All Episodes

May 21, 2025 55 mins

Join host John Duffin as he sits down with Jake Smolarek, a dynamic executive business coach and entrepreneur. Despite numerous setbacks, from business failures to battling physical and mental challenges, Jake's story is one of resilience and determination.

At 19, he moved from Poland to the UK with just £150 in his pocket and a big dream. Jake shares raw accounts of battling depression, overcoming a life-threatening illness, and navigating numerous business failures. With a focus on relentless decision-making and building robust systems, Jake discusses how he turned initial setbacks into massive successes, including scaling a nonprofit from 2 to 600 volunteers.

Discover how Jake's 'Bounce Don't Break' mentality and innovative GPS coaching model have not only helped him overcome adversity but also to help others to flourish. Don't miss this episode filled with inspiration, valuable insights, and actionable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders.

When you want to learn more about Jake Smolarek- and take advantage of a pure value, no fluff, no waffle conversation…click the link below.

https://jakesmolarek.com/

00:55 Meet Jake Smolarek: Entrepreneurial Journey Begins

02:10 Early Influences and First Business Experiences

07:42 The Move to the UK: A Leap of Faith

15:17 Building a Construction Business from Scratch

18:26 The Importance of Decision-Making

25:51 From Construction to Nonprofit: A New Venture2

7:14 The Value of Nonprofit Work

29:01 Strict but Fun: Leadership Style

30:24 Effective Communication and Trust

35:36 Navigating Challenges and Resilience

39:51 Vision GPS: A Coaching Model

46:21 The Importance of Focus and Authenticity

52:18 Creating Impactful Entrepreneurs

54:11 Conclusion and Contact Information

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal

Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.