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The Promise Blog
Business

They Can’t Answer a Question You Never Ask

Over the past few weeks, I’ve done something on this blog that I don’t do very often. I asked you for help. Not once. Twice! First, I asked a question I’ve been wrestling with for years: What problem do I solve? I shared on THIS BLOG post that after more than 25 years of speaking, entertaining, teaching The Promise, working with incredible organizations and audiences around the world, I still struggle to articulate one simple thing: What is the specific problem people hire me to solve? And you responded. Some publicly. Some privately. Some with answers I hadn’t considered. You took time to think about my work, my message, what you’ve experienced from me, and what you believe I bring to an audience. That meant a great deal to me! Then, a few weeks later, I discovered something even more embarrassing… I Googled myself! (yikes) Here’s that blog post, in case you missed it. This is something I highly recommend doing if you’d like to simultaneously inflate and destroy your self-esteem. Of course I discovered that after 25+ years in business, I essentially had ONE Google review. One! (Brad, you’re the best, whoever and wherever you are.) So once again,

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October 5, 2026 No Comments
Announcements

Google Me

  Picture this: I’m consulting with a client. Telling them they need to update their web site with this, fix the wording on that. We made sure all was right on Amazon with the products, ensured the newsletter was ready for the big upcoming sale, and set up the funnel system to capture all of the interest that would surely be inbound quite soon. As we went through the critique of their work, efforts, and organization, which is highly successful and a 7-figure per month business, I asked about their Google Reviews. The team stared at me blankly. We searched for it. We found reviews on Amazon, Walmart, JudgeMe, and all over Facebook. Very favorable reviews, BTW! But what about Google Reviews? There were none to be found, and that hurts business in a profound way, at least locally and with SEO marketing efforts. That’s when I thought about it for myself. I googled my own name and found a whole bunch of nothin’ in terms of reviews on my business and work: 1 Google Review for this successful guy! Yep, one kind soul, a dude named Brad whom I’ve never met, went and found whatever seemed like my business

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September 28, 2026 4 Comments
Announcements

The ETA on CEP from NSA is ASAP

  There are so many acronyms nowadays its tough to know which ones not to use. IYKYK Thankfully, an organization I have belonged to for over 20 years, the National Speakers Association, has put together a new designation that is yet another acronym worth knowing: CEP – Certified Emcee Professional     I am pleased to be recognized in the CEP Charter Group along with some of my outstanding Emcee peers: Quinn Conyers Tom Pesce Rob Ferre Dr. Genie Snyder     To earn this designation I documented: • 100+ events over five years, with client names, dates and fees • 10 client evaluations, scored by the people who hired me • Video from real stages, not a sizzle reel • Verified income from emcee work across multiple years Emceeing and hosting events is a discipline, and shouldn’t ever really be left to someone on your team (unless they’re incredible at it, which is ridiculously rare). Executives need to have their moment to shine, and not be seen so much handling hosting duties that it becomes a “no longer special moment” to the audience every time the Executive takes the stage. The more you give them their spots, as an

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September 23, 2026 No Comments
Business

Did AI Write This Post or Did I?

  Let me guess. You can easily determine between what is written by AI and what’s not. You take great pride in this ability. You catch it in your feed before the hundreds who commented using bots as their autoresponder. So the question is this: Did AI write this post or did I? I assume you’ll be able to easily know by the end, if you read that far. Or perhaps you’ve already figured it out? I’ll give you the answer so you don’t have to read this whole dang thing: This blog, and all of my posts, books, content, are written by me. Here’s a video where someone asked me privately if it was AI, while another commented publicly, “Bro, aren’t you a comedian?” You can read my response on the video.     Is that video AI or is it me? It’s crazy we have people wondering that now. All the more reason to have LIVE EVENTS with each other. Truth is – I have a very unique writing style. In fact, I hired a very accomplished editor to go through my book before submitting it to the publisher. She returned with the following: “Jason, I don’t know

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September 17, 2026 6 Comments
Business

What Problem Do I Solve?

  This week’s blog post is an open question to you, my reader, with an ask that you’ll think through this very simple question: What Problem Do I Solve? For 10 years we have tried to find the answer to this question for my work specifically. We have leaned into The Promise – yet, that’s more of a philosophy. We have taught Signature Moves – yet, that is a process.   We have been told the reason I am chosen for many events by planners looking to bring me in are among the following:  “We need someone who is engaging and entertaining to speak in between the content heavy speakers.” “You are going to bring a self-help message of inspiration and humor.” “We just need something entertaining.”   Those who call themselves “fans” of mine have said kind things like:  “You make me laugh.” “My family thinks you’re the best.” “You help me keep better promises to myself and my work.” These are all wonderful compliments. But, we still haven’t gotten to the PROBLEM of what having Jason Hewlett speak at your event actually helps the client & event planner solve.   My speaker peers have the problems they solve

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September 1, 2026 4 Comments
Business

The Power of Making Funny Faces

Did you know you can make a living off of funny faces? Imagine getting paid to do that one thing which made your friends laugh in kindergarten, got you kicked out of class, and scared the girls away! Yes, there’s power in making funny faces, and it has been the door opener for most of my success in business, on stage, eventually convincing my wife to marry me and making my children laugh. What are the secrets to making a funny face?   1st: Willingness to Look Stupid Being willing to look stupid takes supreme confidence, sharing the weirdness that is you can be scary. Putting it out there to be mocked, laughed at, judged, can keep most from ever going for it. Yet, the payoff when it lands with those who resonate – life-changing and courage building. I think my willingness to look stupid may be my superpower.   2nd: The Differentiator Be the one who shares the silly face and you will be remembered. Whether for ick or good, it sticks. It becomes your Signature Move that you are known for, and can even be something others reference about you when they can’t remember your name (“Do you

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August 19, 2026 3 Comments
Business

The Broken Team

  Doug sent a frantic text, Jenny replied in Slack, marketing in turn launched a premature email campaign, and customer service was immediately inundated with angry clients. Leadership meets, confusion all around, too many cooks in the kitchen, while ten people are working on the same task without being assigned to work together on any given project. The wheels are falling off the bus, or rather, they did a long time ago. In business culture, it is easy to observe where things aren’t working. Just set up a call with any employee and let them tell you the truth, once you’ve established what they say won’t be held against them. Just look at the confusion coming into customer service due to the latest mistake sent out. Just take a gander at Slack and see how well that’s being utilized. The Slack one is so frustrating I made a silly and comical song about it just to see if it would get a laugh from people in general who have complained to me about their teams not using it, showcasing how important it is.     In leadership, however we can, we must utilize our Signature Moves to inspire, lift, call

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August 12, 2026 1 Comment
Business

The Pilot and The Delay: What To Do When You’ve Broken The Promise

  The following post inspired this blog, as it is something I have talked about extensively, and you’ll love this story. I found this on LinkedIn yesterday, it is brought to you by Robert Sterling: Original Post HERE   Robert Sterling I just had the craziest experience at the airport. We are about to board a flight to Atlanta when the pilot from the incoming plane walks out of the jetway. Guy is probably late 50s, salt and pepper hair, military look. The kind of pilot you instantly feel good about seeing on your flight. Pilot walks over to the counter, gets on the PA system, and starts addressing everyone. “Folks, I’ve been doing this a long time. Flying one of these jets is easy. The hard part is looking at 130 people and telling them their flight is going to be delayed.” Audible groans throughout the boarding gate. Most people here are flying to Atlanta as a layover before another flight. 130 people just had their day become a complete mess. The pilot goes on. “I get it, trust me. But here’s the deal: During our landing, we had a small mechanical issue. I’m not your pilot for the

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May 19, 2026 4 Comments
Business

How FFA Kids Helped Me Refocus My Presentation

It had been years since I agreed to talk with a group of youth. Why? Because something shifted in those audiences a few years back for me, and I haven’t dared return. So, there I was, standing back stage as the arena filled in with over 11,000 FFA youth from across Ohio. I never feel nervous before an event. I feel excited, anxious, and generally confident in what I’m about to do. Of course, there are those feelings inside of imposter syndrome or being tired from a bad night’s sleep in a hotel, but this day was different. I felt sick to my stomach. There is always a moment before stepping on stage that most people don’t think about unless you’re the one waiting to be introduced. The room is set. The audience is waiting. The expectation is there. And in that moment, it’s easy for the focus to turn inward. You begin to have a conversation with yourself: How will this go? Will this connect? Will this be received the way I hope? Those are natural questions. But over time, I’ve found they aren’t the most helpful ones. Because they center everything on you, the performer/speaker/presenter. And the more

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May 19, 2026 4 Comments
Business

Who Does This Remind You Of?

  If I were to ask you who is the most reliable person you work with, what face and name comes to mind? We all have that person. Hopefully! If you’re lucky, they make up your team, your “work family” as I prefer to call it, and continually fill you with gratitude as one of the most underrated, and essential secret traits of success: consistency and reliability! The truth is simple: You Don’t Need to Be Impressive…You Need to Be Reliable. Reliability—not necessarily talent, brilliance or flash—is what actually builds trust, opportunity, and long-term success. When I think of reliability my mind goes to: the finance director who sends a report every night (just before midnight) to share the data from the day with the company founder and I, and has never missed doing so in 2.5 years (even on his honeymoon!); the person who thinks he’s “just an IT guy” but in reality is the one everyone turns to to get things done immediately, even outside of the IT realm, because he is so capable; the assistant who goes over the upcoming plans and events, and then checks off the boxes again to make sure nothing falls through the

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April 29, 2026 2 Comments

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