Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason.
Hi Jason, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I wasn’t a standout student, but soccer taught me standards, excellence and teamwork. A high school coach handed me “Rich Dad Poor Dad” and “The Richest Man in Babylon”. That sparked my interest in business and financial freedom. After high school, wanting to help my family, I got my real estate license. Randomly met Pat Hiban in a Subway, asked (begged) him for an unpaid internship, joined his team and gained a mentor for life.
Craving entrepreneurship, I co-founded greeNEWit in January 2008. We grew fast, too fast, from 7-8 employees and 500k revenue to 60 people and 5 million. A 600k project loss broke us. We closed the business in late 2016. Then came rebuilding. Renewable energy workforce work with Ray Lewis, speaking gigs, construction jobs, learning acquisitions and economic development in Howard County. Around 2019-2020, I helped build the Maryland Innovation Center and later spurring the launch of the Gateway Innovation District.
The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) had been in the background for years through my mastermind and investments. I realized I loved helping leadership teams. So I got street legal (certified) at the end of 2023. Today, I focus on EOS implementation, investing in businesses I believe in, and community economic development.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been smooth. greeNEWit’s failure was brutal, but it taught me we don’t look like our goals, we look like our habits, resilience matters. Recurring revenue beats one-off wins. You have to ask the hard questions and tell yourself the truth. I chose not to take a loan I couldn’t repay. Protecting my word mattered more than delaying failure. I learned starting over isn’t starting from zero. I still had reputation, relationships, and work ethic. And I learned the difference between business heartburn and real heartache. Money problems are painful, but family and health are something else entirely. That perspective has stayed with me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I work with business owners and leadership teams to help them build stronger businesses that perform without everything depending on the owner.
At the core, my work is about clarity, accountability, execution, and growth. I help leaders get clear on where they’re going, put the right people in the right roles, create real accountability, help them solve the issues holding the business back, and build a consistent operating rhythm that turns vision into results.
That work can take a few different forms:
EOS Implementation — helping leadership teams implement a proven operating system to gain Vision, Traction and healthy alignment.
Leadership & Performance Partnerships — working more closely with owners and key leaders to improve individual and team performance, execution, and profitability, this is a deeper engagement, ensuring teams are operating at optimal performance.
Strategic Advisory — helping owners think through growth, organizational structure, opportunities, and major decisions.
Investment & Partnerships — selectively partnering with businesses where I can contribute more than capital by bringing operating discipline, leadership development, relationships, and growth strategy.
The bigger vision behind Iron Lion Holdings is to build a portfolio of great people and great businesses where I can help create meaningful growth while giving owners and leaders more freedom, impact, and control over their lives.
I don’t really think of myself as a consultant, I don’t advise teams on when to go left or right, but I do find 99% of the time the answers are in the room and we just need to work through the tough conversations to get to the right choices.. I help entrepreneurs build businesses that execute—and ultimately create something that works for them, rather than something they have to constantly work for.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My mom for unconditional support and always providing a “safe place” for me to be me. My dad for the risk of immigrating here and providing under pressure. Pat Hiban for changing my view of success. My wife Carly, my rock, her “I trust you” moment carried me. My mastermind for accountability and brotherhood. And my community and mentors. One key lesson here, mentorship only works if we do the work. When someone I respect gives me guidance, I act on it. That’s how those relationships grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://implementer.eosworldwide.com/jason-jannati/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonjannati/
