Today we’d like to introduce you to Jayson Wells.
Hi Jayson, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story starts off as a little boy from Cleveland, Ohio who started playing basketball because my friends and I enjoyed the game. Because I played a lot, I got good at it. Because I got good at it, opportunities started to present themselves. Whether that opportunity was going to a private school as an inner-city child, getting a full-ride athletic scholarship to college, or traveling the world because I can put a ball in a basket, my life has been one big blessing!
Since retiring the game, I’ve found myself even more connected to my passion and purpose in life. I continue to travel the world coaching teams (athletic and non-athletic), the values and the principles that I’ve experienced around leadership, team development, and culture development. I’ve worked with some of the most recognizable names and organizations in the world and have the opportunity to stay rooted in my 3 P’s, PEOPLE, PURPOSE, and PERFORMANCE!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Referring to my life as a smooth road sounds funny to even think it. My life has been full of ups, downs, highs, lows, peaks, and valleys! As well as a lot of starts, stops, left and right turns! And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Learning how to not only move through the valleys of life but also know how to sit in the valley in order to learn how to climb the next mountain has been a major anchor in my life. I’ve been cut from teams, divorced, laid off, filed bankruptcy, and foreclosed on a house, and all of that happened within a 13-month span.
I’ve learned how to truly step into my resilience by allowing myself to tap back into the younger version of me and how I dealt with disappointment. It’s a reminder that I’ve been here before, and I’m still standing. Which means I’ve got what it takes to do it again! It ties into my lifelong motto, “there is no finish line.”
As you know, we’re big fans of Shoes Have Souls Foundation. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Shoes Have Souls is broken down into two main areas. One content and digital platform. The Shoes Have Souls Podcast is dialogue in which we use the subject of shoes to share the power of story. Shoes have always been a connection point for people, so living in this new self-proclaimed “sneaker head era“ we decided to combine two major areas of human connection, shoes and stories.
The Shoes Have Souls Foundation is our non-profit arm where we believe every person should experience the feeling of confidence and self-worth as they take steps in the journey of life. In our vision to provide 158 million pairs of shoes worldwide is our rooted purpose of lovingly uniting the world as team.
We want readers to first off know that we exist. Moving forward, there are several different ways to get connected. Someone interested can reach out to the organization at info@shoeshavesouls.org. Another way to connect with us is to submit your “Soul Story ” to stories@shoeshavesouls.org. Stories collected will be used as potential guests for the podcast or as we build our collection of stories for the Shoes Have Souls soon coming book.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory actually ties into my love for shoes. I vividly remember going to the mall with my friends as we walked into shoe stores to look at all the new releases. From the Suede Clyde Puma, Shell-toe Adidas, Bo Jackson’s, Deion Sanders, Air Revolutions, Air Max, or the Jordan 4, from an early age shoes spoke to me loud and clear!
Contact Info:
- Website: shoeshavesouls.org
- Instagram: @shoes.have.souls
- Twitter: @shoeshavesouls_
