Why This CEO Chooses Hard Things On Purpose

If your beloved daughter runs an amazing podcast series, “The Liv Lab” — “for growing go-getters who are learning how to build a meaningful, balanced, and genuinely happy life” — Apple Podcast | Spotify — where she brings on CEOs, VPs, doctors, university professors, and financial experts, and then she brings on one of your own wonderful, inspiring mentors?

What do you do?

You promote it.

Here you go. Give it a listen — you will not be disappointed. I promise.

In this episode, Liv and Jeff explore:

How a car accident left him temporarily paralyzed, and what he decided in that exact moment
Why he dropped out of high school to build software, and what happened when it all fell apart
Going bankrupt, living in his car, and the guarantee he invented to rebuild trust from nothing
Why he took up rock climbing specifically because he was scared of heights
How he went from blacking out during public speaking to becoming IBM’s highest-rated speaker
The real reason curiosity matters more than formal education
What it means to be “signal,” and how to actually be remembered
The three traits he looks for when hiring: ethics, energy, and curiosity

For me, the key message was simple: do the hard things. On purpose. Especially the ones that scare you.

Great job, Liva and Jeff.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Find them on LinkedIn: Livia Roder and Jeff Jonas