"Just the Good Stuff": Jim VandeHei's journey (and mine)
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Jim VandeHei in the office we share at Axios in Arlington, Va. Photo: Jared Soares for The New York Times
While constantly interviewing and covering others — and having the privilege of popping into your inbox 365 days a year — I've rarely exposed my own inner journey as I helped found three companies.
- That was partly a defense mechanism, and partly a Darwinian effort to keep public attention on our team and our journalism.
This morning, I'm putting it out there. Jim VandeHei, Axios CEO and my best friend of 20+ years, is out with "Just the Good Stuff: No-BS Secrets to Success."
- It's a blunt, super-actionable book that's been 50 years in the making — going back to Jim's years as a cutup in Oshkosh, Wis.
Why it matters to you: Life's secrets are surprisingly learnable and replicable. Jim is opening his iPhone diary.
The backstory: After transcending a 1.491 GPA and warnings from a guidance counselor that he wasn't college material, Jim packed his University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh degree into his diesel VW Rabbit — and headed for D.C. with no job.
- A belly slosh along the way (Page 216) helped put him on a road where he finishes every year fitter than the last.
- Jim became a top reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. He co-founded Politico, Axios and Axios HQ. He and his wife, Autumn, adopted a son, Kelvin — a wise, chatty and thriving sibling to a soccer-star brother, and a sister who's a gifted musician and writer.
- And Jim wrote it all down.
Behind the scenes: I was a newshound who paid little attention to much beyond the next story. As we worked together 15 hours a day to build Politico and then Axios, Jim pushed me to open life's aperture.
- No person has cared more about making me a better reporter, leader and person than Jim. Period.
I've learned to be a more outspoken leader, more candid in giving feedback, and quicker to say no — all of which run counter to my please-everyone default. I've taken more time to take care of myself.
- We leaven our always-on work metabolism with fishing, hiking and Packers games. I've lost 20 pounds. We're headed to Brazil for my 60th birthday later this year. We can laugh at each other's bountiful tics.
- Lots of the lessons flow from Jim and me — in cahoots with our co-founder, Axios HQ CEO Roy Schwartz — trying to unlock better ways to run companies. As you'll see from stories throughout the book, we all drafted off each other.
The bottom line: "Just the Good Stuff" isn't aspirational — it's how Jim actually grew. The learnings will serve you and yours.
Order here, with net proceeds going to the Zotheka Foundation, to provide mentoring and money to young people for vocational programs or college.
- If you'd like to buy for your team or board, get a bulk discount here.
