John Bradley "JJ" Jackson

Failing is Good

Failure is for losers or so I used to think. It scared me. I avoided risky ideas, second-guessed myself, and felt embarrassed when things didn’t go as planned. I was educated and trained to avoid risk by my teachers, my family and my community. I was told risk is

Letting Go

"You have to accept the fact that sometimes you are the pigeon, and sometimes you are the statue."  - Claude Chabrol Transitions, retirement in my case, sneak up on you in ways no amount of planning can fully prepare you for. The truth is I have had a

Can a Cat Change its Stripes?

The saying that the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior has been around for a long time. No one can point to a single originator. It lives in psychology, in coaching, in counseling, and in business. Most experts add an important qualifier. They say the past behavior must

What We Focus on Expands

I have always believed that our attention shapes our reality. Whatever we choose to focus on has a way of growing larger and taking up more space in our lives. That simple idea is captured in the phrase "what we focus on expands". If we focus on problems,

Is Friendship In Decline?

Something is changing in America. A generation ago, most of us had several or even many "close" friends that we saw often. We met them at work, in our neighborhoods, at church, or through our kids. We gathered for dinner, talked on the phone, or helped each other

Startup Updates to Investors

If you have just raised early stage funding, congratulations. You now have people who believe in your vision. But now comes an important part of your job as a founder, keeping your investors informed and engaged. Regular, honest updates build trust, show discipline, and make it easier to get help

"Social Engineering" Attacks Are Getting Smarter

I almost got fooled recently. Okay, I did get fooled. A message popped up on LinkedIn from someone I knew years ago. It even showed a conversation thread between us that looked familiar. The person asked for a quick favor which included a request for my cell phone number to

I Am Not Yoda

I am not Yoda. (He might say "Not Yoda, I am" or "Yoda I am not") But I am, in my own way, a disciple of Yoda. I listen. I read. I reflect. I advise. I’ve learned that wisdom doesn’t come from age or

Lost Boys: Helping Young Men Find Their Way

After more than twenty years teaching college students, I saw a quiet change. To be blunt, increasingly young men seemed muted and uncertain. They were bright and capable but unsure of who they were or where they fit. Lost. Scott Galloway, in his book Notes on Being a Man, describes

The Rise of Neurodivergent Entrepreneurs

There’s a quiet revolution happening in the startup world. More founders who think and learn differently are stepping forward and reshaping what it means to be an entrepreneur. These are the neurodivergent entrepreneurs defined as people with ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and other cognitive differences. They are building companies in

Angel Investors Hunt for Patterns, Not Pitches

At Titan Angels, I look for repeating patterns that suggest a startup has the potential to scale quickly. While founders often talk about their vision, product, or market, what really stands out to me are patterns in behavior, traction, and execution. These patterns often tell me more than a pitch

Block and Report Spam Emails Like Your Life Depends on It

Spam isn’t just annoying. It’s risky. Every click, reply, or download can open the door to scams or malware. Spam is unsolicited, unwanted electronic junk mail sent in bulk to a wide list of recipients, typically for commercial purposes. It can range from annoying advertisements to malicious messages

Pirates and Leadership

I recently binge-watched the pirate series called Black Sails on Netflix at a friend’s suggestion. I was entertained, but also unexpectedly educated. The show inspired me to dig deeper into the ethics of piracy. Pirates, it turns out, were forward-thinking in surprising and instructive ways. Who knew? In the

The Quiet Season of Change

Ever hit a stretch in life when nothing excites you anymore? You’re not lazy. You’re not sick. You’re changing. At first, it feels like you’re losing interest in everything: work, friends, even the things that used to make you happy. It’s confusing and uncomfortable. People

Accepting Change (Planned or Otherwise)

Change is universal. Sometimes we see it coming; sometimes it knocks us flat. Either way, it shows up for everyone. The past is prologue (a line from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest) but it’s gone. The only real option is to let go, greet what’s here,

Bucket List Reduction: Finding Joy by Wanting Less

Most of us have heard of the “bucket list” which is that grand inventory of things we want to do before we die. Climb Kilimanjaro. Write a novel. See the Northern Lights. It’s fun to dream big. But lately, I’ve been thinking about something that flips that idea

AI and the New Job Market: What College Grads Need to Know

Today’s college graduates are entering a world completely different from the one their parents or even their professors knew. Artificial intelligence is reshaping the rules of work, redefining what employers value, how careers develop, and what it means to be truly “qualified.” For new college graduates, this can feel

Hold My Beer

That little phrase, whether half joke or half dare, has become shorthand for the moment someone decides to act first and think later. It’s the prelude to a stunt, a bet, a shortcut, or an improvisation that looks brilliant for five seconds and disastrous in the next minute. In

Believe Nothing on the Web

“Believe nothing on the web” may sound cynical, but it’s really a reminder to think critically before accepting anything you read online as fact. The internet is vast, unregulated, and filled with everything from brilliant insight to outright fabrication. Opinions are often presented as truth (news sites in particular)

Leadership Lessons from a Band of Brothers

The phrase “Band of Brothers” has always stuck with me. It’s about a team so tight that trust runs deep, egos fade, and everyone’s got each other’s back. It comes from Shakespeare’s Henry V, when King Henry tells his outnumbered troops: “We few, we happy few,

Silent Leadership: The Power of Leading Without Words

Not all great leaders are loud. Some of the most effective leaders I’ve known rarely raise their voices—or even their profiles. They don’t lead with speeches or slogans; they lead through quiet integrity, steady presence, and consistent action. This is called silent leadership which is a style

Angel Investment Criteria

As some of you know, I am one of the founders of Titan Angels* (www.titanangels.com) which is an early stage angel (i.e. seed) fund. I am frequently asked about the typical angel investor criteria for early stage startup investing. My experience is that individual investors may have

Why Do You Exist?

Now that is a heavy question. Is it not? Yet, there must be some reason that you are here on this planet at this time. This type of question can motivate some to study philosophy and others to enter the seminary. Or, you could consider good old fashioned denial and

The Good Old Days Myth

I once looked back on my youth in the 1960s and 1970s and thought: “People then had fewer distractions, more community, and a stronger sense of possibility.” It felt like a golden age. But now, after decades of observing change and after watching a powerful video titled “Bigger Homes, Better

Groupthink: The Easy Way Out

Groupthink happens when a group’s desire for harmony and agreement outweighs its ability to make sound decisions. In these situations, people tend to suppress dissenting opinions and overlook alternatives just to maintain a sense of unanimity. The result? Often you get poor decisions made in the name of consensus.