Vital Stats
Name: Timothy Jahnigen
Occupation: Entrepreneur
First Job: Selling my art as a six-year-old
Best Job: What I'm doing now
Greatest Professional Challenge: Overcoming fear
Starting Salary: $20 a drawing
Website: One World Futbol, Normotherm, and Fauna Sauna

1. How did you get that f*&%ing awesome job?
1) Patience 2) Creativity 3) Grace and 4) Timing. And aside from working very, very hard to follow through and be smart, it is quite simply a mystery.

2. Tell us a little bit about your company. What’s going on there at this very minute?
We are fortunate to have an amazing team in place—every single member brings such passion and skill to the table. At the moment we are catching our breath from our wonderful launch at the World Cup in South Africa. And without missing a beat, we're preparing to to travel to Monaco as we have been blessed with the honor of being in the final three for a special jury prize at the Peace and Sport Awards in December.

We are also working to keep up with all of the inquiries, requests, and opportunities that have flooded in while keeping our focus on quality control, customer service, and developing strategic relationships. As a result, we are in a phase of re-evaluation. We are also studying ways to improve quality and are looking at some very exciting new ideas that will build on what we've started.

3. What inspired you to give back to the community through commerce?
Well, as we began pursuing this vision and mission, we quickly learned that non-profits need to run more like businesses and businesses need to be more mission-driven. We assumed that we would just be a non-profit at first, but when we realized that we also had a unique technology and product, we were presented with a unique opportunity.

We learned about "B Corporations" and the small (but growing) community of socially responsible businesses—TOMS Shoes being a good example—and we felt right at home in this group and they welcomed us into the fold. We are proud to be counted among the first 350 such companies in the US. 

By allowing commerce to drive humanitarian efforts, especially after being disillusioned by what is called "capitalism" in our country, we feel fortunate to be able to give, give back, and raise a family. We also see that consumers get much more value from a product or business that allows them to be part of philanthropy and service by buying something that they need. And, it's fun too!

4. What does a typical day look like for you?
If you can call any of my days typical, then here it goes: Some days we're up by 6 AM for a workout at the Ice Chamber (an innovative boot camp-style gym) and then a gluten- and lactose-free breakfast.

We have meetings and there are emails and phone calls to make. Then depending on the day, as my wife and I have another business that needs tending, I spend some time on that, too. 

I am also blessed to be in the music business as a producer and lyricist, so sometimes I'm in a studio for a project or sometimes when an idea hits, I drop what I'm doing and work on lyrics. Sometimes that happens in the middle of the night, sometimes in the middle of a meeting.

We also try to share cooking duties and have dinner as a family. I catch up on my Olbermann and Daily Show. Basically, I can only work on what I'm focused on. I'm useless if I'm forced into simple function.

I'm never not working—even when I'm relaxing or having a "day off," I'm always refining and polishing an idea or two.

5. What is the best part about what you do? The non-best part?
The best part of what I do is working with and meeting so many incredible people in this world. And the fact that I'm seeing ideas that I have actually manifest themselves into tangible and useful things that bring us together and contribute in their own way to improving the quality of life.

The not-best thing for me is some of the structure that comes from having an organization building around some of these ideas. There are meetings that have to happen on a schedule, while I know these are important, these are things that don't work well for me. I'm dyslexic and have ADD, so it takes a lot of diligence to honor this part of my life structure with proper diet, exercise, rest, and balance of all kinds.

But if balance can be struck, then all is well.

6. If you had to name one thing (or two or three...) that’s contributed to your company’s success, what would it be?
I cannot stress how important the team is. We are fortunate—in my opinion it's not just about choosing friends, it's about finding people who share the vision but bring their own skills, insights, and experience to the table. We don't always agree on everything, but our mission is so clear and bigger than all of us that we always have that to fall back on.

Another factor is letting go. In my music life, I once introduced myself to the great Leon Russell as a "struggling songwriter." And before I could get another word out, he stopped me and said, “Take the word 'struggling' out of your title and everything will be alright." I did as he said and though the path ahead was filled with many challenges (and still is), the power of that simple bit of advice has allowed me to work with most of my heroes and legends in entertainment. 

And one last thing: total honesty. Honesty with yourself—not harshness, not criticism. Facts. And honesty with your team and investors. No hype, only facts. For me personally, the most important thing I've learned is to say "I don't know." When I don't know, I often say, "On this, I've reached the limit of my intellectual capacity to solve this for the moment." It is a total waste of time for everyone when you make something up just to look smart—it's much faster to admit what you don't know so that you can all get on with finding the answer you need.

7. Do you have any words of wisdom for those of us that want to strike out on our own?
Tell your story. Often. Share your idea. I still believe that most people are so busy with their own ideas and challenges that very few are really interested in stealing the ideas of others. In fact, most people are willing to help a good idea come to fruition. If not by direct help, then sometimes by making helpful introductions.

I am still gullible at times and I have had someone try to steal one of my ideas. It's quite unpleasant and a real violation, but it taught me many valuable lessons and it showed me how hard I was willing to fight. Not just for the idea, but for me and for what was decent and right. That experience, as challenging as it was, has made for a much brighter future.

More than degrees or a perfect resume, what is needed is an idea that is backed by sound research and compelling rationale. Do your homework and know what sets your ideas apart. Learn to write a business plan. If you have the learning and attention issues that I have and the lack of formal schooling, having the structure of a business plan to fall back on can keep you on track when things get sideways.

There are people who don't think they need this valuable tool or think that "rules are made to be broken," which by the way, I said for a long time. But you can't break the rules if you don't know what they are or how to work within them.

Get used to the word "no." Every time you hear it, it's either a chance to improve your project or a chance to keep looking for the right partners. 

Einstein wrote his theory out for all the world to see. Just because you can see the whole thing, that doesn't mean they will understand how it works. Good ideas that can be of service should be of service. As Tony Robbins says, "Know the 'why,' and the 'how' takes care of itself." This has worked for me more than once.

I have no college degree, but I never stopped studying. I finally stopped discounting my qualifications and simply let my natural curiosity and inclination create it's own discipline in my life. As a result, I've filed three patents (one has issued, the others are still working their way through the system). I've become a leading expert in the world of infrared and discovered and identified a sub-frequency that is a critical component of biological life and immune response in humans and animals.

One last thing: Never settle. Compromise is one thing, but don't let go of your vision. Be open to other ideas and collaborations—it's never a solo journey—and don't be afraid to let people help. I always let others do their part as long as it's good and doesn't take us off course, but especially if it's better. We, as a team and the world in general, can only gain from that.

8. And just for fun, what do you want this holiday season?

A computer that doesn't crash! Oh, and some sheepskin boots to keep my feet warm.

Thanks for sharing, Tim!

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