We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jay Zeager. Check out our conversation below.
Jay , it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Have you stood up for someone when it cost you something?
Many years ago, a friend of mine created an event for an organization and brought me on as the Auctioneer. The first two years they ran the event, it was very successful but my friend was not treated real well considering the success and dollars they helped bring in. The following year after my friend had stepped away due to the disrespect, the organization reached out to me to do the Live Auction again. After a few conversations, I made the decision to decline the offer which cost me quite a bit of money (and potentially more down the road) but I was loyal to my friend who had/has shown loyalty to me over the years. The following year, the organization reached out again and brought me back after a conversation in which they subtly mentioned that they knew the stance I had taken the previous year and was I ready to move on from it.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a Benefit Auctioneer and my job is essentially to come to a charity event and conduct a Live Auction and/or Call to Heart (Paddle Raise) and help raise money for the organization. (No, I don’t “talk really fast”…). My job is unique in the sense that not a lot of people can do it nor do a lot of people want to do it. When I am hired by a client, I am expected to come in and raise a lot of money at the event and I take that very seriously.
My journey as an Auctioneer began after a 20 year radio career and one night I was at a charity event and someone asked me to auction off a TV. I had absolutely no idea how to do that but he told me to “just wing it”. I did it and had fun and ended up doing a couple more. As fate would have it, one day I ran into someone who suggested that I get licensed and I would be able to work with them at charity auctions. I barely had the means to do everything it took to go away for 10 days and take the courses and pay to get licensed but I got resourceful and pulled it off. After studying harder for anything than I ever had, I passed the test and received my license. At that point, I knew that my life would change for the better and it made me work even harder. That person that suggested I get licensed? I never ended up working with him but I was always grateful for the suggestion and where it lead me in my life.
Over the years through hard work, luck, great friendships and both success and failure, I have built Jay Zeager Auctions into something I can be proud of and hopefully something that has made a difference in people’s lives.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My Mother. From a very early age, my mother taught me that if you wanted something, you worked for it. I was given an allowance when I was young but if I wanted something and didn’t have the money for it, my mother taught me that if you save your money, eventually you can get the things you desire. She has always led by example and continues to this day. She created her own company and from from the very first day, she worked very hard to build a very successful business.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
In between a couple stops in my radio career, I was at the lowest point of my life where I had no money, no prospects and didn’t feel real good about myself. I remember one day feeling especially down and wondering if there was a light at the end of the tunnel. It felt like one rejection after another. I was lucky in that I had friends around me who continued to support me both emotionally and at times, financially. They always made me feel better than I felt about myself deep down. I decided to start working harder and opening my mind to more opportunities and gradually, things began to get better. To this day, I have never forgotten those days and those that uplifted me when I needed it most.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
My good friend Monte Lambert. He is the epitome of the cliche “they would give you the shirt off their back”. When I first met him, he welcomed me into his circle, no questions asked and did things for me that I could never repay in my lifetime. Monte is well known, well respected and very successful in our community and yet he does not seek the spotlight and is very comfortable in passing that on to someone else. He is someone who continually looks to lift those up around him and make them feel good about themselves. I am truly grateful to call him a friend.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
When I got my first radio job in 1996, I was so excited because I felt all the hard work and dreams were starting to pay off. I was only working weekends but I would show up for my shift very early and prepare for an overnight position in which very few people were listening but all that mattered was that I was finally on the air. I learned from a few of my peers and worked on my craft and being at the bottom of the pecking order, I had to work harder than most if I wanted to succeed. When I had the chance, I would come to the radio station during the week just to be around and hope to take advantage of any opportunity that might come my way. Eventually, I began to move up the ladder and made it to a level that earned respect from the peers that I had always looked up to.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jzauctions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayzeager/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayzeager/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jay.zeager
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayzeagerauctioneer
