Lessons from the Valley: Jonathan Beatty on Entrepreneurship and Purpose
Today, we’re diving deep into the world of literacy and entrepreneurship with the incredible Jonathan Beatty, the mastermind behind I Love Books. This isn’t just your run-of-the-mill apparel brand; it’s a movement that’s all about putting new books into the hands of kids who really need them. For every item sold, a new book goes to a child, and let me tell you, Jonathan and his crew have already impacted over 15,000 families in Kentucky. We’re chatting about the challenges he faced transitioning from corporate life—think Procter & Gamble and Amazon—to this heart-driven venture, and how a simple view of homelessness sparked a passion for literacy. So grab a comfy seat and maybe a snack, because we’re about to talk about how to turn passion into purpose and the unexpected twists that come with it!
Jonathan Beatty, known as the Chief Bookman, drops some serious wisdom in this episode that’s bound to inspire anyone feeling stuck in the corporate grind. We dive deep into his journey from the structured life of corporate finance—think Procter & Gamble and Amazon—to the wild world of entrepreneurship, driven by a passion for literacy and community service. Jonathan’s story begins in the picturesque hills of Kentucky, where he grew up, but the real turning point came when he was living in California and encountered homelessness on a staggering scale. Picture this: a guy accustomed to the plush comforts of corporate success suddenly confronted with the stark realities of people living on the streets. That eye-opener didn’t just make him rethink his career; it ignited a fire in him to do something meaningful.
The thing I love about Jonathan is how he turned this passion into action with his initiative, I Love Books. For every piece of apparel sold, a new book is donated to a child in need. It’s a business model that’s as heartwarming as it is smart. He talks about how crucial literacy is in breaking the cycle of poverty, and it’s hard not to get swept up in his enthusiasm. Notably, he’s already impacted over 15,000 families in Kentucky, which is no small feat! Plus, he’s not just winging it; his corporate background gives him the savvy to run a sustainable business that not only fuels his passion but also serves a greater purpose.
As we chat about the challenges of leaving behind a six-figure salary for the uncertain waters of entrepreneurship, Jonathan’s honesty is refreshing. He shares that knowing what you’re doing in a corporate environment doesn’t prepare you for the unpredictability of running your own show. He reflects on the struggle of managing lifestyle changes and the emotional toll that comes with it. But through it all, his commitment to his mission shines bright. This episode is more than just a discussion; it’s a masterclass on pivoting towards purpose, addressing societal issues, and finding fulfillment in the process. If you’ve ever considered making a change or are just looking for a little motivation, Jonathan’s journey will resonate with you on so many levels.
Takeaways:
- Jonathan Beatty, known as the Chief Bookman, founded I Love Books to promote literacy by donating a book for every item sold, impacting over 15,000 families.
- Transitioning from corporate America to entrepreneurship was a daunting challenge for Jonathan, who felt unprepared for the unknown that lay ahead.
- The connection between literacy and homelessness sparked Jonathan's journey, leading him to address educational inequalities in underserved communities.
- One essential piece of advice Jonathan shares is to know the problem you're solving and to prepare for the emotional and financial challenges of entrepreneurship.
- Jonathan emphasizes that not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur; understanding your strengths and roles is crucial in the game of business.
- He highlights the importance of persistence in entrepreneurship, stating that as long as you don't quit, you're bound to find success eventually.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- I Love Books
- Procter & Gamble
- McKesson
- Amazon
- TOMS
- Warby Parker
- William Wells Brown Elementary
- Promise Academy
- Nipsey Hussle
- David Brooks
- Paulo Coelho
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker A:Hey, everybody.
Speaker A:Parnell Woodard, welcome back to another episode of the Pivot Point.
Speaker A:Really cool episode for you guys today.
Speaker A:I've got Jonathan bait.
Speaker A:Is it Beatty or Beatty?
Speaker A:I probably should ask before we got on air.
Speaker B:Right where you're in the Northeast, they call it Beatty up there, but in the south we call it Beatty.
Speaker A:Beatty.
Speaker A:Jonathan Beatty.
Speaker A:We'll go with Jonathan Beatty.
Speaker A:Jonathan is the founder and chief bookman.
Speaker A:Cool title of I Love Books, which is a movement turned apparel brand, celebrates the power of reading and more importantly, puts new books into the hands of families who need them the most.
Speaker A:For every item sold, I Love Books donates a new book to a child.
Speaker A:Impacting over 15,000 families already across Kentucky and counting.
Speaker A:Before getting into I Love Books, Jonathan spent his time building a marketing and management degree from the University of Kentucky along with an mba, spent about a decade in senior leadership roles in corporate finance, including Procter & Gamble, McKesson as well as Amazon.
Speaker A:And now as chief bookman, he uses storytelling, apparel and grassroots outreach to really raise awareness about the power and importance of literacy, especially in communities that have been historically underserved and most impacted by educational inequalities.
Speaker A:Probably a lot of thoughts on some of the local or most recent cuts, but we'll keep it out of politics for today's session.
Speaker A:Key accomplishments for Jonathan, honored as the prominent black Kentuckian by the Muhammad Ali center and the association for Teaching Black History in Kentucky.
Speaker A:He's been published in Newsweek.
Speaker A:He has been a speaker at the Bellarmine University's Louisville Writing Project Spring Conference and featured on a number of local news segments and regional publications for community impact and literacy advocacy.
Speaker A:Jonathan, welcome this morning.
Speaker B:Thank you for having me.
Speaker B:It's a pleasure.
Speaker A:No, glad to have you.
Speaker A:Glad to have you.
Speaker A:So you spend a lot of time, you've done the corporate world thing and the pivot point's really about helping people learn and understand why and how right people choose to take that step and leave corporate America and go start something, go invest in a business or themselves really to take control of their future and control of their career.
Speaker A:What was the hardest part or the biggest challenge really in that transition from corporate America into starting something on your own?
Speaker B:Knowing what I was doing and then going into something where I had no idea.
Speaker B:And the hardest part would be that I didn't know, that I didn't know I had an idea.
Speaker B:I had no clue.
Speaker B:So I grew up modestly in southeast Kentucky and made it, as you said, got my degrees from uk, went to work for Procter And Gamble really learned the corporate finance game and then along the way, really became successful in that area.
Speaker B:But when I left, and I'm sure we'll talk about, like, the impetus for all of that, but when I left, I just didn't have an idea of what I was getting myself into, which is good in retrospect, because if I would have known, I may not have made the jump or the leap.
Speaker B:So, yeah, that's probably the most difficult part of making the jump.
Speaker A:How young or how old were you when you decided to make that leap?
Speaker B:Right around 30.
Speaker B:And I was living in California at the time I had left Procter and Gamble, went to a company called McKesson, which was Fortune 10, I think on the Fortune 500 list at the time.
Speaker B:And, yeah, just saw homelessness at a clip that I had never seen.
Speaker B: ancisco, and this was back in: Speaker B:And yet when I went from my beautiful home in the Oakland hills into San Francisco's financial district where I work, there was just rows and rows of our homeless brothers and sisters struggling, and it just didn't register.
Speaker B:And the level of accountability, I guess you could say that I felt was really what started the journey.
Speaker B:Just feeling like I was part of the problem and wanted to be a part of the solution.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Was.
Speaker A:Was it.
Speaker A:Was it that.
Speaker B:It.
Speaker A:Was it that seeing that and being exposed to that, that made you realize that you wanted to do something different?
Speaker A:Or were there certain things that happened, maybe even in corporate America, that made you say, well, this is not for me?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:The first thing that I remember when I was 25, I.
Speaker B:I was working with a gentleman, and he was reporting to the same manager as me.
Speaker B:And he.
Speaker B:My manager at the time was 28.
Speaker B:And I just remember thinking, I don't know that that's going to be my path, where I'm 45, 50 years old, and I'm reporting back to this young person who is a brilliant mind.
Speaker B:But I think that was the first seed that was planted in my mind.
Speaker B:And then when I got to California and I was working for McKesson at the time, I just didn't enjoy the work.
Speaker B:I lost a passion for the work, and I projected myself into the future and thought, if I keep doing this for the next 10 years, I can already tell you where I'm going to be.
Speaker B:But if I take a different path, maybe I can get myself into a better place.
Speaker B:And A place that's more conducive to the life and the lifestyle that I want to have.
Speaker B:So, yeah.
Speaker B:And then seeing a lady.
Speaker B:The biggest story and the actual reason that really put me over the edge was seeing a lady was walking to lunch, and she was eating out of a trash can.
Speaker B:And then, not to be too graphic, but she just kind of went to the side and used a bathroom in the middle of the street.
Speaker B:Just like, I can't believe this is happening.
Speaker B:And then I thought, I'm part of the reason, because I'm not using my talents, my treasures, my time, I'm not using my resources to ensure someone like her doesn't have to go that route.
Speaker B:And what started as homelessness as a passion and eradicating that ended up turning into literacy once I realized that there was a direct correlation in a lot of cases.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's what I was gonna ask you.
Speaker A:I was gonna say, you know, seeing the homelessness and understanding the impact it had on you, how did that.
Speaker A:How did that.
Speaker A:I don't wanna use the word pivot, right, because we're on the show called Pivot, but how did that pivot.
Speaker A:How did you unravel that as part of that?
Speaker B:Cause so at first, I would start this.
Speaker B:I started a.
Speaker B:I don't want to call it program, but I started a little ritual called Feeding Frenzy Fridays, where I would go to subways.
Speaker B:That was back when they still had $5 footlongs.
Speaker B:I would cut up a ton of footlongs and just walk down the street.
Speaker B:And my perception was that those who are homeless in some way got there for some reason.
Speaker B:I just didn't know what the reason was.
Speaker B:So what?
Speaker B:By going and passing out sandwiches and having conversations with people, I learned that some people had been kicked out because they were lgbtq.
Speaker B:Some people were in the military and came back and have the resources they need.
Speaker B:Some people were in Vegas and got transported out to the bay because there was no space in the facilities they were using.
Speaker B:And what it let me know is that there's a lot of reasons why someone ends up in that place.
Speaker B:Fast forward a few months later, I moved back to Kentucky to start this journey.
Speaker B:And someone had told me that there was, like, a lot of kids that don't have books in their homes ends up becoming illiterate.
Speaker B:And when you're illiterate, these are the consequences of it, and homelessness being one of those.
Speaker B:So I thought, instead of just addressing the homelessness crisis, why don't I address the literacy crisis and we can address all the other things that come along with it.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:So, you know, mentally, you've seen this.
Speaker A:Mentally, you've got to a point where you're like, I need to do something.
Speaker A:I need to make that change.
Speaker A:You've made the decision you want to do something.
Speaker A:What were some of the first steps that you took to start this in action?
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So outside of, you know, going to Subway and doing those in looks, looking at it as a business and less as a human.
Speaker A:A human endeavor.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Kind of a nice, you know, gesture.
Speaker A:How did.
Speaker A:What were those steps that you took to turn it into a business?
Speaker B:So the first business that I started out, I actually wanted to come back and use my marketing degree.
Speaker B:So I started a cause marketing firm.
Speaker B:And that's a.
Speaker B:That's still the actual umbrella company, which is servant.
Speaker B:It means to serve in an ancient dialect called Esperanto.
Speaker B:And so the goal was to partner socially conscious businesses with nonprofits and help them run campaigns to raise awareness about the things that I was passionate about, including literacy, homelessness, et cetera.
Speaker B:And I realized very quickly that that was not going to be it.
Speaker B:I was a finance guy.
Speaker B:I had no idea what I was doing.
Speaker B:So after about.
Speaker B:About a year, I decided to let that go.
Speaker B:And what replaced it was hearing about the TOMS brand and Warby Parker as a company.
Speaker B:So they were just starting their journeys of the buy and give model.
Speaker B:Made a lot of sense to me as a business person, because I never wanted to take donations.
Speaker B:That wasn't sustainable.
Speaker B:And even you were talking about what's happening now, I assume that that's going to affect a lot of nonprofits.
Speaker B:But for the businesses that sell and just give as part of their model, I felt like it was going to be sustainable.
Speaker B:And when I learned about toms, I was learning about the literacy crisis.
Speaker B:I said, well, I can figure out a way to sell product to the people who love books, and when I sell that product, I can give books.
Speaker B:And as long as people continue to buy, we'll continue to give, which is how we've given, you know, 15,000 plus books is just by continuing to give.
Speaker B:And let the giving be a part of the marketing strategy.
Speaker B:Even going back to Tom's, Blake Mycosky, the founder, he said that that was one of the biggest marketing components that they have, was just the giving that they did on the back end.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:When.
Speaker A:When you.
Speaker A:When you start to make that change.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You're leaving the.
Speaker A:A lot of people talked about the security of corporate America and the security of corporate jobs.
Speaker A:Although I think I would challenge that now more than ever.
Speaker A:But what was the hardest part about leaving that?
Speaker A:I mean, you'd spent all that time in school, undergrad, mba, right.
Speaker A:And going down this path, thinking that corporate America is the right way for you.
Speaker A:What was the hardest part about leaving that?
Speaker B:You called it the security, the financial security, as I would be specifically.
Speaker B:So I was very fortunate to start earning the cliche six figure salary at like 25 years old.
Speaker B:And what I got to it, and it was like getting on the mountaintop.
Speaker B:One of my favorite books is titled the Second Mountain by David Brooks.
Speaker B:And it talks about when you climb up this mountain that I thought that was supposed to be the pinnacle, it was supposed to be the thing.
Speaker B:And you get there and you're looking around like, this isn't what I want to do.
Speaker B:So now you've got to make a choice to go down another mountain, stay on the mountain.
Speaker B:And if you go down the mountain, you're going to get to the valley.
Speaker B:And that's what kind of going back to what I said earlier, I had no idea what I was doing.
Speaker B:I vastly underestimated the amount of time it was going to take, the amount of resources it was going to take.
Speaker B:And I put myself in a position where I live the traditional California entrepreneur lifestyle, except it was just me.
Speaker B:So I was sleeping on the couch, I didn't have a car.
Speaker B:I got sued by the credit card companies.
Speaker B:I mean, I went through it.
Speaker B:I really lived that life.
Speaker B:And a lot of people may hear that.
Speaker B:And I think even with my family, they're probably looking at me.
Speaker B:When I first moved back, why are you doing this?
Speaker B:You had it all.
Speaker B:You had the convertible, you had a downtown condo like you.
Speaker B:What are you doing?
Speaker B:But my favorite book is titled the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Speaker B:And I and I read that book as soon as I got back to Kentucky and I realized that I'm Santiago and Santiago in the story went through the same types of things.
Speaker B:So as I was going through it, I knew that as long as I didn't quit, I would get to the treasure.
Speaker B:But man, it was super difficult, you know, having to change up that type of lifestyle, traveling around the world and having anything that you would like to going to, really being stifled by the amount of resources that you have as you're trying to build something special.
Speaker A:Yeah, you mentioned your family.
Speaker A:Did they give you, did they give you a lot of pushback?
Speaker A:Did they, did, you know, they say, jonathan, what are you doing, man?
Speaker A:You've done all of this and better yet, how did you handle it?
Speaker A:How did you reconcile it?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And shout out to your former guest, Emily, who introduced us.
Speaker B:I heard her interview, and she was talking about she's 42.
Speaker B:I was not 42 when I started my journey.
Speaker B:So the reaction for me was a little different, and I think it just came from concern.
Speaker B:Everyone's supportive.
Speaker B:They've always been supportive of me.
Speaker B:I'm super thankful for my mom, my sisters, my brother, all of the people around me who supported me.
Speaker B:But I could tell that there was a level of.
Speaker B:I would say, maybe that's the word.
Speaker B:It's concern.
Speaker B:Just, hey, I don't see what you see in your mind.
Speaker B:I trust you and I believe you, but I also see this struggle, and it's hard.
Speaker B:And I think that was it.
Speaker B:And for me, initially, I took it personal.
Speaker B:And Don Miguel Ruiz and the four agreements talks about don't take anything personally.
Speaker B:And I learned that lesson much later.
Speaker B:But I took it personal initially.
Speaker B:But when I thought about it later on, it's like, yeah, I mean, I would.
Speaker B:I would feel the same, but I think we were able to keep everything intact, and they were there.
Speaker B:They've been able to see the progress that I've made since I first started, and I think they are comfortable now knowing that no matter what I'm going through, I'm going to get to the other side of it.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, obviously, books have played a significant part in your.
Speaker A:In your knowledge and just continuous learning.
Speaker A:Were there any.
Speaker A:Anything else, Mentors, strategies, coaches, people around you that helped you navigate some of those early days?
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:I've had My same mentor, Dr.
Speaker B:Holloway, since I was a sophomore in college.
Speaker B:And my advisor, Mr.
Speaker B:Eric Brown, is also a mentor of mine as well.
Speaker B:And just tapping into the people who've already come before me.
Speaker B:They weren't entrepreneurs, but they kind of helped me with the mental game a lot.
Speaker B:The entrepreneurship side of it came from mostly the books, but also podcasts and listening to people who had already gotten to where I want to go and learning the lessons, even if it wasn't directly applicable to me, still being able to learn the lessons that they learned.
Speaker B:I heard a quote one time that said, a wise man learns from the mistakes and successes of others.
Speaker B:And I really felt like I was able to do that through the books and podcasts and just really getting around and networking with people as well.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you're often running on your new endeavor.
Speaker A:Do you think there's misconceptions out there that people typically have about starting A business that you might, you know, you might want to talk to them about.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Similar to the way people talk about college.
Speaker B:It's not for everybody.
Speaker B:Not every, not every.
Speaker B:It's like being a quarterback.
Speaker B:Not everyone is designed to be a quarterback.
Speaker B:And, and I think that we've put so much of an emphasis over the last few years on entrepreneurship that people have a misconception of, you know, I'm just going to leave my job and I'm going to do.
Speaker B:I'm going to do what I love to do and follow my passion.
Speaker B:And it's all going.
Speaker B:No, that's, that's, that's not, that's not it.
Speaker B:I think that some people are meant to be CFOs, some people are meant to be on the front lines.
Speaker B:Some people are meant to be a coach, some people are meant to be behind the camera.
Speaker B:There's a lot of, there's a lot of positions to play in the game.
Speaker B:And I think that when you tell everyone that you're supposed to be the quarterback, it can be really detrimental.
Speaker B:Now, fortunately for me, I do believe that this is what I was designed to do.
Speaker B:I think that my path is somewhat different because I was raised a certain way, very blue collar, very hardworking, grew up with hardworking parents.
Speaker B:Never thought I would leave corporate.
Speaker B:But as I've reshaped and rewired my brain, I've tapped into that leadership that has been inside of me since I was a kid.
Speaker B:And I've known, but it's taken a lot for me to get there.
Speaker B:And, and I've had to make a lot of decisions that other people may not want to make.
Speaker B:You know, I knew when I was 30 years old that I may not be married and I may not have children, depending on how long it takes for me to achieve this mission.
Speaker B:But I dedicate.
Speaker B:I decided.
Speaker B:I made a decision to dedicate my life to my purpose.
Speaker B:But I don't think that everyone's purpose is to go, you know, change the world and make sure that all the hundreds of millions of people who don't have books have them.
Speaker B:I think that's a pretty big task to take on, and I don't think it's designed for everybody.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, it's funny you mentioned the word decision, and I'll butcher this in Latin, but the Latin word of decision is decadre, which means to cut off.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So there is.
Speaker A:When you make, when people make a decision, a lot of times it's not really a decision because they're giving themselves.
Speaker A:Hedging the bets, what have you.
Speaker A:I had a guest on a month or so ago, and her husband is former Navy seal, and when they went into business together, he said, burn the ships.
Speaker B:Yeah, Burn the boats.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:That's it.
Speaker A:This is the choice.
Speaker B:You.
Speaker A:It is.
Speaker A:You will go forward.
Speaker A:This is it.
Speaker A:There's no plan B.
Speaker A:And I think that's important.
Speaker A:A lot of times people want to hedge bets, and you've got to be committed, you've got to be focused.
Speaker A:You know, you talked about, you know, just staying for.
Speaker A:Keep going forward and keep, you know, not in, and just refusing to fail.
Speaker A:I had a colleague of mine say, just don't die.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Because you'll get there.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Just don't die.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:You'll get there.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:And, you know, you mentioned a minute ago, too, I think it's really important.
Speaker A:A lot of people think about entrepreneurialism, and they talk about, just go, do what I love.
Speaker A:You know, Mark Cuban said something once, and I thought it was really, really insightful.
Speaker A:He said, don't do what you love.
Speaker A:Do what you're good at.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker A:And it's.
Speaker A:You know, I love to play golf.
Speaker A:I'm just not very good at it anymore.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But I don't know if I'd want it to be my career, because then it might detract from my love of the sport and just enjoying and playing the game, you know, and there's a lot of times people, they.
Speaker A:They gravitate towards that love, and all of a sudden, their love for that topic or that passion is gone, because it's what they do day in and day out, you know, and to your point, not everybody's designed to be a quarterback, right?
Speaker A:You gotta have a.
Speaker A:You gotta have a left tackle, you gotta have a right tackle, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Somebody's gotta catch the ball some.
Speaker A:Yeah, all those things.
Speaker A:All.
Speaker A:All the above, you know?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And they're all important, you know, And I think that when you understand value and kind of going back to what you were saying with Mark Cuban, like, do what you're good at.
Speaker B:But the biggest lesson that I've learned in entrepreneurship is solve people's problems.
Speaker B:And that's really it, you know, and as if you have a team, everyone has to understand that even if you are sweeping the floors, you're preventing people from slipping and falling, which is allowing us to complete this mission.
Speaker B:You are a.
Speaker B:You are a part of the solution.
Speaker B:Like, you are part of this bigger thing.
Speaker B:And I think it's just reframing or for some framing, you know, the way that you look at what you do in that.
Speaker B:From that angle.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:You know, in terms of when you.
Speaker A:So getting into business for yourself, was there anything that you found that was easier than you thought it was going to be.
Speaker B:To continue going?
Speaker B:I think so.
Speaker B:One of my favorite artists, his name is Nipsey Hussle, and he talks about, similar to what your friend was saying, like, don't die, which I love, by the way.
Speaker B:I've never heard that, but I'm definitely going to use it later.
Speaker B:He says the same thing, which is that the marathon continues.
Speaker B:And I think for a lot of people, it may have been easier for them to quit.
Speaker B:The thing that's been the easiest thing for me is to not quit.
Speaker B:Like, it's just not in me.
Speaker B:I'm not.
Speaker B:I was talking to one of my friends, he's a founder of Westlu Coffee here in Louisville, and we were talking about that, like, it's just not in us as leaders to quit.
Speaker B:Like you said earlier, I cut off all other options.
Speaker B:I either get there or I die.
Speaker B:And Will Smith talks about that from his dad and his book.
Speaker B:Will is like, I'm either going to get there or I'm going to die on my way.
Speaker B:One of the two.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:And that's it.
Speaker B:So as long as I don't die, at some point, we're gonna make that.
Speaker A:You know, Conversely, what has there.
Speaker A:Was there anything that you found that was a lot harder, you know, in terms of getting into business for yourself than you expected?
Speaker B:No, just the adjustment.
Speaker B:The biggest thing for me personally, and I know it's different for everyone, but for me, it's just the financial aspect of it.
Speaker B:When you grow up thinking that you're going to get to the magic six figures and you know that you're going to.
Speaker B:I sat down in Cincinnati when I was 23 years old with a financial advisor who told me that I would be worth $4.4 million in 25 with just my P and G stock alone.
Speaker B:It's very difficult to walk away from guaranteed millions of dollars, guaranteed high quality of life and all of that.
Speaker B:And I think for the.
Speaker B:As easy as it's been for me to keep going, managing the lifestyle changes that I've had along the way has probably been the most difficult because now a lot of my friends, where I started out, my career just gone.
Speaker B:And some of my friends were on their way getting there.
Speaker B:They're there now at their careers, and I'm kind of doing what they were doing at the beginning of their career.
Speaker B:But I'm doing it now as entrepreneurs, so I'm still ramping up to get there.
Speaker B:And especially with the business model that I have, it cuts into the margin when I give books.
Speaker B:So it's going to take me longer to get to the financial targets that I have that it may be with just another brand that's, that's selling merchandise with.
Speaker B:With no social purpose.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:You know, as you've done this over the past X number of years, really getting this running and up and off the ground, has there been a, maybe a specific moment or a milestone that really made you stop?
Speaker A:Kind of just stops you right in your tracks.
Speaker A:And you were like, this is why I do what I do.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Haha, man.
Speaker B:There's actually been a few, but the first one that was really of notice was giving books.
Speaker B:So one of the big partnerships that we had was with William Wells Brown elementary in Lexington, Kentucky, Shout out to them, the Colts, they allowed us to come in and film a music video called the I Love Books Anthem.
Speaker B:And we were able to give the I promise book to 300 plus students.
Speaker B:And everybody left and they read that.
Speaker B:It's important.
Speaker B:It's not just a book for them, they're a Promise Academy.
Speaker B:So they read I Promise every day.
Speaker B:And some of the kids wouldn't have been able to afford the book perhaps on their own.
Speaker B:And the school didn't necessarily decide to go get everyone the books, but when I reached out, said, hey, we've hit a target, we want to come in and give books, not only did they allow us to give them, but they allowed us to capture it on camera in the pandemic, which was amazing and I'll forever be grateful for that.
Speaker B:And really, anytime that we go into a school and it's, hey, bookman, you're the book man.
Speaker B:Oh, you're the book guy.
Speaker B:And just seeing kids recognize that I'm doing something important, you know.
Speaker B:No, I was fortunate to be successful in my corporate career, but never had a CEO come up to me and say, hey, Jonathan, you did that.
Speaker B:But the kids, they do it often, so that's always rewarding.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Have you seen a noticeable impact on the lives of some of those kids in the community or anything in particular you can share?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And I will not take credit for me and my act of giving books.
Speaker B:I know that a lot more kids have them than perhaps the number of kids that would have had we not started.
Speaker B:But the Promise Academy went from being, you know, one of the lowest ranking schools in the state to now, being one of the up and coming schools in the state, and we've had nonprofit partners talk about the response from kids when we come in and give the books.
Speaker B:And I think, you know, obviously if you're, if you're watching this versus hearing it, you may or may not see or know that I am a black man from Kentucky.
Speaker B:And so, you know, seeing a black man come in, and it's not just for black kids, it's for all kids because it's not something that is as common as other folks coming into the school.
Speaker B:And I think that that just serves as a point of motivation.
Speaker B:And mentioned Nipsey Hussle earlier.
Speaker B:One of the quotes that I heard from him was the highest human act is to inspire.
Speaker B:And I feel like I've been able to inspire a good amount of kids.
Speaker B:That may just lead them to picking up a book or at least recognizing that reading and learning and education is important.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:You really, you can't put, you can't put a price tag on that kind of feeling.
Speaker A:You know, that's just a special feeling.
Speaker A:I can't imagine it.
Speaker A:I know I have my moments when I'm coaching with people and.
Speaker A:But to be able to do that for kids and to be able to help them, that's got to be really, really special.
Speaker A:So, you know, looking back on your journey to date, is there any advice you'd give your past self, and what would it be?
Speaker B:Wait just a little bit longer before jumping because you're going to burn the ships.
Speaker B:But you can get a little closer to the island before you burn.
Speaker B:Like, let's touch some sand first.
Speaker B:Let's not be in the middle of the ocean.
Speaker A:You don't have to swim as far.
Speaker B:You don't have to swim as far.
Speaker B:You'll be okay if you just wait just a little bit longer.
Speaker B:And again, part of that is just not knowing what I don't know.
Speaker B:But if I'm taking what I know now and applying it back to, then that's definitely number one.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:So you're sitting down across the table from somebody sitting down, having a cup of coffee or tea, and they're saying, you know, geez, Jonathan, I've been thinking about an idea.
Speaker A:I want to get into business Right.
Speaker A:Myself.
Speaker A:What practical steps would you recommend for somebody thinking about that?
Speaker B:Number one, know what problem you're solving and who you're solving it for.
Speaker B:Essentially get your.
Speaker B:Get your data together.
Speaker B:Like it's going back to having passion projects and doing what you love and all that.
Speaker B:That's.
Speaker B:That's great.
Speaker B:But are you solving a problem?
Speaker B:And what problem are you solving?
Speaker B:Is it a sustainable problem?
Speaker B:Is it a problem that has a big enough market?
Speaker B:So really the technical side of it would be number one.
Speaker B:I think we put, we already put enough emphasis on the passion and loving what you do and all of that, but I think there's a gap in, you know, making sure that someone understands the technical aspect.
Speaker B:And then, you know, make.
Speaker B:Mapping out a plan that gives you enough time to test, you know, don't, don't jump.
Speaker B:Just, just test it out, you know, whatever that minimal viable product that MVP looks like.
Speaker B:Just test it and then, you know, get the data, make adjustments, test more.
Speaker B:Get the data, make adjustments, test more.
Speaker B:And that's.
Speaker B:I think those would be the, the primary things that I would say.
Speaker B:And then the rest of it would be the normal, you know, make sure that it's something you could see yourself doing long term and all that stuff.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:Any counsel for them in terms of how to prepare emotionally or financially for some of the challenges that lie ahead?
Speaker B:Assume that, assume that it doesn't work the first two times.
Speaker B:And what I mean by that is prepare financially as though it's not going to work.
Speaker B:Prepare emotionally, spiritually, as though it's not going to work.
Speaker B:But know that it will work because you're running the marathon and you're not going to die.
Speaker B:So prepare as though it isn't.
Speaker B:Know that it's going to.
Speaker B:So when it doesn't, you're not thrown off.
Speaker B:That was one of the biggest benefits that I had personally of reading the Alchemist.
Speaker B:Like, I knew when I started to fumble was like, oh, I'm.
Speaker B:This isn't failure.
Speaker B:This, this is just a roadblock.
Speaker B:But I was less prepared than what I would want someone else to come in.
Speaker B:So that would be the advice that I would give.
Speaker C:Yeah, yeah, good counsel.
Speaker A:Just in terms of time.
Speaker A:We'll wrap up here in a few minutes, but let's have a little fun.
Speaker A:Couple rapid fire questions for you.
Speaker A:The end of the session.
Speaker A:If you could have dinner with any entrepreneur, past or present, who would it be?
Speaker B:Junior Bridgman.
Speaker B:I think he's one of the most underrated and rest his soul, player.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:The guy from the Bucs.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker B:Who recently transitioned.
Speaker B:So again, salute to his family and what he built.
Speaker B:I think he's one of the most, least one of the most underrated entrepreneurs of all time, to be honest.
Speaker B:I think that people are less familiar with him than, than what they should be.
Speaker B:So brilliant mind and, and also My fraternity brother happened to be so pretty cool.
Speaker A:Nice.
Speaker C:Nice.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker A:I think I've only seen some of his, you know, notice about some of his work in passing.
Speaker A:So I'll have to look him up because I always enjoyed watching the player.
Speaker A:He was a hell of a ball player.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I didn't even know.
Speaker B:I didn't.
Speaker B:I've never really seen him play.
Speaker B:I just knew he started with the Wendy's franchises and built something special.
Speaker A:That's wild.
Speaker A:One business tool or app you couldn't live without.
Speaker B:Chad, GPT.
Speaker B:Me and brother.
Speaker B:Me and brother chat every day.
Speaker B:We're on there working.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Any unconventional advice that you've gotten that actually worked?
Speaker B:Pivot.
Speaker B:And when I say unconventional, I got to talk about running the marathon.
Speaker B:But someone told me it's okay if you walk away.
Speaker B:And that was relevant when I first started the cause marketing business.
Speaker B:Some people want to keep going, keep going, keep going, and they'll take that advice.
Speaker B:But in my opinion, it was imperative that I actual pivot and realize that that's not what I was going to do.
Speaker B:And here we are a decade later, still running a marathon.
Speaker A:So, so wise.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I had a futurist on an episode, a number, a number of weeks ago, David Houle.
Speaker A:And we talked about CEOs ability to learn and, you know, good CEOs ability to learn quickly.
Speaker A:But what he, what he also Talked about was CEO's ability to unlearn and to unlearn just as quickly and to be open minded enough to unlearn.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Because just because you've done it in the past doesn't mean it's going to work going forward.
Speaker A:I saw a great definition of the word tradition the other day.
Speaker A:It was said, peer pressure from dead people.
Speaker A:Right, Right.
Speaker A:And I'm like, that's really good, you know, but, you know, so, but I think, I think you're right on the pivot.
Speaker A:The unlearning, the ability to recognize that you have to, you have to adjust.
Speaker A:So if your business was, if you had to describe your business as a movie title, what would it be?
Speaker B:For the Love, comma, Always.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Now it's, it's.
Speaker B:And it's for multiple reasons, obviously.
Speaker B:I love what I'm doing.
Speaker B:I actually love books and I actually read.
Speaker B:And, and I really do believe that I'll keep running this race always.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:And, and I have a good friend of mine who gave me the Alchemist who has a brand called Love Always.
Speaker B:So putting those all together is probably.
Speaker A:How I would articulate You've intrigued me enough.
Speaker A:I'm gonna have to go dig that one up because I think I remember looking at it once years back, but.
Speaker A:All right, last question.
Speaker A:One guilty pleasure.
Speaker A:The end of the day, you've had a good day, great day.
Speaker A:Kind of helps you unwind.
Speaker A:What do you do?
Speaker B:Hit golf balls?
Speaker B:I know that's a little random, but you mentioned it earlier.
Speaker B:Like, I.
Speaker B:I did not ever think that I would play golf.
Speaker B:I grew up playing football, basketball, and running track.
Speaker B:And then, you know, I remember thinking how ignorant I was.
Speaker B:Oh, my gosh.
Speaker B:Oh, this Tiger woods guy.
Speaker B:Everybody's going crazy over this dude.
Speaker B:And now he's hitting a stationary fall.
Speaker B:You know, he's not getting hit.
Speaker B:He's not taking hits.
Speaker B:And off.
Speaker B:And then I picked up a golf club, and we've come such a long way.
Speaker B:But I absolutely love the game of golf.
Speaker B:It is probably my second favorite thing to do outside of what I do with the work and reading and all of that good stuff.
Speaker B:But, yes, if I could, I'd be on Pebble beach on 18 right now.
Speaker A:It looks a lot easier than it is, though, isn't it?
Speaker B:It's kind of like what we're talking about.
Speaker B:It looks a lot EAS than what it is, but I think that's.
Speaker B:That's actually.
Speaker B:And I think that that's part of the reason why I love golf, too, is there's so many parallels in life in the game of golf that are just embedded.
Speaker B:So, you know, from.
Speaker B:From literally the equipment and the first tee and which tee box you're hitting off of to everybody having the same opportunity to get in the hole.
Speaker B:So, like, it's just one of those things.
Speaker B:Definitely one of my favorite things to do.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Jonathan, thanks so much for spending some time with us.
Speaker A:For listeners, give them some contact information if they want to get in touch with you.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:And thank you for what you're doing.
Speaker B:I think this platform that you've created can really help people be more equipped to make the pivot if and when they do.
Speaker B:So thank you for that and this opportunity.
Speaker B:Again, my name is Jonathan Beatty.
Speaker B:I'm better known as chief bookman on social.
Speaker B:So if you follow me on TikTok or you can follow me on TikTok for however long it's going to be here, Instagram X, all the things will be Chief Bookman.
Speaker B:You can find the hoodies, the hats, the totes, and be a part of the movement.
Speaker B:ILovebooks.org ILovebooks.org and you can find.
Speaker B:I love books under I love books brand handle on any of the social media platforms as well.
Speaker A:Cool.
Speaker A:Thanks, Jonathan.
Speaker A:Appreciate you having this, spending some time this morning with everybody.
Speaker A:So thank you.
Speaker A:This has been another episode of the Pivot Point.
Speaker A:We'll see you guys next time.
Speaker B:It.
