Pivots & Passion — Stories of Change & Resilience

A Candid Conversation with Jim Huffman

“The hallmark of originality is rejecting the default and exploring whether a better option exists. (…) The starting point is curiosity: pondering why the default exists in the first place. We’re driven to question defaults when we experience vuja de, the opposite of déjà vu. Déjà vu occurs when we encounter something new, but it feels as if we’ve seen it before. Vuja de is the reverse—we face something familiar, but we see it with a fresh perspective that enables us to gain new insights into old problems.” — Adam Grant, “Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World”

That’s the essence of this new series. We’re chasing that ‘vuja de’ moment — when someone looks at a best practice and goes, “Why do we even do it this way?”

Spotlighting unconventional thinkers who are reframing the way our industry approaches protocols and ideas. Folks who aren’t afraid to poke holes in mainstream theories and reject defaults.

Come along for the ride?

Jim – tell us about your background. Where are you from and what are you passionate about?

I’m originally from Oklahoma, now living in Seattle. I’m a founder, marketer, author, and proud girl dad. I started out thinking I’d go into Investment banking, but quickly realized spreadsheets weren’t my thing—I was drawn to the challenge of growing things from scratch. That led me to launch GrowthHit, a growth marketing consultancy where we’ve run over 4,000 experiments and generated more than $250M in sales. I’m also CEO of Neat, a sweat-proof apparel brand that lets guys like me survive summer. What really lights me up is helping brands break through their growth plateaus—and when I’m not doing that, I’m probably packing lunches for my kids or coaching youth basketball.

What big pivot did you make in your (optimization) career? And why?

My biggest pivot was leaving a stable finance job—investment banking, Excel-models-at-midnight kind of stable—for a scrappy startup marketing role in New York. It was a total 180. I went from spreadsheets and pitch decks to doing whatever it took to help this startup grow. But it completely opened my eyes. For the first time, I wasn’t on the sidelines analyzing someone else’s business—I was in it, helping it grow. That shift into growth and entrepreneurship was like flipping a switch. I had to start from scratch and learn by Googling everything… but it’s hands-down the best move I ever made. It opened up a world that the corporate path never could.

Every person has a pet peeve. Every industry has something to change. What would you like to change about the space that you work in?

Growth marketing has a BS problem. Too many people selling silver bullets, not enough people doing the hard work. I’ve seen agencies brag about “10x ROI” without mentioning they cherry-picked results from one week. Or worse, founders wasting six months chasing a viral TikTok strategy when what they really need is to fix their onboarding funnel. My hot take? Growth isn’t magic—it’s math, systems, and iteration. I’d love to see our industry get more honest and data-driven. Less “hype,” more humility.

How do you experiment & grow in your life (outside of work)?

I’m always running experiments—just ask my kids. I’ve tried everything from reading challenges to bribing my kids to do Mathnasium. But honestly, my biggest area of growth is parenting. Being a girl dad to two amazing daughters has taught me more about leadership, empathy, and resilience than any MBA course. Whether I’m learning to braid hair at 6 a.m. or negotiating bedtime with a tiny lawyer-in-training, I’m constantly growing as an adult.

Also, I’m a sucker for podcasts and audiobooks, awkwardly testing frameworks on myself before pushing them on my team. (“10X is Easier Than 2X” is my current obsession.)

Want more of Jim’s unconventional insights? Connect with him on LinkedIn.

Know someone who’d be perfect for this series? We’d love to hear about them! Reach out to our editor Carmen on LinkedIn with your recommendations.