I recently went one on one with Jas Mathur, founder and CEO of Limitless.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Jas: Through starting various businesses at a very young age and navigating my personal transformation journey of significant weight loss in my twenties, I’ve experienced failures that turned into learning experiences. I believe every challenge, from business to personal, has a purpose. Whether it is to test your patience, your emotional and mental strength, or something else. For me, it was not knowing where to start building an empire. By this, I mean not knowing what steps to take and how to establish relationships with top-level people in the field. This journey is instrumental to where I am today. 

Adam: How did you come up with your business ideas? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas?

Jas: My advice is to find your passion, then find your purpose within that passion. That intersection is important. My ideas came from my experience in self-teaching technology softwares and computers, web mastery and marketing, eCommerce, etc. I tied it with my passion for health and wellness, and like for many, the desire to look and feel great. I saw longevity in that and helping other people achieve their best version of themselves. 

Adam: How did you know your business ideas were worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea?

Jas: I saw longevity in the industry of web eCommerce and tech, which is vital in practically every business today and continues to be a growing field. My advice to best test a business idea is to simply pull the trigger and launch. Learning through experience is a big part of the journey. I believe many entrepreneurs live in doubt of their capability, worrying that they will fall short of their goals. Pushing through that mentality is the first step.

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your businesses? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Jas: Growing a business takes sacrifice, resisting temptation to distraction, embracing time alone, meditating, etc. I think it’s important to evaluate each relationship and its purpose and space in your life. It’s important to be aware of who and what brings value to your trajectory.

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Jas: Make sure your product or service has a unique selling point and marketing that is real, not inflated. Conduct a market study and be cognisant of competitors and trends. The price point needs to be respectively affordable and target a strong market.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Jas: You have to be bold and willing to make a decision and stick to it. Leaders shouldn't flip-flop. This decisiveness develops as you engage with other entrepreneurs and you enter joint partnerships and other ventures. You will meet bigger players in the game, so observe how they handle themselves and navigate their business.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?

Jas: Isolating ourselves from different ideas won't help us grow professionally or personally, but it’s also important to be mindful and choose who to surround yourself with. That plays a big role in one's self-growth. The best advice I can give is to seek out inspirational individuals that add value to your life and support your journey for success. Bring people onto your team that have a passion for what they want to do, and are self-motivated and willing to work hard. Allow them to make mistakes and grow with them.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?

Jas: 

1. Inspire people: To be a well-rounded leader, it’s important to share your mission clearly. It will inspire the people around you toward similar goals.

2. Always be open to learning new things: Striving to learn more about subjects out of your wheelhouse or comfort zone will push you to expand your overall perspective in life. The world is loaded with so much interesting information that will undoubtedly propel you to become a better entrepreneur in the long run.

3. Understanding that no one is perfect: An effective and powerful leader knows to push their team to strive for success, but isn't quick to judge if that greatness isn’t achieved instantaneously. Being empathetic and helpful towards your team will only benefit everyone - by nurturing your team’s existing skills, everyone succeeds.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Jas: “Don’t wear your emotions on your sleeve.”

The best leaders are ready to show vulnerability. However, a CEO must not lose composure - especially in a startup when uncertainty abounds. A CEO functions as the organizational glue, setting the directions and steering the team towards a successful future. Maintaining leadership ensures the betterment of the team as a whole. I do think business leaders become calmer as they get older, with more focus and precision.

Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities and non-profit organizations.

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