The Times of James
EST. 2002 · — · CONNECTING · CREATING · LIVING
Spiraling Up
A story of a man trying to leave his world better than when he found it.
§ The Story
The Before
No safety net. No map.
In 2020 I moved my entire life to San Diego. It was a leap, but I was ready to take it — or so I thought. I packed my things floor to ceiling into a green 2002 Subaru Outback and drove the 7 hour drive in 6 hours, feeling excited and nervous. I had no income, no goals, and no connections.
The Transformation
Failed out. Started over.
The college I was attending — covid college — was far different from the exciting times I'd been told about, and I had boxed myself into commitments that were about to take everything from me. $50,000 and some depression later I failed out, and was laying on my floor watching my fan go around lazily.
From the bottom, I started building back. I took the job with the easiest hiring process I could find — a street sales job — and dove in head first. I talked to double the recommended number of people every day, showed up early, and practiced at home after selling. 20,000 conversations later I had built a team of around 40.
Handwritten notes and cold emails. Late nights and hard conversations. Many countries. I kept setting my sights higher. I wanted to leave the world better than I found it, and though I could do that on a small scale in sales, it never connected deep enough. I was chief of staff at an angel group, then at a YouTube channel. I threw private jet hangar parties. Finally I moved to New York, and interviewed 125 people across all five boroughs around one question: what problem in the world means the most to you?
My answer? Raising the next generation.
The Now
Raising the next generation.
I'm obsessed. I read or write something about education every day. I know from those 125 interviews that most people don't have someone they admire outside of their parents — so I'm building a school that gives every kid a role model they do.
In the Field
Private Security for Byron Donald
Campfires, songs, and quality conversations
Jets and Capital Miami
Relationships with extraordinary people produce exponential returns
Organizations James Has Worked With
§ Field Notes
48 Hours, 500 Guests
When Trump's arrival forced a 500-person gala to completely restructure with 24 hours notice, James wrote the cold-call scripts, rallied the team, and helped turn what could have been a disaster into what guests called 'double the fun.' Chaos is just an opportunity with bad PR.
The Elder in the Amazon
Deep in the Amazon, James spent a day working alongside a 94-year-old tribal elder — farming, listening, communicating entirely in Spanish. No agenda. No pitch. Just presence. She never left that jungle, and she had more peace than anyone he'd met in any boardroom. That day redefined what success means to him.
No, Not That Island
A cold email. A yes. A weekend on an island with one of the most connected builders in the world. They hiked, cold plunged, and talked for hours. It was a breakthrough, where James realized nobody is a hero, so just make yourself yours.
§ A Message from James
Dear reader,
If you've scrolled this far, you are curious. I am too.
There's a lot more to know about me than what I can fit here, so here is what you need to know.
My greatest strength is the depth at which I care. About others and about myself.
Including you.
My network is vast, and my experience even more so, but I can't promise to lead you where you want to go. I also can't follow you, because you do not know where I want to go.
I will however, walk alongside you. It would be an honor if you joined the ranks of people who have walked alongside me.
— James Floyd
— Classified —
Seeking: Curiosity
Builders, investors, creators, and those who refuse to stay in one lane. If you are any of the above and wish to correspond, the publisher welcomes your inquiry.
Replies answered personally · No intermediaries
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