Jay Richards

Founder of DivInc

(Forbes 30 Under 30)

10 October 2019 5 Min Read

Jay Richards: Empathy, Compassion, and Building a Better Society

Meet Jay Richards, a young man determined to change the lives of children whose capabilities are undervalued by society. Jay is the founder of DivInc, a company that does community outreach and runs programs for children aged 11-18 from disadvantaged backgrounds. Jay’s passion for helping the unfortunate has landed him a spot on Forbes’s 30 Under 30 Europe 2019: Social Entrepreneurs list.

Let’s talk qualifications! Jay earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Management from Birmingham City University. Before founding DivInc, he worked as Area Sales Manager at ADT, Real Estate Rental Manager at Connells, and an Innovation Lead at Simplyhealth. Now, his company partners with big companies, such as WeWork, the NFL, and Starling Bank!

His journey had its ups and downs. Feel free to join me in hearing Jay’s story about how he went from being involved in a robbery to a Forbes 30 Under 30 entrepreneur!

The Logician

Hi Jay, and welcome to this interview! Before anything else, I would like to thank you for taking the time to be a part of this mission! Now, can you introduce yourself? Who is Jay Richards? How did you choose the career that you have today?

Jay Richards

I am the 5th of six children from migrant parents.

From getting involved in robbery while at school to now the Founder of DivInc and a Forbes 30Under30 entrepreneur, I credit my Business Studies teacher at school for guiding my sense of entrepreneurship in the right direction at the right time and now I aim to help young people to get a head start by providing them with unbelievable opportunities.

The Logician

I would also like to congratulate you on being among Forbes 30 under 30! Did you see this coming? Have you ever dreamed of being where you are today? What do you believe most contributed to this success?

Jay Richards

Haha, thanks. Definitely didn’t see it coming, I couldn’t have dreamed of being where I am. I had some crazy dreams and I’m grateful for the journey I’m on!

I think a shit ton of prayer haha, not just from me but my mum and my nan too. They have always had my back and now I’m living proof that prayer works!

The Logician

You are the founder of DivInc. Do you mind telling us how your business was born? What are you most proud of? What makes it different?

Jay Richards

DivInc was born out of my frustration with the lack of opportunity for underestimated young people. It was born from my own personal experience of this lack of opportunity growing up.

I am most proud of my team, I am surrounded by superheroes and it makes my life much easier and exciting.

DivInc is different because we truly love people. We love the generation we get to work with and the brands we get to help Gen Z to collaborate with.

The Logician

How hard was it for you to come up with a business idea? Did it come naturally, or did you look for it? How did you know this was the right business idea for you?

Jay Richards

I wouldn’t say it came naturally, but I just wanted to provide awesome opportunities for collaboration. I could see brands wanted access to the best-underestimated talent but they just didn’t have the pipeline.

When you find your passion, you have to persevere to make it happen. This business is right for me because I love people. It sounds cheesy but I want young people to succeed and for brands to create shit they’re proud of because it’s authentic and unique.

The Logician

What would you say is the hardest part of your job? How do you deal with difficulties and stress? How do you calm yourself at stressful times?

Jay Richards

Switching off, I love what I do, so it’s tough to take time away from the business. But I have to be strict with myself, I take evenings and weekends off so I can relax and recharge to ensure I’m always operating at my best.

I go to the gym in the morning 5 days a week and meditate as much as possible, it helps me to stay balanced. I still get super stressed at times though.

The Logician

What is your definition of work-life balance? Why is it so important? Please explain.

Jay Richards

I believe in work-life harmony, I believe life is fluid. Sometimes some things may need to give way to other things but largely everything works in harmony. We need time for family, things we enjoy as well as work.

Burnout will kill us if we don’t take the time to recharge.

The Logician

Have you ever failed before succeeding in business? If yes, how did you recover from failure? What are the best ways of improving the mindset?

Jay Richards

Yes, I fail all the flipping time!

I’ve had many failed businesses, from clothing labels to a real estate business, they all burst into flames (not literally).

I recover from failure by making sure I learn from them, I write down 2 positives and 2 challenges from the failure.

I find the best way to improve your mindset is to get around other people doing awesome things because they inspire you to keep going.

The Logician

What would you be doing if you were not running your own company? How do you spend your free time? What are the things you most enjoy in life? What is your definition of happiness?

Jay Richards

If I wasn’t running DivInc I’d probably be running something else, I love business, I would have tapped into another passion and launched something else!

I love mixed martial arts, motorbikes, traveling, reading, and the gym. If I’m not working, I’m probably doing one of those things or chilling with family or friends!

I love playing computer games in my free time, especially Battlefield V!

Happiness is getting to do something I love every day.

The Logician

Let’s say it is the year 2030. Where are you and DivInc by then? What is the biggest goal you want your company to achieve?

Jay Richards

Love these type of questions!

2030, we’re a global talent agency helping phenomenal brands to collaborate with millions of underestimated Gen Z!

The Logician

Finally, yet importantly, what is the piece of advice that changed your life completely? Why?

Jay Richards

You can’t burn the candle at both ends, learn to look after yourself!

The Logician

Thank you, Jay, for sharing how you can still succeed after failing and reminding me that the only important thing is to learn from failure! Your words about prioritizing switching off and preventing burnout are also imperative in achieving success. So, I recommend all my readers to return to the interview and give them another read to remember. At last, I want to say that I am excited to see all future collaborations between big brands and underestimated Gen Zers, led by you. Wishing you good fortune!

The Logician

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Jay Richards: Empathy, Compassion, and Building a Better Society

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