E232 - Lessons from Jay Jacobson: Observation Before Action

Elias Curtis said the first five years of his business were just surviving. In 2009 he and his wife walked away from a steady corporate paycheck with young kids at home and a brand new design business with zero clients. Today Transformed Design Inc. is a full digital growth agency, and AI took his website builds from one to two weeks down to two to three days while cutting his costs by 90 percent. But the part that stuck with me most is that Elias is not trying to outwork the market. He is trying to outserve it.In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me from my conversation with Elias: the five years of messy rejections and near misses he pushed through, the fragmentation problem he now solves for every client, why a business owner telling him their leads are dry motivates him more than anything, and how he uses AI to free up capacity for the human side of the work. I also map his story to three of the six principles of the Prime Performance process: clarity, optimization, and resilience. Awareness first, then action. If you are grinding and nothing is clicking, it might not be an effort problem. It might be a clarity problem.Chapter Timestamps:00:00 Show intro01:38 Picture this: walking away in 200902:08 Who Elias Curtis is02:38 Who this recap is for03:07 Leaving the corporate world with his wife03:35 Evolving the agency around AI04:04 Two weeks to two days and 90 percent lower costs04:33 Five years of just surviving05:03 Fragmentation: nothing talking to each other05:26 A man on a mission05:56 Outserve, not outwork06:24 Prime Performance principle one: clarity06:54 Optimization and resilience07:22 Awareness first, then action07:52 Where to find Elias08:19 Thank you, Elias08:48 The one thing I want to leave you with09:16 Wrap upConnect with Elias Curtis:Transformed Design Inc: https://transformeddesign.comBusinessLaunchOS: https://businesslaunchos.comListen to the full conversation with Elias Curtis in E237.Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

Elias Curtis cut his production costs by 90 percent with AI and went from building websites in one to two weeks to two to three days, without dropping quality. Elias founded Transformed Design Inc. with his wife in 2009 to get out of the corporate race, and has spent 17 years turning a traditional creative agency into an AI powered business systems operation covering branding, web development, SEO, lead generation, CRM, and automation. He is also the founder of BusinessLaunchOS, a business in a box for startups. He walks Rob through the messy survival years and why a brochure website is no longer good enough.The conversation covers the low star reviews and refunds that taught him how to work with clients, why AI is an amplifier and not a shortcut, and the two problems he solves for every client: fragmentation and limitations. Rob and Elias also get into the 35,000 programmatic pages driving qualified leads to his agency, what a business has to square away before switching to an AI system, and his new book, Building Beyond the Business.Topics Covered:- Leaving the nine to five in 2009 and why it was better to start sooner than later- How a client change that took one to two days in a traditional system now takes five to ten minutes- The early Yelp reviews, refunds, and cancellations that forced him to learn client relationships- Fragmentation: social media, websites, and CRMs that never talk to each other- Limitations: why website builders and brochure sites fall behind on AI search visibility- Building 35,000 targeted pages and treating SEO, AEO, and GEO like ongoing car maintenance- Why brand foundations come first, and building where the demand already isChapter Timestamps:00:00 Show intro01:38 Welcome and Elias's founder story03:07 Leaving the corporate race in 200905:42 Moving across the country before the business06:51 When AI went from reading to doing09:07 Strategist and builder at the same time10:47 One to two days versus five to ten minutes11:34 AI as an amplifier12:02 The messy survival years and low star reviews15:16 The clients you should have fired sooner16:23 Fragmentation: when nothing is connected19:09 Limitations and why a brochure site hurts you20:50 Quick break21:27 Is traditional advertising dying21:57 Building 35,000 programmatic pages24:20 What to square up before you switch26:16 Inside BusinessLaunchOS28:33 Where to find Elias and his new book29:42 Who should reach out32:24 The one line he wants to leave behind33:02 Wrap upConnect with Elias Curtis:Transformed Design Inc: https://transformeddesign.comWebsite: https://eliascurtis.comBusinessLaunchOS: https://businesslaunchos.comFollow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

Any monkey can do multifamily real estate. That is what Gino Barbaro told me, and he would know. Gino went from a restaurant kitchen to co-founding Jake and Gino, a multifamily education company with over $100 million in assets under management, and he has coached thousands of investors along the way. His point is that most people skip straight to strategy, and strategy without the right mindset and healthy money patterns stalls every single time.In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me from my conversation with Gino. His three bucket framework: how you think, how you behave with money, and how you execute in your business. Why he is selling off the multifamily education side to build Barbaro 360 and GinoBarbaro.com, and how that pivot restarts the identity conversation from scratch. And how he is navigating a tough real estate market while rebranding at the same time. It maps clean onto the Prime Performance process. Clarity is bucket one. Energy and resilience live in bucket two, the money patterns and habits that either fuel you or drain you. Optimization and opportunity sit in bucket three, the execution layer. You cannot outwork a broken operating system. I close with one question to sit with: which bucket are you actually neglecting?Chapter Timestamps:00:00 Show intro01:38 Strategy alone will not save you02:07 From a restaurant kitchen to a real estate empire02:35 Why this episode will challenge you03:04 A blue collar beginning03:33 Building the Jake and Gino podcast and company04:02 Selling the education side to build Barbaro 36004:30 The identity conversation starts over04:57 Monetizing the life, not just the deals05:25 A tough market while rebranding05:54 Most people run straight to strategy06:22 The three buckets06:51 Any monkey can do multifamily07:20 Mapping the buckets to Prime Performance07:47 You cannot outwork a broken operating system08:16 Where to find Gino08:46 The Jake and Gino show and a thank you09:14 Which bucket are you neglecting?09:42 Follow the showConnect with Gino Barbaro:Website: https://ginobarbaro.comBarbaro 360: https://barbaro360.comListen to the full conversation with Gino Barbaro in E235.Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

For 20 years Gino Barbaro was the pizza guy. Then he started a side hustle in multifamily real estate that grew into over 1,900 units and $450 million in assets under management. Gino is a certified money coach, the author of Happy Money, Happy Family, Happy Legacy, and the founder of Barbaro 360, a family coaching brand built around legacy and money. He walks Rob through the phone call that changed his identity, and why he walked away from the business that made him. The conversation covers why becoming an entrepreneur starts with acting like one, why you should fall in love with systems instead of goals, and how hitting 100 units forced Gino to stop doing everything himself. Rob and Gino also get into his values based partnership with Jake, why he sold the Jake and Gino education company, and the three gears every successful investor had in common. Topics Covered: - Negotiating an $11 million seller finance deal from the restaurant and realizing he had outgrown the kitchen - Why the entrepreneur version of you shows up and makes the calls even when you do not feel like it - Choosing multifamily over fix and flips because he already had a job and did not want another one - Moving from "me, me, me" to serving residents, employees, and the marketplace - Going from about 100 units to 1,000 in three years by investing in systems and processes - Using VAs and AI to hand off the task you hate most, one small step at a time - Aligning values, vision, and objectives before you start any partnership - Mindset, money patterns, and business strategy, and why legacy starts today Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Show intro 01:38 Welcome and Gino's story 02:59 If a pizza guy can do it 05:33 The phone call that changed his identity 07:10 Acting as the next version of yourself 08:30 Fall in love with systems, not goals 09:55 Why multifamily instead of fix and flips 10:32 From me, me, me to serving others 13:16 Running a restaurant on reaction 15:13 The 100 unit mark and learning to scale 19:37 VAs, AI, and delegating what you hate 21:23 The pizza guy and the drug rep 24:24 Quick break 25:00 Selling the Jake and Gino education company 26:51 Mindset, money patterns, and business strategy 29:18 Legacy is something you activate today 33:09 Who Barbaro 360 is for 35:00 Where to find Gino 36:09 Happy Money, Happy Family, Happy Legacy 37:48 Wrap up Connect with Gino Barbaro: Website: https://ginobarbaro.com YouTube (Beyond Money): https://www.youtube.com/@movingbeyondmoney Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

If you try to do everything, you will do nothing well. That line came from Jordan Meyer, the founder of Addie Health, and it stopped me when he said it. Jordan is building a skincare brand formulated specifically for people on GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, and before that he was the CEO who led Obagi through a hardcore turnaround: an SEC investigation, the threat of being delisted, and 80 to 90 hour weeks.In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me from my conversation with Jordan. The top job carries the most responsibility and the least direct control, so you have to lead through agency rather than authority. When Addie Health's med spa and dermatology plan ran into reality, he pivoted to compounding pharmacies and telemedicine and built a network from zero through conferences, LinkedIn, and introductions. And two things keep him sharp: protecting his sleep so he does not overreact or underreact, and focus over motivation or hustle. That maps straight onto the Prime Performance process. Clarity is a one product brand that knows exactly the two things it works on every day. Energy and resilience is sleep protected as a performance tool, not a health habit. I close with one question to sit with: what are you saying yes to that is quietly diluting everything else?Chapter Timestamps:00:00 Show intro01:39 If you try to do everything, you will do nothing well02:05 GLP-1 medications and Ozempic face02:31 Building Addie Health with no roadmap02:58 A hardcore turnaround at Obagi03:27 The most responsibility, the least control03:54 Pivoting to pharmacies and telemedicine04:22 The hard part was the network04:50 Building a channel from scratch05:19 Narrowing your focus and saying no05:49 Sleep as a performance tool06:14 Focus, not motivation or hustle06:43 Steve Jobs and saying no to almost everything07:12 Prime Performance principle: Clarity07:37 Energy and resilience08:06 Where to find Addie Health08:34 Built for people on GLP-1 medications08:58 Where to find Jordan and a thank you09:26 The question to sit with this week09:55 The focused yes and the hard no10:18 Follow the showConnect with Jordan Meyer:Addie Health: https://addiehealth.coLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanpmeyer/Listen to the full conversation with Jordan Meyer in E233.Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

Most of the decisions keeping you stuck do not matter nearly as much as you think. Jordan Meyer is the founder of Addie Health, an Austin based skincare brand built for the 30 million Americans on GLP-1 medications, and the former president of Obagi, where he led a hardcore turnaround through an SEC investigation, a near delisting, and 80 to 90 hour weeks. He walks Rob through what that pressure taught him about focus, and how he now sorts decisions so the small ones stop eating his time.The conversation covers why the top job comes with the most responsibility and the least direct control, the Ozempic face problem that inspired Addie Health, and why Jordan scrapped his med spa and dermatology plan to chase pharmacy and telemedicine instead. Rob and Jordan also get into building a network from scratch through conferences, why the best follow up is a text and a selfie, and three practical ways to get unstuck.Topics Covered:- What leading a public company turnaround felt like day to day, and why you have to work through the agency of others- Why saying no to almost everything is the only way to execute well on what matters- How GLP-1 medications age the skin and the gap in the market that became Addie Health- Moving from med spas to pharmacies and telemedicine, closer to the moment of prescription- Using conference stages, fast follow up, and introductions to build a network in a brand new space- When to automate follow up and when to keep it one to one- Segmenting decisions by how much capital and founder time they commit- Time blocking the work you avoid, changing your environment, and protecting your sleepChapter Timestamps:00:00 Show intro01:38 Welcome and Jordan's background02:50 Inside a hardcore turnaround03:48 The most responsibility, the least control05:31 Narrow your focus and say no07:01 What Addie Health is building08:11 The Ozempic face problem09:45 Pivoting from med spas to pharmacy and telemedicine11:40 Why speed is a startup's advantage13:08 Building a network from zero14:37 Conferences, follow up, and introductions15:08 Systems versus a personal touch17:37 Quick break18:16 Stagnation and the what ifs19:25 Segmenting your decisions21:01 Time blocking the work you avoid21:56 Change your environment23:43 Why sleep drives better decisions24:51 Where Addie Health is focused now26:37 Where to find Jordan27:49 The through line of a career29:57 Wrap upConnect with Jordan Meyer:Addie Health: https://addiehealth.coLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanpmeyer/Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

Picture a room nobody wants to be in: grieving siblings who have not spoken in years, and a funeral director who has about three minutes to earn their trust. That was Jay Jacobson's classroom for 45 years. Jay is the founder of Jacobson Professional Staffing and the guy behind Jay's Cookies, and he now teaches the skills he built in those rooms to the next generation of leaders.In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me from my conversation with Jay. Reading the room is a discipline you can train, not a talent you are born with. His real edge is observation before action: he walks in and starts seeing before he starts doing. That maps straight onto the Prime Performance process. Clarity means knowing what you are working with before you work on it. Influence comes from being tuned into the people in front of you, not from volume or authority. And his 49 pound health reset is the energy principle doing its work, because you cannot hold that kind of presence on fumes. I close with one thing to try this week: in one conversation, pause, observe, and then act.Chapter Timestamps:00:00 Show intro01:39 A room nobody wants to be in02:07 Jay's 45 year classroom02:35 Two very different worlds03:03 Lessons from a nine year old paper boy03:26 Four decades in funeral service and United Flight 23203:47 Testifying before the Senate and turning it into a curriculum04:17 The emotional weight of funeral service04:38 Helping young professionals build balance early05:04 When a hobby takes off fast05:25 A 49 pound personal reset05:47 Reading the room is a trainable skill06:14 Observation before action06:39 Prime Performance principle: Clarity07:07 Prime Performance principle: Influence07:28 Energy and how the principles feed each other07:58 Jay's coaching and his book08:22 Where to find Jay08:32 Thank you, Jay08:53 One thing to try this week09:14 Follow the showConnect with Jay Jacobson:Jacobson Professional Staffing: https://jacobsonprostaff.comJay's Cookies: https://jayscookies.netListen to the full conversation with Jay Jacobson in E231.Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

You have about three minutes to earn someone's trust, and in funeral service that is all you ever get. Jay Jacobson spent 45 years in funeral service, founded Jacobson Professional Staffing, runs the gourmet cookie company Jay's Cookies, and wrote Lead by Legendary Example. He walks Rob through what a lifetime of sitting with families on their hardest days taught him about leadership, trust, and playing the long game.The conversation covers what Jay learned about people as a nine year old paper boy, why young professionals are losing the ability to read a room, and how a simple thank you tray for funeral homes grew into a cookie business shipping all over the country. Rob and Jay also get into how both businesses survived COVID, the 2 AM idea that rebuilt community for remote teams, and the 10 session team course built into the back of his book.Topics Covered:- Why the paper route taught Jay that people needed a visitor more than a newspaper- How phones are replacing the years when we learn to read body language and tone- The three minutes you get to build trust, and why open ended questions come first- Rewarding employees for a satisfied customer instead of only a closed sale- Thinking in generations instead of quarters, the long game of funeral service- Sending thank you gifts on St. Patrick's Day instead of getting lost at Christmas- Delivering cookies to remote employees on the same day to recreate community during COVID- Being brutally honest but kind, and the 10 session leadership course in Lead by Legendary ExampleChapter Timestamps:00:00 Show intro01:39 Welcome and Jay's background03:37 Leadership lessons from a nine year old paper boy05:11 Why we are losing the ability to be present07:13 The three minutes you have to earn trust09:46 Paying people for the values you say you have10:52 The generational long game of funeral service12:15 How a thank you tray became Jay's Cookies14:50 Send your gifts when nobody else does16:25 Why tangible thank yous beat AI generated messages17:16 Keeping two businesses standing through COVID18:32 Recreating community with same day cookie deliveries20:02 How COVID changed funerals for good22:00 Quick break22:37 Where the ideas come from: solving problems at 2 AM25:37 Faith, family, and work balance in a high stress profession26:42 The story behind Lead by Legendary Example28:24 Brutally honest, done kindly31:33 The 10 session team course inside the book32:42 Where to find Jay34:28 The one thing the next generation needs to learnConnect with Jay Jacobson:Jacobson Professional Staffing: https://jacobsonprostaff.comJay's Cookies: https://jayscookies.netLead by Legendary Example is on Amazon and Apple Books, in print and audio.Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

"You have two choices when life knocks you flat. You can be a victim of your circumstances or you can be a victor." Anthony Guastella lived that choice for six years with Lyme disease, through joint pain, thyroid issues, and doctors telling him this was just his life now. He said no, went hunting for answers, and made himself a promise: when he got to the other side, he would do the same for other people. Today he is a health coach, podcaster, speaker, and writer behind Anthony Guastella Wellness. If you have ever felt stuck in your body, stuck in your head, or just stuck, this one is for you.In this Friday recap I pull out what stuck with me most. Podcasts as the tool that taught him when nothing else could. The internal blocks that do not disappear even after you come through something hard, and the frustration of knowing exactly what you want but not getting there as fast as you want to. Why most people quit their podcast watching the numbers instead of holding on to the mission. His belief that your inner world creates your outer world. And his answer to people who confuse short term pleasure with fulfillment: fun is winning. I map it all to the Prime Performance process, especially resilience, intentionality, and why you have to get eyes on where your energy is draining before you can redirect it. Then I close on the one question I want you to sit with next time something goes sideways.Chapter Timestamps:00:00 Show intro01:38 Two choices when life knocks you flat02:02 Victim or victor02:06 Meet Anthony Guastella02:36 Six years with Lyme disease02:57 Choosing the path of empowerment03:21 A promise kept03:41 The internal blocks do not just disappear04:06 Consistency and holding on to the mission04:35 Your inner world creates your outer world05:01 Fun is winning05:27 The mission is the reward05:40 Resilience and intentionality06:05 Energy is a currency06:25 Get eyes on the drain06:52 The work is always on the person first07:08 Who Anthony is for07:37 Thank you, Anthony08:02 Am I being a victim or a victor?Connect with Anthony Guastella:Website: https://anthonyguastella.comPodcast: Anthony Guastella Wellness, on your favorite podcast appListen to the full conversation with Anthony Guastella in E229.Follow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.

Six years of Lyme disease, joint pain, thyroid issues and fibromyalgia left Anthony Guastella with two choices: be a victim or be a victor. He chose victor, and the number one tool he used to find answers was podcasting. Today Anthony is the founder of Anthony Guastella Wellness, a certified health coach, speaker, podcaster and the writer of more than 350 articles, and he walks Rob through how taking 100 percent responsibility turned his pain into his purpose.The conversation covers why your mission has to be bigger than your current circumstances, why consistency beats intensity, and why your inner world creates your outer world. Rob and Anthony also get into what inner work actually looks like day to day, Rob's story about playing rugby as "future Rob" instead of "college Rob," and why agency is the first thing Anthony wants every client to walk away with.Topics Covered:- Why it may not be your fault, but it is your responsibility- Holding a long term mission over immediate gratification when nothing seems to be working- How podcasting became Anthony's education and, later, his platform- Doing one set instead of three and still giving yourself credit for showing up- Consistency over intensity: keep the commitment, let the process adapt- Giving yourself space to think and asking empowering questions instead of disempowering ones- Overcoming yourself inside your circumstances, not the circumstances themselves- Why disease does not happen overnight, and neither does healthChapter Timestamps:00:00 Show intro01:38 Meet Anthony Guastella02:53 Victim or victor: choosing 100 percent responsibility04:45 Long term mission over immediate gratification06:10 How podcasting became his education07:09 Not your fault, but your responsibility08:38 Turning pain into purpose10:35 Reaching the masses and what coaching really is12:00 Where consistency broke down14:23 One set instead of three still counts15:06 Consistency over intensity16:49 Your inner world creates your outer world18:09 What inner work looks like right now20:32 Building capacity and a resilient nervous system20:56 Quick break21:33 Rob's rugby story: playing as future you23:57 Put your energy where you have control24:25 What clients walk away with27:44 Disease does not happen overnight, and neither does health29:08 350 articles and starting before you are ready30:59 Where to find AnthonyConnect with Anthony Guastella:Website: https://anthonyguastella.comPodcast: Anthony Guastella Wellness, on your favorite podcast appFollow Surviving the Side Hustle at https://survivingthesidehustle.com for every episode.