About the Founder & Instructor

JobStart was founded by entrepreneur and business owner Jay Birkholz, whose career has been shaped by more than four decades of hands-on business experience. Rather than following a traditional corporate path, Jay built his career through entrepreneurship, where success depended on making sound decisions, solving problems, serving customers, and continually adapting to new challenges.

Beginning in his early twenties, Jay built a career as an entrepreneur, owning and operating several successful businesses over more than four decades. Along the way, he worked both independently and with employees, served thousands of clients, navigated changing markets, and experienced the successes and setbacks that come with building a business. Those experiences provided a firsthand understanding of the qualities that consistently separate dependable, successful employees from those who struggle in the workplace. Over four decades in business gave Jay a unique perspective—not only on what it takes to build a successful business, but on the attitudes, habits, and character traits that employers consistently value in the people they hire.

After retiring, Jay believed his professional career had come to a close. But one unexpected conversation with a young man preparing to enter the workforce changed that perspective and ultimately inspired the creation of JobStart.

Today, JobStart brings together more than four decades of business ownership and a genuine desire to help young people begin their working lives with the confidence, practical skills, and professional habits that lead to long-term success. His goal is simple: to help the next generation become the employees employers remember.