Why This CEO Chooses Hard Things On Purpose | The LIV Lab Episode 34 ft. Jeff Jonas

You know exactly what you should do. Eat better. Speak up. Ask the question. Start the thing. And somehow, you still don't do it. Because it's uncomfortable. Because it's scary. Because it's easier not to. This week on The LIV Lab, I sit down with Jeff Jonas, an Ironman athlete, CEO of Senzing, former IBM Fellow, and honorary doctorate holder, to talk about what happens when you stop avoiding hard things and start choosing them on purpose. But his story doesn't start there. It starts in the back of a car, at 23, unable to breathe. This episode is part survival story, part comeback story, and part "wait... I could actually do that too?" In this episode, we explore: How a car accident left him temporarily paralyzed, and what he decided in that exact moment Why he dropped out of high school to build software, and what happened when it all fell apart Going bankrupt, living in his car, and the guarantee he invented to rebuild trust from nothing Why he took up rock climbing specifically because he was scared of heights How he went from blacking out during public speaking to becoming IBM's highest-rated speaker The real reason curiosity matters more than formal education What it means to be "signal," and how to actually be remembered The three traits he looks for when hiring: ethics, energy, and curiosity The LIV Call to Action Learn: Confidence doesn't always come before the hard thing. Sometimes it comes after you decide to do it anyway. Notice one place in your life where you're waiting to feel ready before you start. Innovate: Build yourself a small "delivery guarantee." Pick one thing you've promised someone, or promised yourself, and find the smallest, most doable way to actually follow through this week. Venture: Ask the question you're embarrassed to ask. In a class, a meeting, a group chat, say "wait, what does that mean?" out loud, just once, this week. 📩 Share your week's LIV! Email me at [email protected] Learn more about Jeff Jonas at senzing.com and email him at [email protected]