What Jay Acunzo uses to help creators "make things that matter" |

Entrepreneurship can be a challenge, facing unpredictable challenges. This is the way Jay Acunzo adapted to an only online world, and developed a thriving online business.

$15,000 in two weeks.

That's how much Jay Acunzo achieved on his web-based course launch with .

It wasn't a quick fixIt wasn't always smooth sailing.

Jay was a booked public speaking event to being canceled after the global shutdown in 2020. Like too many people, he found his primary source of income under threat by the pandemic. He realized he must adapt to make up the gap -- and fast.

Today, things are looking up for Jay.

"I make six figures on my online projects," he explains. "I could stop some of the client services work that I'm doing while still able to live my life in the way it is."

Here's the way Jay has adapted his business for the online-only world, where it fits his place, and what he's got to share with us on doing what is important and a tidy profit throughout the process.

How Jay embarked on his entrepreneurial journey

In sales for Google was not a good fit for him. with the work, but realized "that creativity and business can be harmonious. There's a lot of friction and conflict, but the result is that it works."

In the light of this lesson, Jay moved from sales to content marketing.

"I found a job with a startup in content marketing instead of sales, and I didn't look at it again," Jay recounts. "So I've kind of developed into a content marketer mostly for tech companies as well as doing a lot of blogging and public speaking around these subjects in the industry."

In his role as a creator of content, Jay was inspired by business and storytelling as a force for good. He wanted to create quality content for brands that could make a real difference.

In 2016, this fascination with storytelling brought Jay to his first ever showrunning adventure.

"When I worked for the venture capital company that runs their brand and I was offered the chance to host their podcast which I called Traction ," Jay states. "It it was my very first time getting into the world of audio, long-form storytelling and showrunning. It was a great experience and I fell in love."

Jay was enthralled by podcasting and decided to launch an own show, Unthinkable .

At the very same time there was another chance that came up:

"A my friend approached me and asked, 'I'm starting the management firm for future business speakers and authors. Could you please take on the role of guinea-pig?' And so I said yes."

Jay discovered that he was employed in full-time capacity at the venture capital company, creating his platform for public speaking, and creating Unthinkableall simultaneously.

Then he began to transition from a full-time job to full-time entrepreneurship.

"When it was too difficult to manage all three of them I was able to shift from a full-time position into a part-time position, and then onto a full-time entrepreneurial path," Jay describes. "So I was able to mitigate the risk and had significant income prior to leaving my position to explore this business completely."

Jay is a full-time entrepreneur. Jay created a business that was successful using two elements:

Customer services that help brands create podcasts of their own (including "'s" podcast).

Speaking in person at events.

Then, 2020 happened. As it was for so many people, everything changed for Jay.

Making the transition to an internet-only society by utilizing the help of

As the world shut down in the midst of the pandemic Jay discovered that his company was turned upside down.

"Three years working hard to build a six-figure speaking business came at the end of two months where booked gigs stopped or were pushed back, leads that were closing decided to stop having those occasions anymore, and fresh leads were not coming in."

Jay knew he needed to modify his public speaking and client service businesses to the current web-based, digital world. Jay already had an audience however in-person gatherings and budgets for consultations were out of the agenda.

So, he decided to turn his showrunning expertise and storytelling talents into digital media.

"I determined to develop an online training for podcasters. Instead of being an employee host, director, producer and creator of the show, I would teach show running," Jay explains.

He created Marketing Showrunners and The Showrunner Sessions , an interactive group-based online course.

The workshop drew inspiration from "all the processes, systems and frameworks that I'd used for my clients," the author continues. "So at the time, I was still attracting individuals who wanted to create presentations, but I was directing them to a different product."

Jay was the host of two intensives lasting eight weeks in 2020, and both proved to be wildly successful. However, they required a significant commitment for both the participants as well as Jay as well.

Growable Shows is "an on-demand training course to create more effective video or podcasts to support your business or cause as well as your community."

"I have taken a lot of my lessons learned from the pressing topics discussed during the seminar and developed an on-demand class," Jay elaborates.

"My wish is that the course is not a replacement of the workshop that is offered to many people, but a way to ease into the higher-priced workshop or the continuing membership group."

Within the first 2 weeks of the launch of the Growable Showson , Jay made $15,000. And because it brings in the passive income, it's Jay's highest-profiting product.

"Because my public speaking business was in decline, the work I did via's platform to sell the things I needed to sell, like courses, helped me save my entire year."

But while the course may be the most lucrative product, the most popular product Jay provides is his membership group, Make What is Important  and which is also sold through .

"We are living in a time where knowledge and access to those who know something can be a source of income. It's everywhere for free.

What is scarce include prestige, connection as well as accountability. They are what consumers choose to invest significant dollars on, and they should be investing in, not knowing.

When you sell a knowledge product, you're trying to help those people feel some kind of connection and accountability. That's what people actually pay for. That's what I'm seeing greater than ever with my membership group."

In the beginning, when he was creating these product knowledge, Jay discovered through fellow creators. He was aware that a platform built for creatives (and bycreators) was the best decision for his company as well as his audience.

" It's like Shopify to online creators that sell knowledge instead of physical item," he describes. With , Jay is able to host, launch and market those information items all through one single dashboard.

"Having spent all this time and money and energy developing a gorgeous personal website, I love integrating into the existing branding website I created. It feels like it's my personal however it's . That's why I love it."

Assisting people "make things that matter" every day

In his online offerings, shows, and books Jay's teaching style reflect his focus on connection, community, and going beyond sharing information.

"I would like to assist people essentially create things that are better. There's lots of work that is commodity and content. Therefore, I often say, 'don't market as much, make more of a difference.'"

What does that look like in Jay's day-to-day life?

Everything he does relates to his ultimate mission"his "why".

"With the new business I'm running, which includes educational products, a membership group, shows, content, as well as my monthly newsletter, it all fits together well under the goal of helping individuals make the choices that matter."

Jay's "why" is "helping people create what's important". In the next step, he'll look at the "how" -- as an example, demystifying the creative process . He also looks at the "what," meaning the actions he'll take in order to achieve his goal:

"I could demystify the process of creating through one post in my members group, or through a monthly live session.

I can write a story for my weekly newsletter in order to demystify the creative process.

I could demystify the creative process through my podcast, by breaking down great podcasts and interviewing the hosts of the show."

Being an entrepreneur isn't always an easy walk in the park . "Being an entrepreneur has been much more stressful on my personal life than being an in-house employee. This is the kind of reality that most of us face," he shares.

"My business is far more aligned where I don't have to stretch myself across the problems of other people," Jay says. "I can focus solely on one challenge with a single goal and use various ways of doing things and different approaches in order to find solutions."

Jay recommends that fellow entrepreneurs and future creators follow exactly the same.

Jay's tips to fellow creators

As a successful entrepreneur who is adapting to a different digital, only online world, Jay wants others to know that they can do the same -- they just need to focus on the mission they have set for themselves.

"The one thing that's been the most helpful during this change is to be crystal clear about the goals I'm working towards first and my content and products I'm focusing on second," Jay reveals. "Understanding what I'm all about is making it much easier for my clients to become completely focused on my projects."

"Because that when you go to show up, at the end of the day with your family and your acquaintances, you'll are expected to appear as a more energized person. If you're drained, then that attitude can leak into your private day-to-day life."

Finally, Jay recommends finding tools that help you stay aligned with your mission and focus on what matters.

"The greatest value that I have received from me is putting me on the track that I desire to take," he shares.

"In having seen what is being done and how they're trying to teach, encourage creativity, and making money from your work They're not only building tools for creators, they are creators. That's something I truly love."