Jon Vroman is a super passionate speaker and coach and he was a blast on the podcast. He believes in giving big of himself and his expertise, and has incredible passion for helping others live a present and meaningful life.

Jon started out as your average corporate employee until he encountered what he calls “the trifecta” that led him to entrepreneurship:

1. Attended a life changing Tony Robbins conference
2. At a Jason Mraz concert he sat in the back row and saw the people in the front row were having the time of their lives while he wasn’t
3. Decided to run a 52-mile ultramarathon

These three events opened his eyes to who he really was and his passions in life. He discovered his “why” through these three events, and after this he couldn’t not pursue this journey. So, he left the corporate gig to pursue speaking, coaching and running the charity he created called The Front Row Foundation.

Jon credits his habit of getting “silent” to helping him find direction and to accomplish so much with his foundation. When you find ways to change your environment and get away from the distractions, it frees your mind to envision your future and to get focused on what you can do now to lead you to your goals.

Jon’s true passion in life is the foundation. He started it back in ’05 with the intent of giving people facing critical health challenges a front row experience at the event of their dreams. This foundation combined his greatest fear with this passion: dying early and living your best experiences.

Starting a foundation is surprisingly simple, but it’s keeping it strong that’s the real challenge. You start with passion and dedicated supporters and that can build momentum and some early wins. But it’s tough to keep up this momentum over time. Donations start to dry up as do volunteers and community support. There are two things that Jon recommends to get you past this:

1. Have a clear mission and purpose for the foundation. Share the vision with supporters and the community.
2. Surround yourself with the right team. Be selective in your own front row as this is critical in long-term success for any endeavor. You need to have people in your corner who you can discuss, share and co-create with you.

Jon developed a powerful acronym out of the FRONT ROW:

• Follow your heart – live and work from a sense of passion
• Rise to the occasion – stand up for what you believe
• Open your mind – look around and experience it all. Don’t miss the forest for the trees.
• Never back down – don’t let anything stand in your way
• Throw your hands up – use your body for full expression, act your way into the feelings you desire
• Redefine reality – use the ability to attach new meanings to something
• Own the moment – be present and experience the now
• Win the Day – focus on winning the day, the months and years take care of themselves

This was a fun, insightful and impactful podcast with Jon that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:

• What was the impactful moment that set Jon on his entrepreneurial path?
• How important is mentorship to him?
• What were some of the early challenges he faced in raising money for the foundation?
• How do people overcome a lack of skills when creating their own business?
• What are the 2 or 3 things that are holding people back in entrepreneurship and what steps can they take to move through these?

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU...