Speaker Kit

SPEAKER KIT

Stop Job Hunting.
Start Owning.

Jamie L. Johnston — former trust company VP, serial business buyer, and author of Own Your Next Job — was fired for out-earning his peers. He didn’t find another job. He bought a company instead. Now he speaks on business ownership as the alternative to job hunting for displaced professionals.

Former Trust Company VP  ·  Serial Business Buyer  ·  Author

AT A GLANCE

Why producers and event organizers book Jamie

56%
of workers over 50 are forced out before they’re ready to retire
<10%
of them ever earn as much again — Jamie is one of the few who did

Source: Urban Institute/ProPublica analysis of the Health and Retirement Study, 2018 (as reported by AARP)

  • 3 degrees in 6 years — B.Sc., M.A. Economics, MBA — while playing 5 years of university football
  • VP at a major Canadian trust company · $300K/year · fired for out-earning his peers
  • Serial business buyer, operator, and seller across multiple industries and decades
  • Self-funded retirement, no pension required
  • Married 50+ years · 3 children · 7 grandchildren

SIGNATURE TALK

“Stop Job Hunting. Start Owning.”

Business acquisition as an alternative to job hunting for displaced professionals: why experience becomes a liability in hiring but an asset in ownership, how to identify and value a small business, severance strategy, franchise pitfalls, and building retirement wealth through business ownership.

Keynote · 45–60 min Fireside Chat · 30–45 min Workshop · 60–90 min Virtual Presentation

TAKEAWAYS

What your audience walks away with

01Why experience is an asset in the acquisition market — even where it’s become a liability in the hiring market.
02How to identify a profitable small business worth buying, with little to no prior ownership experience.
03The financial frameworks Jamie used to make deals work — and the expensive mistakes to avoid.
04What to do in the critical first 30 days after being let go.

IDEAL AUDIENCES

Where this talk lands best

  • Outplacement and HR conferences
  • Financial planning and wealth management events
  • Entrepreneurship and small business forums
  • Executive networking associations
  • Retirement planning and lifestyle events

“The businesses I bought and sold gave me a retirement no salary ever could have funded.”

— Jamie L. Johnston, Author

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Quick answers for busy producers

Who is Jamie L. Johnston?

Jamie L. Johnston is a retired Canadian executive, serial business buyer, and author of Own Your Next Job: How to Buy a Business Instead of Searching for Work. He was a Vice President at a major Canadian trust company — earning $300,000 a year — before being fired for out-earning his peers. Instead of job hunting, he bought the company he’d been consulting for. That was the first of multiple acquisitions across Canada that funded his retirement.

What is Own Your Next Job about?

A practical, 10-chapter blueprint for professionals over 35 who’ve been displaced from corporate roles. It covers finding businesses worth buying, valuing them with Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE), structuring offers, franchise pitfalls, operating a company, tax-efficient wealth building, and when to sell — with real templates included: NDA, Letter of Intent, due diligence checklist, and SDE valuation guides.

What does Jamie speak about?

Business acquisition as the alternative to job hunting. Why experience becomes a liability in hiring but an asset in ownership. Severance strategy. The franchise trap. Building retirement wealth through business ownership. His signature talk — “Stop Job Hunting. Start Owning.” — runs as a keynote, fireside chat, workshop, or virtual presentation.

Who is his message for?

Professionals over 35 — especially those 50+ — who’ve been displaced, sidelined, or are done waiting to be chosen. AARP (2020) found 56% of workers over 50 are forced out before they’re ready to retire; fewer than 10% ever earn as much again.

How do I book Jamie?

Use the inquiry form below. Jamie accepts a limited number of engagements annually; his team responds within 48 hours. Complimentary review copies are available to hosts and producers.

Where can I buy the book?

On Amazon, in paperback and digital. The first chapter is free at ownyournextjob.ca.

BOOK JAMIE

Media & Speaking Inquiries

Fill out the form below and Jamie’s team will follow up within 48 hours. A complimentary review copy of Own Your Next Job is available to hosts, producers, and event organizers on request.

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