I told y’all that 2015 was going to be “my year.” While I entered 2015 blindly, like the rest of the universe, I just had this feeling like God was going to grab me by the hand and get running. Whether it was new opportunities or friendships, ideas or dreams, obstacles or victories, I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that this would be a good one and I have so far embarked with open expectations. While I sometimes keep projects under wraps until they are fully into fruition, I have something up my sleeve that is begging to be let out and I really feel like it’s time to share with the world a piece of what I want this year to hold. Let me back up a few years to where I was a sweat pant wearing college kid who always, always had wet hair (thanks to being on the UWSP swim team.) I told the world that I wanted to rule the corporate world, wear a power suit with heels, and I studied my arse off learning marketing, strategy, and public relations. I soaked in every ounce of knowledge (psh, most days) and I spent long hours at Starbucks sipping lattes and reading theory. I thought I wanted that ladder climbing corporate life and I learned every bit that I could to put me ahead and jumpstart my career.
Fast forward four years, I’m an entrepreneur who works on the couch (still in sweats, some things never change) and continues to constantly expand and grow my brand. Whether it be blogging contributions or watercolor print sales, wedding photography or product styling, dog rescuing or shooting videos, I continue to grow what and who Jenna Kutcher is and so far, it’s been wildly successful. The blessing in all of this has been that I have been able to grow an audience who is willing to follow me to my next goal, cheer on my latest dream, and support me as I continue to leave whatever mark I can on this world. I am not a one trick pony, I want to reach my peak in everything life, whether I try to find the perfect yoga pant or figure out how to actually do a cat eye with eyeliner, I want to take you on the ride… are you with me? I want to share in the joys and the trials of owning a business, I want to celebrate the crazy human I am, I want to show the real side of running a successful business, and I want to take you on this ride with me. This last week I spoke with a business coach whom I admire and he really pushed me to think about what my goals are, where I want to go, and how I plan to get there. Richie Norton made me think out loud and share my dreams with a complete stranger and in our one hour long conversation I realized that what I really want to do is: teach.
Who am I to teach? I am still new in this business. While I am thankful to have been able to support our family on my entrepreneurial career, I am even more grateful to exponentially grow my business annually, all while working smarter (not harder.) As we spoke, he knew I had something to share. He asked me if I had ever considered teaching, sharing my knowledge and without hesitation I said, “yes.” While this dream is relatively new, I wanted to share it with you so that you can help me form my vision for this latest endeavor. I am constantly asked to mentor or teach workshops and while I feel like both would be wonderful ways to spend my days, my schedule doesn’t allow for that time to be carved out. Of course I would love to fill our home with eager creatives and teach a three day workshop, but the task seems daunting, the expectations of finding beautiful food, and dressing cutes in a perfect space with perfect swag bags and instagram hashtags just seems silly. I don’t want you to leave after three days and let that new light burn out, I want this to be an ongoing relationship, a time for you to actually learn and apply, and I want you to start thinking like a marketer. At the end of the day, I just want to share what I know, what has worked, what hasn’t and how I got from there to here.
While dreaming, I knew that I wanted to put together a course for creatives on marketing, on thinking like a business, on growing your business on authenticity and gaining a following who supports you in your life. I want to teach others how I was able to leave my corporate job within one year to successfully and profitably grow my business solo. I have been able to turn my dreams into a job that allows us to live the lifestyle that we do, spend time together, travel the world, and working with incredible people. My vision for this course is still being drafted but so far I know that I want it to be a go-at-your-own-pace class with modules and examples, goal setting power sheets and challenges, I want it to be focused on your ultimate life goal (which if you are anything like me, is to be: happy) and I want you to get the knowledge on how to grow your business organically so that you will be able to pull back, work less, enjoy life, and live more. I want to teach pertinent knowledge of marketing, networking, client communication, follow up, and more (not just on the wedding industry but for creatives from designers to dreamers, creators to makers, photographers to decorators.) I want it to be something beneficial that will help you to be the best version of you, following actionable and measurable items that will give you the confidence to get out and chase your dreams with reckless abandon. I am so excited to embark on this journey and know that it will be anything but easy, but I wanted to dream out loud for you to hear about what I am hoping for and to know if you are all in, like I am. There is power in sharing your dreams and I truly believe that this is something I am being called to do – I can’t wait to watch it all take shape and change, grow and evolve as I embark on one of the hardest projects of my life. I can’t wait to meet you, coach you, teach you, and watch you move in the direction of what you’ve been dreaming. This is going to wild, darlings.
Comment below if something that interests you! I just might select you to be part of the testing group (when we reach that point) and voila, you’re in! Let me know what you’d want to learn, what questions you have, and any feedback on formatting! Let’s go!
Oh, heck-to-the-yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! I love that you are thinking to do it as a go at your own pace thing and we can do it from our own couch in our own sweatpants! Teach us your ways 🙂
I am so in. I love your heart in this.
Jenna, I just recently came across your work and have absolutely fallen in love with your work, brand and how you position yourself! I am just starting out in photography based in Mpls while working in the corporate world! I would just be SO honored and ecstatic!! to be a part of this new class with you to learn, be bold and chase after my dreams!
I’m so in. And I love your heart in this.
Jenna, I just recently came across your work and have absolutely fallen in love with your work, your brand and how you position yourself! I am just starting to chase my dream of photography while working at a corporate job based in Mpls. I would be SO honored and excited!! to join this class with you to dig deeper into what I want my brand to stand for, be bold and chase after my dreams with such an amazing mentor!
Jenna, I just recently came across your work and have absolutely fallen in love with your work, your brand and how you position yourself! I am just starting to chase my dream of photography while working at a corporate job based in Mpls. I would be SO honored and excited!! to join this class with you to dig deeper into what I want my brand to stand for, be bold and chase after my dreams with such an amazing mentor!
You best believe I’m all in
i am inspired by your excitement, down to earth nature and spunk for life and for learning and business
This sounds absolutely amazing Jenna! I would love the opportunity to continue on learning from one of the best 🙂
Love this!! I’ve just started a business as a wedding coordinator in northern Wisconsin… would love to learn how to make my business a success (and how to continue enjoying it too!)
This is definitely something I would be interested in! 🙂
You know I’m all about this! I’m almost there, but still feeling a bit lost. You’ve been an inspiration to me for a while now, Jenna – Loving this new direction you’re taking!
Count me in for belly diving in! So proud of you! Yah girl!
Girl, you know I’m in! I am bound and determined to make this the year I get to quit this (dreadful) day job and work in my creative element while providing for my family … I’d love to be part of the test group!
I would be majorly into this. Especially if we were all required to wear yoga and/or sweatpants.
Jenna, you seem so great at making connections with people. While I know part of it is how hard you work, I feel like there is more to it and that’s something I’d sure like to learn!
This sounds fabulous. I am on the path of beginning my own event styling business. I love what I do and I believe I would really take a lot from your passionate and creative teachings on how to take my ‘side project’ to the next level. I think some of the things that would be useful in your teachings which I know are barriers for me are – building confidence within myself and my work and trusting I heading in the right direction, how to take my creative work to the next level and make it profitable and into a successful business instead of just a side project whilst still having a 9-5 full time job. Setting goals, carving a future and reaching for dreams that I never knew were possible. Also creating a lifestyle around it that allows time for family, friends, travel, relaxation, education, health and exercise, giving back and other passions that are unique to each person to help me (and others) live a meaningful life.
I know these are my ambitions and that I am scared to take the plunge and also a little hazy on how to get there. I’m sure you were scared too and others also on how to be successful but I think your idea is genius on bringing people together to collaborate within a supportive environment and be mentored from one of the best creative souls in her industry.
I’m in from 1000 miles away! I want to just soak up all the knowledge and wisdom and laughs you have to give to the world. It’s utterly amazing, and I must say this is one of the few blogs I read that’s encouraged me to find what I’m passionate about and want to do and be apart of and known for.
Your heart and willingness to follow the call is incredible! I’d love to chat and learn more about this and how I too can follow my own call, carve out my own way and serve others. I’d love to know how to turn dreams into actionable steps, behind the scenes stuff like taxes, processes as well as how to collaborate and work with others. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Jenna –
Your passion and love of helping people is sooo contagious! Whenever I finish reading one of your blog posts I give myself a pep talk, “Alright, let’s do this!” 🙂 But then it sort of stops there. I don’t know what the next step is. Am I good enough? Is my work flow the most efficient? Can I make this my career? What advise do I trust? I just read Sheree’s comment above and I am in her same shoes. I am afraid to take the plunge to the next level, because, for one, I am not entirely sure what that next step is and I am a little afraid, to be honest. I need to build up a little more confidence in my ability and need to work on balancing a full-time job while trying to grow a client base. I have never taken a marketing class and I will admit, that is one of my biggest weaknesses. Taking part in your course would be so helpful and a game changer. I am so looking forward to this new adventure of yours! Thank you so much for sharing your dreams with us!
Let me start off telling you that I have been SUCH an admirer of your body of work, your work ethic and your vulnerability. You always seem to address your audience with a “real talk” mentality and with such honesty. I appreciate that. I am also glad to know that you are potentially opening up a platform that will allow people to learn from your humble journey. I started my business in March of 2013 with literally a FEW dollars in my checking account and much much less in my savings (I’m not going to reveal numbers because that’d be completely embarrassing) and a dream. Twice I’ve had to step back from the canvas and rethink my business plan and my complete aesthetic. I have finally gotten to a place where I feel my business should have started at and where I can honestly feel like a real businesswoman but I still need help, your help. I’m not trying to get rich nor be the next big thing. But I do want to make a name for myself and show people that I have a voice that I think can contribute to the creative, modern world. I would love it if you would help me with that. Thank you for your time in reading this long ol’ comment. Oh, and keep up the good work!
You’re an inspiring woman – I would love to be a part of this!
I am very interested!
Yes – yes – yes! I would be so in! I have been following your blog since you photographed my sisters wedding and I have been obsessed since! Although I studied marketing in college – I think you are teaching what can’t be found in a text book.
Yes – yes – yes! I would be so in! I have been following your blog since you photographed my sisters wedding and I have been obsessed since! Although I studied marketing in college – I think you would be teaching what can’t be found in a text book. I have loved watching your journey unfold – in a word AMAZING!
I would love to learn from you! I am so inspired by your watercolors and your photography work. I would love to learn about how you run a successful photography business!
i would love to be apart of this awesome group! Your work in inspiring and I’d love to push my business to new heights!
Jenna, it has been so inspiring to watch you and your brand soaring these last couple years! I don’t know if you’d remember, but one of those nights in Seattle I told you that you should do a marketing course for creatives. Now, to see it happening is so exciting! If you have any room left, I’d love to be involved.
You inspire me daily. I would love to learn from you. <3
Jenna,
I recently came across your profitable pricing strategy, loved your willingness to teach, started poking around your website and found this article. I also feel like 2015 will be my year! In January I quit my corporate job, bulldozed into photography full-time and launched my business to pursue my dream! God has blessed me tremendously with clients in the first two months, but I’m still looking to grow my business organically so that I can reach the goals I have set for my business in 2016. I think your dream to teach is wonderful, and I would absolutely love to learn from you because I resonate with your story so much. I would love advice/courses on marketing strategies to attract more clients and more of the right clients. I’m based out of Chicago and would love to be a part of you expanding into teaching! I know this post if from January so let me know if there is any more details or openings now that it’s March. Thanks!
Is this course available now? Thanks.
Hey Victoria! Here is a link to all of my courses: http://jennakutcher.com/business