Jay Jay French, guitarist, manager, and producer is most famous for his role as the founding member and one of the guitarists of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister Long: Jay Jay French explains Twisted Sisters long-term success like it's an iceberg. What you see on the surface is only 10% of what's really there. They've continually reinvested in themselves. Whenever they'd make a little money, instead of just spending it, they'd roll the dice and plow it right back into the group. As Jay has written, "Whether you are an artist or an entrepreneur, your story usually begins with passion, a moment that goes something like this: 'The first time I either witnessed, touched, smelled, felt, heard [this object of passion], I just knew that I would do anything, risk anything to be a part of this life...'" That Big Bang moment truly defines you. Most people can tell you the exact date and time that this tsunami of inspiration and passion washed over their brain cells, rendering them helpless to the immutable forces that drive the human spirit. My Big Bang happened on February 9, 1964 at 8:03 p.m. That night, I (and 73 million other Americans) saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show. I was 11 years old, but I emphatically told my mother that I wanted to be a rock 'n' roll star on that very night. Over the next couple of weeks, after reading every Beatle magazine that appeared magically the day after the Sullivan show, my actual goal started to crystallize: I wanted to make great rock 'n' roll music, play to screaming girls, get a gold record, and be a millionaire! Like many entrepreneurs who are first starting out, I had no idea how any of this was going to happen. I just knew that it had to happen. But achieving your goals not only takes passion, it takes patience. I did finally get that gold record. It happened in July of 1984, 20 years and five months after I set my goal. It was a long journey, but it taught me every lesson that I ever wanted (and didn't want) to learn, including how to market a brand, how to negotiate deals, how to handle a crisis, and how to manage some big personalities. But without passion, without that Big Bang, I would have never had the drive to get started - or to keep going. Not only is he the lead and rhythm guitar player for Twisted Sister, but he backs up Dee Snider's lead vocals and is the owner of the Twisted Sister trademark. He is the manager of the band's affairs and recently celebrated 40 years as a member. Listening to this interview, you'll understand why they've lasted so long. "Do what you say you're going to do." If you follow that commandment, you stand a good chance of succeeding. ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn
