Podcast Summary: Help Wanted – "Fan Favorite: How To Be The Person Everyone Wants To Work With"
Podcast: Help Wanted
Hosts: Jason Feifer & Nicole Lapin
Episode Date: December 4, 2025
Episode Theme: How to stand out and be someone everyone wants to work with—not just by being good at your job, but by leveraging other powerful, often-overlooked advantages.
Episode Overview
In this episode, Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, shares personal stories and strategic insights on why being talented isn't always enough to get noticed at work. He illustrates how attributes like trust, responsiveness, and a genuine willingness to help can make you the person everyone wants to work with. The focus is on actionable steps to identify and leverage your unique "competitive advantage," drawn from both business and personal experience.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Quality Isn’t Enough Anymore
- Jason lays out a hard truth: It's not enough to simply be good or talented; today, you can't compete on quality alone.
- Quote:
"Even though you are a high quality person, you cannot compete on quality alone. It is true. It is awful." — Jason (05:02)
- Quote:
- Modern workplaces are filled with capable people; what sets you apart is often something beyond your core skills.
2. The Locksmith Story: Trust as a Competitive Advantage
- Personal anecdote: Jason recounts hiring a locksmith from four candidates. The highest bidder won, not because of price, but because of trust and engagement.
- Jay Soffer from Lockbusters stood out by sending a thoughtful message, asking for photos, and explaining his process—building trust and transparency.
- Quote:
"Jay and I went back a few times… and then he gave me an estimate. It was $300—a full $271 more than the 'I give you best price' guy. And you know who I hired? I hired Jay because he felt the most trustworthy." — Jason (07:23)
- Jay’s entire business model is based on trust rather than just competing on price.
3. Learning from the Business World: Reebok's Insight
- Jason references advice from Matt O’Toole, former CEO/President of Reebok.
- Companies (and people) can’t simply compete on objective quality; "the sharpest scissors" claim doesn’t stand out when everyone is good.
- Competitive differentiation comes from story, branding, and other intangible qualities.
- Quote:
"You need to compete on something else, not just quality." — Jason, paraphrasing Matt O'Toole (08:06)
4. How “Being Nice” Becomes a Game-Changer
- Personal sales lesson: Jason describes landing a keynote speech because he was more accessible and personable than competitors.
- The hiring company was grateful he took a personal call—something many speakers refused to do.
- Quote:
"Accessibility to me can be a competitive advantage." — Jason (09:30)
- In a text exchange with bestselling author Michael Easter, they both agree that “not being an asshole” is a rare superpower in today’s world.
- Quote:
"Not being an asshole is apparently quite the superpower today." — Michael Easter (read by Jason, 10:30)
- Quote:
5. Being "The Good Guy" Pays Off
- Returning to Jay the locksmith, Jason details how Jay differentiates himself by being transparent, personable, and reliable.
- Many locksmiths use vague pricing and poor communication, hoping to overcharge; Jay does the opposite and thrives.
- Quote:
"The idea was to position myself as the good guy… trust would be his competitive advantage." — Jason, quoting Jay (11:14)
- Jay’s approach wins him loyal customers and glowing reviews.
6. Finding Your Unique Advantage
- Jason encourages listeners to self-reflect:
- Ask yourself: “What is your true competitive advantage?”
- Possibilities include trustworthiness, clear communication, reliability, generosity, or simply being friendly and approachable.
- It’s about knowing how you like to help and engage with others.
- Quote:
"How do you like to engage and connect with people? How do you like to show up for people?" — Jason (12:13)
- Jay’s philosophy:
"I enjoy helping people and consider it a privilege." — Jason, quoting Jay (12:27)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "Just being easy and friendly is a competitive advantage." — Jason (10:14)
- "Ask yourself: What is your true competitive advantage? Spend some time with that question." — Jason (11:59)
- "When you think like that, competition doesn't feel like competition at all. It feels like an opportunity to be you." — Jason (12:39)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 04:55 – Episode topic introduction: Problem of standing out at work
- 05:45 – Story: Locked out and the search for a locksmith
- 07:23 – Why trust won over lowest price
- 08:20 – Lessons from Reebok and the “sharpest scissors” example
- 09:30 – Jason’s keynote experience: accessibility as a differentiator
- 10:14 – Text exchange with Michael Easter: kindness as superpower
- 11:14 – How Jay the locksmith built his business on trust
- 11:59 – Reflecting on your own competitive advantage
- 12:27 – Jay’s philosophy: “I enjoy helping people and consider it a privilege”
- 12:39 – Summary: Opportunity to be yourself is the real edge
Tone & Language
Jason’s tone throughout the episode is conversational, motivational, and pragmatic. He leverages personal stories and familiar language, making profound business advice accessible for everyday professionals:
"Being not an asshole. To me. To you, I bet these are the basics. But in reality, they are what other people overlook." (10:54)
Final Takeaways
To become the person everyone wants to work with:
- Don’t rely solely on talent or quality—cultivate trust, accessibility, and kindness.
- Reflect on what truly sets you apart and double-down on it.
- In a world where people often cut corners, simply being genuine and helpful is your superpower.
Subscribe to Jason’s newsletter “One Thing Better” at OneThingBetter.email for more weekly actionable insights.