‘Get Unstuck’ with Think Big Business Coach Jon Dwoskin

Andrew Wayfinder Hryniewicz
9 min readNov 3, 2021

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The Destiny Awakening Interviews is a podcast with Andrew Wayfinder and his guests.

Every week (sometimes more) we have a short focused interview with an expert, author, speaker designed to bring you powerful insights, inspiration and ways to break free, live life by your vision and values, and make a difference in our changing and challenging world.

Listen to the podcast at: https://www.andrewwayfinder.com/blog/DA0043

Andrew Hryniewicz

So hello, everyone and a very warm welcome to another edition of the Destiny Awakening Interviews.

I’m Andrew Wayfinder Hryniewicz, and I’m joined today by Jon Dwoskin, business coach, mentor, executive coach, author, speaker and podcast host.

A very warm welcome to you, John, and where are you hanging out today?

Jon Dwoskin

Andrew, good to see you. Thanks. Detroit, Michigan.

Andrew Hryniewicz

What’s the weather like there?

Jon Dwoskin

It’s kind of sunny. It’s nice. It’s gonna be about 90 degrees today.

Andrew Hryniewicz

Holy cow! We’re getting rain, wet, overcast and wind… Let’s get on to your work.

So, at age 23, Jon built and sold one of the first online marketing companies in the country with his brother and a friend. He then went on to a career in commercial real estate as vice president and CEO.

But then, a cancer diagnosis at age 20 and a misdiagnosis 10 years later, galvanised him in his mission: “To bring the best out of people and to help them achieve their goals. And live a better, more balanced and fun life”.

Jon is also a Forbes columnist, author of the “Think Big Movement”, and host of the “Think Business Podcast”. And his promise to you is “I will get you unstuck and grow your business big, very big”.

So thank you, Jon, for your time today.

Jon Dwoskin

Andrew, I appreciate your time. Thanks so much.

Andrew Hryniewicz

And the title we’re working with today is “Get Unstuck With Business Coaching”. And Jon’s going to unpack that by answering six questions.

So first question, Jon, who is your ideal client, and what’s the transformation you help them achieve?

Jon Dwoskin

My ideal client…

I work, Andrew, with solopreneurs to Fortune 100 companies, and everything in between. And I work with c-level execs, owners, VP level managers and salespeople.

And all of those people, are people who are stuck in a little bit different areas, but in many ways the same. If we start with c-level executives: their vision, their planning, their leadership skills, their effective communication.

How to work in a “hybrid normalcy work world”, where things are very hybrid. How to not only set a plan and reverse engineer that plan, but also all the ideas and the little things that need to be done along the way.

And when I look at the c-level team and an ownership team, it’s really about getting a clearer picture and message when it comes to the vision.

It’s so interesting to me, how many people, how many companies are really unclear. And they think they’re clear, but they’re not. And so it sends the wrong message in so many different ways.

When I work with managers, I teach them how to be managers and how to influence and how to inspire people.

Many people are poor managers, because they were hired because they were good at their job, and then never trained how to be a manager.

So I come in and I train managers and accelerate their growth and their effective communication skills.

And sales people… I work with them a lot, because many sales people just need help with their sales ability. Sales people every week need new tips and talking points and questions, and a very high level of accountability to stay on track.

And so with my background, having kind of worked all of those hats, I’m able to really come in and help. Everybody gets unstuck in the nuances of where their business is, so they can really grow at an accelerated rate.

Andrew Hryniewicz

I think you’ve already somewhat answered question number two, but I’ll ask it again anyway. So what’s the biggest challenge they’re facing?

It sounds like it’s a little bit different for each of the slices. It’s a sort of a meta challenge that you see, covers all of them.

Jon Dwoskin

I would say the biggest challenge is their level of consciousness needs to rise. Right… their level of awareness.

I’m a big fan of, “The same level of consciousness that got you to where you are, cannot get you to where you want to be”.

And there’s a level of “I don’t want to…”

It’s somewhat of mixture, a cocktail of complacency and lack of awareness. They know that they’re stuck in, where they can’t see the forest through the trees any longer.

They’ve done as much as they can. They need new perspective. They have not asked for help when they should, so they’re late in the game with that.

They can’t talk to their business partners. They don’t have anybody who they can strategically discuss things with and be vulnerable with.

This business… when I take on a client, and I’m assuming you do the same, I tell them. “This is hard work. You’ve got to be ready to do the work”.

You know, it sounds very trendy right now to a business coach.

But if you’re really diving in… you got to be vulnerable. yYou got to be real. You got to really open everything up. Because everything is interconnected in a way.

And so I would say that their biggest obstacle is that “they don’t ask for help soon enough”.

And then most clients do… but some don’t commit to the process. You got to commit. This isn’t something you can do in a week or a month.

This is, in my opinion. I have had business coaches, since I was 23 years old… you need the continuity.

It’s like going to a therapist, you know. I remember years ago, going to my therapist and saying, “You know what, I think I’m done”. And my therapist said to me, “You know what, I was going to tell you, you needed to start coming twice a week”.

So I did. And then sometimes when you have nothing to talk about, those are the biggest breakthrough days. And so business coaching is a commitment.

And I think the biggest obstacle is people don’t realize that it really is a commitment and a level of ownership that they have to take.

Andrew Hryniewicz

It’s interesting, I was talking with one of my guests recently, and he said, “You know, business coaching is really quite schizophrenic. Because, at the highest level, it’s considered a real perk and a bonus for the top level people for you tosupport them.”

And at the lowest level, “It’s this remedial thing you’re doing to someone because it’s one step before firing them.”

And it has this weird double headed aspect, that at one level, it’s seen as a real positive thing. And another level it seems you’re like the classroom dummy. “And we need to do something about you.”

Jon Dwoskin

Yeah, I don’t see that, maybe because of what I’m coaching. I have companies work with me more. And they’ll call me kind of “special ops”…

Where I come in, and I work with people who are typically already successful and make them even more successful.

But I know what you’re talking about. Because the lens I see them through is, companies don’t invest in their people.

And then by the time they do invest in their people — whether it’s coaching, training, bringing in any type of trainer — it’s like you’re right, it’s too late, right?

It’s been two years, to allow your people to build every bad habit possible. You haven’t set proper vision, roadmap for them. So everybody created their own.

And now you have good people with probably poor managers, a toxic environment, and you’re trying to band aid, and that doesn’t work.

You’ve got to invest in your people early on.

So I see that happen, you know, because as I zoom out, I see that happening, and I understand what you guys are talking about.

I see that happening a lot, right? You’re investing in a “band aid”, because you weren’t proactive.

And your company, talking about being proactive… but you’re reactive in training your people. And then you blame your people because you’ve got it too late.

Andrew Hryniewicz

Yeah. So that I think that ties into question three, then your number one insight, sounds like it’s some version of “Don’t wait.”

Jon Dwoskin

Don’t wait, right.

I mean, you really got to look at your company and your people and say, “What do I need to do to invest in my people?”

And that’s interesting, Andrew, sometimes people say, “Well, you know, millennials… you know, they only stay 2, 3, 4 years”.

For this generation I say, “Alright, so you know that going in, get the most out of that person.” And have an upfront contract with that, “Hey, I’m going to invest in you. But give me six months before you leave, I will support you help me train your replacement”.

And in the two, three years you are here, document everything you do and build a training library. So when the next person comes, you’ve left this a better place.

And most people don’t have those discussions, but it’s about forecasting and projecting and having insights into what your people need. I mean, you have to assume that 20 to 30% of your people, when you look at your roster today, in three years won’t be there.

And so, recruiting is a piece. But I would say the biggest insight is what you said, but also really forecasting out. Saying, “Okay, what’s my succession plan for all of these people?”

And now, if I reverse engineer that, what do I need to do to make them the best possible people for internal culture and external experience?

Andrew Hryniewicz

Right. So question number four, in your own development. What was the most impactful element? Was it a book, a programme, an experience?

Jon Dwoskin

When I was 18 years old, my Dad gave me a set of tapes, it was Brian Tracy’s “Psychology of Success”. I put it on my ears, Andrew, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I wanted to be a business coach. I wanted to write books. I wanted to speak. I wanted to help companies grow. My journey was starting an internet company, and then getting into commercial real estate, and things of that nature to get to this spot.

I started my business in my early 40s. But those tapes, that was it, that moment in time, Yeah. I have read 1000s of books since, and done the podcast. And it’s that moment in time.

Andrew Hryniewicz

And what was the name of the set?

Jon Dwoskin

“The Psychology of Success” by Brian Tracy.

Andrew Hryniewicz

Okay, well, make sure to put those in the show notes. And so question five, what’s the free resource you’d like to share with the audience to help them?

Jon Dwoskin

Yeah, if you go to johndwoskin.com, I have my book, the “Think Big Movement”, you can download it for free. And I also have 100 page eBook, 10-chapter workbook that you can download for free as well.

Andrew Hryniewicz

Okay. And so question number six, the last one. What should I have asked you that I didn’t ask you?

Jon Dwoskin

What should you asked me that you didn’t ask me? What’s the number one lesson that I’ve learned in my 49 years of living?

Andrew Hryniewicz

Okay, so what is that?

Jon Dwoskin

“Slow down”. I mean, you got to, big time, in your life… to unplug, unwind, slow down. Whether that’s meditation, forcing yourself to go for a walk and be with nature.

But you’ve got to infuse time to just do nothing.

Andrew Hryniewicz

Yeah. I had a business coach, about a year ago, who gave me one of my rules: “Stop working by eight”. And I’m breaking it today. And no working on the weekends.

Jon Dwoskin

Yeah, I don’t mind working on the weekends as I don’t do it often.

But it was nice kind of having this interview on the weekend. Just because sometimes during the week, you’re so you know… you’re running from meeting, to meeting, to meeting.

So it was kind of messy. I was kind of looking forward to it. It was very meditative. But yeah, I think it’s important to have some boundaries for yourself.

Andrew Hryniewicz

Yeah. This is fine, because I really enjoy this. But what they were saying was, “Take a mental break”, you know…

“Shut the business mind off” at a certain time each night, and to give yourself the weekend to do other stuff, to refresh. And that was really, important.

Okay, well, perfect. Jon thank you so much for your time today.

John Dwoskin

I appreciate it. Thanks for yours.

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Andrew Wayfinder Hryniewicz
Andrew Wayfinder Hryniewicz

Written by Andrew Wayfinder Hryniewicz

Philosopher. Shaman. Architect. Therapist. I love time spent with friends and family, creating beauty and magic, and this amazing planet we all share.

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