Jackson Hanson

Jackson Hanson attended Oakbridge Academy High School, where he aspired to make a difference. During school, he ran a cold brew coffee stand which ultimately fueled his curiosity for business and entrepreneurship. Wanting to further his academic education, Jackson attended Villanova University where he enrolled in a physics program. However, due to the global pandemic, Jackson was forced to take a temporary leave of absence from higher education. He relocated to Florida where he took a position at Sacred Heart High School to improve and expand their IT Department. In his spare time he also developed a website that enables business professionals to sell equity.

When the pandemic began to wind down, Jackson Hanson returned to the Physics Department at the University of Villanova. Today he works to obtain his degree and is devising an application of this to the real world. It is his aspiration to leave a lasting, positive impact on the world at large.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

For me it’s about being curious, but also it’s a responsibility to know the world around you. Studying physics is the essential component to that for me. Knowing how our world operates allows us to manipulate it and improve our prospects for the future.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

Very good question. Most days I am up at 2 in the morning to work a shift with FedEx. The hard work is good for the mind and exercise is positive for anyone. From there, I come back to the house to take care of my dogs. After the dogs are happy, I rest for a few hours before classes. At the end of the day there is reading, studying, and preparing for the next day.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I find the best way to bring an idea to life is to take action on the idea. Don’t let it sit and fester, but take the time to vett it and steps to bring it to life.
Sitting on an idea doesn’t help anyone.

What’s one trend that excites you?

A really nice community. One that’s forward enough to make change.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Getting up and getting moving early really adds to my day. I get a lot more done before noon and I’m ready to keep going. That has really proven to be a wonderful asset to my productivity.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Learning from history is incredibly important. I would tell myself to pick up more biographies and learn everything I can from them.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

All great things, throughout history, have been accomplished by the individual and not a team.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Recognize the absurdity that is life and embrace it. Laugh at all of it, and don’t let any part of it hold you back. Take big swings in life and find your passion so it drives you wholly.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

I evaluate the habits, mindset, and behaviors of great people throughout history. From there it’s been my intent to adopt them and make them part of my life. The impact it’s had on me and my decisions has been incredible. All of these individuals are self disciplined and through that achieved greatness.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

For a long time, I struggled to memorize information. Memorization is often the most used strategy for recalling important foundational information. My solution is to learn the fundamentals, and develop ways to interact with those fundamentals. This develops a confidence in the knowledge as well as eliminates the need to memorize.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Standardized test scores are greatly underused. It would be great if someone could facilitate a way to connect the test scores in a manner they can be leveraged to demonstrate knowledge and personal application of that knowledge in day to day.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

That’s easy. I recently picked up a few new biographies. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Shigeru Miyamoto are all fascinating people. The best way to spend your money is on knowledge as knowledge is definitely power.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

The Blue Yonder Workforce App and site have been a real asset to me. It makes picking up additional shifts at FedEx possible. This helped fill breaks and increase income while I’m attending college.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

LiftOff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days that Launched SpaceX by Eric Berger. It shows what one individual is capable of accomplishing, despite the mountains ahead of him.

What is your favorite quote?

“I believe more in the dreams of the future than those of the past. So it is with me.” – Thomas Jefferson

Key Learnings:

• Work hard and get results
• Stay Curious about everything
• Provide value wherever possible
• One person can make a difference