Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Faust.
Hi Jordan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Born and raised in South Kingstown, Rhode Island My childhood was pretty good growing up I lived in a pretty good neighborhood, was popular in school, athletic, etc.
Where things went wrong is when I first decided to try smoking weed at 14 years old, which led to me hanging around the wrong crowd and leaving my good/positive friends behind.
I always was a free spirit but rebelling at school and home is what led me to be sent away to boarding school and ultimately two different treatment center’s in Maine & Tennessee. The silver lining to being sent away was finding my passion during that time, which was playing basketball.
Once I returned home, I was motivated to chase the basketball dream. I made my high school team in sr year but barely played. After that, I transferred to five different colleges JUST to get on a team. I finally made a college team at NCU (North Central University) in Minneapolis, MN, which is a highly-religious school that I went to STRICTLY to play basketball. I wasn’t a religious person at all (Unless you consider basketball a religion) and found myself in for quite a culture shock. Regardless, I worked my way into the starting line-up my 2nd year at NCU and was awarded the most improved player. Needless to say, I didn’t fit in too well at NCU. Due to my drinking and hooking up with girls and the school finding out (Seriously, their rule was no drinking or having sex) I was kicked out of NCU and watched my basketball dream go down the drain.
I ended up having to start over at another new college called Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts. I rode the bench the whole year, which was my last year of eligibility to play college basketball. But I did not quit on my dreams and after college, I attended pro combines and pro summer leagues to try to prove myself and to get an opportunity to play basketball professionally overseas. With little to no resume, I continued putting in the work and after a short while, I was offered my first pro contract in Australia.
After basketball, all I wanted to do was chase money. I started my first sales job with the Kirby Company (selling vacuums) and quit both my part-time jobs to go all in on my all-commission & door-knocking gig. Soon enough, I started making real money and found a profession that fit my personality, as well as gave me the freedom I needed to thrive
I’ve been doing all-commission sales since then (about 10 years in total now) and currently sell solar systems and recruit salespeople for Wolf River Electric in Isanti, Minnesota where I currently reside. During that time I got married, adopted my daughter Tayleigh, and had 2 boys of my own; Kingston and Benjamin. Also, I found my real passion: making music.
Growing up I was the kid who was always singing and everybody thought I was going to be a musician one day. I used to perform Backstreet Boys & NSYNC songs with my friend almost every day in front of our 6th-grade class. The teacher literally slotted off time at the end of the school day for us to preform.
I never took music seriously until about five years ago, when I started writing and recording my own music. It came very naturally to me and I made 2 albums in about the span of one year. I came up with my stage name “Forgotten One” which is based off how I felt from my time being sent away in high school and moving around so much while chasing the basketball dream.
My hard work and hustle in music led me to an opportunity to work with Bentley Records (An International Label based in NYC) and Bentley’s CEO Luca Dayz signed me to a Marketing & Publishing deal with the label.
I’ve been working with Bentley Records ever since and have released multiple albums and songs during my time with them. My latest album “Forgotten No More” (which released on September 2nd, 2022) hit top 10 on the iTunes Charts for Pop Albums and 76 for Overall Albums on the iTunes Charts! A lot of the credit for my album hitting those numbers on the charts is due to Bentley Records and the strategies and mentorship of Luca Dayz and Vice President Max Steinke. I’m also now currently employed with Bentley Records, helping the label to expand Bentley.IO by creating Label Imprints and am also a mentee of Luca Dayz’s.
These days apart from music and work, my main focus is becoming the absolute best version of myself so I can give my best to my loved ones & to the world. I’ve come to the realization that nothing is more important than that to me and me doing so is what true success will look like in my eyes.
Some of the things I do to become to the best person I can be, are: exercise, listen to audible books, eat healthy/clean, practice gratitude, meditate, journal, and manifest my goals/dreams with my prosperity plan. I’m continuing to work on finding new ways/strategies to improve myself, as well as improve my life. All the while just living in the moment and enjoying life to the fullest with my three beautiful kids.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If you ask me, I don’t believe there’s such a thing as a “smooth road”, I mean smooth roads eventually get worn down anyways, right?
The struggles I’ve faced along the way on my path are dealing with loneliness as well as a lack of friends, support and a real team. When you’re moving around a ton, it can be really difficult to formulate sound relationships or better yet maintaining those relationships.
Another struggle is consistent rejection. With basketball when it came to trying to find a college team, I had to transfer 5 times which crushed my ego, to having to prove myself at the collegiate level, to finding a professional overseas team that would take a flyer on me and more. Even MORE, rejection when it came to all-commission sales and knocking on doors for years, rejection is literally an everyday thing in that field.
Apart from those things, sacrificing my time and energy into chasing dreams and goals like basketball and music has been an enormous struggle when it comes to balancing family and social life. The time and energy I know that could be spent if I weren’t doing these things, like towards my family or making more money for example, is something I question a lot that if I’m doing the right thing.
But looking back and reflecting on my journey now – I wouldn’t change a thing, except maybe going even harder.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I label my professional life & career as “Other” because it’s really a handful of things now and still expanding.
My job is selling solar systems to homeowners & businesses, as well as recruiting salespeople for our company (Wolf River Electric).
I also work for Bentley Records now, helping to expand Bentley.IO by helping others create Label Imprints.
My passions are being a Dad, making music, investing, & becoming the absolute highest version of myself.
I’m still figuring it all out but these are my main focuses for now.
The thing I’m most proud of is that I’ve learned is that success to me isn’t about being the best basketball player, or greatest musician, or richest businessman, etc. in the world but rather to me it’s about being the absolute best person I can be, so I can spread that to others and the world for the better.
What I’ve realized is if I’m NOT doing the things I need to do in order to be my best and to be happy, then nothing else will even matter because I’ll never be truly content on the inside, no matter what I do!
How do you think about happiness?
I’ve said this at least 2 x’s now lol but what makes me happy is working on being the best version of myself possible and seeing the progress The reason why is because I know if I do that I can give my absolute best to others and the world.
Or, if I DON’T do that then I know I’m not giving my best to others and the world and that’s potentially doing a disservice to my loved ones, the world, and virtually anyone I come in contact with.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forgottenonejsf/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForgottenOneJSF/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ForgottenOneJSF
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT1874mAqkMF3Oiasfh4ANA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-791293756
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5cGavOpYqZC3Vo1R7WjDZl?si=7j6egyOGTSCkVZSBEL1CQQ
