An Exclusive Interview with International Motivational Speaker Jay Jay

The last few months have been difficult for people all over the world due to the pandemic. People require inspiration more than ever. That’s why motivational speakers like Tony Robbins, Arianna Huffington, and Joshua “Jay Jay” Jayaweera have found 2020 to be an incredibly busy year. Jay Jay is here with us today to offer the inside scoop on motivational speaking and inspire people to live their lives to the fullest.

Jay Jay, what advice do you have for young professionals looking to get into motivational speaking?

Before you even think about booking events, you need to get real with yourself and define your niche and goals. In other words, what do you want to motivate people to do? In what ways do you want to inspire them? Write those things down because everything you say should be in the service of those goals. If you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to convey, you won’t inspire anybody. 

How can someone scale their motivational speaking business quickly?

Several people have asked me how to become successful motivational speakers, and assume I will give them advice about presenting in front of crowds. But there’s so much more on the back end of this type of business. You have to think of yourself as a business owner, because you are. You are in charge of your own bookkeeping, promotion, and networking. Being a good speaker is only half of it. I recommend doing your research and writing a thorough business plan. In order to scale your business, you need to do the grunt work that is going to get you onto the stage in the first place.

If people get nervous easily, should they not consider a career in motivational speaking?

People are surprised to hear that I get nervous speaking in front of crowds. If you do too, don’t let it dissuade you from your dream career! A good friend once told me, being nervous about something just means you care about it. And it’s 100% true. The thing you have to ask yourself is, do I want this more than I’m afraid of it? If the answer is yes, you can be a motivational speaker. Be your authentic self, and the rest will follow.

What do you tell people to motivate them during Covid-19?

When times are hard, it isn’t easy to stay motivated. So I tell people that they need to look at the pandemic the way they’d look at any other hurdle. Do your best within your new parameters. 

Jay Jay is an internationally renowned motivational speaker. In a year like this, we’re taking his words to heart, and with good reason!