“Ultimately, I recognized what was holding people back were disempowering beliefs, and I wanted to build a business that helped people create compelling futures.”

James McPartland (aka “Mac”) is the Principal and Chief Inspiration Officer of The JMac Performance Group, a specialized management consulting firm focused on realizing the importance of the human potential in business. He is an entrepreneur, author, international speaker, TV/Radio Host, and noted authority on leadership, team building, corporate wellness, and transformational change.

Mac focuses on helping successful leaders transform into their ‘best’ by achieving positive lasting change in behavior (and results) for themselves, their people, and their teams. Mac is also the author of the upcoming fiction novel, Unopened Gifts: One Man’s Journey to Gratitude. 

MO: What inspired you to start JMac Performance Group?

James: My parents died at young ages, and I felt exercise may have prolonged their lives. Further, that became my expanded view of the world. Going around the planet to help people get fit to enhance their lives was a far tougher battle than I could have imagined. Ultimately, I recognized what was holding people back were disempowering beliefs, and I wanted to build a business that helped people create compelling futures.

MO: What aspect of the clients’ success, after working with the company, gives you the most fulfillment?

James: When people take the chance to look at how they interpret the world, how they communicate, and the stories they create in their lives, you see a shift. There is recognition that they create their realities and, as such, they have the power to rewrite their futures.

MO: In addition to consulting and speaking, you are writing a book, Unopened Gifts: One Man’s Journey to Gratitude. Why did you decide to write a fiction book?

James: I believe that one of the best ways to help inspire and educate is through storytelling. My intention is to have the reader relate to the various characters in the story, based on where he or she happens to be in their journey. And, for those who know me, they will see hints of my own life in the tome

MO: What do you hope this text will spur in readers?

James: I hope they’ll realize that their life challenges are not unique and that, in reality, they have “gifts” in their lives that they may not have really been paying attention to. We can enhance our life, right here and right now, if we are open to changing some of the meanings we bring to events, as well as the labels that we put on things and people. Further, there are more “gifts.” One just has to spend the time to “go inside” and find them.

MO: After running Star Trac, what was the hardest aspect of starting your own company?

James: The hardest part was being mentally prepared for the incredible amount of work it takes to “start over,” build a new brand, and develop credibility in a field that I was not known for, but had great passion for.

MO: You’ve completed 37 marathons and 8 Ironman triathlon events? Wow. You have a passion for wellness and fitness. Why do you believe it’s important for all companies and leaders to encourage their employees to participate in fitness as well?

James: One learns a great deal about himself in an endurance event, and there are parallels to life. That said, I focus my clients on “health” more than “fitness,” and I encourage all leaders to do the same. Health still includes physical activity, and adds the mental, emotional, and spiritual exercise that can help team members find fulfillment in their day-to-day lives.

MO: On top of all of your endeavors, you run a radio show and TV show titled “Unopened Gifts.” What is a typical program like?

James: I invite leaders, athletes, celebrities, and other accomplished folks to come on and share their story. By and large, no one wakes up on Success Mountain. And it’s what we have overcome that shapes us. All of us have had, and will continue to have, challenges. I want the viewers and listeners to come away thinking, “Hey, if they can do it, given where they’ve come from and what they’ve overcome, so can I!”

MO: What can listeners expect to gain from the show?

James: Listeners will gain tools for transforming setbacks into forces for good in their lives. They’ll see how to face a fear, have the courage to pursue a dream, and recognize that they, too, have many “gifts” left to open.

MO: Finally, give our readers one tip on strengthening their productivity and performance from JMac himself.

James: Recognize that you are 100% responsible for the outcomes in your life. We have a limitless supply of resources inside of us, and around us, to help shape our thinking, our actions, and do on this earth what God put us here to do.