Jess Larsen Comes to Visit

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I talk to Jess Larsen almost every week, but we’ve only met twice.

Today was one of those days. 

We had lunch at Pershing Square, the iconic restaurant across from Grand Central Station, along with our sons. The conversation covered snowboarding, live music in the East Village and the difference between filming on a Red camera and an iPhone. 

Jess and I connected on LinkedIn two years ago. I had responded to a post he wrote offering to host a Webinar on podcasting. A conversation ensued that covered content creation and entrepreneurship. Once we started talking, we never stopped. 

When people ask me why I spend so much time online, Jess is one of the people I mention. 

There is no other time in history that it would have been possible to connect with a random person 2,000 miles away and discover you share a world view. 

Moreover, when you make those connections, there’s a surprising drive to meet in person.

Effectively, the more people I meet online, the more people I meet in real life. 

The first time I met Jess in person was unplanned. It was last year and we were both in Austin for South by Southwest. I tweeted a photo of a burrito place; he responded: “You're in Texas?”

The reason we talk so often is because we enjoy sharing ideas about building a business 

Jess lives in Park City, Utah. He runs a luxury vacation home co-ownership company called Connection Estates, along with a podcasting studio, and an events business. He hosts the Innovation and Leadership podcast, in which he interviews billionaires and other high achievers. He also has a charity to combat child trafficking. 

No one I know has ever gotten through a Jess Larsen meeting without receiving a number of book recommendations and today was no exception. 

I got off relatively light, with only five: 

• YouTube Formula by Derral Eves

• The Automatic Customer by John Warrillow

• Built to Sell by John Warillow

• Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley

• Key Person of Influence by Daniel Priestly

What I love about the suggestions is that they aren’t random books Jess likes. They are books he thinks I should read right now to address specific issues in my business. (I run a firm that does ghostwriting for executives called Principals Media.)

Jess said I should define a lane and stick to it so that clients know when they should reach out. 

In some cases, that may mean saying “no” more often. 

After lunch, we walked over to Grand Central Station to check out the architecture. It was the first time his boys had been in New York City.

They were amazed and -- seeing their enthusiasm -- so was I.

BRIEF OBSERVATIONS

ENGINEERS: Only a few years ago everyone wanted to study STEM. Times change!

YOUTUBE: I’m old enough to remember when YouTube TV was free.

ROBINHOOD: Markets may be efficient. But they can also change their minds. Quickly.

CHINESE CARS: I like the comparison of Chinese automakers to Thanos.

BLT INFLATION: People are talking about egg prices, but every part of the breakfast BLT is skyrocketing. Fantastic chart from my friend Michael McDonough.