118: John Lee Dumas on Making the Leap from Corporate to Thriving Entrepreneur

What this episode covers

Audio Only Version We are so excited to bring you today’s special episode featuring 7-figure podcaster, John Lee Dumas, live from stage at our recent Ignite Event to speak on his journey and leap from the corporate world into entrepreneurialism! John’s post-military life found him sitting in a cubicle, commuting to work, and doing the suit and tie thing, every day, like so many others do. For him, this simply wasn’t enough. As he puts it, he wasn’t living his life on fire and he felt his life slowly extinguishing. After 6 years of trying different career paths and not find his passion he had a defining moment one day while on a long commute when he ran out of podcasts to listen to. A lightbulb went off and he said, “There needs to be a 7-day a week podcast.” And, what John wanted to make unique about his show in interviewing entrepreneurs was not only highlighting their current successes, but specifically talking about their failures, their “ah-ha” moments, and what we can learn from their trials. Making that leap from a 6-figure stable corporate salary to start a podcast was terrifying, John admits. However, he acknowledges, that the feeling of being scared is also proof that you’re on the right track. You have to get outside of your norm and your comfort zone in order to make radical change happen in your life. And, “You have to find your leverage point”, John says. For him, it comes back to a pledge he made to 4 dear friends and comrades he lost while serving in the Iraq war, which was that he was not going let their sacrifice be for nothing by living anything less than what is his life on fire. When it came to starting his podcast, John had a bit of an issue in that he had no idea whatsoever how to create a podcast! So, he made a very strategic move that he will be forever grateful for, which was to reach out to someone who was where he wanted to be and ask to be mentored by that person. Luckily, the person accepted John’s request, and with a hefty investment from John to his mentor in exchange for her coaching, that was the moment that made it real for him. He was no longer a dreamer or an amateur. He had become a “doer” and aspiring professional. When it was time to build his business, John’s foresight and discipline to avoid distraction and avoid trying to jump on everything that appeared to be an opportunity is what truly allowed him to focus and thrive in his “lane”. Most people want to cast out their net and go one mile wide and one inch deep, never creating any real depth in any particular area. John, however, had the complete opposite approach, he chose to go one inch wide and one mile deep, creating a massive focus on the things he needed to do to be successful. Your income and happiness will be directly related to how you use that time. He reminds us that no matter what business you’re in, your biggest asset is your time. So, very true. And, finally, we ask John to describe his life on fire, which he answered with two words, “Ripple Effect”. Meaning, he feels that he’s truly having an impact when not only does he receive a message from someone thanking him for how he’s inspired or helped that person, but THAT person has an email from someone who they have helped an inspired. Amazing! If you’d like to learn more on how to start your own podcast, go to https://lifeonfire.wpengine.com/paradise , to learn directly from John, how to start your own podcast and follow in his footsteps! Episode Resources John’s Podcasting Training

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