John Lee <\/b>(Just call me \u2018JLD\u2019)<\/i><\/b> Dumas<\/b><\/h1>\n

Podcaster on Fire<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cAs an Officer and platoon leader in Iraq, I was responsible for others living, dying, or getting severely injured. I grew up real quick at 23 years old.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

John Lee Dumas has always taken great pride in forging his own path. He is largely recognized as the creator of the daily podcast, a lifestyle pioneer who singlehandedly led more entrepreneurs to Puerto Rico than almost anyone else, the originator of fully transparent \u2018monthly income reports\u2019 (more on this in a moment), and unparalleled mentor to tens of thousands of podcasters via Podcasters\u2019 Paradise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Given the impact he\u2019s had on the industry, it\u2019s difficult to fathom this Podcast Hall of Famer nearly bailed on launching his award-winning show, <\/span>Entrepreneurs On Fire,<\/span><\/i> because he was nervous no one would listen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately, JLD isn\u2019t one to fear much in his life\u2014especially after serving eight years in the U.S. Army.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is, perhaps, this lack of fear that extended to his becoming an innovator and developing previously underutilized methods of monetizing his podcast. One of his early initiatives? Having his assistant search Amazon and email the author of every soon-to-be-released business book about sponsoring his show.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had her reach out and let the authors know that her boss, John Lee Dumas, has a podcast called <\/span><\/i>Entrepreneurs On Fire<\/span> and the audience is an ideal fit for their teachings,\u201d<\/span><\/i> he shared<\/span>. \u201cThe offer was simple\u2014sponsor an episode for $300, and we\u2019d give them a one-minute ad at the beginning of the show to pitch their book.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of his first sponsors? Yours truly, in conjunction with my book Internet Prophets: The World\u2019s Leading Experts Reveal How to Profit Online.<\/span> The return on our investment was substantial.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, JLD would be hard-pressed to offer one minute of airtime for $300, as the average sponsorship cost is nearly $3,000 per episode. And, while ad revenue <\/span>is<\/span><\/i> substantial, it represents just a small fraction of his company\u2019s annual haul.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All in, they\u2019re projected to generate gross revenue of $2.5M in 2020\u2026 COVID or no COVID… and, they haven\u2019t had a single month with gross revenue under $100,000 since October 2013.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With an average Apple podcast rating of 4.8, the show features interviews with more than 2,000 of the world\u2019s most successful entrepreneurs, including Tony Robbins, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Barbara Corcoran, Tim Ferriss, and many more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly, JLD has mastered the game of podcasting.\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Of course, it wasn\u2019t always this way. To understand how he arrived at this point, let\u2019s go back in time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

John grew up in a small town in Maine with a population of just over 2,000. His father was the <\/span>\u2018Atticus Finch\u2019<\/span><\/i> of the community\u2014a lawyer who hung out his shingle and, over his 35-year career, taught his son what it means to be an entrepreneur\u2026 and a father.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI loved how my dad was always present,\u201d <\/span><\/i>he recalled<\/span>. \u201cI would get home from school and ask him if we could do something, and he\u2019d say, <\/span><\/i>\u2018Let me move a couple of things around; I\u2019ll be right there.\u2019 <\/span>He would always adjust his schedule so he never missed one of my games. He worked really hard, but on his terms. I grew up seeing that and understanding the value and freedom being an entrepreneur could provide.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

JLD also credits his father with instilling in him an appreciation for transparency around money. While many parents hide their finances from their children, his dad showed him <\/span>everything<\/span><\/i>\u2014monthly income reports, expenditures, revenue\u2026 he was <\/span>\u201can open book about money,\u201d<\/span><\/i> John said. <\/span>\u201cI wasn\u2019t going to be one of the high percentage of kids who graduated high school knowing trigonometry, but not knowing how to balance a checkbook. I learned those skills from my dad. Knowing why he had to let a secretary go after a bad month\u2026 things like that\u2026 it was very eye-opening.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

[Following in these footsteps of transparency, JLD\u2019s company does what few private companies do\u2026 each month, they release a detailed income report\u2014complete with down-to-the-penny numbers showing the exact amount of gross revenue, expenses, and net income, displayed in clear sight at the top of their home page.]<\/b><\/p>\n

After high school, John knew he wanted to go to college\u2014but not just any college. He had his eye on a prestigious, private Catholic school in Rhode Island that would cost nearly $50,000 per year to attend. Never one to give up on something he desired, he pursued a ROTC scholarship, knowing that the Army would cover every expense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, he was awarded the scholarship\u2026 plus $75 of \u201cpocket money\u201d per week. He secured every dollar he needed to go to the school of his choice\u2026 and then some.<\/span><\/p>\n

He graduated debt-free and spent the next eight years as an Officer in the U.S. Army. This experience had a <\/span>\u201cmassive\u201d<\/span><\/i> effect on his success as an entrepreneur.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For one, it taught him discipline.<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cDiscipline is not something I had going into college. It was something I had to implement being an ROTC cadet. Then, when I became an officer and was sent to Iraq for 13 months as a platoon leader, it was <\/span><\/i>really<\/span> instilled in me. I was in charge of four tanks and 16 men for 13 months during a war. Without discipline, you’re either going to die, or you’re going to be responsible for someone losing his life or getting severely injured. I grew up real quick at 23 years old.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

That discipline carried over into the rest of his life as well. Quoting his commanding officer at the time, he said:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Discipline is defined as<\/span> \u2018being a disciple to a plan of action.\u2019<\/span> So, create a plan of action and then be a disciple to execute that plan. And remember, a good plan now is better than a great plan later.\u2019<\/span> That’s one huge lesson the Army taught me. You do the best you can in the moment and execute upon that. Because if you wait to come up with a perfect plan, the bullets are flying, the bombs are dropping, and you might not live to execute that plan. So, you must make it happen now with the information you have. That\u2019s the mentality I apply to entrepreneurship, too.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After the heartbreaking loss of four of his platoon members, Captain Dumas left the Army in 2010. Writing letters to the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice was <\/span>\u201cheartbreaking,\u201d<\/span><\/i> he said, and taught him another invaluable lesson:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m able to put things in perspective. No matter how bad things are, I think, \u2018You’re not getting shot at. You’re not in danger. You’re not in a war right now, so things could be much, much worse.\u2019 It\u2019s easy to find happiness when you consider life from this perspective. I don\u2019t let small things ruin how I feel overall.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

He went to law school briefly after leaving the military, then into corporate finance and, ultimately, into commercial real estate. But, the pull toward entrepreneurship and the freedom it has the potential to provide was never far from his mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was during this time that he became <\/span>\u201ca massive fan\u201d<\/span><\/i> of podcasting. When his neighbor heard him complaining about having to listen to sports talk radio about the San Diego Padres, she said, <\/span>\u201cWhy don\u2019t you listen to podcasts?\u201d<\/span><\/i> She quickly showed JLD how to access them with a couple of clicks. He was immediately hooked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, \u2018Oh my God\u2026 I can literally choose what I want to listen to whenever I want!\u2019 It opened up a whole new world for me,\u201d<\/span><\/i> he said. <\/span>\u201cAnd I\u2019ve loved the medium ever since. Even then, I knew it was going to explode; how could it not? It\u2019s free, on-demand, targeted content. And you can capture people\u2019s attention in a very focused way. I knew I had to get in on it.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what John did.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor two years, I consumed podcasts every single day. I had them playing in the background no matter what I was doing. And then, the lightbulb went on. I saw a huge void\u2014why wasn\u2019t there a daily podcast featuring interviews with successful entrepreneurs? And, just like that, the idea for <\/span><\/i>Entrepreneurs On Fire<\/span> was born.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Over the past seven years, his company has generated in excess of $16M in revenue while consistently netting more than seven figures each of those years. Quite a far cry from his original definition of success\u2014<\/span>\u201cbeing able to pay the bills.\u201d<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After holding court on the top of the mountain for far longer than he ever could have imagined, his view of success is meaningfully different today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing \u2018successful\u2019 now boils down to one word,\u201d<\/span><\/i> he said. <\/span>\u201cFreedom.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

That freedom includes living in Puerto Rico in his dream home, traveling the world with his long-time partner Kate, and having the emotional and financial security that goes hand in hand with the substantial wealth that makes this enviable lifestyle possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He absolutely deserves to enjoy the fruits of his labor\u2014he has worked tirelessly for it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

With all that JLD has achieved in his 40 years on this planet, if you\u2019re wondering if there\u2019s anything more for him to accomplish, the answer is unequivocally \u201cyes.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI want to have an even bigger impact on this world. If there\u2019s an earthquake here in Puerto Rico, which there are, I\u2019d love to have the means to swoop in and write a $10 million check and just say, \u2018Let’s take care of this situation now.\u2019 I\u2019m not quite there yet, but that\u2019s something I\u2019d love to attain.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Based on his track record of success, it seems inevitable that he\u2019ll light the fire needed to turn this vision into reality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John Lee Dumas has always taken great pride in forging his own path.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,55],"tags":[175,170,171,174,177,169,179,178,119,173,176,172],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n