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[Creators Spotlight]: It’s better to put things out there than to wait until it’s perfect. The important thing is to enjoy the process- Jeffrey Schwab

In this series “Creators Spotlight”, we are asking our creators about their journey. Watch out for them sharing their journey and getting candid with us. Today we have with us Jeffrey Schwab. Jeffrey, Chief Learning Officer at Pershing Technology Services Corporation, talks about the things he learnt from his older brother and shares an important piece of advice for all creators out there!


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Tealfeed Spotlight

2 years ago | 4 min read

Creators are the heart and soul of Tealfeed. As they continuously work towards feeding us more information every day, it's only fitting to bring out their journey for the world to know.

In this series “Creators Spotlight”, we are asking our creators about their journey. Watch out for them sharing their journey and getting candid with us.

Today we have with us Jeffrey Schwab. Jeffrey, Chief Learning Officer at Pershing Technology Services Corporation, talks about the things he learnt from his older brother and shares an important piece of advice for all creators out there!

Continue reading to find out more!

Jeffrey Schwab

Who has been the biggest influence in your life? What lessons did that person or those people teach you?

My older brother has been one of the biggest influences on me for my life.  He really walks to the beat of his own drummer.  To my knowledge, he has no phone, doesn’t follow social media, and I actually don’t know what he does for a living. 

None of this is important because he is very authentic and keeps true connections with whomever he is talking with or writing.  Every week, I receive a handwritten letter from him, and his writing style feels like he is crafting it specifically for the individual reader.  He has taught me patience, delayed gratification, and how to follow through with commitments

Tell us about your childhood, what was the best part? Is there any specific incident that has largely influenced the kind of person you are today?

I grew up in a small town, but during my childhood, I think the biggest influences had to be the amount of travel that we did. 

Each summer we would travel out West (in the US), or sometimes even to Europe.  From a young age, I remember this feeling of having a sense of adventure, not only in imagination, but also in reality.

Where is your hometown, and what was it like when you were young?

My hometown is in Lexington, Virginia.  There are two colleges there, a small liberal arts college, and a military academy.  I think much of the town revolves around these two schools, their students, and academia.  The town only has around 7,000 people.

Jeffrey Schwab

How important a role does content play in your life? Are you a full-time content creator? Why did you start creating content?

I feel like I like the challenge of creating content out of nothing, even writing about how to slice a mango, for instance.  When there is a thought, how about taking the challenge to dig deep into that thought and really workshop it through writing?

What’s that one aspect of being a content creator no one talks about?

My blog is called “The Clock Stops,” and I think one of the big battles and joys of life is to see how we can slow down time. 

Through creating content, I can actually feel time slowing down, giving myself the illusion that I’m actually stretching time and living longer.

What’s the most satisfying part of being a content creator?

Definitely the process and the surprises that my writing gives me along the way.

Jeffrey Schwab

What are you up to currently and what are your long-term career goals?

I’ve slowed down a bit in my writing on my personal blog, but one of the things that I’ve started is an online community writing group called “The Writing Adventure.”  We meet online once a month and share a piece or excerpt of a piece that we’ve written, and then others give feedback or ask questions. 

Because I’m in Taiwan, this is mostly done in Chinese, so it’s good practice for me to write in Chinese.  As for long-term career goals, I would like to publish a children’s picture book with my wife written in Japanese/English/Chinese, as well as a book about applied improv in the workplace with a fellow improviser.  I’m hoping to get more into coaching and workplace culture workshops.

What drives you to create content regularly?

More like writing for posterity for myself and to keep my brain active.  Also, if I don’t write it down, I may forget.  Sometimes I like to write something for the benefit of a business or activity as well.

What’s the most challenging part of being a content creator?

Regularly scheduled publishing.  

How do you make sure that you aren’t affected by nasty comments and negative things said about you?

That can be tough.  I guess one way is to engage with them directly, but also, there’s always going to be negative comments. 

After turning 40, these things affect me less and less.

Anything else you would like our audience to know about you!

I’m a bilingual improv performer in Taipei, Taiwan.

How would you want people to remember you?

Someone who likes adventure and noticing small details.  A positive thinker with a growth mindset.

What's success for you and when you would consider yourself to be successful?

Not worrying about the past or the future.

Who’s your favorite creator? Why?

There are some improvisers I really like, for example, SPIT, Silly People’s Improv Theatre from Manila.  They are just extremely warm and well-matched and they take improv to the next level. 

For writing, I think Mark Twain and Faulkner are both pretty amazing (the language might be a bit outdated of course).  Brian Michael Bendis is an incredible writer for comic books, and he wrote some very good crime graphic novels.  For music, Beck reinvents himself constantly.

To every individual who’s planning to start out as a content creator, what would you like to advise them?

Don’t be afraid to put something out there that you’re not totally satisfied with. 

It’s better to put things out there than to wait until it’s “perfect.”  The important thing is to enjoy the process and take that first step.

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Tealfeed Spotlight

Few maintain consistency, few remain unique, and fewer are the ones who do both of these right, and earn a spot in Tealfeed Spotlight.


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