Make Your Break with Jai Long

How do you get people excited about your music before your first album is even out? In this episode of Make Your Break, I catch up with singer-songwriter Yeju in New York, fresh off the release of her debut album. Before it dropped, she’d already built a community of over 500,000 followers. We dive into what’s working for musicians today, the content that helps people connect with your work, and how to build an audience that’s excited about what you’re creating. Whether you’re releasing music, writing a book or bringing a new idea to life, this conversation is about inviting people into the journey long before launch day. Find Yeju: https://www.instagram.com/yejuniverse Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1l6YeCwcsv00winXPxBaTW?si=iY_nbGSvTwahINLMM3e1BA About Jai Long Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space. Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book ⁠⁠Make Your Break⁠⁠ (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.jailong.co

What needs to break before you can make your break? In this episode, I sit down with Puno, the LA-based creative and founder of ilovecreatives, for an honest conversation about building a business that leaves room for the life you want. We get into personality types and the Enneagram, recognising burnout, and finding your way back to the work that lights you up. We also talk about the pressure to keep showing up on social media as a creative—even when creating content is the last thing you feel like doing. Puno shares her perspective on motherhood, running a lifestyle business, and how your priorities can change the way you define success. And we explore a question that sits at the heart of this show: how do you know when it’s time to make your break? What do you need to let go of, change or challenge to move into your next chapter? I’d wanted Puno on this podcast for seven years. We finally caught up in New York, and this conversation was worth the wait. 📖 My book, Make Your Break, is available for pre-order. Grab your copy at makeyourbreak.co. About Jai Long Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space. Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book ⁠Make Your Break⁠ (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.jailong.co Find Puno: https://www.instagram.com/punodostres/?hl=en https://ilovecreatives.com/

Have you ever found yourself in an unexpected situation, chasing an ambitious goal? Well, recently I found myself in that exact situation... I set myself the audacious goal of reaching the New York Times Bestsellers list. To reach that list, I had to fulfil a certain number of orders within one week of the launch date. But then, the worst thing that could happen, did happen. The printing date for my books was delayed weeks later than expected, and the fastest way for me to get the books delivered in time for the launch date was to drive them across the country myself. I was in LA, waiting on my books, when I bumped into a friend, a personal branding expert, Matt Gray. We made the most of the moment and talked about all things content for the trip, and how to make the most out of unexpected situations. Sit back, and enjoy the ride. Matt Grey is an 8-figure founder who's grown an audience of over 1 million Instagram followers. He's a coach who teaches people about personal branding and content creation. About Jai LongJai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space. Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world.Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠www.jailong.co Find Matt Gray: https://www.instagram.com/matthgray/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/@realmattgray🎙️ Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify:⁠https://www.jailong.co/podcast⁠🌐 Connect with Jai:Instagram: ⁠ / jailong.co⁠ Website: ⁠https://www.jailong.co

How do you build a creative career that lasts... and keep pushing yourself when you’ve already achieved so much? This week on Make Your Break, I sit down with wildlife photographer Craig Parry, whose career includes work with National Geographic, Chris Hemsworth and MrBeast. Craig shares what it takes to stay relevant, keep creating opportunities and get uncomfortable enough to capture something extraordinary. We talk about the hustle he still puts into his career, what he’d do if he had to start again today, and why getting the best shot often starts with slowing down and tuning into the environment around you. And yes, we get into the story of him getting set on fire as a wedding photographer. You’ll want to hear that one. What I admire about Craig is that his success hasn’t taken away his curiosity or his willingness to put himself out there. There’s a lot in this conversation for anyone who wants to build a life around their creativity. 📖 My book, Make Your Break, is now available for pre-order. Grab your copy at makeyourbreak.co. Find Craig Parry here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigparryphotography/?hl=en Website: https://www.craigparryphotography.com/ About Jai Long Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space. Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world. Learn more at ⁠⁠www.jailong.co⁠

Mark Tigchelaar is a best-selling author, public speaker and neuropsychologist who has made it his mission to help people find focus and optimise their time. Today, more things are pulling from our focus than ever before, and with all the new tools, you would think it would b easier to stay focused. But research shows we are more distracted than ever, and it's affecting our goals and missions. Mark shares his 4 main points on what sucks our focus each day and what we can do to take back control. Jai Long and Mark Tigchelaar were both in New York City at the same time, so they recorded this episode in person at a downtown studio. Find Mark Tigchelaar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_tigchelaar/?hl=en Website: https://marktigchelaar.com/ 📖 Pre-order Make Your Break by Jai Long:⁠https://makeyourbreak.co/⁠ About Jai Long Jai Long is an entrepreneur, author, podcast host, and speaker known for helping creative entrepreneurs turn their ideas into income and build lives on their own terms. After growing up in government housing, experiencing homelessness, and going bankrupt at 21, Jai went on to build multiple seven-figure businesses, educate thousands of creatives worldwide, and become one of the most respected voices in the creative business space. Today, through his podcast, speaking, and upcoming book Make Your Break (releasing 3 November 2026), Jai shares lessons on mindset, business, purpose, and creating opportunities in an ever-changing world. Learn more at ⁠⁠www.jailong.co⁠