Entrepreneur Success Mindset: How John Javier Built a 30-Person Business in Just 2 Years

In this insightful episode of The Nathan Newberry Show, John Javier shares his remarkable journey from mechanical engineer to successful entrepreneur. Discover the key mindset shifts, daily habits, and strategic approaches that helped him build Flex Your Work Services from a one-person operation to a thriving business with 30 team members serving over 200 North American clients in just two years.

Introduction

What truly defines a high performer in today's competitive business landscape? According to John Javier, founder of Flex Your Work Services, it comes down to understanding your limited time on earth and focusing on what truly matters to you—regardless of others' opinions.

In this interview, John reveals how he transformed from an "awkward" mechanical engineer with limited sales experience to the head of a rapidly growing marketing and lead generation company. His journey offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and established business owners alike, highlighting the importance of self-discipline, strategic thinking, and work-life balance in achieving sustainable success.

This article breaks down John's key strategies for entrepreneurial success, from preventing burnout to structuring your day for maximum effectiveness, providing actionable insights you can implement in your own business journey.

From Engineer to Entrepreneur: Finding Your True Path

John's entrepreneurial journey began with an important realization: the career he had trained for wasn't the one that would fulfill him.

"I'm actually a mechanical engineer," John explains. "I thought my path to financial freedom was becoming a really good engineer and maybe working in an oil rig or something. That was my degree—it was a seven-year course. I passed the licensing exam and all of a sudden, I realized, in a minute, this is not the life that I want to live."

Despite considering himself awkward and not naturally sales-oriented, John recognized that the people who seemed to have the most fulfilling careers—with more travel opportunities, experiences, and higher earnings—were in sales roles. This insight prompted him to step outside his comfort zone and develop sales skills through side gigs, including selling insurance.

His early attempts were humbling: "On the first year doing sales selling insurance, I only sold one package, and it's only to my aunt."

The turning point came when he found a mentor who excelled at international sales. John spent a year observing and learning how his mentor "turns cold conversations from strangers into best friends in a matter of a few conversations." By applying these techniques, John eventually became a country sales manager for a large American multinational corporation in the Philippines.

However, when the pandemic hit, John realized that even in his successful corporate role, his destiny wasn't fully in his hands. This prompted him to launch Flex Your Work Services in 2022, focusing on lead generation for small businesses—a common challenge he identified among new entrepreneurs.

Key Takeaways for Finding Your Path:

1. Recognize when a career isn't aligned with your strengths, even if you've invested years in training for it
2. Seek mentors who excel in the skills you want to develop
3. Be willing to start at the bottom to learn new skills (like John selling insurance)
4. Pay attention to market needs when launching a business (lead generation being the top challenge for 90% of small businesses)

Preventing Entrepreneur Burnout: Sustainable Growth Strategies

Like many entrepreneurs, John experienced intense burnout during his first year in business. Working 14-hour days, seven days a week, he was simultaneously handling HR, sales, marketing, operations, and recruitment—essentially every aspect of the business.

"During the first year of my business, I've been working 14-hour days, Mondays up until Sunday," John shares. "I'm HR, I'm human resource, I'm sales, I'm marketing, I'm operations and recruitment—everything."

While John acknowledges that burnout is "part of the process," he emphasizes that "being burned out consistently is not sustainable." After six months of this grueling schedule, he reached a critical realization: the business couldn't scale if he remained the bottleneck.

"At some point, we're looking at around 800 hours a week of work that my team is putting up. How could a potential solopreneur take on 800 hours when I only have 24 hours a day?"

This epiphany led John to develop systematic approaches to delegation, starting with small tasks that could be handed off to team members:

"I found a way in our system wherein I could absolutely delegate some things to my team members, even if it's just one hour a day—like sending email marketing campaigns, or billing collections to my prospects, or setting up email marketing campaigns."

John emphasizes that perfection isn't the goal—effectiveness is: "As soon as I learn a process and I realize that somebody else can do it too, I just pass it on. Now, they may not do it 100%, but if they're 80% there, I'm not super fixated on being perfect. I'm fixated on being done well."

Key Burnout Prevention Strategies:

1. Accept that initial burnout may be unavoidable, but develop a plan to move beyond it
2. Start delegating early, even if just for an hour a day
3. Release perfectionism and be satisfied with "done well" versus "done perfectly"
4. Build systems that allow for delegation and scaling

Structuring Your Day for High Performance and Balance

Perhaps the most illuminating part of John's interview is his detailed breakdown of how he structures his day to maximize both productivity and personal wellbeing—especially while managing a business that operates across drastically different time zones.

Based in the Philippines while serving clients throughout North America, John has crafted a unique daily schedule that prioritizes his personal needs before diving into work:

2:00 PM - Wake up and read a book for an hour 4:00 PM - Hit the gym for an hour 5:00-6:00 PM - Take a walk with no headphones—just processing thoughts 6:00-8:00 PM - Enjoy a good meal and prepare for work 8:00 PM-6:00 AM - Work hours (with one-hour breaks interspersed)

The walking time has become one of the most crucial elements of John's routine:

"Walking is really important, one of the most important parts of my day," John explains. "A lot of the times, because I'm having so many conversations on social media, with my clients, with my team members, with my prospects, I don't really have the time to process them at the end of the day. So that walk—no headphones, just listening to my thoughts—that's really important for me. That allows me to listen to myself and tell me what are the next strategic moves that I have to do."

This structured approach allows John to:

1. Prioritize his wellbeing before serving others
2. Process information and make strategic decisions
3. Maintain energy levels throughout his workday
4. Accommodate international time differences without sacrificing his health

Self-Care as a Business Strategy

John emphasizes that self-care isn't just a personal preference—it's a business necessity:

"In order for me to become best at my work, to be able to give... when you're in business, you're an entrepreneur, people want to be served. My team, people want to take stuff from you—maybe they want to take your energy, they want your advice, they want your support. You're really going to run out if you don't reserve anything for yourself."

The Keys to Entrepreneurial Success: Advice for Aspiring Business Owners

When asked what advice he would give to entrepreneurs looking to achieve similar success, John offers several key insights:

1. Find Your Own Path

"My success—whatever works for me—doesn't necessarily mean it will work for them, because we're all different, and you have to understand you have to find your own path."

2. Focus on Strategy, Not Just Execution

"As an entrepreneur, you have to make sure that your head is not down. You always have to have the time to work on the business, not in the business. That means you have to have some quiet time to think about the strategies that you want to implement."

3. Test and Learn

"You always have to have some time to try things that may or may not work out. I try different things for my marketing—some of them fail, but once I found something that's working, then it's a gold mine."

4. Listen to the Market

"A lot of people go into business having a really good idea, but the market did not respond to it. Being a salesperson, having the time to have a conversation with your potential prospects and clients will help you lead to a product or solution that exactly fits your target market's needs."

5. Stay Adaptable

"Don't be afraid to switch when things change. Since we started a business, we had a lot of changes, a lot of shifting that we have to do—whether it's adapting to social media, adapting AI, adapting to market trends, adapting to how different platforms are moving and how the algorithm works. You have to learn how to be adaptive and be able to switch and change."

6. Master Yourself First

John's final words of wisdom encapsulate his entire philosophy: "If you want to be a really successful entrepreneur, you have to master yourself first and exhibit discipline, because your business is a reflection of yourself."

Conclusion: Self-Mastery as the Foundation of Business Success

John Javier's journey from mechanical engineer to successful entrepreneur demonstrates that business success is often more about self-development than business development. By focusing first on mastering himself—his habits, his discipline, his ability to delegate—John created the foundation needed to build a thriving business serving hundreds of clients.

His approach offers a refreshing counterpoint to the "hustle harder" mentality that dominates much entrepreneurial advice. Instead, John advocates for thoughtful strategy, consistent self-care, and systematic delegation as the keys to sustainable growth.

For those looking to emulate John's success, the message is clear: start with mastering yourself, listen carefully to the market, and create systems that allow your business to grow beyond your personal capacity. Your business will ultimately reflect who you are—so investing in your own development may be the most strategic business move you can make.

Are you an entrepreneur looking to scale your business without burning out? What self-care practices could you incorporate into your routine to improve your strategic thinking? Share your thoughts in the comments below!