“Pain is the price you pay for progress.” For an introvert who had to become the face of his brand, that’s this year’s theme. 💪
Right after this year’s Link Building Mastery wrapped in Chiang Mai, I sat down with its founder Jabez Reuben for Inside Hustler’s Brain. 🎙️
He shared how a mastermind between competitors became a conference, why he moved from India to Chiang Mai, and how he forced himself to step out of his comfort zone. 🔥
📊 In this episode, we unpacked:
- 🤝 How Link Building Mastery started
- 🇮🇳 From Allahabad to Chiang Mai
- 📉 The year he had to put his face out there
- 💼 Hiring as an investment
- 🤖 AI as your assistant
- 😬 Being shameless as an introvert
- ☕ Routines, flexibility and family
🎥 Watch the full episode:
🤝 How Link Building Mastery Started
The idea came from a mastermind with five agency owners, including Jabez, Julian Goldie and SEO Jesus. They were all competitors, “but we spent a half day helping each other’s problems.” 💡
He knows how much masterminds can change your life, so he planned a small 2024 event for 10–15 agency owners at a nice venue. When people saw the setup, 70+ came, and sponsors and speakers followed. It grew into a mini-conference. 📈
Surprisingly, some of the first early-bird tickets went to non-SEOs, like lead gen, video and automation agency owners who wanted to network with SEOs. About 80% of attendees are SEO agency owners or high-level affiliate and e-commerce players. 🎯
For SEO Jesus’s take from the same event, read SEO Jesus on AI, rankings and smart SEO. 🔗
🇮🇳 From Allahabad to Chiang Mai
Jabez was born and educated in Allahabad, India, and later spent four years in Delhi. He studied engineering but says he never used that knowledge. 🎓
His now-wife came to Chiang Mai for work and told him to check it out. Not a big-city person, he fell in love with the place and wanted to stay, so he applied for jobs everywhere. 🏞️
Just before moving, he’d been recovering from a bike accident and spent that time learning online skills, including a bit of video editing, SEO and marketing. In Chiang Mai, meeting people already ahead in SEO helped him learn the business. 🏍️
He loves the humble, respectful culture he sees in Thailand and wants his future kids to experience that Asian hospitality. 🙏
📉 The Year He Had to Put His Face Out There
His best and worst year was split in two. The first half went great, with good sales and a relaxed life. Then a mid-year shake-up left him “no other choice” but to put his face out there. 📉
For the longest time, he hoped to hire someone else to be the face of his brand. He realized: “your brand has to be your face.” Especially with AI and fake videos, people need to recognize you. 🎥
Even when he started the mini-conference and wondered who would buy tickets, staying active, posting and recording videos brought another jump in business. 🚀
His biggest regret matches that: not putting himself out there sooner. As your reach grows, expect negative comments. If you’re genuine, you don’t need to defend yourself, and getting trolled can be a sign of progress. 🛡️
💼 Hiring as an Investment
His best financial investment is hiring the right people. You may pay extra, but every decision drains brainpower and leaves you with less for the rest of the day. 🧠
Another regret: trying to save money early on instead of seeing hiring as an investment. Once he started treating it that way, his perspective changed. 👥
With his last $10,000, he’d put part into a safe investment plan, do intense market research, use some to learn, and invest in himself. 💵
For an agency owner’s view on building and exiting, read Chris Tzitzis on selling his agency. 🔗
🤖 AI as Your Assistant
“People who are scared of AI are actually people who are not aware of its benefits.” He used to be in that group, but once he started using it, his productivity jumped. ⚡
He believes AI will create more jobs by widening what people think is possible. For example, people vibe-coding a prototype still need developers to deploy it properly. 🛠️
His advice: embrace AI as your assistant, not something to fear. 🤖
For more on AI and jobs, read Wilson’s take on whether AI will replace jobs. 🔗
😬 Being Shameless as an Introvert
Last year at a conference, he barely made connections, even though he’d invested in tickets and time. So he started forcing himself to be bold and “shameless,” completely opposite to his nature, and to walk up to tables and start talking. 🗣️
At his own London event, he didn’t speak, and friends told him it didn’t look like his event. Their advice: step up yourself. Now he pushes himself on stage. 🎤
His tip: “Just go and look into their face and they’ll start talking to you.” The pain of feeling awkward or of what people think is the price. “Every time you’re overcoming that, you’re making progress.” 🌱
I relate. I was very hesitant to speak to people when I started, too. 🙌
☕ Routines, Flexibility and Family
Mornings start with prayer and thanks for the day, then undisturbed coffee time with his wife while his mind is fresh, then work and running. ☕
As he became more productivity-focused, he got upset when days went off track. Now he’s training himself in flexibility: late nights happen, so adapt the next day. 🔄
His wife is his “backbone” and sounding board. She checks his intentions behind emotional decisions, like donations, and keeps him grounded. 💛
Other answers:
- 👴 One person to bring back: his grandfather
- 🏡 Favorite memory: summers at his grandfather’s place with all his cousins, whose group photo is the first thing you see in his home
- 🌟 Biggest fear: not leaving a legacy for the kids in his family
- 🏆 Best compliment: being called genuine
- 👎 Worst advice: doing a degree he had no passion for
📝 Key Takeaways From the Jabez Reuben Interview
- 🤝 Help competitors and you all grow
- 🎥 Your brand needs your face, so stop waiting for someone else
- 💼 Hiring the right people is an investment, not a cost
- 🤖 Use AI as an assistant, not a threat
- 😬 Pain is the price you pay for progress
- 🔄 Build routines, but stay flexible
❓ FAQs About Jabez Reuben
Who is Jabez Reuben?
Jabez Reuben is the founder of Link Building Mastery, a niche SEO event in Chiang Mai. He was born in Allahabad, India, and moved to Chiang Mai, where he built his SEO career.
How did Link Building Mastery start?
From a mastermind of five competing agency owners. Jabez planned a small 2024 event for 10–15 people, but 70+ attended and it grew into a mini-conference.
What is Jabez Reuben’s best investment?
Hiring the right people, because it frees up the brainpower you’d otherwise spend on endless decisions.
What does Jabez think about AI?
He sees it as an assistant that boosts productivity and believes it will create more jobs by widening what people think is possible.
🎙️ More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love
- Niels Zee On Building a 7-Figure Affiliate Business with Google Ads 🤑
- Navneet Kaushal: Building a Million-Dollar SEO Agency and Life Lessons 🧐
- Jay Yap’s Guide to SEO Success and Wealth Building 🔥
- Rohan Chaubey on AI Growth Hacking & Life Lessons (Money Making Strategies) 💰
Are you an introvert pushing past the awkwardness? Share this with someone who needs to hear that pain is the price of progress. 💬
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Jitendra Vaswani is a well-known expert in SEO and AI-driven digital marketing. He has spoken at international events and founded Digiexe, a digital marketing agency, and AffiliateBooster, WordPress plugin designed specifically for affiliate marketers. With over 10 years of experience, Jitendra has helped many businesses succeed online. His bestselling book, Inside A Hustler’s Brain: In Pursuit of Financial Freedom, with over 20,000 copies sold globally, underscores his influence and commitment to empowering digital marketers.