Betting On Yourself with Jordan Gill | Episode 58

This is an unedited transcript and the timestamps don’t match exactly with the final audio. Thanks for your understanding!

11:41:02 Trying to get here, here’s how, you know, here’s the courses you need to take in your first semester of refreshment year.
11:41:08 Then I’ve ended up becoming basically the like counselor for all of my friends and getting their classes in order and stuff.
11:41:15 So that was semi annoying, but. During that time they had us all do String Finders because we needed to know everyone’s.
11:41:24 We just need to get to know everybody on, on a kind of level playing field and it was so helpful because I remember there was like a student who started crying.
11:41:33 And I’m not the best in that scenario. I’m not the worst. I’m not gonna like scold you for crying and I also am not the most comfortable when other people are crying.
11:41:50 And so I remember like calling on somebody and know, her strengths. I was like walking her like.
11:41:57 Emily, I need you here right now. Like, you know, because I’m just gonna like pat them, you know, I’m getting better.
11:42:06 I’m getting better now that I have my bonus on I feel like I my nurturing side has come out way more than ever has.
11:42:10 Hmm.
11:42:10 But back in the day in college, I was definitely not comfortable. And so knowing her strengths though, it’s like, oh dad, like Emily should come and do this because she had woo, which is when others over and she had empathy and she had harmony.
11:42:24 Yeah.
11:42:23 She had like complete opposite of me. And so I got nominated for a lot of leadership roles and she was the one who got a lot of like the more nurturing conversational type roles and it worked so well that way and I was just like this is awesome like I’m obsessed with this like and 2 strengths that no matter when I take it always or in my top 5 are focus and maximizer.
11:42:46 Hmm.
11:42:49 My top 3 have always kind of changed, but for some reason 4 and 5, stay exactly where they are.
11:42:52 Okay.
11:42:52 Yeah. That’s and that’s also a really important. Caveat of these personality types is They can be really useful with clients and team building too.
11:43:04 Yeah.
11:43:07 Yeah.
11:43:03 I feel like I’ve heard you reference team building in other podcast interviews as well. But knowing what other people are bringing to the table, I find a lot of my clients are actually a little bit lower energy, a little bit more reserved.
11:43:17 I’m a very high energy person. I don’t know if the listeners can hear it, hear it, but I like to bring the enthusiasm.
11:43:23 Yes.
11:43:24 And it’s funny for me because a lot of my clients are just not that. And so I think we temper each other or I’m able to bring out something in them that maybe they want or they appreciate even if they don’t wanna change they don’t want to be more like me necessarily, but, the dynamic works really well together.
11:43:44 Okay.
11:43:44 So I think it’s it’s just really important to be self-aware and aware of others.
11:43:48 Yes, I totally agree and I think. It’s always interesting when you feel like someone isn’t self-aware.
11:43:57 Like I was talking about. I was talking with somebody else about my husband has his friend who is Probably the least software person I’ve ever met.
11:44:05 And we were talking about. Personalities and like seasons, right? So like if you were a season like what like which season would most like represent your personality.
11:44:14 Hmm.
11:44:16 And I was like, I’m like, fall winter. I’m like, definitely there’s a chilly breeze situation there’s lots of coziness comfort situations and This friend, I would say, is a full winter, like full winter.
11:44:30 Okay.
11:44:30 And that’s just like how he is. And he said summer and I was like, I looked at Marcus, my husband was like, What?
11:44:37 Yeah.
11:44:38 Like, am I elevating an alternate universe? Is he acting one way around to you that he’s not acting around me?
11:44:44 Like maybe I’m just and he’s like, no, no, he’s unaware.
11:44:48 Like he’s that aware. I was like, okay, yeah. So, and not that I know everybody and what they are.
11:44:53 Better than themselves, right? But it’s just, you can tell again that levels of self-awareness can be.
11:44:59 You know, quite there can be a gap.
11:45:01 Yeah. And entrepreneurship absolutely has a way of bringing that out in us, forcing that out of us, whatever, whatever path we take.
11:45:08 Yes. Yeah.
11:45:11 Yeah. So. I’ve already mentioned I’ve seen your business go through lots of pivots.
11:45:16 Okay.
11:45:17 I would love to know what’s your current trajectory, your vision for your life or your business.
11:45:23 Yeah, you know, yeah being a business almost 8 years. It. It’s interesting because I’ve had a lot of offers. I’ve launched a lot.
11:45:38 I’ve tried a lot. I’ve experimented. And I also did have a very long period of time that was.
11:45:48 And was disciplined and committed. Throughout 3 years and so but it’s funny because Like people think of me and know me as somebody who like experiments a lot and pivots a lot and I think the time that I was like committed and disciplined and focused, people think was a short amount of time than it actually was.
11:46:10 So almost half my business I was doing done a day, which was, all around VIP days.
11:46:16 Which I still love and still impassioned about and think it’s the best business model.
11:46:22 And. You know for me I actually had planned to commit a year to it and ended up committing 3.
11:46:31 Wow.
11:46:32 And so that really one that showed me that I can like, you know, commit and be that way and even with dating and stuff like I was never I was always just kind of dating like I never just really was like into relationships all that much and then you know me and my husband obviously it was like the one and I’m very much committed.
11:46:55 Good to know, good to know.
11:46:57 But I. Yes. Exactly. And so I’ve always just had this kind of playful experimental try things don’t take life too seriously kind of approach.
11:47:10 And I think that too often people think that. Especially in our like industry, which would be an interesting thing to dive into, but like this whole idea of like if your pivoting in your business that means that something’s wrong.
11:47:25 And that’s not always the case that either could be outgrown it, it could be it’s no longer aligned, it could be that again life is throwing a bunch of stuff at you it could be literally a multitude of things and for some reason everyone’s initial.
11:47:40 Reasoning or outside looking in perspective is oh like her business tanked or oh like something negative, right? And I try to.
11:47:55 Again, be transparent when it is like. You know, again, life is life being right now and it’s just like a lot and I’m pairing back.
11:48:04 Because I think that that needs to be more normalized. And secondly, What I’m kind of iterating into now.
11:48:11 So, they technically ended March 2023 and so I spent a lot of time playing. I spent a lot of time experimenting.
11:48:22 And just trying to find my groove, which included a few different things I’ve played with.
11:48:27 Short from subscribers, which is about how to build your email list using Instagram Reels. I played with race at Collab, which was a collaboration community.
11:48:37 For people who wanted to build their business using each other’s audiences and connections. And also did a live event this year, which was really amazing.
11:48:47 Make your mark live. And so, I got to play a lot and Just not feel super tied down because again, I just came from 3 years of commitment.
11:48:59 That was heavy and that was a lot and a lot of what felt the heaviest of that was I had a lot of employees and at the time that was and even still a little bit today.
11:49:11 And at the time that was, and even still a little bit today, that was, and even still a little bit today, that was the rhetoric that was the Hmm.
11:49:17 Not even like sign of success, but it just was like. If you want to take your business seriously, you need to have employees, right?
11:49:23 And I, I really love my team. Like I There’s not a ton of issues. That were related to, okay, like team drama and things like that.
11:49:36 Were the things that happened? Yes, personalities or personalities, but where it got to me was just like HR.
11:49:44 Changing a policies state to state because again If you’ve never had employees like all, every state is different.
11:49:52 And so I had. Lot of I think I had like 9 I think the most days I had at any time was 9.
11:49:58 It was like New York, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee. Texas and who knows who else at this point.
11:50:06 Wow.
11:50:08 And so all of those states are very different. In their policies. And so when one state changes, I’m having to navigate, okay, I’m changing it for this state, but then do I need to change it for everybody else on my team?
11:50:22 And what does that look like and what does that look like financially? What does that look like? All the ways.
11:50:26 And so doing that for probably 2 and a half of the 3 years that I was doing done in a day.
11:50:33 I was spending way more time in HR and way more time in battling and being on the phone with states and I ever wanted to be and I still had 2 HR people on my team and yet I still was being wrapped up in all this stuff because I had to because it was a high level decision of like Do you want to just do it for the state or do it for everybody?
11:50:54 And if you did it for everybody, what’s the rollout for that and communication and updating the handbooks and blah, blah, blah.
11:50:59 So there was a lot that went into. Done in a day and so I then wanted to lean out quite a bit.
11:51:07 And now, again, even after. Make your mark live, I had a series of 5 deaths in 6 weeks.
11:51:16 And that was a lot for me, still is. And navigating grief and business and life and health and all of the things.
11:51:28 Then has caused me to look at okay. I need the most fluidity I can possibly have in my business right now.
11:51:36 Like I need my business to just roll with the punches. And part of that is not having a ton of team members because it’s not, I don’t think it’s fair to.
11:51:47 Bring all of what I have going on right now to team members, right? With the grief with the a lot of health flare ups that I’m having.
11:51:58 So I am looking at, okay, how can I I still bring value in my business. How can I?
11:52:03 Create a business that’s not stressful for me and so I made a huge list of things of like what is most stressful to me and what is least stressful to me.
11:52:12 And right now what feels really, really good to me and actually have a meetings right after this. Well, a couple of meetings later with somebody that I want to be a really, really strong referral partner for.
11:52:26 Where I’m finding joy is being less in the delivery myself and being able to connect my community with really awesome service providers.
11:52:36 Really awesome software. Resources that don’t include my time. You know, moving forward.
11:52:45 And so my business now is gonna be looking very different in the sense of fun is pretty much at the top of my list.
11:52:57 Yeah.
11:52:56 Like whatever I do has got to be fun and I might look silly doing it. I might look absolutely absurd to everybody else and that’s okay.
11:53:04 But something that is really fun for me is actually Number one is, like visibility stuff like visibility stuff is so fun for me.
11:53:15 Number 2 close to that is like data. So something that I do in my business is Instagram and I do enjoy it.
11:53:21 It does I does aggravate me and you know in all the ways that it aggregates everyone. But right now I’m really looking to build where I’m able to.
11:53:31 Create more easily streamlined way for people to get visibility and through Instagram. And that could be through just really easy, like B-roll.
11:53:44 Like Instagram templates and Canva and it does not take me very long to make. I get to do it on my back with, you know, Gilmore Girls in the background.
11:53:56 And so it’s fun for me and it’s an expression for me. And so leaning into that, but then on the back end, working with, a social media management agency, create co-creating a package that is aligned with, okay, here’s how you can do it yourself through these templates, but if you also just like.
11:54:15 Want the social media management agency to do it. They have a package for you and they’re aligned with how I.
11:54:22 Operate and what I believe in and so you can just you know hit the easy button that way and so that and then I’m just a referral partner right so that That’s the direction that I’m going in right now because It checks all the boxes of where I’m at and how much capacity I have.
11:54:41 And so realistically, I have 2. Maybe 3 h of like solid work in me a day before, again, like physically, emotionally, a lot of stuff just comes up throughout the day for me.
11:54:56 And so I have to be as efficient as I’ve ever been. With my time and honor where I’m at and not shame myself for again I used to work all these hours yada yada.
11:55:08 I’ve never been like a huge long hours person, but definitely more than 2 or 3 HA day.
11:55:13 So it’s still an iterative process. It’s still figuring it out but it started with okay I want to be a referral partner for this specific social media agency I believe in what they do I trust them wholeheartedly.
11:55:25 And we’ve had multiple conversations around.
11:55:29 Like again, if I’m not seeing what. Package I would like to see out here in the world and so how can we create that and then how much can that be a month and what are those, what does the referral partnership look like?
11:55:44 And then I get to create the marketing machine. In front of it and just bring people to her. And so again, I like to also.
11:55:52 Be innovative. I like to be somebody who’s thinking differently and too often I think There are so many people out there who are trying to do marketing and delivery.
11:56:01 And so.
11:56:05 And you can do that and like that’s totally financially wrong or bad about it. And I think what will end up happening is people seeing me.
11:56:15 And Amanda, who I’m working with. Doing this partnership in this way and being like, oh, there’s somebody or somebody’s that would want to be my marketing machine.
11:56:27 Like I’m not, we’re not partners in business. She has her own entire business. I got my own entire business.
11:56:31 And my focus right now is to just bring amazing clients to her, which I’ve already done. And have it feel really good because I’m not involved in any of the delivery.
11:56:44 They handle it. They’re awesome. They’ve been doing it for a long time and And so I think just thinking differently and not.
11:56:53 Looking at how things have always been done in the online space, like imagine there’s so many people who are great at marketing, there’s so many people who are great at delivery, like why are we not collaborating?
11:57:03 Like why are we making this harder on ourselves for the marketing people to have to do the delivery or the delivery people having to figure out the marketing and when a lot of times it’s just like Just stay in your lane and find your puzzle piece, you know, so.
11:57:17 Long story short, kind of where I’m going. Yeah.
11:57:36 Oh my gosh.
11:57:22 Amazing. And thank you for. Hey, sharing the personal details but also for Mapping out the train of thought that has led you here and and the past offers obviously not all of the past offers that you’ve had but sort of the the breadcrumbs of offers that have led here and you are absolutely known for your marketing for your reels for your ability to create relationships and partnerships.
11:57:48 Yeah.
11:57:48 And so it is organically, it’s a very organic leap. It’s not out of left field, even if it is.
11:57:53 Yeah.
11:58:04 Okay.
11:57:56 Different quote unquote than what you should or would be best practice or anything else. And also this idea of Fun and.
11:58:14 Yeah, looks fun.
11:58:08 Collaboration have become recurring themes on the podcast. And actually I have an episode coming out, I think, end of December.
11:58:24 Yep.
11:58:19 So when this is live, it will have already been out all about staying in your lane. And so these are, these are conversations and ideas that people are having in their business.
11:58:32 And even if the, you know, gurus quote unquote. Would promote otherwise. So thank you.
11:58:37 Yeah.
11:58:38 So much for for mapping that out. I think that’s so helpful. That permission slip more than anything.
11:58:44 Yes.
11:58:45 Sometimes we just need that permission slip of someone else doing it, trying it, making that effort. To pursue whatever it is that we have inside us.
11:58:54 I agree. Like, and I think I’m somebody who is very comfortable with risk. I would not have thought that.
11:59:01 I would think I’m actually a very cautious person. So thinking about self-awareness.
11:59:06 But then when I was talking with my husband and like he. He seems like he would be open to risk and he is the opposite like he’s in corporate He, Like is not jumping out of planes or doing anything crazy like I’ve gone pair of what does it pair of sailing like I’ve jumped off a mountain cliff and gone and you know flown around and I’ve done different things like that
11:59:31 and I remember we swim with the dolphins and he was scared out of his mind. And like, I’m just like, oh, I know, Stolphins and like, like it’s dolphins.
11:59:38 Yeah.
11:59:41 But even in business, like I’ve been risky for 8 years trying to different things, experimenting and you know, I know that that’s not everybody’s.
11:59:52 Jam and so I’m cool with stepping into my lane of like innovation, testing, and and then coming back and saying, okay, here’s the data.
12:00:04 Here’s what’s going on, here’s the data, here’s what’s going on, here’s where we’re at, and here’s who I think this is best for years who I think this is best for because I’ve always been inspired by people like Pat Flynn or Those sorts of people because They will go and do randomness and try stuff and then come back.
12:00:20 And kind of report and when you are open to being the first to do something in a big way.
12:00:30 Then I think that you can reap really big rewards. I saw that with VIP days. I wasn’t the first first person to talk about VIP days.
12:00:42 All in.
12:00:38 However, I went like. Full Monty. Right, with VIP days and so I tend to be a lot of people’s first.
12:00:50 Experience with VIP days or knowledge around VIP days and so that experience, let me know like, okay, like you, you’ll figure it out, like whether you know exactly what the next thing is that you want to innovate or try.
12:01:04 It will show up and you’ll try it and you’ll get to share and people will be grateful.
12:01:10 So yeah, whatever I do, it’s gotta be innovative. I can’t, it makes me itch.
12:01:15 If I’m doing something that’s similar to the other part like it doesn’t I do not do well against significance it has to be significant like it has to be something that is going to really shift people and move people to do things differently because we don’t need more of the same.
12:01:30 That doesn’t mean that I have to be. Coming up with like, I don’t know, flying bicycles, but it’s just like I.
12:01:40 I’ll take an idea and I’ll literally like shape-shift it. Probably 27 times until I find something that’s like, okay, no one else is doing this.
12:01:50 I can be the category queen. Lesh roll, you know, so that’s something that I.
12:01:55 Fully enjoy doing, even though it’s scary and it’s like absurd sometimes, but. Yes.
12:02:04 Yeah.
12:02:14 Yeah.
12:02:01 Okay, first of all, love the idea of being a category queen. Second of all, the sort of reminds me of like What I would consider the only slash best way to use AI or chat GPT is like, yeah, sure, type it in, but then iterate 20 times before it sees the light of day.
12:02:17 Yeah, yeah.
12:02:21 Totally.
12:02:19 So yeah, I love that example. Thanks. Thanks for sharing that. And then I have, I have a guess for what your answer might be for this next question, but I also think you might surprise me.
12:02:30 So I’d love to know what was the one decision or experience that changed the trajectory of your life.
12:02:41 This is a good question. So, What I think was a decision. That change the trajectory of my life.
12:02:48 I would say. How’s it changing to our directory of my business? Probably life feels like there’s a lot of pivot points.
12:02:56 I could probably name, but in business. What was that? February, 2020. I joined a group program that was helping people build your programs.
12:03:08 And I had no idea what group program I was going to build. This was a $25,000 investment for the year.
12:03:14 Most I’d ever spent by far. Again, my husband. Very loving and supportive also was like.
12:03:24 Yeah.
12:03:23 Hmm? He’s not from our world at all. And. I but I like to bet on myself because I know that no matter what even if there is failure along the way which is inevitable.
12:03:38 That I will always figure it out. And so I took the leap. And within a month, my first launch of Donna Day, I think, 17 people joined.
12:03:47 And, so it was like, $44,000 and launch revenue. And I was like, huh.
12:03:54 Okay, like I literally just I made more back then I had spent already and it’s only been a month to like imagine where I’ll be you know, moving forward.
12:04:03 And so I stayed in that program for I think the full 3 years. Yeah, 3 years and spent $75,000, which I’m like, that is somebody’s full long salary that I literally just over 3 years but still.
12:04:12 Oh.
12:04:14 And you know that brought in over 3 million dollars to my business. So that decision was big.
12:04:23 For me. It was definitely one of the scariest ones, if not the scariest. And it pushed me to really lean into this innovative side of myself.
12:04:34 Again, it did. Prove to myself that I can be committed and dedicated and sit in my hands and ideas and not just like squirrel everywhere.
12:04:42 So I. I would say that was probably the big decision. That’s not a conversation to say go and spend $25,000 on any business coach or whatever that’s not the lesson.
12:04:55 But I think for me what the lesson was is like. Betting on yourself. Like if there is something that you believe to be whether it’s hiring some person on your team, whether it’s a group program, whether it’s a course, whether it’s a event, whether it’s a whatever, like if you truly think that you.
12:05:14 Will like take whatever it is to the fullest like. I say do it because if you can’t bet on yourself, how are other people supposed to?
12:05:22 So that’s something that I learned in that moment and continued to make a lot of big decisions. Some were not great, some were great and that just is what it is.
12:05:32 But we only have one life. We only have one opportunity to make the most of. And so for me, I would rather know that I tried some things and failed that and to never try it all.
12:05:47 Like I’m definitely way more on the try side of things.
12:05:49 Yeah, first of all, I think you just wrote our episode title. Love the idea of betting on yourself.
12:05:55 Yeah.
12:06:01 Yes.
12:06:07 Yes.
12:05:57 And also, Especially if you try and, you know, quote unquote fail, if you’re able to share your learned experiences if you’re able to collect the data like you do then it still has a purpose right it still is contributing to your overarching success even if that one blip was a quote unquote failure.
12:06:17 Yes. 100%.
12:06:21 So Yeah, that. That whole concept of Simply try, really, really resonates with me and my core value of exploration for sure.
12:06:38 Yes.
12:06:32 You, you mentioned, experimentation and fun and, I think the 2 are very related. And yeah, my guess was something to do with VIP days, although the, the investment in the program is really, really Tangible.
12:06:49 Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.
12:06:59 Yeah.
12:06:51 And so thank you for sharing that. And then speaking of guiding values, what are some or all of your guys values that you choose to live out in your business.
12:07:04 Yeah, so I would say number one. The simplicity. I am. Allergic to complex things.
12:07:11 I just can’t. I can’t do it. It again, I like to do the least.
12:07:18 So what is the lead? The path of least resistance, you know, and so. I think that’s why I’ve been able to come up with so many products and services and offerings.
12:07:28 In my later years of business, I have done well because Again, like I said, I will sit there and what people don’t see on the outside is I will sit there.
12:07:39 In somewhat obsess about an idea, right? So my Rails template thing even was like, okay, it’s gonna look like one big batch of.
12:07:49 Real templates that I sell for 2 97. I talked to a couple people and they were like, well, we’re concerned about them not being trending.
12:07:57 So I was like, okay, well, maybe I’ll try and create trending real. So my job will be, okay, I have this guy on Upwork who can change songs enough to where they aren’t.
12:08:07 Against copyright. And so like I can look at what training sounds are, what elements may have.
12:08:15 Like hard hitting beats or like, you know, certain beats per minute or whatever the case is.
12:08:20 Recreate, use my own voice or voice actor and try and replicate trending audios and hope that they do trend, right?
12:08:29 But Again, I don’t have control over that, right? And so then people are like, well, I still want the training audio.
12:08:35 So like they wanted to know that it’s a training audio. And so then I was like, OK, well, what is the simplest way of doing that is again, Like basically every day I have to go and look up 3 training audio under a certain amount of usage, just create the templates for those.
12:08:53 So then that was the next iteration. And then it was like, well, I don’t use this editing software that you use.
12:08:59 So then like So then I was like, okay, well, can this happen in Canva, right?
12:09:03 Because Canva, everybody understands. So then I sat there and tinkered with Canva and was like, oh, okay, here’s how, here’s how I can do this in Canva.
12:09:11 It’s not like. As great as in any software, but it still is doable and people can get the result.
12:09:17 And so now it’s like, okay, we have that every day Monday through Friday I send you 3 training audio templates that you can use for your reels in Canberra and that is the simplest way that I’ve been able to like I went, I started from like this mass situation and to like Monday through Friday.
12:09:35 Tweet or not tweet text or email of 3 20 audio templates in Canva which is very simple, very much understandable, like.
12:09:45 And people think that, oh, I have to create this. Offer that has wings, dings and things.
12:09:53 And I’m just not a winsings and things offer person like I actually don’t like offers like that.
12:09:59 I don’t purchase those and That’s on a knock on those offers. It’s just that’s just not.
12:10:06 How I am best served and so I want to create offers that are simple. That may have 1 2 or 3 things and then.
12:10:14 And like that’s it like because when you get to be too much. Then it’s hard to maintain.
12:10:22 Again, it gets complex. You have to explain every single part. Oh, what if I don’t use this?
12:10:27 Then do I get a percentage off? Like, it’s just like, it’s too much.
12:10:30 It’s too much. So I would say that.
12:10:37 That’s probably a super power of mine is really understanding the positioning and what happens before and during the like new offer phase is I will sit there and lever it until it’s like.
12:10:50 This is it. Like, and I have a gut. Reaction to it that is simplified and ready to rock.
12:10:56 So. So that’s how I would say. Okay. Right.
12:10:58 Oh, okay. First of all, more power, yeah, for keeping up with trends. Glad there is someone out there doing that because that is not in my wheelhouse.
12:11:08 Yeah.
12:11:09 But really appreciate the idea of not having to stuff all the things in, right? We know so much.
12:11:16 Oh my gosh, no. Yeah.
12:11:19 We care so much. We can do so much and like we just want to put it all in there so that’s absolutely.
12:11:29 Okay.
12:11:23 An exercise of restraint and absolutely like a positioning power move when it comes to your messaging your marketing, your, you know, just position.
12:11:43 Yep. Okay.
12:11:35 It is so much. Easier to sell something that is easily digestible and you can always do add ons you could always you know do something additional but I think that’s a really good reminder for all of us.
12:11:54 You know, do something additional. But I think that’s a really good reminder for all of us, myself included, I just want to do all the things for all the people and we absolutely cannot, right?
12:12:02 Yeah, absolutely.
12:11:58 It’s not sustainable. So yeah, thank you for that reminder. And then, I mean, you just gave a very concrete example, but, to go.
12:12:10 Yeah.
12:12:08 One level deeper. How have your values like simplicity like fun, anything else that resonates with you?
12:12:19 How have your values sparked action in your business? Either overarchingly or a specific example.
12:12:22 Yeah, I would say. You know, some of my other values have been around, you know, inclusivity.
12:12:31 And putting in the proper work for that. Not perfect. I make mistakes all the time with that and Again, not being myself up, but learning and adjusting as I go.
12:12:43 Someone who’s really great with that is Aaron at Mabelly Q. I’ve hired her for consultations.
12:12:47 Yeah.
12:12:49 She’s helped me tremendously. Grow in that area so inclusivity is big for me Approachable is another value of mine.
12:13:00 And what that means to me is like I
12:13:03 I like nice things and at the same time I wouldn’t consider myself like a luxury brand or a luxury person per se.
12:13:12 And nothing is wrong with that. Go get your handbags. Go get your, you know, all the things and.
12:13:17 Approachability is important to me and I know that sometimes when are leading with luxury it can feel unapproachable whether you’re meaning to or not so that’s why I show up a lot of times without makeup and I show up in my sweatshirts because that’s number one what I’m wearing but number 2 because that just like that promotes to other people like, hey.
12:13:38 I’m very regular. I little regular life, I drive a 2,015 Jeep, like I just.
12:13:43 This is how I am and who I am. So approachability is very, very big for me. I don’t want to feel like anyone ever feels like I can’t come to Jordan with a question or she’s gonna.
12:13:54 Be prickly, you know, or anything like that. So, portability is big. I would say excellence was a value of mine.
12:14:04 Not because it isn’t anymore, but I actually realized that excellence was a way for me to
12:14:13 A P is my perfectionism.
12:14:15 Hmm.
12:14:16 It was very sneaky. I didn’t see it. For a while, but.
12:14:21 Excellence was aware that I then. Would get caught up in the perfectionism because Excellent.
12:14:31 Generally speaking, it means that I have tried, tested and true something enough to where I know it’s the best and that’s tough when you’re in an experimental land like nothing is going to be even close to a hundred percent.
12:14:42 So I’ve actually had to pull back on that value. Very recently and whatnot. So those I would say those are some of the ones that come up for me and how I want to show up.
12:14:52 Yeah, and especially on the approachability and and the accessibility. And I see and feel that in the way you run your events in the way you interview in the way you show up on Reels.
12:15:08 You look and sound like you everywhere you show up, which is so essential for building trust, for being approachable, for having that consistency.
12:15:18 Right, totally. Yeah.
12:15:15 So the offers are a little bit inconsistent, right? They change you experiment, but you are that consistent factor.
12:15:22 Yeah.
12:15:23 And that is so, so important in, in marketing and in brand building and in simply relationship building.
12:15:30 And I will, I’ve actually interviewed. Aaron, episode 23, so I’ll think that in the show notes as well.
12:15:33 Oh awesome. Yeah.
12:15:36 Yeah, she’s great. So you’ve mentioned a few lessons you’ve learned, through this entrepreneurial journey that you’ve been on for nearly a decade now.
12:15:44 What has been the biggest one or another one you want to reiterate or share.
12:15:48 Hmm. This, felt like a very big theme. Very recently and that is being comfortable with being misunderstood.
12:16:02 Wow.
12:16:03 That one is tough. That one is going to just get right into the heart of like people pleasing and wanting to correct things.
12:16:15 And the reason I say that is because, excuse me, back in September. I decided that for my speakers for my next up and we make in Mark Live.
12:16:27 I. Was not going to do outside applications. Previously, up until then, all of my done today virtual conferences have had a very large outward application.
12:16:37 And we would get hundreds of applications and it was a whole thing and my team like would spend hours and days and all this stuff agonizing over these applications and me knowing that again I’m trying to simplify and I’m trying to have a large team.
12:16:54 It’s really going to be me doing this application. So I need to find a better way to.
12:17:00 Manage the number of applications that we get and so I made a decision that my application would only be available for people who bought an early bird ticket to my conference.
12:17:12 Not only does that align with how I want my own community to be on the stages, I’m not interested in big names, never have, don’t care.
12:17:21 It’s lovely for them. I’m just gonna be over here and so I then made the decision and made that proclamation.
12:17:37 Okay.
12:17:30 And, You know, the internet and people. Well, say all sorts of things about what that actually looks like, whether it’s like, oh, I’m trying to exploit people or I am requiring payment because I’m trying to make money off of this.
12:17:52 And whatever awesome it’s like, well number one, yes it is a sales thing, but secondly, like all these people were planning to come anyway.
12:17:59 Like, so if you only were going to come, if you plan to speak, then you probably are not a good fit for my event.
12:18:07 Hmm, yeah.
12:18:08 And I am totally cool sleeping well at night with that being a stance that I’m taking. So most people in events don’t even have an outside application.
12:18:19 You don’t even have an opportunity to get on their stage because they’re going to invite their friends.
12:18:22 So I’m already differing from a lot of the people that have events and I understand that a hundred 10% because it’s very stressful not knowing everybody’s values and knowing if they’re going to be aligned on your stage.
12:18:34 It’s very stressful as an a host. So I, I fully respect and understand the majority of people doing that decision and I want to make a different decision.
12:18:43 I want different people on my stage and different voices and different perspectives. You know, proclaimed that and there were reels about it and carousels and all sorts of stuff on social media, you know, about that.
12:18:56 I didn’t make a statement about it. I didn’t feel the need to come back or .
12:19:03 And the comments or anything like that because I feel very grounded in the decision that I made How 110% because I what I care about when I’ve always care about is my community getting to be on my stages, my platforms.
12:19:18 I’m not creating my platforms. And my stages for myself. I’m creating them for my community.
12:19:22 I’ve been blessed with the ability to have platforms. I believe as a servant leader, which I have studied for many years, including in college, is as a servant leader, my role is to create the platforms and to make bigger splashes so I can bring more people in, right?
12:19:40 So. You know, that’s something where again. I had to be okay with be misunderstood.
12:19:48 I had to be okay with people saying all sorts of things about me, my character, how I run my business, all that sort of stuff.
12:19:53 And again, like I said, I feel really grounded about it. At first, you know, obviously it’s like, whoa.
12:20:01 Right? It’s kind of a tsunami, right? But once I sat back about it, I was like.
12:20:01 Oh, you’re human. Yeah.
12:20:06 Actually, I feel good about that. Like, I feel even actually better about this. Like the decision that I’m making because You weren’t meant to be on my stage anyway and that’s okay.
12:20:15 Yeah, okay, 2 thoughts there. Sometimes that push back. Is the exact reminder we need of where we do stand that we are behind what we what we believe in.
12:20:27 Like my first thought because I have lived abroad and traveled so much is so often traveling gives us perspective not only on other people and cultures and ways of life, but on our own.
12:20:40 We’re able to reflect on our decisions the way we lead our lives and we’re able to take the best.
12:20:47 Yeah.
12:20:44 Of all that we experience and all that we come from. And so having that push back, you know, the more visible you are, the more hate you open yourself up to, right?
12:20:52 Haven’t. 100%.
12:20:56 So that push back and then you feeling good about it is a prime example of. Really putting that steak in the ground.
12:21:06 And then, I just wanted to reinforce this idea because I talked so often about standing up for something in order to stand out.
12:21:16 Yep.
12:21:16 And that’s exactly what you did. You stood up for your community, you stood up for your way of doing business, which is what people look to you for to begin with is how to run their businesses.
12:21:25 Right? So that is such a wonderful lesson to learn. A very difficult one to navigate, but a really important one to learn.
12:21:36 So thank you.
12:21:36 Yep. Yeah, absolutely.
12:21:49 Yeah.
12:21:38 So along those same lines of lesson learning, what advice do you have for women especially to take confident meaningful action in life in business wherever they show up.
12:21:52 I think that one of the most underrated things is having community or people in your corner. And that doesn’t mean necessarily that everyone’s a cheerleader per se, but I, even before I had my business I worked with a guy named Melanie Duncan.
12:22:11 And one of the things that I will never forget is how many emails we get into our customer support inbox about how people’s husbands or sisters or parents like did not approve or did not agree or did not support.
12:22:25 Them and doing their business. I don’t have that story. Have an extremely supportive husband. I have an extremely supportive parental wife.
12:22:35 And so, and I also have friends who have no idea what I’m doing, but also are like.
12:22:41 Go, you know, and I don’t think that I would be where I’m at if I didn’t have.
12:22:48 That kind of support. Because that would be really, really hard because You know, yes, I believe in it.
12:22:56 Right. And it should be that like that’s enough. But sometimes they’re going to be days that are really hard and get to you and you struggle with and if you don’t have somebody to give you a hug and to say, hey, like you’ve been through hard stuff before, like you’re gonna get through hard stuff.
12:23:15 Again, if you don’t have that. Again in communities or biz besties or whatever like it is entrepreneurship is not easy.
12:23:23 I will never say that. And to navigate it alone is. I mean, would just be really difficult.
12:23:32 So I would say any advice is. If you do have, you know, those. Difficulties like I expressed, then get in rooms, get in whoever virtual rooms, physical room, I don’t care what kind of rooms they are, get in rooms with people who will be like, hey.
12:23:49 Been there. Done that, got the t-shirt. You like, we’re gonna help you get through this.
12:23:56 Like you will make it through. Again, you’ve done hard things before and you’re gonna do them again because I think too we all think that we’re the only ones that have done something or that have gone through something and That like never is the case, but for some reason as humans, we do that to ourselves.
12:24:11 So I would say. Get in rooms, get in support of rooms, the people who believe in you, your mission, your business, your values.
12:24:19 All those things because time and time again I will go into a spiral by myself until someone is able to pull me out of it and be like, no, like you’re good.
12:24:29 Like it’s gonna be great. Here are the steps we’re gonna take. I think that’s very, very under utilized and underrated.
12:24:36 It’s, been. Everything for me in the past 8 years.
12:24:50 Yeah.
12:24:42 Oh, okay. So many thoughts around this. First, that is in part why this podcast exists is so you don’t feel so alone so that you can hear someone like Jordan or any of my other guests and feel like, oh my gosh, like she did do that or she did get through that or, wow, she had this idea and like that means I can too in my own way, right?
12:25:04 Right.
12:25:04 And then also so many of my past guests have. Come from your orbit. And so firsthand, I can attest that you have facilitated those stay spaces, those relationships, those conversations for other people as well.
12:25:21 For them to find their circle. So I love that you’ve been able to pay that forward, both intentionally and sort of inadvertently.
12:25:29 Yeah.
12:25:31 And then lastly, one thing that’s going to pay that forward, both intentionally and sort of inadvertently.
12:25:36 And then lastly, one thing that jumped out when you were talking about, you know, having people in your corner, you said it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a cheerleader.
12:25:42 Yeah.
12:25:55 Yep.
12:26:00 Yeah. Yep.
12:25:39 And I think that’s a really important nuance because if you hire a coach, if you work with a consultant, it if you are in a mastermind or a peer mentoring ship group or what wherever you’re showing up, sometimes you do need someone to ask the tough questions to to wonder but why do you want to do this or how are you going to do this or are you at the capacity to do this now
12:26:07 sort of thing to be that gut check and that reflection to you when you’re just too deep in it.
12:26:13 Talk a lot about outside perspective. In your brand messaging, in your marketing strategy, in all of your business building because, sometimes you need that mirror back.
12:26:24 To either be really, really validated or to realize, oh, there, are some holes in this plan in this vision.
12:26:30 Yeah, totally.
12:26:31 How can I fill them? How can I? Morph them, etc. So love the idea of people in your corner, but who aren’t necessarily always Just cheering you on.
12:26:42 Yeah.
12:26:40 Right. Yeah, I think that’s it is really crucial because You know, some of the most loving things can be like, hey, like either this is going to, you’re already saying that you’re tired and now you’re gonna like.
12:26:53 You know, I don’t know, start some like really crazy big vision. This may not be the best time.
12:26:57 And I think that instead of people’s questions being a sign of either distrusting you or not believing in you, the questions are more of an illumination.
12:27:10 Hmm.
12:27:10 That’s how I see them is, okay, they’re trying to lie in this air that I might not have thought about.
12:27:17 Let me think about it and then let me proceed with whatever I want to proceed with, you know? So I don’t take questions as negative.
12:27:18 Yeah.
12:27:22 And so I think that that’s a reframe that a lot of people could probably use.
12:27:27 Yeah, speaking of personality tap, personality types from the top of this conversation, I’m a questioner, in the Gretchen Reuben framework.
12:27:35 Oh, So.
12:27:36 So appreciate you viewing it as a positive thing. So, okay, as we as we close up this conversation, this has been so rich.
12:27:45 Okay.
12:27:44 And quite long. I want to know what is a message that matters to you, something that you want to reiterate from our conversation or something else that comes to mind.
12:27:55 Yeah, I think that
12:27:58 You know, I’m 33, so I am not. Wise by any means and I think that as each year passes by, I just recognize more and more that
12:28:13 Like, what keeps people up at night or what stresses people out is usually. Outside stuff is usually other people’s opinions, other people’s thoughts, other people’s whatever.
12:28:29 And the more that I’ve realized and been comfortable with my own decisions, the more sleep that I get.
12:28:34 Like the more. I actually am. Living the life that I want to live. And too often we just.
12:28:44 And it’s natural and again I’m coming from I’m gonna come from an ivory tower who has it all figured out like this is very much a message I have to hear from myself all the time, but it really the more that you
12:28:59 Again, our self-aware. Or okay with being misunderstood are you know, taking the stance that you need to stand on and be grounded in it.
12:29:09 The more you do those things. I believe the more fulfilled, happier, more impact that you will have for people.
12:29:16 So I would say that’s like the lesson. It’s just leaning into those 3 things that I stated and understand that that is going to bring you more happiness than making some random person on the internet, you know, in a basement happy, you know.
12:29:30 Yeah, and so much more ease and attract other people who are on the same brain wave, right? That’s exactly what we want.
12:29:40 The people who understand you see you for the vision you have, the values that you hold and see themselves in you as well.
12:29:47 So yes, thank you for that. If people are loving this conversation, loving your take on business, how can they connect with you?
12:29:56 So I am an Instagram girl. It is me over there all in the DMs. So, systems plural saved me.
12:30:04 And then, because obviously our podcast listener, if you’re listening to Ashley’s podcast, you can go and check me out on my podcast, which is systems plural, also saved me on Apple, Spotify, all the places.