CHARACTER
The Go-Giverby Bob Burg and John David Mann

Jackson Hill

Jackson Hill

Quick Facts

Who They Are

At heart, Jackson Hill is an idealist trying to do business without losing himself. He builds Angels Clothed in Fur out of love for animals and a belief that “only the purest, only the freshest, only the best” should touch their bowls. When the novel opens, his panic is visible and his company fragile—but the real crisis is internal: Can he survive high-stakes negotiations without resorting to tactics that betray his values? Jackson’s arc reframes power; he learns that influence flows not from force, but from clarity, integrity, and genuine care.

Personality & Traits

Jackson starts as a man whose compassion outpaces his confidence. The book doesn’t dwell on appearance; it renders him through nervous gestures—flushed cheeks, a racing heart, defensive posture—and then shows those same signals quiet as he grows steadier. His evolution is not a change of soul so much as a re-centering of it.

  • Passionate idealist: His business springs from devotion to animals, not a thirst for market share. The motto—and his opening ode to animals—make his motive unmistakable (Chapter 1).
  • Anxious, initially insecure: Early meetings leave him feeling like “a man waiting to see the executioner” (Chapter 1). He tightens up and reacts defensively, especially in his first negotiation with Gillian.
  • Empathy focused on animals: “Animals, I understand. It’s people I have a hard time getting” (Chapter 3). Jackson must learn to extend his native empathy from pets to people.
  • Teachable and reflective: He seeks out the Judge on a friend’s advice, meticulously recording lessons in a ledger—evidence that he’ll do the inner work as seriously as the deal-making.
  • Principled under pressure: Though tempted by his father’s hardball strategies, they feel wrong in his body—and they fail in practice. He ultimately chooses integrity over expedience.
  • Embodied growth: Mirabel notes the shift late in the story: “He seemed more solid. More . . . there. Like a man at peace with his own convictions” (Chapter 13).

Character Journey

Jackson begins in scarcity and fear, convinced he must land a national contract or lose everything. The first round with Gillian exposes his fragility: he’s reactive, easily cornered, and reading the room through panic. Enter the Judge, whose Natural Negotiation reframes the game—start by mastering your emotions, then create space for understanding and value. Jackson stumbles in Chapter 10 when he tries a manipulative tactic suggested by his father, triggering a “collision” that nearly kills the deal and shows him firsthand that manipulation is both ineffective and misaligned with who he is. The turning point comes with Walt’s confession in Chapter 11—an unexpected blessing that releases Jackson from inherited scripts of winning at all costs. In the final meeting, he lets go of being right, says clearly what he can and can’t do, and is willing to walk away. That surrender generates trust and a better outcome: a collaborative venture with Gillian and Elizabeth Bushnell that honors his standards and expands his impact.

Key Relationships

  • Gillian Waters: Initially, she embodies the corporate pressure that rattles Jackson. As each learns to see the other’s constraints and motives, their dynamic shifts from adversarial posturing to creative partnership, proving that empathy and clarity transform hard negotiations into joint problem-solving.
  • The Judge (Celia Henshaw): Jackson’s mentor and the engine of his growth. Her Five Clauses help him regulate his emotions, listen for what’s really at stake, and replace tactics with principle. His steady note-taking signals how seriously he treats this inner apprenticeship.
  • Walt Hill: A father shaped by manipulation and scarcity. Walt pushes Jackson toward hardball moves—and when those moves fail, his later honesty about their emptiness frees Jackson to trust his own nature and choose a different legacy.
  • Elizabeth Bushnell (Mrs. B. / Aunt Elle): A seasoned presence who ultimately becomes Jackson’s partner. Her involvement marks the reward of principled influence: alignment attracts allies who can scale an idea without diluting its soul.
  • Solomon: More than a pet, Solomon symbolizes the unconditional loyalty and authenticity that anchor Jackson’s choices—a quiet reminder of the “why” behind every “how.”

Defining Moments

Jackson’s turning points map his move from fear to principled influence. Each scene reframes what it means to “win” a negotiation.

  • The First Meeting (Chapter 1): He faces Gillian with visible panic and leaves feeling like he’s seen the executioner.
    • Why it matters: Establishes his scarcity mindset and shows how fear warps presence and judgment.
  • The “Collision” (Chapter 10): He tries his father’s manipulative tactic; the conversation jams and the deal teeters.
    • Why it matters: A live-fire lesson that manipulation backfires—and that it violates his own center.
  • Walt’s Confession (Chapter 11): Walt admits the hollowness of win-at-all-costs.
    • Why it matters: Validates Jackson’s instincts and breaks an inherited pattern of doing business.
  • Letting Go (Chapter 13): Calm and clear, Jackson refuses exclusivity and admits he’s not ready to supply nationally.
    • Why it matters: By releasing the need to be right and to force an outcome, he creates the conditions for a better, collaborative solution—and embodies the story’s philosophy.

Essential Quotes

I love animals. Adore them. Big, small, two-day-old kittens, old hounds on their last legs, doesn’t matter what shape or size or breed or temperament, to me they are all, every one of them, the noblest, sweetest, kindest, most . . . well, most authentic creatures.
— Jackson Hill, Chapter 1

This is Jackson’s moral north star. The language is unguarded and effusive, revealing a motive—authentic care—that will later anchor his negotiation stance and business decisions.

Animals, I understand. It’s people I have a hard time getting.
— Jackson Hill, Chapter 3

The flaw in plain sight: Jackson’s empathy is narrow. The plot will teach him to translate his instinctive compassion for animals into curiosity and understanding toward people—especially across the bargaining table.

Jackie, listen to me. You’ve got something you believe in. Doing something that makes a difference. You’ve got more going on for you than I ever did.
— Walt Hill, Chapter 11

Walt’s confession doubles as affirmation. It breaks the spell of his earlier advice, re-centers Jackson’s integrity as a strength, and permits a different model of “winning.”

I can’t supply on a national scale. Not yet. I’m just not ready. And I can’t justify giving anyone any kind of exclusive. I’m just not willing.
— Jackson Hill, Chapter 13

This is principled clarity without defensiveness. By naming limits and values, Jackson trades short-term approval for long-term alignment—and earns unexpected trust.

Sometimes, you have to let go of having to be right. And just eat the pancakes.
— Jackson Hill, Chapter 13

A folksy distillation of the fifth clause. Letting go shifts the goal from winning the argument to creating value together, the pivot that saves both the deal and Jackson’s integrity.