634. See a Problem, Solve It with Creativity

Josh Haynam

While still in school, Josh was creating websites with a friend, an easy way to make some money. His clients often came up with random requests like, could you make a quiz about what kind of salesperson you are? There was nothing he liked better than an interesting problem.

Josh Haynam is the co-founder of Interact, a quiz software used by 40,000 brands including The American Red Cross, Forbes, and Home Depot. He started Interact while still in college and self-funded the company using innovative content marketing and SEO tactics to become one of the fastest-growing marketing software companies in the world.

How Did You Start Using Your Talents?

“When I was growing up in Turlock, California—a small farming community in the Central Valley—we were not big on technology. I would go outside and invent my own entertainment, building all sorts of stuff in my backyard. I dug a series of tunnels all through our quarter-acre backyard. I think that was a formative factor in how I got to where I am, as the creator and inventor of software: that background of always creating stuff, always building something, always trying to think about what I can do that’s different. When I had an idea I would just do it. I do the same thing now.”

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

Several turning points in Josh’s life involved quickly learning to adapt to changing situations. Going from the flexibility of home schooling to the structure of public high school brought major changes. As a college freshman, he found himself on academic probation one quarter. Adapting, he rose to Dean’s list next quarter and developed strategies that took him into the top three of his graduating class. As he created and ran his own businesses in high school and college, Josh faced new challenges and adapted by developing new approaches. He learned to see a problem and create a solution.

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

“I think it is about the practices you develop. The big practices I like to follow, especially when I am talking to people who tell me they have all these ideas and want to start something, I say just make a start at doing it. Be in communication with people who have already done what you are interested in doing. Go have coffee with them and ask them what their experiences were like. Start conversations and relationships with them and learn from them.”

Steps to Success from Josh Haynam

1. Get plenty of sleep and take care of yourself mentally, physically and spiritually.

2. If you have a persistent idea you would like to try, just start. Begin by setting aside time each day to focus on it, and do not let anything interfere with that daily time.

3. Do not rule out the value of a routine. Instead of killing your creativity, a routine can help you accomplish more of what you want to do.

4. Learn to do something very well, then teach it to someone else.