E39: Jamal Edwards - From Media Student To Multimillionaire
Jamal Edwards MBE, founder of SBTV, shares his journey as a young entrepreneur, discussing challenges like anxiety, public pressure, and the importance of mindset. He emphasizes finding fulfillment in giving back, prioritizing health and family, and building resilience in business.
Deep Dive Analysis
18 Topic Outline
Introduction to Jamal Edwards and SBTV
Early Life: School and Strict Upbringing
Challenges of Young Entrepreneurship and Public Life
Navigating Being a Young Boss and Age Barriers
Dealing with Demotivation and Procrastination
Overcoming Fears: Public Speaking and Failure
Coping with Bad News and the Power of Delegation
The Role of 'Oomph Moments' in Sustaining Drive
Evolving Passion and Future Plans for SBTV
Managing the Pressure of 'Doing More'
Personal Experience with Mother's Cancer and Life's Impermanence
Work-Life Balance and Family Priorities
Mindset on Race and Discrimination
Mental Health, Anxiety, and Personal Coping Mechanisms
Finding Fulfillment through Community and Youth Centers
The Complex Relationship with Money and Loneliness
Future Aspirations and the Pursuit of Satisfaction
Dream Dinner Party: Guests and Menu
5 Key Concepts
Oomph Moments
These are significant moments in one's career or life that provide a renewed burst of energy and motivation for a sustained period. Jamal suggests letting these moments 'marinate' to fully appreciate and draw lasting inspiration from them, similar to how food is seasoned.
Procrastination (Jamal's View)
For Jamal, procrastination is thinking about a task so extensively that one talks themselves out of taking immediate action. This often leads to finding alternative activities that divert attention from the actual task at hand.
Procrastination (Stephen's View)
Stephen suggests that procrastination often stems from a psychological barrier, which could be a fear of failure, disinterest in the task, or a perceived lack of knowledge, leading one to avoid confronting the task directly.
Health as Wealth
This concept emphasizes that maintaining good physical and mental health is paramount for success and well-being. Neglecting one's health can negatively impact the ability to build and sustain a business or pursue goals effectively.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy (Race)
Discussed in the context of race, this idea suggests that if an individual believes their racial background will inherently hold them back, they might unconsciously manifest that belief into reality, rather than focusing on overcoming challenges and striving for success.
11 Questions Answered
Jamal had a very short attention span, enjoying subjects like ICT and physical activities more than traditional education. This often led to behavioral problems and him being a 'class clown' because he wasn't engaged.
His very strict upbringing, where he was not allowed out much as a child, made him more of a 'rebel' and independent once he gained freedom, shaping his desire to experience life outside his home.
The pressures include living life in the public eye, constant scrutiny of appearance, and the daunting task of being a young boss managing older employees, which can lead to self-doubt and anxiety about making mistakes.
He recognizes these moments and often withdraws from social media to have 'me time.' He also makes an effort to share his struggles online to show the realistic ups and downs of entrepreneurship, aiming to have a positive effect by showing the real picture.
His biggest fear is people no longer caring about what he's doing. He believes the audience is the most important thing, and without their engagement, a business doesn't truly exist.
It made him appreciate life more and focus on providing for his family, causing him to remove himself from some work. His mother's positive attitude, inspired by his own mindset, helped her through the battle, which was diagnosed at a very late stage.
He copes by focusing on healthy habits like eating better, going to the gym, switching off, and spending time with friends. He also finds relief in activities like watching football, which removes him from his 'crazy world' for a period.
For Jamal, fulfillment comes from being able to give back and improve other people's lives. This includes helping artists launch their careers through SBTV and setting up youth centers to support young people in their aspirations.
He believes money brings both happiness and sadness, and that it comes and goes. While it can be used for personal enjoyment, true happiness and fulfillment come from using money to give back and help others, as excessive personal wealth can lead to boredom and loneliness.
He experienced significant loneliness when he was younger and lacked a support group or people who understood his business. Now, with an established support network, he knows how to deal with loneliness more effectively.
No, Jamal believes one can 'never be satisfied,' viewing it as a continuous drive for improvement and new projects rather than a final state to be achieved.
21 Actionable Insights
1. Control Mindset on Discrimination
Don’t let the belief that your background (race, age, gender) will hold you back trap you; instead, cultivate a mindset focused on being the change you want to see and connecting diverse groups, rather than blaming external factors.
2. Find Fulfillment in Giving Back
Shift your focus from money as the primary source of happiness to the fulfillment derived from giving back and improving other people’s lives, as this brings a deeper sense of purpose.
3. Prioritize Health and Family
Appreciate life and make the most of your time by pursuing goals, but always maintain a healthy lifestyle and provide for your family, as health is wealth and neglecting it impacts your ability to build a business.
4. Process Bad News Systematically
When facing setbacks like failed pitches or lost investments, approach them with an organized, positive mental attitude rather than emotionally. Learn to delegate tasks instead of trying to do everything yourself, which can negatively impact health and mindset.
5. Manage Anxiety with Lifestyle
Combat anxiety and low moods by eating better (avoiding heavy meals), exercising regularly, switching off, and spending time with friends. Re-engage with hobbies that provide a complete escape from daily pressures to find relief.
6. Create Oomph Moments Strategically
Plan and create significant ‘oomph moments’ (e.g., big events, key achievements) in your career, ideally one per quarter, to reignite your motivation and remind your audience of your presence and impact.
7. Overcome Procrastination by Acting
Procrastination often stems from overthinking a task until you talk yourself out of immediate action, or from fear of failure. To combat this, identify the psychological barrier and confront the task directly rather than avoiding it.
8. Embrace and Share Vulnerability
Acknowledge and take ‘me time’ when feeling demotivated or down, even if it means stepping back from social media. It’s important to share the realistic ups and downs of your journey, not just the positive, to show authenticity and help others.
9. Overcome Age-Related Leadership Fear
As a young leader, don’t let the age or experience of older employees sway your decisions if you believe in your vision. Learn to assert your own direction and overcome the fear of telling older team members what to do.
10. Start a Business at Any Age
Don’t let your age be a barrier to starting a business, as entrepreneurship is now more accessible and accepted at any age and from any background. People are breaking down barriers and making it happen regardless of age.
11. Expect and Learn from Rejection
Understand that you won’t win every pitch or opportunity, and this is a normal part of business. Instead of dwelling on losses, re-pitch and learn from what went wrong to improve for next time.
12. Prioritize Your Audience
Always remember that your audience is the most important aspect of your business; if people stop caring about what you’re doing, your business will struggle. Focus on maintaining engagement and relevance with your consumers.
13. Unlock Your Inner Passion
Recognize that everyone has a passion or purpose within them, regardless of age. Seek out triggers or opportunities that can unlock this passion, then commit to pursuing it.
14. Leverage Your Network for Others
Use your professional network and contacts to create opportunities, such as work experience, for young people or those in need. This helps build their self-belief and confidence, which is a powerful form of giving back.
15. Build Confidence via Interactions
Engage in activities that force you to interact with people and step outside your comfort zone, even if they seem frightening. These experiences can significantly build your confidence and improve your social skills.
16. Understand Money’s Fleeting Nature
Recognize that money is a love-hate relationship; it comes and goes and doesn’t guarantee happiness or last forever. While important for family, don’t let it be your sole focus, as it can lead to loneliness if spent only on oneself.
17. Identify True Friends Through Distance
Moving away from your social circle can reveal who your true friends are, as only a few will make the effort to visit. This helps you understand who genuinely cares.
18. Develop Coping for Loneliness
Entrepreneurship can be lonely, especially when young and without a support group. Over time, develop effective coping mechanisms and build a strong support system to navigate these periods.
19. Cultivate a Personal Brand
Beyond your core business, actively build and develop your personal brand to create new opportunities and avenues for impact. This allows for diversification and pursuing passions outside the main venture.
20. Embrace Healthy Dissatisfaction
Understand that true satisfaction is elusive for ambitious individuals, and a healthy level of dissatisfaction can be a continuous driver for growth and new achievements.
21. Maintain Relentless Persistence
No matter the challenges or setbacks, cultivate a mindset of continuous effort and persistence. Keep moving forward with your goals and aspirations.
9 Key Quotes
I didn't have many case studies in my life of successful young black men to look to as a, I guess, a proof case that it was possible for me. But you were one of those people.
Stephen Bartlett
I've always been taught to respect your elders... But I had to learn to like sort of take that back and actually do what I wanted to do.
Jamal Edwards
I always try and push those messages as much as I put like positive messages up as well. Cause I just want people to know the realism is just not all like up.
Jamal Edwards
I always say people have where it is, what it is they want to do inside them... it's just something that triggers it or something that you find where, oh, I can do that. And then you go and run with it.
Jamal Edwards
At the end of the day, the audience is the most important thing... if people are not checking through anymore, then you don't really have a business.
Jamal Edwards
We're not on this earth forever... you've got to try and do as much as you can in the time that you're given.
Jamal Edwards
It's in your mind to, to be the change you want to see in the world. That's a Gandhi quote. Like, and I try and make sure that I don't let that affect how I move because otherwise it's not a blame game, right? You just got to carry on. You got to do it.
Jamal Edwards
Money brings happiness and sadness, I think. But in the early days, I used to think money was, money made the world go round. I don't, I don't think that anymore.
Jamal Edwards
You can never be satisfied. That should be on a t-shirt. Never satisfied.
Jamal Edwards