About Me

Hi, I’m Jason (the dad in the picture above).

If you’re here, I honestly hope I get to meet you someday. If what you’ve read on this site interests you, I’d love to hear from you. Text me at 234-339-5464, or use my contact form to get in touch.

My Work

Since 2014, I’ve poured my life into helping my father-in-law and sister-in-law grow a Direct Primary Care clinic and counseling center in Yakima, WA as co-founder and CEO of Assurance Healthcare & Counseling Center.

What started as a mission to rescue my physician father-in-law from the pains of the traditional insurance system, Assurance Healthcare & Counseling Center ended up being much more of a mission to change the way healthcare was delivered in our community. I found that even though healthcare is broken in so many ways, there are some fixes to the system that exist – it just takes a little know-how and networking to figure out how to put a plan together for people.

You can read more about my responsibilities and accomplishments with Assurance Healthcare & Counseling Center here (coming soon).

Before starting Assurance, I founded a web design and marketing company in 2011 (Qoala Group, now known as Center Street Digital). In 2012 I purchased a local web hosting / web design company in Yakima, WA (Davanti Studios) and merged those clients into Qoala Group.

I am still passively involved in Center Street Digital, but it is currently run by my good friend Matt McComas, who has taken that company to the next level since my diversion into the world of health care.

Prior to starting the web design and marketing company, I worked with a large non-profit organization from 2005 through 2011 (Cru). During those years I was mostly responsible for local operations, directed a regional conference for 2 years, and was director of operations for multiple summer mission projects where I managed budgets of up to $750,000 and up to 120 personnel.

My Strengths

If you’re familiar with StrengthsFinder my top strengths are:

Strategic
Ideation
Adaptable
Achiever
Relator

If you’re unfamiliar with StrengthsFinder, here’s how I think others have experienced my strengths:

I like to think about the big picture, and easily connect a meaningful purpose to each job that is being done (or discontinue those that aren’t important). Every job and activity will have a purpose behind it that serves the ultimate goal.
I like to try new things, but not just for the sake of trying them. I do it, I measure it, I evaluate it. Test, measure, analyze, modify, and repeat. I love data and creating actions steps based on data.
I like taking in new information, and can take ideas, thoughts, and snippets from one industry or craft and apply it (or a variation) to another quite easily. I love the process of troubleshooting. I love the creative process.
I like to plan, but that plan is never set in stone. I’m hardly frustrated when intervening historical contingencies alter my path. I’m adaptable. Throw a wrench into a situation and I’ll figure out how to use it to make it better.
I like getting things done. I have a good work day when I can look back and recount what was accomplished. I also know how to relax, though, and have no problem spending a day reading out in the woods in a hammock.
I like working with people and knowing what makes those people tick. I’m genuinely curious and enjoy many different kinds of people.

I’m generally a very open person, with an appreciation for other people and their gifts and differences. I believe in a growth mindset, and am always looking for ways to learn and improve myself and those around me.

My Weaknesses

Here’s a combination of things that I don’t like doing, where I’m naturally bad at something, or where people have been frustrated with me in the past.

I don’t like maintenance work. Routine tasks are so hard for me, that I end up putting them off and procrastinating. I love working for startups, but once everything is running smoothly, if I’m not growing and moving things forward, I get frustrated.
While I believe I manage people well, I have a hard time with employees or co-workers that need micro-managing or aren’t sure how to create meaningful work for themselves.
I’m not a great keynote or motivational speaker. I have no problem presenting in public or on stage (15-25 minutes is my sweet spot), but I prefer to keep presentations short and answer questions publicly to make sure I’m ‘scratching’ where the audience is ‘itching.’
I can work for others who have very specific jobs for me to accomplish, but if there’s no room for creativity (their way is the only way it can be done), then I’ll quickly get burned out.
I believe in others almost to a fault. As a leader, this means that I don’t give feedback as often as is likely necessary. I’ll make excuses for other people when I probably shouldn’t, or will downplay poor performance. In other words, I’m pretty soft as a manager of people. But, I know this and am working on giving honest feedback more often.

Where I May Thrive

Any position that is going to allow me to create something that is key in moving the business forward with a clear goal in mind is going to interest me.

What does that look like? For example, here are possible positions where I think I would thrive…

Chief Revenue Officer

In all honesty, I have never worked with a company that has a CRO, and I honestly despise the title. Mostly because I think revenue is just a measure of success, but should never be THE measure of success.

I think my secret sauce with this position would be the idea that each division heads would have goals UNRELATED to revenue, but directly related to their area of responsibility, and hopefully measured in the number of lives impacted – because that’s where businesses really thrive.

Director of Marketing

I love creating clear messages that identify with people in order to make a sale, ultimately improving their life. I love analyzing how different marketing messages and mediums work, A/B split testing, writing copy, and so much about marketing.

I also love working with creative and talented people – which is why being a Director of Marketing would suit me well. I believe I would empower people to do their best and help them collaborate and celebrate victories along the way.

Director of Communications

I really enjoy thinking through the branding and ‘feel’ of a company. I also love the challenge of taking something complicated or challenging and simplifying it through clear messaging.

Internal communications can unite employees with the purpose, vision and mission of your company, helping remind them that they are working for a company that is doing good in this world and is going to make a difference.

External communications can welcome raving fans, create buzz, and cause the public to ‘feel’ something about your company that can add to the brand.

…more to come