What if the most valuable asset you can build as an entrepreneur is not your company, but your relationships?
Jayson Gaignard built one of Canada’s largest ticket-wholesaling businesses, only to realize he had created a company he hated. When circumstances left him approximately $250,000 in debt, with a six-month-old daughter and a new marriage, he began investing in the one thing no one could take from him: his relationships.
That decision eventually led Jayson to create MMT, an invite-only entrepreneurial community built around intentional connection, carefully curated experiences, and the belief that success should never be pursued alone.
In this episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, executive coach and bestselling author Alisa Cohn sits down with Jayson to explore how entrepreneurs can build meaningful professional relationships, make the most of conferences, overcome social anxiety, and develop the courage to enter rooms where they do not yet feel they belong.
Jayson also shares the story behind buying 4,000 copies of Tim Ferriss’s book, his “eight seconds of courage” strategy for doing intimidating things, and the leadership decision that put nearly $2 million at risk during the pandemic.
This is a candid conversation about entrepreneurial community, relationship building, leadership, discomfort, comparison, and why proximity to the right people can change the trajectory of your life.
You’ll learn:
- How Jayson turned a financial and personal crisis into a new entrepreneurial path
- Why meaningful relationships are among the safest investments a founder can make
- How to build an aspirational network before you have status or connections
- Why attending the right events can accelerate years of relationship building
- How to prepare for conferences and follow up before the excitement fades
- How “eight seconds of courage” can help you move through social anxiety
- Why MMT prioritizes character and connection over financial success
- How Jayson made an integrity-driven decision involving nearly $2 million
- Why comparison can quietly damage otherwise meaningful relationships
- How founders can balance ambition with their health and long-term well-being
We talk about:
00:00 Meet Jayson Gaignard, founder of MMT and author of Community Made
03:12 Building a successful business he ultimately hated
05:00 Facing $250,000 in debt and searching for what came next
06:00 Why Jayson began investing in relationships
07:00 Buying 4,000 copies of Tim Ferriss’s book
09:16 Using regret minimization to make difficult decisions
12:00 How the right room can change your life
16:06 Building an aspirational network from scratch
22:22 How to make the most of conferences and large events
28:15 Managing social anxiety through preparation
29:45 Using eight seconds of courage to do hard things
34:07 Why personal growth requires discomfort
37:47 Building MMT as an invite-only entrepreneurial community
42:48 Leading a community like a company
45:15 Making a nearly $2 million decision during the pandemic
47:19 Why leaders cannot avoid difficult conversations
49:06 Escaping comparison and jealousy around successful peers
55:20 The long-term cost of entrepreneurial stress
56:51 Jayson’s advice for founders growing into leaders
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