52. The Master Connector and Why the Biggest Heart Wins: Jayson Gaignard Talks World Class Networking

Time stamped show notes:

[0:25] About Jayson: his book (Mastermind Dinners) and his events (Mastermind Talks)

[1:57] He grew his business to $7M a year for over 4 years without outside investment.

[2:06] He was pursuing the 4-hour work week, started to question to his life, and decided to sell his business.

[4:29] He started having mastermind dinners.

[5:06] He didn’t begin charging for the dinners. He was paying for them out of pocket.

[5:29] Had an opportunity to do a dinner with Tim Ferriss

[8:28] “Ignorance, confidence, and hard work can go a long way.”

[8:45] After his first event was a success, he decided to do another one, and he continued doing more.

[10:06] After meeting Tim Ferriss, Brad had the opportunity to go to Africa with Tim.

[12:13] Tim Ferris has had an incredible impact on entrepreneurs.

[13:30] He initially wanted to be like a Ted Talk but for entrepreneurs.

[15:10] Essence of Mastermind Talks: great people, great food, great experiences

[16:28] How he keeps the community growing all year long

[18:03] The biggest shift he’s had in terms of business

[19:48] He scales by raising the price point and the caliber of people attending.

[21:48] The selection process is the hardest thing. There is a process for vetting.

[22:50] His goal is to build the best peer group for 7- and 8-figure entrepreneurs.

[24:04] How he manages all his relationships

[26:58] He has a desire to go deeper with his relationships. It's not about meeting more people.

[28:50] The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say "No" to almost everything.

[29:24] Connecting with connectors

[30:52] How he recharges  

[32:58] How he keeps the family unit going | How his family supports him

[33:37] He makes travel about family, even when its about work. His wife is also involved in the business.

[35:29] Entrepreneurs need to realize that they can combine family, work, and wellness creatively. Don’t let it fall by the wayside.  

[37:12] The importance of rapport  

[38:48] His podcast is divided into seasons, and every season is themes. It makes it easier to commit to a season rather than be stuck in a content creation hamster wheel.

[40:48] How he gives back

[41:21] He has a “biggest fan budget,” not a marketing budget.

[41:40] If you want to care about somebody, care about what they care about or who they care about.

[45:41] "There is more to life than increasing its speed." - Ghandi

[45:56] We’re always measuring up and comparing our lives to what we see on Instagam.

Three key points:

1. He scales by raising the price point and the caliber of people attending rather than increasing the size and amount of talks.
2. Go deeper with your relationships. It's not about meeting more people.
3. Entrepreneurs need to realize that they can combine family, work, and wellness creatively. Don’t let it fall by the wayside.  

Resources mentioned:

Way of Life - App

Defy Ventures - helps formerly incarcerated men and women transition

Last question:

Listen to his podcast, share it on Facebook or Twitter, etc.

CommunityMade: www.communitymade.com

Itunes: Community Made

How to contact him:

-Facebook: JaysonGaignard

-Twitter: @JaysonGaignard