I spoke with Jay Shetty, a host, storyteller and filmmaker with millions of followers, about his early career at Accenture, the major shifts he sees in media over the next five years, what he’s learned about creating a big following on social media, his biggest inspirations and mentors and his best career advice to you.
Since launching his Facebook channel in 2016, Jay’s viral wisdom videos have garnered over 1 billion video views and gained over 2.5 million followers globally. He has interviewed the likes of Russell Simmons, Tim Ferris and Deepak Chopra for his top rated daily show on HuffPost Live, #FollowTheReader. Jay has been recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2017 Europe for being a game changer in media, the National Geographic Chasing Genius Council 2017, the Asian Media Awards 2016 Best Blog and Target Jobs Rising Star Award Nominee 2015.
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Dan Schawbel: What did you learn early in your career as a consultant at Accenture that helped you become a better show host, influencer and entrepreneur?
Jay Shetty: I joined Accenture at an exciting time. They were at the inception of building their digital practice and I got to be an instrumental and integral part of that.
As a Millennial and Gen Z expert at Accenture I had the opportunity to host and lead several workshops and panels with key clients at industry events. The topics ranged from virtual reality to blockchain; artificial intelligence to machine learning. Corporate experts often just share buzzwords and it can be quite frustrating to hear the same answers at every conference. I learnt the art of asking challenging questions, encouraging guests to come out of their comfort zones and disrupt their usual autopilot interview pattern.
To me an influencer must embody 2 critical skills, continuous learning and storytelling. Accenture enabled me to accelerate my learning about exponential technologies and how they were impacting businesses, the economy and the world. I got fascinated with social media and how it was going to be the single most useful platform for sharing stories. I became the No1 social media influencer in Accenture globally (400,000+ employees) and coached 150+ executives on their personal brand allowing me to experiment and test multiple tools, techniques and content ideas at scale.
I was a key member in creating the Innovation Hub which included rapid prototyping and managing accelerators. This exposed me to the world of entrepreneurs. I became addicted to the idea of creating something that was your own and driving it to success.
Schawbel: You’ve seen the state of media evolve over the past decade. What major shifts do you see happening in the next five years?
Shetty: Media has evolved from the audience wanting to be informed about an event (a week later), to watching an event unfold (live) to participating in the event (live video and comment).
- Be as close to the experience without being there – we not only want to know what is happening but be involved as much as possible. The next step is for us to be at the event through virtual reality and wearable technology from the comfort of our own homes.
- Less Broadcast, more crowdsource – We want to contribute to the conversation more than ever. However, the greatest update is that we consume more peer created than content compared to a traditional news publisher. We also see more stories being sourced from local creators and the rise of original series on YouTube, Facebook Watch etc.
- Growth of private messaging and mass consumption. We love sending snapchats to just a few contacts but also following accounts with millions of followers on Instagram. The next stage is a growth in private messaging apps and tools creating smaller communities of ideas, banking and commerce.
Schawbel: What have you learned about what it takes to build a large online following and footprint?
- I have learned that it starts with having a really clear purpose. If you know what you stand for and why you’re doing it then you will never run out of ideas for content, there will be consistency in your message and people will connect with your energy.
- Know who your audience is and serve them. Get to know them, respond to their questions and bring them into your world.
- Genuineness and authenticity win. If you’re doing this to become famous it probably won’t work.
- Volume should not be underestimated. A video released 1 week ago now feels 1 month old.
- Technology is a brilliant tool to change the world if used positively. We can all be changemakers through the power of social media.
Schawbel: Who has most inspired you throughout your career and who do you consider your mentors?
- Steve Jobs – Thanks to Walter Isaacson for the biography. Jobs ability to connect seemingly unrelated subjects fascinates me. E.g. Calligraphy with computers; meditation with technology.
- Mark Zuckerberg – Thank you for showing us how to constantly innovate, redefine and reinvent invigorates me. I’m excited about what’s next.
- Oprah – Thank you for shifting generations into more meaningful and purposeful conversations. Your resilience and courage to overcome failure is deeply inspirational.
- Malcolm Gladwell – Thank you for making geeky content trendy, showing that learning can be engaging, funny and relevant.
Those who I know include:
- Ellyn Shook (Global HR Lead of Accenture) – Thank you for being a friend, guide and an extremely authentic leader.
- Arianna Huffington – Thank you for bringing me to NY to host #FollowTheReader. You believed in my content and voice at an early stage.
- Thomas Power – Tech expert – Thank you for introducing me to the world of social media and its potential. You told me it could change my life. I was “stupid” enough to believe it when no-one did and that has made all the difference.
- Radhanath Swami – Spiritual Guide, Activist and NYT Best-selling author. Thank you for providing me with timeless wisdom that forms the foundations of my values. Thank you for keeping me grounded, focused and making sure my content comes from a place of empathy, love and authenticity.
- Gabby Bernstein – NYT Best-selling author and speaker – Thank you for being an incredible champion of my work. Your openness to guide and support me is such a blessing!
- David Sweeney – Thank you for coming into my life and managing my growth.
- Laura Giadorou Koch (YPO) – Thank you for introducing me to YPO and sharing my work with several leaders.
Schawbel: What are your top three pieces of career advice?
Shetty: My top four pieces of career advice are:
- You can’t be what you can’t see. Expose yourself to more role models and diverse experience to broaden your perspectives and ideas.
- Instead of trying to get work, focus on your network. People will play a huge part in directing your growth and investing in relationships is critical no matter what you want to do.
- It is never too late to do what you love. You don’t have to settle or accept the situation.
- Earn with integrity, spend with compassion. Use what you have for a higher purpose, cause and calling to serve the world.