We were lucky to catch up with Jeff Savage recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jeff, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I love answering this question! In fact, I even wrote a book about it called “Savage Resilience: Conquer Adversity and Be Your Own Hero”. Perhaps stemming from a childhood of moving around many times and often being the new kid in school and bullied, I always felt I had something to prove to others, when in actuality, I really had something to prove to myself.
These early struggles in my life primed me to become a globetrotting marathon runner and athlete, having run nearly 30 full marathons around the world. I began to discover parallels between what makes a runner successful in finishing a marathon and what makes a person successful in life. I apply these principles I learned to everything I do, from my focus on fitness to how I run my business.
Running a marathon can be a metaphor for any struggle of life, and when the going gets tough, it takes a focused effort to continue, a will to never give up, to put one foot in front of the other, to persevere until the end.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I enjoy having what is often considered a unique career, that being a Professional Voice Actor. From my home studio, I record voice over for commercials and video marketing, narrate audiobooks, as well as other genres that involve the spoken word. This experience has opened doors to other aspects of acting in front of the camera and led to becoming the Talent Director for SyncLab Media here in Dallas. Through this partnership, I began hosting my own TV talk show focused on the life of the working actor called “Take 2.”
I also have a passion to share my story with the world, and recently joined other thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and authors on stage at Go All In Fest in Phoenix, AZ in which I spoke on the subject “Finding Your Stride in the Marathon of Life” and accepted the International Impact Book Award for my book “Savage Resilience: Conquer Adversity and Be Your Own Hero.”
Fusing these paths together, I continue to take my message of resilience out to the world, whether in public speaking promoting the principles of my book, lending my voice to new marketing campaigns, and getting in front of a wider audience on television. I’m also on a quest to complete the World Marathon Majors which consist of Chicago, New York City, Boston, London, Berlin, and Tokyo.
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?
Tying my experiences running marathons to anyone pursuing a goal whether business or personal, there are 3 things that stand out as being guiding principles that can make you successful in any endeavor. Adopting these principles NOW and not learning the hard way through trial and error and personal humiliation can be the biggest game changer for you, especially if you are just getting started on your journey.
The first principle being what I call “The Pace Makes The Race.” In other words, don’t burn out too soon by throwing all of your energy at your endeavor right away. A marathon runner knows not to sprint away from the start line, but instead, to find a sensible pace you can maintain for the duration of the race. It’s ok to be excited and passionate about your goal, but also know that any long-term goal requires carrying that level of focus for the long haul. Burning out and giving up on a goal are the results of going out too fast!
The second principle is knowing that “YOU Are Your Only Competition.” In whatever you are pursuing in life, there is always going to be someone who is better than you in some aspect. We often compare ourselves to others thinking that the playing field is even, when in fact, every person has different circumstances and a different motivation as to why they’re doing what they’re doing. In a marathon, every runner is different, but the goal is the same: to cross the finish line. Whether it takes 3 hours or 6, it’s the outcome, not the speed, which matters most.
And the third principle is to “Remember Why You Started.” Look, in any long-range goal or in running a marathon, you’re going to get tired, and you’re going to want to give up. Your comfort zone is going to want to suck you back into complacency. Remember why you wanted to succeed in the first place. Keep that reason front and center in your mind and your heart. Don’t lose focus on the reason, because once you do, you will surely doubt yourself, consider your journey to be pointless, and you very well might just give up. Find ways to reinforce that reason in your mind EVERY DAY, and plan in advance for times in which you may want to give up suddenly.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I consider all the things I do in my life, I often feel like I’m spinning plates, furiously concentrating on not letting any of them fall. I often do feel overwhelmed, and recognize that most of the time, it is of my own doing. When I get myself into trouble, I tend to do it to myself.
It is quite honestly the pursuit of physical exercise that calms me down. I make sure I devote at least 1 hour each day to exercise (whether it’s running, lifting weights, or rock climbing). There is something about the release of endorphins that come as a result of exercise that can really turn a sour attitude around.
And to those who declare they don’t have time to exercise, I find that this fact keeps things in perspective for me: 1 hour is 4% of your day. 4% of my day to have a better 96% is a price I’ll pay any day!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JeffSavageVO.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jeff_savage_vo
- Facebook: facebook.com/jeffsavagevo
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jeffsavagevo
- Other: To find out more about my book and public speaking, please visit www.JeffSavageOnline.com
Image Credits
Vlad Levine / Opticalkind
