Media executive, artist and serial entrepreneur Jaeson Ma moves easily between boardroom and backstage.
Best known as the founder of East West Ventures and co-founder of 88rising, a music and media collective that helped usher a wave of Asian talent onto the global stage, the former youth minister and underground hip-hop artist — who once served as right hand to MC Hammer — now channels his energy into building faith‑infused media ventures across the US and Asia.
Today, his latest focus is OpenWav and its new OpenWav Artist Bank, a direct‑to‑fan platform and financing engine designed to give independent artists fairer access to capital while helping them turn streaming listeners into long‑term fans and sustainable businesses. Now in his mid-40s, Ma opens up about how he stays grounded, what success means to him and why he believes curiosity, humility and spirituality fuel his creativity and his drive.
You wear many hats — artist, entrepreneur, visionary. How do you stay grounded amidst so many responsibilities?
You’re made up of three parts: body, soul and spirit. For the body, the first priority is staying healthy — moving regularly and eating well. I’ve accepted that I can’t eat the way I used to, so now it’s more white meat, lots of water and juices, and I try to stay away from alcohol. Then there’s your soul — your mind, will and emotions. I try to keep that part of me constantly stimulated, not just with work but with external motivation and fresh knowledge.
For me, that means reading at least one book a month. Spiritually, my anchor is prayer and meditation. Almost every Sunday, I spend at least half the day in that space and have done for the last 25 years. It gives me clarity, helps me recharge, and when life gets busy those rituals are what keep me centered.
Wellness looks different for everyone. What does a healthy day look like for you?
I wish I could give a picture‑perfect wellness answer, but I’ll be honest: most days I only have one meal, usually an early dinner. If I have a meeting I’ll grab lunch, but generally I skip both breakfast and lunch. It’s a kind of fast that helps me stay sane and focused; whenever I eat during the day, I feel lethargic afterwards.
The first thing I do in the morning is drink water. I keep a giant Stanley cup by my bed and, as soon as I wake up, I just chug.
If I can, three days a week I’ll squeeze in a 20‑minute workout at home: no weights, just sit ups, push-ups, squats and stretches.
My own little regimen simply keeps me moving. In the evening, it’s a simple, satisfying meal. I’m trying my best to avoid fatty, destructive foods, even though they taste great.
You often talk about mental and spiritual alignment. What practices keep your inner world healthy?
Consistent spiritual discipline, something you return to like a ritual. My morning routine is simple: I wake up, pray, worship, read God’s word and meditate on it first thing. When I was in my early 20s and had fewer responsibilities, I would spend two to four hours a day in prayer.
These days, I’m grateful if I get 15 to 30 minutes of quality time, but Sundays are still non‑negotiable. From the moment I wake
until around 4pm, I’m in silence and prayer. I meditate on scripture, listen to spiritual sermons and spend most of the time in worship. When I feel like my spiritual cup is full, that’s when I know I’m ready for the next week.
How has your journey shaped the way you view success and wellness?
Success is doing what I was put on Earth to do. No one’s journey is the same, so it’s about finding your own voice, path or calling. For me, that means knowing God and what He’s asked me to do. It’s not always clear — most of the time you’re tripping, falling, wandering and trying to figure it out. Every now and then, you get signs that you might be on the right path. I like to say, if you’re a bird, don’t try to be a fish; if you’re a fish, don’t try to fly. We’re all made in a specific way. Everyone has particular skills, gifts and talents. It comes back to a few questions: What are you interested in? What are your skills and gifts? When you put those together, that’s when you start to find purpose. In the end, the real question is simple: di
What advice would you give to readers seeking purpose or a sense of spiritual direction?
I don’t think we’re here by accident. I use this analogy: what are the chances a Tesla was an accident? Or a television? Or your house? Or even a watch? If I took a watch apart, put all the pieces in a bag and shook it to infinity, what are the odds it would come out a perfect watch? Practically zero.
If you don’t believe in spirituality or a higher power, then this life is all there is, so make the most of it. But to me, that feels less hopeful. Spiritual direction starts with recognising that I’m human, I’m not perfect and I need God, or at least something bigger than myself. It begins with humility: realising that humanity, technology, science and even AI are not the end‑all be‑all.
What is wellness to you?
Wellness to me means being ‘whole’ in body, soul and spirit.