Gratitude Through Hard Times

Kevin Jones: High Tech & High Touch

Episode Notes

"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 to align with, support, and execute under other strong leaders.
• Navigating "Black Swan" Market Events: Developing leadership muscle to maintain composure, protect employee families, and protect investor trust through unexpected macroeconomic downturns.
• Leading with Love over Machiavellian Fear: Shifting away from rigid top-down authority to collaborative environments built on trust, psychological safety, and productive dissent.
• Granting Permission to Pause: Recognizing that while M&A transitions and high-growth phases demand intense sprinting, leaders must proactively grant teams permission to rest and recharge.
• Managing the "Silence Tax": Encouraging open dissent and diverse voices within leadership teams to avoid costly, unexamined strategic missteps.
• Surrounding Yourself with Superior Talent: Maintaining low ego by hiring specialists who are smarter in their respective operational domains than the CEO.
• Carrying the Invisible Weight of Responsibility: Acknowledging the heavy, unsaid burden leaders carry to safeguard the livelihoods of employees, families, and pension investors.
• Anchoring Strength in Personal Relationships: Recognizing how unshakeable support from family and partners builds the confidence required to take bold entrepreneurial risks.

About our Guest:

Kevin G. Jones is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Celero Commerce, a top-10 non-bank payment processor and one of the fastest-growing financial services companies headquartered in Tennessee. Founded in late 2018, Celero combines business management software, data analytics, and modern payment solutions to serve over 50,000 small-to-midsized American businesses through financial institution partnerships, software integrations, and direct merchant strategies. Under Kevin’s leadership, Celero executed 12 strategic acquisitions alongside organic growth, culminating in its acquisition by Deluxe Corporation.

Leveraging over two decades of fintech experience, Kevin began his career at Chase Paymentech building strategic partner solutions before driving growth at First American Payment Systems. In 2013, he founded Anovia Payments, delivering an 8.5x investment return and driving organic growth to over 10,000 customers.

Kevin previously served as President of the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), advocating for government relations and member initiatives on Capitol Hill. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Carol, and their three children.