By the age of 35, the woman had founded and sold two companies. Jaclyn Johnson organizes educational programs in Los Angeles to inspire female entrepreneurs and small business owners. She is well-known in the city thanks to the popular novel “WorkParty”. Her path is not as simple as it appears at first glance, but it is worth talking about. Learn more about the story of the successful entrepreneur at los-angeles.pro.
How did it all start?
A few years after graduating from college, Jaclyn Johnson started working for IAC, the parent company of Tinder and Match. A year later, management issued her an ultimatum: a wage cut or her relocation from New York to Los Angeles. The woman saw this as a chance for a promising future and a new job. However, her aspirations were crushed when she was fired from this job. At this point, Jaclyn found herself in a new city without any job or connections.
The woman refers to this period in her life as “Pizza Cry-Fest 2009” since she spent most of her days sleeping and eating pizza. It was a challenging time, but she was able to return to the real world within a few months. She began her career as a freelancer, running her own personal blog called “Some Notes On Napkins”. This work created prospects for collaboration with well-known brands like as Ralph Lauren, Mercedes-Benz and Target. At one of the fashion events where Jaclyn Johnson spoke, the exhibition’s president approached her and offered her a position as marketing director.
It was an excellent offer, but instead of simply saying “yes,” she responded:
“No, you should hire my agency.”
Starting and selling companies
The president of the exhibition agreed with her demand, but this presented a new issue for Jaclyn since she did not have any agency. Following this incident, the woman’s business partner offered to launch a company, develop a website, fly to New York and present it all to the client.
Later, the woman described this strategy in her book. We are discussing the reality that most young entrepreneurs lack the necessary experience and abilities, but for the time being, saying “yes” is sufficient. Jaclyn was so confident in her actions and enthusiastic at the time that she knew she would be able to keep her promises. Thus, the marketing company No Subject was founded in 2010.
Jaclyn Johnson ran the company but aspired to meet other female entrepreneurs. In 2011, she hosted the first Create & Cultivate conference, which drew 50 attendees. For the next three years, she held these gatherings and invested her own money.
In an interview, Jaclyn stated that being a small business owner entails being multifunctional, handling the duties of a manager in areas such as client relations, human resources and finance. In 2016, she sold No Subject to Small Girls PR for an undisclosed price. At the same time, she invested $50,000 in Create & Cultivate.
In 2017, she sold the company for $700,000 in revenue.
Difficulties of entrepreneurship
- According to Jaclyn, the most difficult aspect was her lack of experience. She attempted to be the boss of the first company despite having no prior experience in this position. Only with time did it become easier, as problems could be solved much more effectively. It is critical to pursue your goals, make mistakes and learn from your own failures.
- Another issue is age. People do not view young women as businesswomen. Jaclyn believes that in this circumstance, you must have the confidence and strength of mind to put people in their place and go on.
- When applying for a job, the entrepreneur prioritizes team players. For young people today, this can be challenging.
Writer
Jaclyn Johnson has written the book “WorkParty”, which will be useful for all students and graduates. According to her, the book is about establishing and developing the career of your dreams. In the book, she teaches readers what she wishes she had known when she first started her business. These include negotiation strategies, speech specifics and email and social media management. In this book, the author presents work-related tools and tips.
The successful entrepreneur was asked what advice she would have given herself while still in college if she had the opportunity. The woman said that she would advise her not to be so hard on herself. The truth is that when she started her business, she sought perfection.
Jaclyn Johnson inspires female entrepreneurs. She emphasizes the importance of such qualities as:
- resilience, that is, the ability to bounce back quickly
- determination, because 90% of judgments are simply impossible to make when hesitating
- compassion.
Motivation is crucial in any profession. For example, Jaclyn is inspired by the incredible stories of women who have been to her conference. For example, someone was motivated to request a promotion, and someone met a business partner and founded a firm. This is what pushes women to get up at 6 a.m. and work a 12-hour day.
The story of Jaclyn Johnson serves as an inspiration to other female entrepreneurs. Her path to success was not simple, but the hardships she overcame allowed her to gain valuable experience, which she gladly shares with her audience.