business owners, leaders, and individuals that want to enhance performance and exceed goals, and live a more balanced life. Our firm also coaches and mentors other aspiring coaches in the practice and business of coaching.

I am also a professional speaker and have been paid to speak on four continents. Last year alone, I spoke in 73 different cities. Two of my most popular speaking topics are, “7 Practices to Greatly Improve Your Brain”, and “The Neuroscience of Better Negotiations”. I’m a founding member of the international Society for Social Neuroscience and a lot of my topics are about applying neuroscience to improve workplace performance, and life in general.

What does Global Change Management, Inc do that makes it better than the rest? In other words, how did you find your competitive edge?

We apply neuroscience, mindfulness, and other emerging knowledge to pioneer new approaches to improve human and workplace performance. But more importantly, we figure out what our clients really want (not what we want for them) and then help them achieve what they really want to do.

What attitude/habits helped make you successful while starting Global Change Management, Inc?

I often asked myself, “If I had no fear what would I do differently?” I avoided operating with a mindset based on fear but instead, I developed a mindset based on an expectation of opportunity and reward. It wasn’t always easy but it did help me enormously. If I had a mindset based on fear, I would never have started my own business.

What does a typical day look like for you? Is there something you make a point to do each day?

I really have two different types of a “typical day”. One is when I'm working out of my office. The other is when I’m traveling to speak around the country, or in other countries. Regardless, I always focus on what's essential that I do that day.

I don’t create a long list of things to do, I purposefully keep my list short and include only the essentials. I’ve learned that a short list is much more likely to be completed than a long list. I focus on what's necessary more than on all that I “could” do.

What is the biggest business mistake that taught you a powerful lesson? Would you mind sharing how it changed your business?

I doubted my own abilities. I didn't believe in myself. As a result, when I first started my own business I looked to, in fact paid, other people to tell me what to do. I assumed that they were better and smarter than me.

After wasting a lot of money and time, I figured out that they weren't any better or smarter than me and I didn't need them. This is different than hiring a business coach, which I eventually did do. My coach didn't tell me what to do. He asked me what I wanted to do and then helped guide me to do what I wanted to do. This allowed me to build the business I wanted, not what someone else wanted for me.

When times get tough, what would you say motivates you to keep going? To not hit the snooze button and to keep fighting for your goals.

I tell myself I will have plenty of time to rest after I die and, therefore, I want to die exhausted! When times get tough I take it as a challenge that I almost enjoy tackling. Everything worthwhile is worth fighting for.

Have you ever gotten a disappointed client or customer? If so, how did you handle the situation?

Yes, I have had a very small number of disappointed clients in the past. I believe that no matter how good a business is, there will always be some clients that will not be satisfied. When I get a complaint, I go out of my way to correct the situation, if at all possible. I do what is known as “over-correction”.

For example, if someone claims they are entitled to another coaching session without an additional charge, I offer them two additional coaching sessions without an additional charge. I also examine the situation to see what we can improve in the future so the situation doesn’t arise again.

Did you have a hard time starting your business? How did you handle time and resource constraints?

I had a very, very hard time starting my business. I made some serious mistakes early on that almost destroyed us. It was only after I hired an outstanding business coach that we began to flourish. Now that I coach others, my past mistakes make me a better coach. I guide my clients to avoid the mistakes I made.

I strongly believe in reading. Do you have a book that you highly recommended Startup Savant readers and I grab a copy of?

I recommend, “Brain Matters in Business: A Collection of Articles About Using Your Brain to Work Smarter”.

What are the top 3 pieces of advice that you'd give someone starting a business in Florida? What do they need to know from the beginning?

• First, be passionate about what your business is offering. Believe in your product or service.
• Second, no matter how good the product or service is, you have to focus on selling it. So many people are afraid to sell so they avoid selling and instead focus on improving the product or service. No matter how good your product or service is, a business cannot avoid sales. Focus on selling.
• Third, get yourself a good business coach, it's well worth the investment. Whether or not you have a business coach can make the difference between having a failed or successful business.

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