You’re Always Selling: Interview with Entrepreneur Jason Foodman

I recently went one-on-one with Jason Foodman. Jason co-founded SwiftCD and FastSpring and currently serves as Strategic Advisor to Leaf.page, planeo.de and Oxzeon.

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?

Jason: I wish I could say that I had some grand plan or vision, but I’ve basically taken life one step at a time. At a young age, I was tinkering with electronics and had numerous early personal computers (such as my TRS-80 Color Computer). By age 15, I was doing serious programming and developed my first software product, a medical records management system I wrote in BASIC. It seems silly in hindsight, but at the time, it was not easy trying to convince hospital administrators to upgrade from paper to software, let alone software written by a teenager. Since then, I’ve started nearly two dozen software and technology businesses, many of which failed and a few of which succeeded. It’s human to fear failure, but it teaches you lessons you don’t easily forget. These days, I’m still at it, leading companies either starting up or in growth mode and playing a Board role for more established companies.

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?

Jason: Each business has different challenges and operates in one or more industry-specific environments; from that standpoint, it’s not easy to list specific key steps for growing and scaling any business. Growth, in general, requires first that a very solid foundation exists; much of the time, fundamental foundational problems limit a business's ability to grow and scale. When I’m analyzing or stepping into a new business with the obvious intent to grow the business, this is where I start.  Specifically:

* Financials: Sometimes, companies with great products and people fail as a result of financial mismanagement. Having good processes, controls, and organized financials is basically a foundation that absolutely has to be there.  

 * People: My parents are a psychiatrist (father) and psychologist (mother), so despite my love for technology, I focus quite a lot on people. When stepping into a new (for me) business in an executive role, I always start with the people. It’s worth taking the time to understand how the teams are structured, who are the leaders and key individuals, what is the sentiment amongst the team, and ask if there are gaps or issues that need to be addressed, etc.

 * Products and Services: These are the problem-solvers for customers. The product needs to be great, and it’s essential to understand both the history and the planned future (roadmap).

 * Customer Service: Acquiring customers is difficult and often expensive; losing them is even more painful. A key component to minimizing churn is providing outstanding customer service.

 * Technology: I’m a big believer in automation, and part of scaling is to find and create efficiencies in a business. Sometimes, this is accomplished from a financial perspective. Often, this means using tools and technology to reduce human hours and develop products and services in a more streamlined, consistent manner.

 * Sales and Marketing: Last on my list are my two favorite aspects of a business, sales and marketing. There’s no real point in selling if the items above aren’t in place and solid. With financial discipline, a great team, and excellent products and services in place, what’s left to execute on is great sales and marketing.  

Everything above is basically the foundation required for growth and scale. Each of these areas also benefits from having good analytics in place. It’s often hard to understand performance without metrics to analyze.

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Jason: For nearly ten years, I have been a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.  During that time, I also had the opportunity to spend some time (as a civilian) engaged with the US Navy. Moreso than anyone or anywhere else I’ve come into contact with, the US Navy has very clearly defined the ‘Charge of Command’ and the qualities of a leader. The four pillars of leadership described in public Navy materials are authority, responsibility, accountability, and expertise. For me, that short list perfectly summarizes the defining qualities of an effective leader. I would add one additional key quality: an effective leader cares about people. The team, customers, and stakeholders are all people, and individuals have a very good sense of if/how they are valued and whether they are appreciated. An effective leader inspires people, and inspiring people requires caring about people. Finally, it’s worth pointing out that a key function of any great leader is to develop new leaders; this is incredibly important for any organization.

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Jason: I wish it were as easy as saying take this course, read the book, or watch this video. Leadership skills grow and evolve as a result of real-world experience, specifically by listening, being open to learning and change, being transparent, and communicating clearly.

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

Jason: You have to work hard. There is no substitute for hard work, and your efforts set an example for those around you. Be open-minded to your teams’ suggestions and embrace change, but also be decisive when it counts. Finally, a good leader gives something back, not just to the company but to the world around them, using their experience and abilities.

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

Jason: A great team operates with a common vision in an environment of trust and respect. Building that kind of team requires hiring intelligent, driven individuals with integrity. My advice is to surround yourself with the best possible people, many of whom may be (and hopefully are) smarter than you. Listen to them. Empower them. Set the example for how your team and your customers are to be treated, and don’t be hesitant to take tough calls, either.

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing, and branding?

Jason: Establishing and protecting a brand is something I’m a big believer in. A brand can become hugely valuable, but it needs to be treated as just that, a potentially incredibly valuable asset. Your brand is your identity, and it communicates what your company stands for, the value of your products or services, and how you want your customers to feel. As for marketing, at a high level, think of marketing to be communicating values and feelings, not just about listing features. Coming at it from that standpoint, think about channels where those values and ideas can be effectively and affordably communicated.  The obvious and mass-consumer channels, for example, are always going to be saturated and typically expensive. I always suggest being very creative and thinking outside the box when it comes to marketing. With any amount of focus, there are surely groups of customers (in specific communities, geographies or with specific needs) that are being under-served in terms of marketing. Also, it’s important to be careful about falling into the trap of focusing your marketing heavily on your existing customers. Selling is an art of its own; my best tip there is to truly take the time to understand the customer. Ideally, in person, at their locations and places of business. Learn how their business works, understand their challenges and perspective and become an expert in their business. By truly understanding your customers, selling to them becomes much easier.  

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

Jason: I’ve read many wonderful quotes and pieces of advice, but my family has always guided me the most. My father once said, ‘Everyone is in sales; you’re always selling. If in any given situation you aren’t sure what you’re selling, then you’re selling yourself.’ Another good one would be from my grandfather, who said, ‘Never retire.’ He was still working in a physically demanding job, even when he was 99 years old.

Thank you for the interview, Adam.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is 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. 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. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, 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. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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