I recently went one-on-one with Jason L Smith, founder and CEO of Clarity 2 Prosperity, Prosperity Capital Advisors, and JL Smith Holistic Wealth Management, and the author of The Rainmaker Multiplier.
Adam: How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Jason: My path started with a basketball scholarship and big dreams on the court. But after multiple injuries, that path was yanked out from under me. What followed was a reluctant entrance into the financial industry—something I once swore I’d never do. But life has a way of pulling us toward where we’re meant to grow.
That detour became the “school of hard knocks,” teaching me persistence, resilience, and how to build grit through adversity. Those same lessons have carried over into every area of my life and career.
From the start, I’ve been a voracious reader and committed to lifelong learning. I pursued industry designations and absorbed everything I could through apprenticeships and mentorships. One of my earliest influences was a stockbroker I worked with while on the insurance side of the business—he gave me a real-world lens on how both sides of finance could work together.
Over time, I built a holistic planning model, but at first, I wasn’t charging for it. Getting my Series 65 license gave me the credibility to shift into true advisory work. When a key mentor of mine, Tony, retired, I stepped into a bigger role and began gathering assets.
What really pulled everything together was my passion for tax planning. I built on that by incorporating tax preparation and management. Eventually, I brought it all in-house. That allowed me to deliver something more comprehensive and client-centric.
If there’s one recurring theme throughout my story, it’s this: what doesn’t kill you truly does make you stronger.
Adam: What do you hope readers take away from your new book?
Jason: First and foremost, I want readers to feel inspired. I hope they walk away thinking, “If he can do it, so can I.”
The book is designed to share real-world lessons, strategies, and what I like to call “shortcuts and hacks.” I want readers to be able to become more productive and profitable, and maybe even get there faster than I did, by learning from my wins and missteps.
My goal is to flip the switch for people. Whether you’re in legal, accounting, insurance, investment management, or any professional services business, these principles apply. It’s not just about working in the business; it’s about building a business that can thrive with or without you.
Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?
Jason: Growth and scale start with clarity about your own unique ability, that space where your natural talent meets what energizes you. When you’re in the zone, it doesn’t feel like work.
Start by delegating the things you are not good at, then move on to the things you are okay at. Eventually, even look at offloading the things you’re good at but don’t love.
One powerful question I ask myself: “Just because I love the applause, do I love the activity?” That’s helped me let go of tasks that were externally validated but didn’t align with my strengths or passion.
Then, build a team around you that complements these areas. When everyone on your team is operating in their Unique Ability, the business hums.
Once your people are aligned, you must obsess over processes. Processes are what keep things running smoothly as you grow and add team members. If you don’t have them in place, things fall apart.
At the end of the day, scaling a business is about two things: people and processes. If you have those nailed down, you’re on your way.
Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing, and branding?
Jason: Early on, I made the mistake of spreading resources across multiple brands. It was a costly lesson. You only have so much budget, and more importantly, only so much brand equity and consumer attention to work with.
Today’s consumer is bombarded with messages through TV, their phones, and social media. To break through the noise, you need clarity.
Also, marketing and sales are distinct functions but are very intertwined and should be for optimal growth. However, they should be tracked meticulously on their own with scorecards and KPIs, and then the relationship between the two should be examined to manage your pipeline and funnel. If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it.
It’s also important to understand the different types of “closes” that happen during the client engagement process, not just the final sale. If you don’t unbundle the steps to see every part, you won’t know where things may be breaking down.
Being deliberate about analyzing your client’s journey is critical. Look at key conversion points:
- How many people attend a seminar but never take the next step?
- How many schedule a call but don’t show up?
- How many advance from one meeting to the next?
And beyond just client acquisition, tie in business development—meaning, how to earn more wallet share and deepen the relationship.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Jason: Start with clarity about your own strengths and passions. From there, build a team that complements, not duplicates, what you bring to the table.
Great leadership requires humility. That means admitting when you’re wrong and being willing to apologize. It also means embracing servant leadership where your job is to serve your team so they can do their best work.
Pay close attention to culture. What kind of environment do you want to build? That culture starts with your Core Values. And it’s okay if those values are aspirational as long as you’re actively building toward them.
We’ve focused on building a high-performance culture of A-players. And I’ve found that when you’re intentional about your culture, the right people show up. You should hire, fire, and reward based on those Core Values.
Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
I believe in continuous learning. Leadership is a journey, not a destination.
A few game-changing resources I’ve learned from:
- Patrick Lencioni – I’ve read everything he’s published; his work on team dynamics is foundational.
- Dan Sullivan’s “Who Not How” – reframed how I think about growth and delegation.
- “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership” – one of the best guides to servant leadership and personal accountability.
If you live by these principles, everything else tends to fall into place.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Jason:
- Practice meditation. The most impactful leaders I know use meditation to clear their heads and stay present. It’s a great way to begin your day or even to start meetings with clarity and focus.
- Journal daily. It’s one of the best ways to become the best version of yourself. Start with gratitude: What was good about yesterday? Journaling taps into your subconscious, strengthens your memory, improves your ability to recognize others, and often sparks new ideas.
- Put your health first. That includes your mental, physical, and spiritual health. If you want to lead others well – your spouse, your kids, your team – you have to lead yourself first. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Jason: It came from Dan Sullivan:
“The #1 best investment you’ll make in life is in your own intellectual capital.”
That stuck with me. If everything were stripped away, I know I could rebuild from what’s in my head and my heart. That mindset has been a driving force in my life.
Adam: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Jason: Just this: if you are trying to get your arms around your financial life or any complex part of your business or personal world, the answer often starts with simplification. Clarity comes when you remove the clutter. Whether it’s in how you lead, how you grow, or how you think, simplicity will guide you further than complexity ever could.
