Ken Jacobus is the founder of Good Start Packaging, a supplier of compostable takeout containers for restaurants based in New Hampshire. You might recognize him from Capital One’s latest ad campaign!

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Resources

Your Big Idea: Successful Entrepreneurs have One Big Idea. Follow JLD’s FREE training & you’ll discover Your Big Idea in less than an hour!

Good Start Packaging – Beautiful Food, Beautiful Packaging.

Spark Cash Card – Good Start Packaging – Ken’s Capital One TV Ad!

Capital One – Spark Business

3 Value Bombs

1) The only way to change to the world is to change yourself. Work on yourself. Always be better.

2) Struggle is a good thing when it means overcoming your fears and your limiting beliefs.

3) The big, early win is sweet. But it’s going to take a lot of rejections leading up to that – before you get that first big win that can start your momentum to building something very special.

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Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

Today’s Audio MASTERCLASS: How Ken Jacobus used his 2 percent cash back to offer health insurance to his employees

[01:00] – Ken shares something interesting about himself that most people don’t know.

His career ambition was to be the director of The David Letterman Show.

[02:45] – Do good by the world and by your employees — this is Ken’s approach to business. Tune in to hear why…

Treat people the way you want to be treated.
Always being empathetic has helped Ken big time when it comes to being successful in sales.
By only acting with integrity and only doing the right thing by all the stakeholders in our business, whether they be suppliers, employees, or clients – that’s how I succeed.

[04:09] – What does Ken think about being humble?

The reason behind the company’s name “Good Start Packaging”? Humility.
The business is called Good Start Packaging because Ken wanted to something for the environment, for businesses, for health. Every single day is what matters, and that’s what generates momentum. They don’t pretend to have the best solution. But they do believe that for a lot of people, they are a step in the right direction.
People are starving for messages that are transparent and honest – not ones full of hyperbole.

[05:56] – Don’t do one big thing. Do a thousand little things and you’ll get that edge.

Most people are successful over time because they do lots of small things that collectively add up to a lot of things.
We don’t have any patents, secret sauce, or venture capital that helped buy our way into the market place. It is doing a thousand little things really well.

[08:28] – Entrepreneurs’ businesses aren’t running out of ideas, nor enthusiasm. They’re running out of money and time. Ken talks about how he uses credit cards to help his business and employees.

They make things a lot easier. They extend payment terms, which definitely helps when you’re running a small business.
They allow you to download transactions straight into accounting, which saves a ton of labor.
They offer free cards to employees, and this allows Ken’s team to manage expenses really well.

[13:53] – What does Ken’s business do, and how’d he come up with the idea?

One day, he decided to go to a Green Business conference; it completely inspired him to quit his job.
He knew he wanted to do something that transitioned from dealing with large companies, managers, attorneys – things like that – into small business owners and help them be successful.
He knew that he cared for the environment, and local businesses especially. He wanted to figure out how he could combine these interests with a fairly small amount of capital to do something that would make a difference.

[18:45] – What was Ken’s early big win that got his business up and rolling?

It takes a lot of people a long time to change behavior.
The big early win is sweet. But it’s going to take a lot of rejections leading up to that before you get to that point of where you’re going to get that first big win that can start the momentum to build something very special.

[22:14] – When it came time for you to choose an actual business credit card, what process did you go through?

He looked at traditional credit cards that had mileage and other rewards attached to it.
The company they chose is one of the only companies that offers 2% cash back in every single category.

[23:34] – How did Ken get involved with the Capital One’s advertising campaign, and what was it about?

Ken and his company fit the profile and got contacted and interviewed by Capital One to find out more about how they use the card, what kind of small business they are, etc. Capital One was looking for real businesses that had real stories to inspire people to take initiative and get the card.
Ken had an opportunity to tell their story and get people excited about what they do.

[26:02] – Ken’s parting piece of guidance

The only way to change the world is to change yourself. Work on yourself. Always be better. You will inspire people to make a difference.

Killer Resources!

1) The Common Path to Uncommon Success: JLD’s 1st traditionally published book! Over 3000 interviews with the world’s most successful Entrepreneurs compiled into a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment!

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How Ken Jacobus Used His 2 Percent Cash Back to Offer Health Insurance to His Employees

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