Bert Jacobs, co-founder of the multimillion-dollar lifestyle brand Life Is Good, told attendees of the 2024 CAI Annual Conference & Exposition: Community NOW that changing mindsets to embrace opportunities and listening to others will pay dividends in overall life satisfaction.
Shifting focus to celebrate life will bring about good things for everyone, says Jacobs, the keynote speaker. Authentic and vulnerable with a sly sense of humor, Jacobs spoke of his childhood and family in Boston and the lessons he learned from his parents and from building his successful business with his brother.
Rather than focusing on problems, “Why not say, ‘What’s the best that can happen?’ ” Jacobs asked. “Time is precious. Get a strategy and go.”
He outlined a simple formula he uses to live to the fullest. That formula includes articulating values such as gratitude, learning, and courage to guide personal and professional lives. “You don’t have to figure everything out,” Jacobs says. “You just have to listen.”
He believes organizations such as community associations have a role in building community and helping people. “Take opportunities to share and teach things,” Jacobs says. “Where we’ve been teaches us where to go.”
Jacobs likes to think of work as a subset of life rather than the popular concept of work-life balance. He says, “Life goes on no matter what happens at work.”
>>Look for a recap of Friday’s conference sessions next week.
