Yes, I got to meet Jesse Itzler after hearing his keynote in Montreal. I followed his wife for years and realized I was missing out on Jesse’s core messages.
Speakers are easy to come by these days with YouTube and social media. But Jesse Itzler came to life on stage during his “The Soul of Business” talk in Montreal at Jon’s Top Advisor event.
I’d never been allowed to bring my kids to work with me before, so the fact that Mass Mutual allowed my daughters to hear Jesse’s message was magic. From the main stage of the Montreal Civic Center—with a DJ mixing beats, and sound effects to his talk—Jesse’s dynamic energy echoed to the very back of the room where we sat, completely tuned in and on the edges of our seats.
His framework combines business and Growth with just as much soul and heart. A balanced approach in a room full of highly motivated, successful people. -each arm, he points to each bicep to indicate business/growth & soul on one side.
Jesse’s had five business exits, is married to Spanx founder and inventor Sara Blakely, and together they have four kids.
At the conference, he spoke about guerilla marketing tools, running the NYC marathon dressed in his coconut water branding, and controlling breakfast menus for the rich and famous—just to spark conversation. He’s stories can be found here or here. Details of Family milestone moments, hardships, business ups and downs, he harped on ideas that have stayed with me for weeks afterwards.
I’m sharing what I loved most here.
1. Throw out the playbook.
Use your ingenuity and intuition to grow your business and life. Jesse finds creative ways to market, connect, and problem-solve. His approach to any roadblocks? Reframe speedbumps as your inner fear trying to derail you and show the scare tactics the door. Following the pack is not how you stand out and when the fear is quieted down, you can muster up the actions you need to stand out.
My Clarity Code Take Away: Stop using other people’s templates to create my own wellness & spiritual space. Watch out world! I have been comparing myself to others in the spiritual and financial wellness space for years, especially the last three.
2. Family—both given and chosen—matters.
Show up the way you want to be supported. Family can be defined in many ways, but ensure who you think you can count on is really really there.
Jesse shared a story about a famous musician friend who knocked on his door the day after Jesse’s father died. “When you get news like this, you show up. You don’t call or text.”
That story landed hard, in my ribcage. I now know who’s in my corner. I show up differently—and I count very few people as family anymore.
My Clarity Code Take Away: Love is a two way street, mirroring what I need and can give. I’m offering a LOT of care to those I love & really pruning the drain to those who are fakers. (NOT SORRY!)
3. “I’m not tired!”
Jesse share a long story about his training mantra during an ultra marathon where he was stuck at training at 37 miles. He wanted to finish the race and move past his bonking stage (bonking is a real thing!). He started repeating “I’m not tired.” as he ran, in pain and feeling ready to quit. He admitted NOT wanting to scream “I am tired” but gave this verbal mantra a shot and it worked.
So if that’s Jesse’s mantra when he needs to push through, what’s yours?
My Clarity Code Take Away: I’ve used “I am me” in tough moments for years. But after his speech, I’ve upgraded to: “I’m Lynn. I am the Reiki Master, expert in abundance, energy shifts, and visualizations.” Claiming what you need during a dark hour can feel like a life raft.
4. What Meeting Jesse Felt Like (yes, F E L T)
In the green room, posing with the top advisors’ families for photos, Jesse didn’t just talk to the adults. During our meeting, he asked my girls what they were into—not Jon or me. He spoke to Sloane (10) about her piano lessons and lit up when Nora (12) said she played volleyball.
Questions open doors. They shift the room. We forget how powerful they are. The meeting felt real, special and a connection into his family.
My Clarity Code Take Away: Talk about what you know but also ask questions to create space for both people in any (work/friendship/romantic) relationship.
5. Find Your Soul in Everything.
Impact others through memorable moments and real connection, instead of small talk. Now that I follow Jesse’s Instagram, he mentions his annual life planning to add new habits to enhance his life, try new things and find mini adventures with his family and friends.
Your Relationships will be your backbone. Lean into them when you need a favor or feel alone. This works IF you have a focus on SOUL and HEART as much as business and growth. If you move with soul, everything you touch multiplies. Your dollars stretch further. Your energy ripples outward. It all compounds.
My Clarity Code Take Away: I’m a seasonally focused girlie. I am doing a micro version of annual planning and adding soul to my weeks, not just work!
I help high-achieving professionals integrate energy work with business growth, so they can scale their success without burning out or selling out. Want to explore what that looks like?
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