Meet Jonathan Maxim

We were lucky to catch up with Jonathan Maxim recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonathan, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

My disposition can be described as relentless optimism. Even when it doesn’t seem rational. If we were all completely rational, there would be nearly no innovation, hardly a tech startup world, and culture would be boring.

Regardless of how many mistakes I have to make to reach my goal, or to make a real lasting positive impact on the world, I will happily continue applying myself and either “winning or learning”.

There is some amount of foolish optimism that I think everyone should have: that curiosity to ask “what if?”. Or, “if I wanted to do something huge, how would I go about it?

But, the majority of people around me – employees, family, close friends typically think I’m either a little off my rocker, or even a bit offensive. That can be pretty dampening, but I encourage you to work through with what you believe in anyway.

If it doesn’t pan out how I wanted, then it’s a lesson – not a loss. If it does, great, another win to celebrate. Either way, it’s a win. This thinking is most inspired by people like Tim Ferriss who continually encourage people to experiment. I listened to 450 of his podcasts over the course of 5 years. Each of them being 2 or more hours long. Downloading his mindset didn’t necessarily make me rich, but it’s made the game of life rewarding, fun and exciting. And, people want to be around those who are fulfilled and driven. So my cup became full.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My job is to launch new apps to 10,000 users, and then introduce them to 20 investors – guaranteed. So, every day I am working with innovative tech startups, helping them realize their big dreams. I do this through a done-for-you service, as well as coaching (done with you) and course (do it yourself). The intention is to democratize valuable strategies to help more startups succeed. As you know, about 99% of startups fail. So we’re working to increase that 1%. We help them launch, monetize, get profitable, then raise capital. In our first official year in business, we launched 34 apps, and raised about $5.5M in investor capital for our clients.

While tech is fun, spirituality is also intriguing to me. The process of self discovery is perpetually exciting. So, I have a podcast called Zen Business where I share openly about all the wild things I’ve seen.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Number one: there’s nothing wrong with having a chip on your shoulder. A lot of coaches and gurus will tell you to do everything from a place of positivity. But the truth is, people are more likely to act if they risk losing something, rather than gaining something. So I leverage that aspect of human nature and relish in my competitive spirit. It is the yin to my yang of spirituality.

Number two: most answers lie within. You just have to listen for them. Each of us has divine knowledge that God has blessed us with. But many of us lose touch with that soul connection. When we are tapped in, you may find yourself having brilliant thoughts, breakthroughs or even knowing something you never remember learning. For example, one spiritual experience taught me how to play the piano. I had never taken any lessons or had experience doing that.

Number three: don’t be afraid to ask for help. I know this seems counterintuitive to the point above, but I do believe in coaches. But not the “guru” type. There is a balance to everything in life that will give you the optimal outcomes. Some external information and influences, and some internal. Coaches help you see your blind spots and act as a great accountability partner. But don’t expect them to do anything more than talk. It’s their job. Your job is to walk the walk.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

As I anticipate a baby coming June 2024, I am actively thinking of what impact I want to leave on my daughter. Meanwhile, recalling how my parents handled certain situations.

Here’s my sentiment: they did the 20% that makes 80% of the results. What did they teach me? First – independence. I recall my mom saying that word to me at 14. And it stuck with me. She told me, independence will make you strong as an adult. I also remember a high school teacher asking my classmates and most of them noted they did not have that characteristic.

In today’s world, you really can’t depend on anyone else. Independence isn’t some individualist, selfish pursuit. Instead, it’s a matter of actively seeking out accountability wherever and whenever I can. So that I can learn from the mistakes of not just myself, but others’ mistakes too.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
@itsjmaxim instagram

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