Jay Lockett, owner of JayFabWerks, talks bad dates and when to take a break (or not) in The Pitch‘s Questionnaire

Name: Jay Lockett

Occupation: Chief executive of JayFabWerks, a welding and fabrication shop

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri

Current neighborhood: Waldo

What I do: If I’m not helping companies with a workload on a project or building custom parts for a car, you can find me usually in a Barnes & Noble unwinding, reading the latest Psychology Today magazine. Also, I love making people happy while watching a smile crawl to their faces with my skillset.

What’s your addiction? Food, cars, making others happy, meeting new people

What’s your game? Figuring out new people and bettering everyone around me. Nothing better than a positive circle of friends and inside jokes.

What’s your drink? I can do beer, but that’s usually after five or six mixed drinks or shots of whiskey.

Where’s dinner? Anything Italian, Chinese or barbecue. Mmmm, McGonigle’s burnt-end sandwich.

What’s on your KC postcard? The view of the Kansas City when we had the parade for the Royals. Sea of blue. 

Finish these sentences: “Kansas City got it right when …” the World Series transformed the city.

“Kansas City needs …” To be bigger than St. Louis, population-wise and economy-wise.

“As a kid, I wanted to be …” A graphic designer, but as I got older I grew out of that phase and continued figuring out who I am.

“In five years, I’ll be …” 30, with a company to run and a 5-year-old daughter, who will have my bubbly, goofy, creative personality. So needless to say I will be busy or bald by then.

“I always laugh at …” This new generation because they forget the simple things in life and overlook the meaningful things presented in front of them.

“I’ve been known to binge watch …” Anything on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime. Shameless, American Horror Story, Lucifer, Shark Tank.

“I can’t stop listening to …” Purity Ring, Gucci Mane, Kanye West, Mac Miller, J. Cole, A$AP Rocky. Mostly the beat grabs my attention first, then come the words.

“I just read …” Psychology Today, Entrepreneur, BMW Performance, Southern Cooking.

What’s your hidden talent? Cooking, I love cooking food for others. Meals, desserts, anything that looks good, I’m all for it!

The best advice I ever got: The life of an entrepreneur is like fishing at sea with no food. Eventually you will catch a big fish. But on your way back to shore, you will get hungry, and about time you reach the shore, the fish is just bones.

Worst advice? You should take a break.

My sidekick? I have enough close friends that I can count on both of my hands, and they are whom I consider my sidekicks. 

What is your spirit animal? A panda. Just eating all day is literally my life.

Who is your hero? Anyone who can teach me a lesson I can apply to my current situation and life is a hero in my eyes.

Who (or what) is your nemesis? Time, because it is relentless and unforgiving

What’s your greatest struggle right now? Right now, it’s just growing my business and getting others to pay attention, while also staying afloat in my day-to-day life.

My favorite toy as a child: A big stuffed animal of Simba from The Lion King

My dating triumph/tragedy? I once went on a Tinder date with a girl who was a hoarder. I had never left a whole pizza untouched before. 

My brush with fame: I pitched a party coordinator in New York City for a winter Chanel party with my rose art, but sadly the deal fell through due to them not being able to afford my stainless-steel roses.

My soapbox: Everyone always forgets to take time for themselves, and from time to time we get overwhelmed with life. If we occasionally take a breather to watch the world around us, we could actually enjoy what we have, rather than what the other person next to us does. Stay positive.

What was the last thing you had to apologize for? Telling my girlfriend I went out to lunch without her.

Who’s sorry now? Her, ’cause it was happy hour.