Kevin Jones: High Tech & High Touch

"Living a life of gratitude eliminates entitlement and eliminates so many obstacles to success." — Kevin Jones

In a world obsessed with digital efficiency and quick fixes, the real currency of a meaningful life remains independent thought, presence, and intentional effort.

In this special 299th episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, host Chris Schembra sits down with Kevin Jones, founder and CEO of Celero Commerce. Kevin reflects on building Celero into a top-10 non-bank payments processor, steering through black swan market events, and combining high-tech platform innovation with high-touch human connection. He breaks down why respect and humility are essential cornerstones of leadership, how genuine followership makes better leaders, and why holding low ego allows teams to achieve extraordinary scale together.

10 Memorable Quotes:"Living a life of gratitude eliminates entitlement and eliminates so many obstacles to success." — Kevin Jones"You cannot be a good leader if you're not a good follower. Followership is something everybody should spend a little time on." — Kevin Jones"Respect and humility are cornerstones... if you remain respectful and humble, you can solve incredibly difficult problems with people who have different backgrounds and beliefs." — Kevin Jones"Your job as a leader is really to facilitate outcomes, not dictate them." — Kevin Jones"For every five years, expect at least one black swan. As part of being a good leader, you need to hone your skills at managing through it." — Kevin Jones"Real currency in a meaningful life remains independent thought, presence, and intentional effort." — Chris Schembra"When you take on a challenge, you burn your ships and go chase that challenge. You don't have one foot in and one foot out." — Kevin Jones"It's okay for leaders to allow themselves to be vulnerable and have some fun with their teams." — Kevin Jones"Fear and gratitude cannot coexist." — Chris Schembra"Gratitude doesn't change your circumstances; it changes your capacity to carry them." — Chris Schembra

10 Key Takeaways:High-Tech Meets High-Touch: Balancing cutting-edge fintech payment integrations with deep, relationship-driven partner care to build sustainable competitive advantage.The Power of Respect & Humility: Eradicating entitlement in business culture by focusing on merit, continuous learning, and mutual respect across diverse perspectives.Practicing Genuine "Followership": Understanding that effective executives must first know how