Rebooting Trash Talk with Garett “The Trashman” and Jason Jarvis, this episode is a messy, real look at what it actually feels like to build something, especially after you “make it.”
Jason shares his last few years: he had the dream setup, a business that ran without him, a paid-off home, and enough money to chill, and it still felt empty. Not because he needed more, but because he needed meaning. He breaks down the family’s move to San Clemente, the new service businesses he’s building, and why creating and progressing feels spiritually wired into who we are. Garrett relates from his own post-exit slump and ties it to eternal progression: stagnation feels like hell, growth feels like heaven.
Then they tackle what the internet oversimplifies: buying small businesses. Garett explains why most public listings are there for a reason, why sellers get emotional about their “baby,” and why the numbers still have to pencil. Jason adds the missing piece, the art of negotiating: personalize the compliments, third-party the critiques, and make it “us versus the problem” so you can stay honest without burning the relationship.
They close with a warning that can save you years of pain: do not buy a business out of desperation. If you just want to feel what ownership is like, start a small business cheaply, learn the game, and build patience.
• Jason’s semi-retirement lesson, why “chilling” did not satisfy
• The purpose of creating, progressing, and building with meaning
• Why buying a business is hard, and why most deals are frogs
• Public listings, broker realities, and emotional sellers
• Negotiation framework: personalize praise, third-party critiques
• Final warning: never buy a business because you are desperate
Subscribe for more, share this with a friend thinking about buying a business, and follow Jason on LinkedIn (Jason Louis Jarvis) for more insights.