Interview With Jason Feifer: The Importance Of Embracing Change

by | Nov 17, 2020 | Interviews, News

jason-feifer-interview

Farrelly-Caizzone & Associates had the opportunity to interview Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of the iconic magazine Entrepreneur, on the embracing change mindset, and its relationship with success.

The most successful people in the world don’t see change as something to stop. They see it as an opportunity to embrace.

Jason Feifer worked with many media brands and mediums. He was previously an editor at Fast Company, Men’s Health, Maxim, and Boston.

He is currently editor in chief for Entrepreneur and hosts many podcasts: Problem Solvers, about entrepreneurs solving unexpected problems in their business; the Pessimist Archive, a history of unfounded fears of innovation; Hush Money, about money and how it impacts our life, relationships and career.

He is recognized as an authority on change: he inspires audiences to make change in their own business, instead of resisting it.

After interviewing many entrepreneurs, Jason Feifer has come to the conclusion that successful people have one thing in common: they embrace change.

We had the opportunity to chat with Jason about the embracing change mindset, and its relationship between entrepreneurship and success.

Questions For Jason Feifer

  1. Hi Jason! Thank you for accepting this interview. As editor in chief of Entrepreneur, and host of many podcasts, could you please tell us more about your activities and professional background?
  2. Referring to the Problem Solvers and Pessimist Archive podcasts, could you tell us the stories that impressed you the most?
  3. One of your main topics is indeed the embracing change mindset. When did you decide to become an “authority on change”?
  4. We are living in chaotic and uncertain times. Do you think that these changes could possibly bring something positive for entrepreneurs?
  5. One of your missions is to make people embrace change and make the most of it. During these years of coaching, what kind of attitude towards change have you often found in entrepreneurs?
  6. We often hear about the “comfort zone” concept. Is getting out of it always a good idea?
  7. Could you tell us more about the relationship between embracing change and being successful?
  8. In your opinion, why are many entrepreneurs “stuck” in the same business framework, even though it is not working anymore?
  9. What would be your advice to the new generation of entrepreneurs, who are still unsure about promoting their innovation?
  1. As editor in chief of Entrepreneur, and host of many podcasts, could you please tell us more about your activities and your professional background?

My background is journalism. Before my current role, I spent many years as an editor at different magazines (Men’s Health, Fast Company, and more).

To be honest, I wasn’t deeply familiar with the culture of entrepreneurship before joining Entrepreneur. But once I started spending time with entrepreneurs, and absorbing the way they think and adapt and strategize, the more I started to change the way I thought about my own life and career.

It’s been inspiring!

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2. Referring to the Problem Solvers and Pessimist Archive Podcasts, could you tell us the stories that impressed you the most?

Sure. When the pandemic began, I called a Medieval historian to ask if anything good had come out of the black death of the 1300s. The answer was fascinating: Our modern economy, and the early concept of the employment contract, was born out of it!

I used that story to kick off a deep exploration of the good that can come from a crisis, and that kind of thinking has guided me throughout this year. (You can hear the episode here.)

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3. One of your main topics is indeed the embracing change mindset. When did you decide to become an “authority on change”?

I don’t think I decided to do it. Rather, I realized that I was naturally becoming one. It’s a combination of two things, really.

First, people kept asking me what quality all successful entrepreneurs share, and I realized that it was an ability to adapt to change. So I began studying how entrepreneurs are doing it.

At the same time, I was doing a lot of research into the history of innovation for my podcast Pessimists Archive, and started to see patterns in why people resisted and ultimately embraced innovation. I combined the two, and had a lot of deep insight into how change happens and how to find opportunity in it. And I wanted to share that insight.

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4. We are living in chaotic and uncertain times. Do you think that these changes could possibly bring something positive for entrepreneurs?

Yes, and we’re seeing it all the time. A time of crisis forces people to consider options they wouldn’t have considered before, and to make changes that they may have resisted before. I’m seeing a lot of people redefine their lives and businesses during these times.

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5. One of your missions is to make people embrace change and make the most of it. During these years of coaching, what kind of attitude towards change have you often found in entrepreneurs?

The greatest entrepreneurs understand that change is inevitable. It’s coming whether they like it or not. That means they should be proactive in responding to change. Rather than wait for it to come to them, they take action first—and change on their own terms.

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6. We often hear about the “comfort zone” concept. Is getting out of it always a good idea? 

Good things can happen in comfort zones, but better things happen outside of them!

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7. Could you tell us more about the relationship between embracing change and being successful?

I think it’s this simple: The world does not remain static. Today’s successful ideas are tomorrow’s old ideas. And if you try to resist change, all you’ll do is stay in place while everyone else passes you by.

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8. In your opinion, why are many entrepreneurs “stuck” in the same business framework, even though it is not working anymore?

Because they think that change requires them to throw away everything they knew. People don’t like starting over; it sounds exhausting and humiliating.

But here’s what they don’t realize: You never start from scratch. By reaching a point of failure, you’re actually gathering data and insights that’ll help you develop something new and successful—and to do it before all your competitors do.

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9. What would be your advice to the new generation of entrepreneurs, who are still unsure about promoting their innovation?

LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman has a great line: “If you aren’t embarrassed by your first product launch, then you launched too late.”

His point is, nothing is ever perfect at the start. You have to put imperfect things out into the world, learn from the reaction, and then make them better. It’s literally the only way to do it. So get out there. Learn. Evolve. Change. That’s the path.

Photo Credits: Nigel Parry

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We want to thank Jason for this interview: we had the opportunity to understand the importance of embracing change, and to make the most out of it.

Keep updated with Jason Feifer‘s socials:

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