16 Vital Lessons I’ve Learned as Jamaica’s Youngest CEO

October 25, 2014 Jadan Johnson

I’ve been fortunate enough to have explored the world of entrepreneurship since the age of 9 and so now a few years later (On my 16th Birthday) I have decided to share some important lessons I’ve learnt throughout my journey to success.

1. Don’t get old too quick: Age doesn’t define how well you can do in life so enjoy your youthful self responsibly – Have lots of fun and work even harder. When you do get old ; You would have developed a team that will teach others your philosophy and carry your business to the next level . ( The true strength of your HR)

2. Be Humble: Humility and being able to admit that you’re wrong is a trait that all leaders should try to exemplify. Share your mistakes as teachable moments and allow others to help teach you , after all; No one knows it all.

3. Be respectable: Respect begets respect – Most if not all Jamaicans understand the value of having good manners. You will be surprised at the opportunities a “Good Morning” can create or how telling someone “Good Morning” can help them have a great day.

4. Take Risks: I’ve always heard “No one has ever gotten wealthy by investing in a savings account”. Don’t be afraid to invest your money to something you see value in.

Jadan Johnson Jamaica's Youngest CEO — Image Source: Television Jamaica

5. Set Big Goals: I’ve learnt that it is important to not only set goals but to set big goals and dedicate everything you can to accomplishing them .

6. Don’t be afraid to fail: In order to succeed you must fail, Failure is just a product of success. Each time you have failed you are one step closer to achieving great things.

7. You Learn everyday: Throughout our lifetime we never stop learning. Life within itself is a learning experience for us all. Seek mentorship and invest in honing and developing your skills.

8. Teach others: Reach out to those you can; who are strongly passionate about what you do. You can only be successful by helping others to be successful.

9. Be consistent: One of the first lessons I learned from my mentors is that consistency is extremely important. Rivers don’t cut through rocks overnight. They often times take many years to pierce the rock and begin to flow freely through it.

10. Don’t be a “Yes Man”: If you can’t carry out a task, don’t take the responsibility of getting it done because when you don’t execute – it speaks badly not only about you but also your company. Persons will appreciate a respectful “I will not be able to” rather than them missing an important deadline because you weren’t able to fulfill your promise. Know when ‘Yes’ is the best response .

11. Networking is Key: All persons, especially Entrepreneurs, should have a healthy professional network. The goal is not to collect as much business cards as possible but to develop quality and meaningful relationships.

12. Communicate Clearly: I remember hosting a live coverage once, our show producer was giving us all relevant social media URLs but extended the conversation to include different companies around the globe with the same name that should not be confused; My co-host (who is not really involved in media) wrote down everything word for word; After I finished running through our social media links, My co-host continued reading from her paper highlighting all the other companies just as the producer did. Ensure you communicate and express yourself clearly to everyone so they don’t have to wonder what exactly you meant.

13. Develop a personal brand: Find out who you are and what you stand for and share this with the world. Whether you’re a student, employed or searching, act like a business leader, manage your reputation both online and in real life.

14. Develop an action plan: Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your business. Plan for the future and develop the steps (naming the time, resources and capital) needed to achieve your overarching goals.

15. Think creatively and innovatively: As the world rapidly develops try to create new markets by tapping into your team’s creativity and not only challenge the competition but lead the competition and rapidly increase your product value.

16. Never take ANYONE for granted: I learned the value of 1 in an awkward scenario; my teacher was handing out test papers and announced that any student who receives 100% will be given an incentive. The test ended and we marked – Jadan Johnson, 99%. I was not 5%, 3%, I was 1% short of receiving the prize. Life is our big test, Put your best foot forward and give life your best shot -This is your ONE chance to leave a footprint in the sand of time. Have faith and trust God.

Bo n u s- Be Patient : Its is better to wait for the ideal time to pursue the right opportunity than lose the Ideal opportunity because you pursued at the wrong time .