The Spiritual Perspective 45: Jason Wachob on His Unlikely Journey to Founding the Health and Wellness Platform mindbodygreen.com
Many of the stories we share on this podcast feature a winding journey, with unexpected events and results, and none more so than that of today's guest, Jason Wachob.
Jason went into early adulthood, as an aspiring basketball player with a serious hedonistic streak. This led to him scraping through university and ending up as a money-focused equities trader on Wall Street, and it was only the world-shaking events of 9/11 that woke him up to the possibility of finding work that was more aligned with something deeper in his core.
We get to hear about these moments of transition, and the challenges that Jason went through while traveling the country for a chocolate chip cookie startup! It was while confronting a resurgent back issue that Jason began his journey into yoga, health, and a different way of living. This personal quest ended up sparking the beginning of his business, mindbodygreen, an early blog-turned-health brand that aimed to share the lesson that Jason himself was learning.
In our conversation, we hear about the tricky first three years of the business, and the resulting success and growth that they have experienced. Jason underlines the power of surrender, conducting your own wellness orchestra, and so much more, so be sure to join us today!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Jason's childhood fascination with Star Wars and sports.
- An emerging passion and talent for basketball and the work that went into improving.
- Early life lessons that Jason learned while pouring his time and energy into basketball.
- The round-about way that Jason found his way to Columbia University.
- Work that Jason did during his college years, waiting tables, delivering beer, and more!
- How reading Liar's Poker inspired Jason to pursue bond trading out of college.
- Personal loss that Jason encountered and his emotional response to the events.
- The legacy of Jason's father and the philosophy he absorbed growing up.
- Beginnings of Jason's career as an equities trader and how he found his feet.
- The impact of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Jason's outlook and goals.
- Prioritizing fulfillment over money; looking for a career with more meaning, purpose, and significance.
- Jason's organic cookie company and the terrible back issues he ran into around this time.
- The changes that Jason made in his diet, approach to health, and his adoption of a yoga practice.
- How a personal journey into health and wellness birthed the mindbodygreen business!
- Jason's belief in letting go and surrendering in order to heal.