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Jen A. Miller Consulting

Tag: advice

  • Jaclyn Johnson | Mentor Session

    Jaclyn Johnson | Mentor Session

    Answers and advice from one woman entrepreneur to another

    jaclyn johnson
    Image credit: Career Contessa

    Wish you could have immediate access to all of the best advice from boss ladies in the business? Now you can. Introducing Mentor Sessions – answers to all of those questions you know you want to ask, from one woman entrepreneur to another. Coming up first, Jaclyn Johnson. She’s the founder of No Subject, a “creatively driven marketing, events, and influencer agency” and that’s just for starters. If you’re an avid ‘grammer you might be familiar with a little thing called Create & Cultivate aka the conference you actually wish you were at. In case you’ve missed it, Create & Cultivate, is an online platform & conference series for female entrepreneurs in the digital space. The brains behind it? You guessed it, also Jaclyn Johnson. If you’re not yet convinced that this lady has a thing or two she might be able to teach you about building a brand and a business watch below. She’s sharing some of her best advice that she’s picked up along her own entrepreneurial journey and there are definitely some tips you don’t want to miss!

    Habits for success as an entrepreneur

    On being more productive

    Hiring a team around you

    Finding your confidence and overcoming doubt

    Landing your first client

    jaclyn johnson

    Head on over to Toast Meets Jam on YouTube to find this video and many more. It’s my hub for all of my interviews with women entrepreneurs along with pieces of advice that I’ve picked up from meeting with so many of them. It’s also where I share insight into my own personal journey – what’s going well, what’s going not so well, and where I look for you to share your advice back with me. I hope you’ll pop on over, check it out, and even subscribe while you’re at it ; )

    A toast to you and Jaclyn too,

  • Overcome the #1 Obstacle of Launching a Business

    Overcome the #1 Obstacle of Launching a Business

    If you are an aspiring entrepreneur who hasn’t yet taken the first step toward launch, I’m going to take a guess that one of the things holding you back is a fear of failure. This is probably the #1 obstacle to overcome and it’s something that every founder faces.

    No matter how great your idea the truth is, you have no way of knowing how things are going to turn out once you launch your business. And that, can be extremely scary.

    The thing that sets successful people apart though is that they have found a way to get over their fear and embrace the uncertainty before them. If you think about it this way, that means there are many people who have gone before you who have figured out how to do this.

    While there is no right or wrong answer, here are four tips shared with me by female founders on getting over your fear of failure.

    1. Invest the time to become an expert

    Do your research and become the most knowledgeable person you know on your topic. With the availability of information at our fingertips there is nothing holding you back from soaking up as much knowledge as possible. If you’re confident in what you’re talking about, you’ll feel more confident in sharing your ideas, and running 110% after your idea.

    1. Financially Prepare

    If you have an idea you want to run after or maybe just know that one day you want to run your own business, plan for that. Don’t up and leave your day job until you’re financially secure.  Save. Create a budget and have a backup for making money if you need it. You’ll be able to focus better on your work if you’re not burdened by the “what-ifs” if things don’t work out.

    1. Take it One Step at a Time

    You don’t get from A to Z without a lot of letters in between. The thing goes for launching your business. You’re only going to make it from idea to ideal by taking things one step at a time. Set realistic expectations and goals for yourself that will keep you motivated and encouraged as you grow your business

    1. Be Specific About Your Vision

    Success may look very different for you than someone else. Your vision may be to build something that gives you the freedom to work when and wherever you want. Someone else’s vision may be to become the market leader in their industry. Hold yourself accountable to your personal vision and remember it’s not failure if it wasn’t your goal in the first place.

     

    And one last thing, remember there is no end to building your business. It is a journey. Things may not always turn out as you’d planned but that doesn’t make those steps any less valuable. Hold yourself accountable for learning as you go not for knowing all the answers up front and you’ll start to see uncertainty as opportunity instead of something to be feared.

    Now it’s your turn. What are your best tips for getting over the fear of failure?

    Leave your answers in the comments below and keep the conversation going over at @toastmeetsjam.

    If you like this video please subscribe and share it with all of your friends. Thanks so much for watching, why not stick around and for another helping of Toast Meets Jam?

     

  • How to Find Friends Who “Get It”

    How to Find Friends Who “Get It”

    One of the most challenging parts about finding balance as an entrepreneur is maintaining strong friendships while you’re head down building your business.

    Challenging, yes. Impossible, no. The key is to find friends who “get it”.

    One of the truths I’ve come to really embrace as I’ve gotten older is that it’s okay to be selective with our friendships. In fact, as we  get clearer on our vision for our lives, it because increasingly important to be intentional with whom we spend our time.

    This theme is consistently reiterated by the female founders whom I interview. Their strongest friendships are often with those people who share the same passion or vision for their life. And this makes sense when you think about it. When you find people who are on a similar journey as you, it’s only natural that your paths should regularly cross. You’ll find yourselves attending the same events, connected to the same people, and seeking out the same opportunities.

    The beautiful thing that begins to happen is that your professional and personal lives begin to fall in sync. The efforts you make towards building your business are also those that keep you connected to your network of friends. And the friendships that you build are with people who understand your vision and can support you as grow.

    Now I’ll admit that making new friends after college isn’t always the easiest thing but there are a few ways I’ve found to work particularly well.

    1. Go to Events: Look out for events that are targeted towards founders or folks in your field. Eventbrite, Facebook,, and MeetUp.com are two of my go-to resources to find out what’s going on. It can be a bit intimidating to show up alone at first but you’ll find that the more often you put yourself out there, the more familiar faces you get to know.
    2. Ask for Introductions: Another great way to get to know people is by asking for introductions. LinkedIn is a great tool for sussing out who’s in your network. A personal introduction from a friend is one of the best ways to get to know someone new.
    3. Build your personal brand through social media: Social media can be phenomenal way to connect with other people who share the same interests. Follow people who live in your area and post similar content. Connect first online and then don’t be shy about asking to meet up in person. Many of my close friends are people I actually first met online.

    What about you? How have you found friends who really “get it”, who share your similar passion and vision for life?

    Leave your answers in the comments below and keep the conversation going over at @toastmeetsjam

    If you like this video please subscribe and share with all of your friends. Thanks so much for watching, why not stick around for another serving of Toast Meets Jam?

  • How to Build a Business and a Life You Love

    How to Build a Business and a Life You Love


    If this is your first time tuning in to Toast Talk, welcome! I’ve partnered up with Entrepreneur Magazine to bring you this new series featuring actionable advice by and for female founders. The first topic we’re tackling is overcoming the obstacles of launching a business.

    One of the questions I always ask the young women I interview is, what has been the hardest part about building your business.  Not too surprisingly, the answer has to that question often revolves around the sacrifices that have to be made. “I don’t have time for my friends or family. I don’t time to do the things I used to love to do. I give everything I have to my business.”

    So the question is how do you build a business and a life that you love?  I want to share a few principles that if you follow, can help keep that fire that ignited you into action from fizzling out.

    1. Follow Your Passion

    Ask yourself, am I building a business around something I love to do? Are you genuinely excited to wake up and get to work? If the answer is no, ask yourself why you’re doing it and if there’s a way to pivot the business into something you’re truly passionate about.

     

    1. Build the business you want to run.

    There can million ways to accomplish the same task. Choose the direction that makes you happy. If you want to build a billionaire dollar brand and have a thousand people working for you that’s great. If that sounds awful and you’d rather maintain life as a freelancer. That’s great to. Build the business that’s right for you.

     

    1. Delegate the parts you don’t love.

    Let’s face it, no matter what business you’re in, there will be parts of it you don’t like. If you’re really creative, the thought of keeping track of inventory and balancing the books might make you nauseous. Find help from people who like to do that work and delegate those tasks so you can be your best at what you’re best at.

     

    1. Outsource your to-do list

    You have enough on your plate to worry about without having to think about your personal to-do list. There are hacks for nearly everything that can make your life simpler and exponentially lessen the time you spend on personal errands. Amazon Prime, Instacart, Uber, TaskRabbit, are a few of my favorites. Depending on your budget and your location there will be different options available to you but I challenge you to take some time to look into them because they time they’ll save you in the end will be worth it!

    1. Make time for the things that matter.

    When you free up the time you spend on your to-do list, you’ll have more time for the things that matter. Take advantage of this. Find a workout class that you love and make it a part of your routine. Spend the time you would have in the grocery meeting a good friend for a coffee date. Schedule these into your calendar in the same way you would any other meeting and commit to making time for yourself.

     

    Now the question’s on you. Have you built a business and a life that you love? How have you managed to do it?

    Leave your answers in the comments below and keep the conversation going over @ToastMeetsJam.

     

    Cheers!

     

    Jen

  • Repeat this 1 Phrase Everyday to Feel More Confident

    Repeat this 1 Phrase Everyday to Feel More Confident

    For the next few weeks we’re going to be talking about the obstacles that can come with launching a business. Last week we dove into the topic of shaking self-doubt. This week it’s all about learning to accept success.

    Now you might be wondering how can success be an obstacle. Well, let me tell you a little story.

    My friends and I love to get together for girls’ night dinners. A few months ago a friend suggested we all go around the table and fill in the sentence, “I’m a badass because….” with the idea that we all share what successes we were experiencing in our lives.

    The table went silent at the suggestion followed by girls trying to make a run for the door. These incredibly accomplished young women would have been more comfortable if you’d asked them to jump out of a plane than answer the question.

    The truth is, it can be extremely hard for us to embrace success and this can be a real obstacle when you’re trying to grow your business. After all, if you don’t believe you’re capable of achieving great things than how are they going to happen?

    I loved this question and have started asking the female founders I interview to answer it. Watch now to see what a few of them had to say…

    Now it’s your turn, complete the sentence “I’m a badass because…”. Leave your answers in the comments below and keep the conversation going over @ToastMeetsJam.