This week on Surviving the Side Hustle, I sat down with Jay Setchell — Marine Corps veteran, lifelong entrepreneur, and author of The Strength Within You.
Jay has survived over 70 surgeries, multiple near-death experiences, broken his neck more than once, built and rebuilt businesses… and lived by one belief for five decades:
It’s too soon to quit.
If you’re building something hard right now, this episode is perspective-shifting.
Entrepreneurship feels overwhelming when your biggest struggle is business-related.
Cash flow dips.
Clients ghost.
Momentum slows.
And it feels heavy.
But Jay reframes everything with one powerful contrast:
Fighting for your life is harder than building a business.
When you’re paralyzed in traction for eight months…
When doctors say you’ll never walk again…
When you’ve clinically died multiple times…
Business challenges look different.
The real issue most entrepreneurs face isn’t hardship.
It’s quitting too early.
Lesson 1: Dream Big. Start Small. Stay Consistent.
Jay’s grandmother used to say:
“Inch by inch, it’s a cinch. Yard by yard, it’s very hard.”
Resilience isn’t dramatic.
It’s incremental.
You don’t go from 5 pushups to 50 overnight.
You go from 5… to 6… to 7.
Discipline beats intensity.
You can’t ignore your goals for 11 months and then cram effort into the final week.
Consistency compounds.
If you’re starting a side hustle:
• Research deeply
• Talk to people outside your market
• Ask what works
• Start smaller than your ego wants
Dream big. Execute small.
Lesson 2: Belief > Hope
Jay built a video production company that wasn’t gaining traction.
He didn’t feel conviction.
He felt hope.
There’s a difference.
Hope says, “I wish this works.”
Belief says, “This will work, and I’ll make it work.”
When he broke his neck and doctors said he’d never walk, he believed he would.
When the business lacked belief, he exited it.
That decision freed energy for what he actually cared about — and his other ventures exploded.
Entrepreneurs stall when they cling to ideas they don’t truly believe in.
Sometimes resilience means pivoting.
Lesson 3: Ask. Listen. Improve.
One of Jay’s most practical insights:
Ask customers what you can do better.
Ask employees what they’d change.
Ask what they need — not just what you want to sell.
Most companies only hear complaints.
Very few invite feedback.
Jay grew a print and trade show company from 500 square feet to 13,000 square feet in five years.
Not through hype.
Through attention to detail.
Small improvements → loyal clients → bigger contracts.
Retention is cheaper than acquisition.
Details are everything.
The Defining Story
In high school, Jay failed his algebra final.
The teacher invited seven students to retake it.
Only one showed up.
Jay.
He failed again.
But the teacher told him something that shaped his life:
Straight A’s don’t determine success.
The person who keeps trying does.
That moment became a philosophy.
Recap
1️⃣ Inch by inch wins the race
2️⃣ Belief fuels resilience — hope doesn’t
3️⃣ Feedback accelerates growth
4️⃣ It’s always too soon to quit
If this resonated, check out The Strength Within You by Jay Setchell on Amazon, and his site at neverquittrying.com.
Remember:
You’re not stuck.
You’re being strengthened.
