Make Your Break with Jai Long

How do you get people excited about your music before your first album is even out?

In this episode of Make Your Break, I catch up with singer-songwriter Yeju in New York, fresh off the release of her debut album. Before it dropped, she’d already built a community of over 500,000 followers.

We dive into what’s working for musicians today, the content that helps people connect with your work, and how to build an audience that’s excited about what you’re creating.

Whether you’re releasing music, writing a book or bringing a new idea to life, this conversation is about inviting people into the journey long before launch day.

Find Yeju: https://www.instagram.com/yejuniverse

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1l6YeCwcsv00winXPxBaTW?si=iY_nbGSvTwahINLMM3e1BA

About Jai Long

Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book ⁠⁠Make Your Break⁠⁠ (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world.

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.jailong.co

What needs to break before you can make your break?

In this episode, I sit down with Puno, the LA-based creative and founder of ilovecreatives, for an honest conversation about building a business that leaves room for the life you want.

We get into personality types and the Enneagram, recognising burnout, and finding your way back to the work that lights you up. We also talk about the pressure to keep showing up on social media as a creative—even when creating content is the last thing you feel like doing.

Puno shares her perspective on motherhood, running a lifestyle business, and how your priorities can change the way you define success.

And we explore a question that sits at the heart of this show: how do you know when it’s time to make your break? What do you need to let go of, change or challenge to move into your next chapter?

I’d wanted Puno on this podcast for seven years. We finally caught up in New York, and this conversation was worth the wait.

📖 My book, Make Your Break, is available for pre-order. Grab your copy at makeyourbreak.co.

About Jai Long

Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book ⁠Make Your Break⁠ (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world.

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.jailong.co

Find Puno: https://www.instagram.com/punodostres/?hl=en

https://ilovecreatives.com/

Have you ever found yourself in an unexpected situation, chasing an ambitious goal?

Well, recently I found myself in that exact situation... I set myself the audacious goal of reaching the New York Times Bestsellers list. To reach that list, I had to fulfil a certain number of orders within one week of the launch date.

But then, the worst thing that could happen, did happen. The printing date for my books was delayed weeks later than expected, and the fastest way for me to get the books delivered in time for the launch date was to drive them across the country myself.

I was in LA, waiting on my books, when I bumped into a friend, a personal branding expert, Matt Gray.

We made the most of the moment and talked about all things content for the trip, and how to make the most out of unexpected situations.

Sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Matt Grey is an 8-figure founder who's grown an audience of over 1 million Instagram followers. He's a coach who teaches people about personal branding and content creation.

About Jai LongJai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world.Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.jailong.co

Find Matt Gray:

https://www.instagram.com/matthgray/?hl=en

https://www.youtube.com/@realmattgray🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify:⁠https://www.jailong.co/podcast⁠🌐 Connect with Jai:Instagram: ⁠  / jailong.co⁠  Website: ⁠https://www.jailong.co

How do you build a creative career that lasts... and keep pushing yourself when you’ve already achieved so much?

This week on Make Your Break, I sit down with wildlife photographer Craig Parry, whose career includes work with National Geographic, Chris Hemsworth and MrBeast.

Craig shares what it takes to stay relevant, keep creating opportunities and get uncomfortable enough to capture something extraordinary.

We talk about the hustle he still puts into his career, what he’d do if he had to start again today, and why getting the best shot often starts with slowing down and tuning into the environment around you.

And yes, we get into the story of him getting set on fire as a wedding photographer. You’ll want to hear that one.

What I admire about Craig is that his success hasn’t taken away his curiosity or his willingness to put himself out there. There’s a lot in this conversation for anyone who wants to build a life around their creativity.

📖 My book, Make Your Break, is now available for pre-order. Grab your copy at makeyourbreak.co.

Find Craig Parry here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigparryphotography/?hl=en

Website: https://www.craigparryphotography.com/

About Jai Long

Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world. Learn more at ⁠⁠www.jailong.co⁠

Mark Tigchelaar is a best-selling author, public speaker and neuropsychologist who has made it his mission to help people find focus and optimise their time.

Today, more things are pulling from our focus than ever before, and with all the new tools, you would think it would b easier to stay focused. But research shows we are more distracted than ever, and it's affecting our goals and missions.

Mark shares his 4 main points on what sucks our focus each day and what we can do to take back control.

Jai Long and Mark Tigchelaar were both in New York City at the same time, so they recorded this episode in person at a downtown studio.

Find Mark Tigchelaar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_tigchelaar/?hl=en

Website: https://marktigchelaar.com/

📖 Pre-order Make Your Break by Jai Long:⁠https://makeyourbreak.co/⁠

About Jai Long

Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world. Learn more at ⁠⁠www.jailong.co⁠

What if changing your life starts with appreciating something you usually overlook?

This week on the Make Your Break podcast, I sat down with Timm Chiusano in Brooklyn ahead of the release of his new book, How to Get Addicted to Appreciation.

We talked about what appreciation actually looks like, how it shows up in everyday life, and how small shifts in what you notice can change the way you experience the world. One small step at a time.

I’m currently in New York promoting my own book, Make Your Break, so I also took the opportunity to ask Timm about bringing his book to life. From an idea to a finished project, we explored the process behind creating something meaningful and putting it out into the world.

If you’re building something of your own, or want to appreciate more of the life you’re already living, this conversation is for you.

About Timm Chiusano

Timm Chiusano is a content creator, author and former corporate executive known for his honest storytelling and thoughtful perspective on everyday life. Through reflections on work, family and the moments we often overlook, he encourages people to pay closer attention and find more meaning in their days.

His new book, How to Get Addicted to Appreciation, releases on November 10, 2026, and is available for pre-order.

📖 Pre-order Timm’s book:
https://timm.work/htgata

📖 Pre-order Make Your Break by Jai Long:
https://makeyourbreak.co/

About Jai Long

Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world. Learn more at ⁠⁠www.jailong.co⁠

In 2017, I picked up a copy of The ONE Thing.

I didn’t know it at the time, but the ideas in that book would completely change the way I thought about business, focus and what was actually possible when you stopped trying to do everything.

Now, almost a decade later, I’m sitting down in New York City with the man who wrote it.

Jay Papasan is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller The ONE Thing, alongside Gary Keller, and has spent decades writing, publishing and studying what it takes to achieve extraordinary results.

In this episode, we go behind the book.

Jay breaks down how he actually writes books, how he made his own break as an author, what he’s learned from writing multiple bestsellers, and why doing less—but focusing deeply on the right thing—can completely change the trajectory of your life.

We talk about:

• How Jay made his break as an author
• The story behind The ONE Thing
• How he approaches writing a book
• How to find an idea worth writing about
• Why most people struggle to focus
• How to identify your ONE thing
• What makes a book last for years instead of weeks
• Advice for first-time authors
• What Jay would do if he had to start again today
• And the lessons he’s learned from decades of studying success

This one is particularly special for me.

I read The ONE Thing back in 2017. Now, as I prepare to release my own book, Make Your Break, I got to sit across from Jay in New York City and ask him the questions I’ve wanted to ask for years.

If you're building something, writing something, chasing an unrealistic goal—or simply feel like you're being pulled in a hundred different directions—this conversation is for you.

📕 Buy The ONE Thing:
https://the1thing.com/book/

📘 Pre-order Make Your Break by Jai Long:
https://makeyourbreak.co/

Subscribe to the Make Your Break Podcast for conversations about business, creativity, mindset and the people who made their own break.

About Jai Long

Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world.Learn more at ⁠⁠www.jailong.co⁠

What matters more in a creative career: making great art or making sure people see it?

Oli Sansom is one of the most respected wedding photographers and creative minds in the world, and this conversation goes much deeper than photography.

We talk about the tension between creating work that genuinely means something to you and doing the things required to get that work seen. In a world where we're constantly told to post more, build a personal brand, chase visibility and stay relevant, it's easy to forget why we started creating in the first place.

Oli and I unpack where art fits into building a career, when visibility becomes important, and whether you can build a successful creative business without compromising the work you actually care about.

It's a conversation about creativity, ambition, attention, identity and what it really means to build a career around your craft.

If you're a photographer, filmmaker, designer, artist or any kind of creative trying to build a career without losing yourself along the way, I think you'll get a lot from this one.

Welcome to the Make Your Break Podcast.

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify:⁠https://www.jailong.co/podcast⁠

🌐 Connect with Jai:Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/jailong.co⁠Website: ⁠https://www.jailong.co⁠

📚 Pre-order Make Your Break:⁠⁠https://www.makeyourbreak.co⁠⁠

About Jai Long

Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world.

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.jailong.co

Big goals can feel impossible.

Writing a book. Starting a business. Running a marathon. Changing careers. Reinventing your life.

We often look at the finish line and forget that every extraordinary achievement is built on ordinary actions repeated over and over again.

In this episode, I share the seven lessons that have helped me make my break throughout my life and career. From becoming an electrician, to building an award-winning photography business, speaking around the world, and now starting over as an author, these principles have stayed the same.

Inside this episode, we cover:

• Why big goals are built with small daily actions.
• How to stop feeling overwhelmed by your vision.
• The power of momentum over motivation.
• The habits that compound into extraordinary results.
• Why consistency will always beat intensity.
• Stories from my own journey of making my break.
• A practical framework you can start using today.

If you've been waiting for the "right time" to begin, this episode is your reminder that the next small step is all you need.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Every share helps us grow this podcast and continue bringing conversations that inspire people to make their break.

🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify:
https://www.jailong.co/podcast

🌐 Connect with Jai:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jailong.co
Website: https://www.jailong.co

📚 Pre-order Make Your Break:⁠https://www.makeyourbreak.co⁠

About Jai Long

Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world.

Learn more at ⁠⁠www.jailong.co

Everyone is obsessed with building a personal brand.

But most people are making the exact same mistake.

In this episode, I sit down with entrepreneur and Founder OS creator Matt Gray (@matthgray) to unpack what actually matters if you want to build a brand that creates opportunities, attracts the right audience, and lasts.

Matt has built multiple successful businesses, sold a company, and become one of the most respected voices in entrepreneurship. When he stopped through Byron Bay, we sat down in my loungeroom for what became one of my favourite conversations on the podcast.

In this episode we cover:

• The biggest mistake people make when building a personal brand.
• Why taking time away from work can be your biggest competitive advantage.
• What we'd do if we had to start from zero today.
• How to think differently about creating content.
• Building leverage instead of chasing followers.
• The mindset required to create your own breakthrough.

If you're building a business, creating content, writing a book, or simply trying to make your break, this episode is for you.

If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. The podcast grows almost entirely through word of mouth, and every share helps us bring bigger guests and even better conversations.

🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-your-break-with-jai-long/id1479145264?uo=4

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1S1ureQ3mFpX4v1Al8ciH1?si=9ca07f0764b64089

🌐 Connect with Jai Long:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/jailong.co
Website: https://www.jailong.co

📚 Pre-order Make Your Break:
https://www.makeyourbreak.co

About Jai Long

Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space.

Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world.

Learn more at ⁠www.jailong.co