Jake Nicks is a successful entrepreneur by every definition. He got an early start in business, starting his first venture as a 21-year old. Since then, he has gone on to create several companies; from his first trash collecting business Trash Away, to his landscape design enterprise Outdoor Creations. He also runs a roofing company, where he managed to close more than 200 roofing deals in only eight months, cementing his place as the No. 1 Door-to-door salesman in the country. He recently created his third firm, 6:38 Solutions, a fintech system designed for Active Client Acquisition.
Living a life of servitude
Many aspire to become leaders, but few people find joy in rendering service. Jake has found a unique opportunity to turn this logic on its head and make it work to his advantage. He dives deeper into the concept.
“For me, my biggest life philosophy is that if you serve well, you’ll live well. When I was 20 years old, I got evicted from my apartment when I could no longer make the rent. I had nowhere to go because I could not move back to my parent’s house. I spent seven months sleeping in my car. I was working a cleaning job at a gym called Planet Fitness, so I would shower in the locker room when everybody was gone at night.”
Regardless of the circumstances, Jake dedicated himself to helping people live well as best as he could.
“I’m a firm believer that the greatest of us is a servant. My main aim was to get out and help people meet their needs.”
Unlocking Opportunity
The best way to succeed is to never stop trying. This applies to building habits through the 10,000 hours to mastery rule, and it also applies to life and business.
Jake’s never-settle attitude was so infectious, that it soon started to draw attention to him. He was able to leave his cleaning job behind and move onto something slightly better.
“I went from cleaning Planet Fitness to waiting tables at night, so I was able to rent a room from somebody. This guy liked my attitude so much that he offered me a job working with him. I was able to go from one position that wasn’t that great, to another position that wasn’t that great, to something else that still wasn’t that great, but it was a lot better off than when I had started.”
Many times, it seems life is leaving us behind, but these gradual steps actually take us closer to our dreams every day. The best way to grow is to understand that success is a marathon, not a sprint. As you move along, opportunities will continue to present themselves to you.
Despite his humble background, Jake defied all the odds that threatened to hold him back in life. He has one nugget for everybody trying to do the same.
“I always say, you have to jump first. You grow your wings on the way down.”
