Building a LIFE RESUME with Jesse Itzler at 10X Growth Con
At 10X Growth Con 2019, entrepreneur, author, and rapper Jesse Itzler shared his unique path to success. His estimated net worth of $200 million is proof that his “unconventional works” approach has some credibility. This is Itzler’s wild “life resume” — from marketing major to hip hop artist to innovator in private aviation…
Today, Jesse Itzler is married to Sara Blakely, the founder of SPANX, with whom he has four children. Together, they are part of the ownership group of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team.
On his own, Jesse is co-founder of one of the largest private jet card companies, Marquis Jet, with Warren Buffett’s aircraft fleet.
However, it wasn’t always that way…
Born and raised in Roslyn, New York, Itzler was once a normal student at American University. Despite the $40k a year tuition, the future business giant claims to only remember one thing…
The $160,000 Lesson Jesse Itzler Shared at 10X Growth Con
In Jesse Itzler’s senior year of college, he was at a crossroads — either become an investor in a friend’s brownie company or pursue a rap music career. Two completely different paths, but a hard decision to make nonetheless.
Jesse Itzler decided to leave it to fate.
For a business class project, Jesse was tasked with creating a full business plan, marketing campaign, and presentation. He chose to present the brownies for the assignment with a caveat in mind…
If he presented the chocolate treats and passed, he’d go into the baked goods business. But if he failed, he would put all his efforts into music.
A couple of minutes into his pitch, his professor stopped him and asked what made his brownie different. After rattling off some ingredients, his instructor said, “Thousands of brownies are made every day. You need to have something actually different. Sit down.”
Needless to say, Itzler fully committed to music. He knew he had something different built into himself…
Record Deals from Answering Machine Bars and Cold Calls
From there, Jesse Itzler rearranged his college schedule so he had the entirety of Fridays free. He’d take the five-hour bus ride into New York City to hand out his demo…
A rap music demo that he recorded on his answering machine.
After sending the tape to every record label, personally delivering it to DJs and other rappers, he gathered his courage. And he decided to cold call the Delicious Vinyl record label.
By researching the owner of the label’s favorite artist, he was able to secure a lunch meeting and play the executive his music for him….
He was offered the deal on the spot.
Sadly, his relationship with that label was unable to be sustained…
But Jesse didn’t give up on music. He quickly had to pivot with the only standout job on his resume being “rapper.”
So, he wrote a song for the New York Knicks for $4,000. And he formed his own music company, Alphabet City Music, specializing in arena songs…
Jesse Itzler sold that company to SFX for $4.3 million dollars.
Nevertheless, Itzler couldn’t keep his feet off the ground once he had the first taste of entrepreneurship…
Jesse Itzler Name-drops at 10X Growth Con
Where does a former hip-hop star who made sports theme songs go next?
Apparently, private aviation, if you’re Jesse Itzler.
Jesse had never flown private before going on a business trip with his partner in Alphabet City Music. After which, he never wanted to go back. There was just one problem…
He couldn’t afford his own plane at the time.
Then, he and his partner had an idea on that flight. A business concept where you paid ahead of time to rent private aircraft time.
Somehow, Itzler got in front of the decision-maker behind 650 of these jets and was at first turned down.
However, he changed his mind once Jesse brought in a laundry list of celebrities in front of the administrator who said they’d definitely buy the product.
That is how one of his most profitable ventures to date, Marquis Jet, was born.
Building a Life Resume — One Venture at a Time
In conclusion, this entrepreneur, author, and rapper is a risk-taker, trailblazer, and go-getter.
During his 10X Growth Con speech, Jesse Itzler explained there are two themes that have been true throughout his “life resume”:
- He had no experience in anything he did — because experience takes too long.
- No experience guaranteed he would be unique and have different results.
The 10X family can definitely agree with this “commit now, figure out the rest later” energy.
How will you build your life resume in 2023 and beyond?
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