Johnathan Lyman is the founder of Seaplane Coffee, founder of Cascade Handcrafts (a candle business), a full-stack developer at Heroku, and a loving husband and father.
In this episode, Johnathan and I discuss topics like: How to build a lifestyle business. When to quit your job for your business? Misconceptions about lifestyle businesses. Should you pursue entrepreneurship or stick to your day job? How to effectively learn things. Relationship advice from Johnathan’s two marriages, and How to know when you’re ready to have kids.
TOPICS WE DISCUSS
00:00:00 – Intro
00:02:48 – Johnathan’s Coffee Business, Seaplane Coffee
00:06:45 – What Would Johnathan do Differently if he Was Starting a Coffee Business Today?
00:12:21 – When to Put in More Work Upfront VS Iterate as You Go
00:13:33 – Warnings about Designing and Printing Product Labels
00:15:19 – Learn by Doing and Leverage Existing Knowledge
00:17:31 – Think About This One Thing Before Starting a Business
00:18:24 – Common Misconceptions About Lifestyle Businesses
00:20:05 – The Shortcut to Success
00:21:03 – Should You Quit Your Job When Starting a Business?
00:22:56 – The Importance of Minimizing Risk and Benefits of Following Your Passion
00:25:00 – Day Job VS Entrepreneurship: What to Keep in Mind
00:27:57 – Context Is Key. And Mistaking Comfort for Happiness
00:30:06 – How to Know What Advice to Follow
00:34:03 – A Trick for Thinking Outside the Box and Finding Inspiration
00:39:22 – Why Johnathan Transitioned From His Amazon Business to a Coffee Business
00:40:15 – How Your Income Level Affects Your Priorities and Decision Making
00:50:13 – How Johnathan Decides What to Prioritize
00:54:49 – Summary of Johnathan’s Decision Making Factors
01:04:10 – What Tasks Should You Prioritize? And How to Define Goals You’ll Actually Act on
01:05:32 – How Johnathan Met His Wife
01:06:31 – Mistakes and Lessons from Johnathan’s First Marriage
01:17:18 – The Dangers of a Scarcity Mindset in Relationships and Avoiding Uphill Battles
01:19:48 – To Find the Right Life Partner, First Find Yourself
01:20:16 – Relationship Advice From Johnathan’s Current Marriage
01:27:23 – How Jonathan Overcame Poor Communication in His Relationship
01:30:51 – Important Realizations if You Want Your Relationship to Last
01:33:59 – How Jonathan Knew he was Ready to Have Kids
01:40:07 – What to Think About When Picking a Life Partner
01:45:15 – How Many Kids Should You Have? (And Mr Money Mustache)
01:57:10 – What Age Should You Have Kids?
02:04:20 – Where to Focus Your Time and Energy for the Best Results
02:07:31 – Johnathan’s Advice to Podcasters and Why He Started Podcasting
02:30:02 – What Does Success Mean to Johnathan and Why?
02:33:07 – One Reason Johnathan’s Such a Happy Person
02:37:24 – Johnathan’s Parting Advice
02:39:33 – Where To Find More of Johnathan
02:41:27 – Outro