Marketing Happy Hour - From 9-5 to Entrepreneur: Launching Your Own Marketing Business | Jamie Tjornehoj of Brand Bosses

Episode Date: January 30, 2025

Ready to trade your corporate 9-to-5 for a business of your own? Jamie Tjornehoj, founder of Brand Bosses, shares her journey from corporate marketing manager to thriving entrepreneur. In this episode, we dive into the key elements of building a standout brand, the digital marketing trends businesses can’t afford to miss, and Jamie’s top advice for anyone ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship. Whether you’re dreaming of starting your own side hustle or leveling up your business, this conversation is packed with actionable tips, insights, and inspiration. Key Takeaways: // Jamie’s story of transitioning from a corporate marketing manager to founding Brand Bosses. // Tips for creating a cohesive brand across digital and traditional platforms. // Jamie’s insights into the most impactful trends for businesses in the next few years. // How to identify your purpose, niche, and target audience. // Advice for anyone considering the leap into starting their own business. Learn more about Brand Bosses: Website Connect with Jamie: LinkedIn ____ Get Popular Pays: Demo Here Say hi! DM me on Instagram and let us know what content you want to hear on the show - I can't wait to hear from you! Please also consider rating the show and leaving a review, as that helps us tremendously as we move forward in this Marketing Happy Hour journey and create more content for all of you. ⁠ Join our FREE Open Jobs group on LinkedIn: ⁠Join now⁠ Get the latest from MHH, straight to your inbox: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our email list!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow MHH on Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

We don't have long. If something sparks your interest right now, if that job is really appealing to you, yet you have to move halfway across country, go for it. Life is so short. It's too short for you to say somewhere that you really don't feel like you should be, but make that decision slowly and then act once you kind of have that confidence. Welcome to Marketing Happy Hour. I'm Cassie, consultant, podcaster, and your host. Every Thursday, you'll hear episodes packed with insights from brand leaders on an array of topics from crafting effective marketing strategies and hitting career goals to building leadership skills and launching your own business. Inspired by those unfiltered

happy hour combos with peers, this show is all about practical, empowering chats to support your professional journey. So grab your favorite drink and let's get to the episode. So today I have a fellow agency owner with me, Jamie Chernihoy is with me today, and I'm excited for you to hear kind of her journey from corporate marketing to building her agency and the process there, what it to hear kind of her journey from corporate marketing to building her agency and the process there, what it was like kind of stepping out on her own. We'll talk a little bit about brand identity and just the key elements to building that out for your own personal business or even just businesses that you work in, some digital

marketing trends. But Jamie, welcome to the show. Thanks for being here. Thanks for having me, Cassie. Yeah. So I got the show. Thanks for being here. Thanks for having me, Cassie. Yeah. So I got to ask before we jump in here, I was just recording with you for your show, your podcast, which I'm excited to share with other people. And you had a coffee in your hand. Is that your typical morning beverage that you go for? Yeah. So right now it's 12 PM in Minnesota and it literally, we've, this is my fourth podcast today. Okay. So everybody, but we're caffeinated and we're

ready to go. So in my glass, I have a almond milk latte. Oh, perfect. I know. I love it. I love it. It's so good. It's so good. And there's nothing like a homemade latte too. Like it's kind of nice to be able to, to do it yourself at few cafes I go to. Okay. And so I've kind of mastered like a good latte. And so that's what we're doing. Okay, wait. So I have to ask you about this then. Where do you typically get your beans from? So there's two coffee shops in the Midwest, honestly, that I like am in love with. So one of them is called Kingdom Coffee in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

So it's about, I don't know, 20 minutes North of where our office is. And then the second one is in my hometown. So I'm from Wisconsin and the coffee shop is called Ember and Bean. And they are also very select about where they get their beans. And like, it's just this whole process. And I don't know why or like where this came from. I think it's literally because I've probably started drinking coffee when I was like 12 or 13. Yeah. But I've just like developed this kind of like knack for it. And I'm just very particular. So those are my two top places. Oh, I love that. I'll have to check those out. No, I completely understand. Like I, I lived in New York for a little bit and like my coffee choices were very intentional. Like I had different places depending on if I was going for a coffee,

like a latte or a cappuccino, like there's different places for each of those, just depending on how they are. If I'm doing a matcha, for example, like that's a different shop. So no, I completely respect that and understand it. Yeah. It's, I mean, it's definitely like a niche group of us that care that much. The average person is like, Oh, Starbucks, whatever. But yeah, I mean, if you're going to drink coffee, like it has to be good, right? A thousand percent. Yeah. You're, there's been a couple of people on the show who have said the same thing. Like they'll, they'll ship beans in from a coffee shop in a different state. Like there's a whole,

there's a whole method to it, which again, I, I totally respect it. So yeah, we don't need to keep talking about it, but my cousin actually, but he roasts his own beans. And so he has a whole, yep. He has a whole like roaster type thing. He ships in the beans similar to who, whatever you're talking about. And like is takes this coffee very, very seriously. Like I'm moderate compared to that. But yeah, some people, man, it's a whole thing. Oh my gosh. It reminds me of those videos on TikTok that the guys have like the 15 step coffee process where they like grind it to a certain level and then put it on the scale and then like do the tamper thing. And I'm just like, I don't have the patience for that, but I do understand the appreciation for

a great coffee routine in the morning. So amazing. Well, Jamie, tell us a little bit about your journey. Like how did you land where you are today building Brand Bosses? Yeah, so I'll take you back to 2022. I had just graduated from college. I graduated in a degree of journalism and business, so I double majored. And throughout my college career, I had some really great internships. I had some internships in news. I had some in writing, in publication. I wrote for different magazines, different local

newspapers. I loved to write clearly. And then I also love photography. And so I worked at the photography department. And so I didn't know it at the time, but I was definitely like creatively skilled in those things. And so when I graduated, I had a lot of, I just say, you know, natural pressure to find a nine to five, right? Everybody feels that pressure when they're just graduating and they're like, what's next? And everybody tells you, well, go find a nine to five, go find something that you can use as your launch pad. And so that's exactly what I did. I jumped into a job actually in finance, which if you know me, you're like, what? Like, that's exactly what I did. I jumped into a job actually in finance, which if you know me, you're like, what? Like, that's just so out of touch. And it was, but the reality is I was so

glamorized by a paycheck that was nearly six figures, right? Right out of college. And I thought to myself, well, you know, I can figure out anything. I had that kind of confidence where I was like, you know, even if this isn't really my skill set, like I'll figure it out. And I will say like, I definitely grew in this position. I lasted probably six months. And finally I was like, you know what? This is not it. Like I'm literally so stressed all the time.

I work six, seven days a week. I'm taking calls on Saturdays. Like it was just such a grind. And, um, you know, it was funny cause what, what they were doing was essentially raising rents of small businesses, like high level, whatever. And it's so interesting cause what we do today is we help small businesses grow so that they can kind of put up with, you know, these other people that try to, I guess, take them down in a sense. And so from this position, I actually landed a marketing managerial role at a luxury design build here in the Twin Cities. And this was a job I was offered, again, right out of college, but I said,

no. And I took this, you know, glamorous downtown job in finance and I came back to them and I said, you know what? I just made a wrong decision and I just need a plan B. And I said, can you take me in? It was literally that conversation and very humbling, you know, when you've kind of been served all these amazing internships and positions throughout your college career, just to be at such a low point, just physically, mentally. I mean, it took a strain on my relationships. It just took a strain on everything I had. And I think that's a lesson out there for someone, because when you're not in alignment from the start, a lot of times you won't get there. And, you know, this job was not in my skill set. It was outside of my realm.

And yet I kind of forced my way into it by power of networking. In the end, it didn't really turn out for me. And it was such a great lesson for me. But from here, I took this job. I didn't realize I'd be running basically the marketing department for this multimillion dollar luxury design build company. And so I jumped into this job and it was just, again, very comprehensive, a lot on my plate, but I loved the responsibility and I loved having a say. You know, I'm the one who's deciding, you know, some of the ads that we do or everything that goes on social. I just

loved having that leadership at a young age. I mean, at this point, I'm probably 22, right? And so from here, I decided, you know, I really need a creative outlet, something that's just for me, something that I can do on the side that keeps up my passion for marketing. And so what I did was I launched Rooted Studios, which was originally a photography studio. And I took this photography studio and I just literally went to businesses and I'm like, can I take your headshots? Can I do your brand photos? Like, what can I do for you? And slowly and surely people started asking me, similar to your story, to do marketing and to do and to help them with social, to help them with writing, newsletters, whatever it was. And I was just naturally gifted in these things. So it came

so easy to me. So I said, sure. And I just kept saying yes. And slowly that grew to Brand Bosses, my business today. And I'm just very proud of it because we are a six-figure marketing agency. And we've just grown so fast. And we have a team of four amazing people. And yeah, that's a little bit about my story. Oh, my gosh. Amazing. So how long has it been brand bosses? Like, what's the timeline been there so far?

Yeah. So basically, let's see. It was Rooted Studios for most of 2022, probably fall of 2022, if not spring of 2023, we shifted over. That's awesome. What do you feel has been just the most rewarding part about being on your own? And did you ever, like growing up or even like finishing college out, was that a goal to own your own business? Or do you feel like you just kind of fell into it? Yeah, not at all.

It's so funny because I look back and I'm like, could I have seen myself here? Absolutely. Like, absolutely not. I think some people have that gift where it's like, oh, I always knew I wanted to run my own thing, but I really, I didn't have that confidence. I'd say until probably the past two years. And I grew up in a household where I had my father who worked a traditional nine to five, very through and through. And then I had my mother who was an entrepreneur through and through,

and she really paved her own path. She worked in this industry that was very male dominant and just really, you know, raised her voice of what she was, what she was passionate about. And I think that was really inspiring for me in a more subconscious way. Like I didn't even realize this until probably in the past year when I'm like, this all makes sense. Kind of how I ended up here, having her as a figure in my life. Um, but in terms of, yeah, where I am today, I never would have guessed that. I think right out of college, I actually had a job to go down to Nashville and work in music, work in the music industry because I absolutely love country music. And I was so passionate about it, but it was right

at the time when I started dating my now husband. And so we just kind of decided, you know, we're going to kind of grow our roots here and see what happens. And I, um, we just kind of decided, you know, we're going to kind of grow our roots here and see what happens. And I'm just very happy that I did. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah. Everything works out as it should be for sure. But yeah, it's so funny. A lot of people that I talk to who are on, own their own business now, same thing. It's like, they just kind of fell into it and it just happened, but it's so cool to see things work out that way. I don't know. And I feel like there's a lot of experience that you can obviously take from corporate and bring it into running your own business and everything. So I'm curious, like we have a lot of listeners who

are dabbling and maybe having whether a side hustle or maybe it is their aspiration to start their own business, or maybe it's even not on their horizon and similar to our stories. Like it's just something maybe down the road that they can fall into. But what do you feel just in that transition phase was, were there any challenges that popped up and like, what for you were some of the things that kept you grounded through those challenges of making that transition? Yeah, I think that's a great, great question. You know, I think entrepreneurs are a certain breed, even if you don't know it yet, you'll

eventually know it in this lifetime if you fall into that. But I think it's truly the people that know their purpose that become really great entrepreneurs. And so I truly believe, you know, my purpose is to help female business owners grow. Like just that's the end all be all for me. And so in this transition, you know, when I became an entrepreneur, it was definitely very scary at first. You know, I'm living downtown Minneapolis. I have rent to pay. Like there

wasn't a lot of fallback for me per se. And so kind of what I did was I tried very hard to lower the risk. And so before I took the jump to becoming an entrepreneur, you know, like I said, I was working full-time as a marketing manager and I had surpassed my full-time income with my business before I took the job and you know you hear a lot of stories about folks who just go in headfirst and I think that's great if that's your personality but for me you know my dad is a lawyer I have a little bit more like risk averse taste yeah and so I definitely tried to create a firm foundation for myself before I went all in,

which I'm so happy I did. In terms of just some of the challenges that I face, you know, I think it's always a challenge figuring out like what your niche is when you start, right? I think anybody will tell you that. So when I started, I kind of looked at my past and I'm like, well, what do I have experience in? And I'm like, well, real estate. I worked for this design build. I almost became a realtor actually in college or got my degree, I should say. And I kind of just knew the industry through and through, through this occupation that I was in. And so I was like, well, I'm just going to dabble in here and see what happens. So that is the group that I really pursued that first year. And I built a lot of connections. I networked my way through it.

And that really turned out to bring great fruition to the business, I'd say, is having that niche. Because only in the past probably year or so, we've really expanded from that niche. And I say that because I think a lot of people don't want to feel pigeonholed to a certain area or a certain type of client or an age or whatever it is. And I just say, you know, there's a time and place for everything. You know, sometimes it's nice when you start out to be able to say, this is exactly my ideal client. Like I know what they look like. I know their industry. I know their occupation. I know everything about them because that helps you on the backend create content and whatnot that speaks directly to them. Um, I think other challenges I've faced

have just been understanding the caliber of client that we work with. We've had a couple clients as you probably know, that just haven't been a good fit. And it's so funny because I knew that from the minute that I signed on, right? And then it turns out to just be a poor relationship. But I think that's really taught me how to handle different personalities, different backgrounds, and when to call it quits. And those are all at the end of the day, really valuable lessons. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah. So those are all at the end of the day, really valuable lessons. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Yeah. So good. I am like thinking of so many different questions in my head now just based on that. So one of them too, you mentioned just finding this purpose with

serving women, small business owners. What was kind of your thought process to discovering what that purpose was? Like, I think this is such a relevant topic, no matter if you're running your own business or even just kind of finding your purpose and the corporate world or even in life in general, like when did you kind of know that was who you were supposed to serve and what kind of like thinking did you go through to figure that out? Yeah, I'd say it's definitely after I started the business. So I started this business, I took it full time. And then I remember I was on Instagram one day and I saw Sarah Blakely, right? Love her. And she had posted a photo with a book and she was like, this book changed the way I do business

or something like that. And I was like, okay, like ordering that right now, you know, say less. And so I ordered it and it turned out to be this book by Wayne Dyer called The Power of Intention. And he really talks about how your purpose is about the journey. It's not a destination. And that really changed the way that I viewed purpose. And it changed the way, I think purpose can be very intimidating for the average person. Like, Oh, what am I here to do? And I think ultimately, you know, I have roots in faith and for me, it's all about serving. Right. And that's the end all be all for me. It's like, I'm here to serve. And I found kind of this niche population of female entrepreneurs that I can really relate to and that I can speak to because I've been where

they've been in the different stages of their business. And so I think that's truly a piece of advice I would give to anybody who's looking for their purpose is like, look back and look at the experiences that made you who you are. You've all like heard it that you ask a person who's a teacher, right? And you ask her, well, you know, how'd you become a teacher? Why are you a teacher? And she's like, well, I don't know. Like I just had some really like bad teachers in elementary school. And it's like, well, that's why, you know what I mean? Like because of these poor experiences, like that's why. And so I'd say like, use those as lessons and as kind of arrows to where you are supposed to be, but also understand that your purpose will

shift as you go through life in different phases and that's okay. But just to listen to your intuition and to kind of follow those arrows as they point you. Yeah. And kind of with that too, you know, you mentioned like the, these gut feelings of approaching client relationships and it's like at the very beginning feeling like something's off, but you're like, Oh, I'll just do it anyways. And like, see what happens. Right. Like I've very much faced that a number of times. And it's funny, you get to an up to a point in the relationship with the client and you're like, okay, like I saw this coming from a million miles away. But,. But I think like we, especially as young entrepreneurs and young professionals in general, like we say yes to these opportunities and it feels exciting to take on something new and all of this stuff. But I think it gets to a point where you have to remember your values and your purpose.

And like, does this align with what I'm working towards in the future does it align with what I believe in as a human and everything so but I think that takes confidence and that takes time to like build up that intuition like you were saying and just trust yourself and making those decisions so again I think just going back to whether you're in a corporate marketing position and you're trying to decide like is where I'm currently at still serving me is this something that I should continue to step into or does it doesn't mean it's time to take a leap or um saying yes to a client opportunity or no so do you have any just tips or encouragement for young professionals like building that confidence

in our own intuition and not being afraid to make some of those tough decisions? Because I know that's, that can be really hard. Yeah. I mean, the one, I guess the one piece of advice I would say ultimately is life is short. You know, at the end of the day, we only get hopefully 90 to 100 years on this earth. And I think not enough people like grapple with that truly. Like time is short. We don't have long. If something sparks your interest right now, if that job is really appealing to you, yet you have to move halfway across the country, go for it. Like just go for it. If it doesn't work out, come back home and restart, right? Like that's the beauty about

a new day every, you know, day in, day out. There's always a fresh, clean slate waiting for you. And so I would just encourage you, you know, especially for those maybe in a, maybe you graduated and you took this position and you're like, oh, this isn't really what I thought it would be. Well, it's okay. And like, take what you can from that, take the connections, take what you learned and apply it somewhere else. If that's the direction that you're headed. Otherwise, you know, I think a lot of people though, jump from job to job. And I'd say sometimes it's okay to stay and serve, even if it's a position that you feel like you're not being paid enough for, whatever it may be, maybe you're there for a season, um, for a reason. Right. And so I just encourage like

anybody to think about that as like, again, life is so short. It's too short for you to say somewhere that you really don't feel like you should be. Um, but make that decision slowly. Um, and you know, ask people around you, ask your mentors and truly sit in silence. You know, it sounds silly, but like be quiet about it and then act once you kind of have that confidence. Yeah. Oh, thank you for saying that. Yeah. I think we can sometimes specifically in positions like that get super uncomfortable and think like, oh, this doesn't feel fun and I'm not enjoying this and everything. But I think to your point, it's so valuable just to take a minute and take a beat

and think through that decision. And, um, we're in this, unfortunately, the society of instant gratification and everything has to feel good all the time. And it's like, I think a lot of our biggest growth and opportunity comes through those challenges and being pushed. And, um, sure. Sometimes it means to make an immediate decision to go somewhere else or, uh, you know, fire a client or whatever. But sometimes I think just wondering and discovering like, what is the learning that's supposed to come from this? And chances are there's some big opportunities there. Yeah, definitely. And I think just another thing that I did, um, looking back was I just networked like crazy. Like every person that I

met, I'm like, okay, who can you pass me on to? And it would be people in industries that I had zero interest in, but I'm like, you know what, this might come back and help me one day. And I would just grab coffee with people and I just really got to know their story on a deeper level. I didn't ask for anything. I wasn't seeking business from them or anything, but I just really built up such a great amount of connections. And so maybe for that person that's thinking good. I love that. Safe Collab, one of their smart tools, takes what used to take hours, like scrolling through creators' posts, checking for red flags, and does it in minutes. I'm talking AI-powered magic that looks at everything. Tweets, TikToks, and even old posts you didn't even know you needed to check. Here's the thing. It doesn't stop after you hire an influencer.

Safe Collab keeps an eye on your campaigns in real time so you can avoid those oh-no moments before they happen. And honestly, in a world where 66% of people will drop a brand if they're tied to the wrong content, this kind of protection is a game changer. So ready to make influencer marketing less stressful? Head to popularpays.com and book your demo. Trust me, this will free up your time and protect your brand's vibe. Cheers to that. I'm curious too, just like as you've built your business, what do you feel have been some keys to success? I mean, the success that you've seen,

even just thinking about a financial level has been so awesome and the period of time that you've been building. So what do you feel just like kind of looking through some of the values you have as a business or some of the values you have as a business or some of the strategies that you've employed to grow? Like what have you felt has been the most effective for you? Yeah, I think that's a great question. Well, one thing I kind of discovered early on as I started this business was, you know, even though I can't have mentors that are out in LA or New York or things like that,

like I can't have all these authors out in LA or New York or things like that. Like I can't have all these authors right next to me that I love. I can still learn from them by listening to them and by reading their work and by really getting acquainted, like hearing them on podcasts, like how would they respond? How did they kind of vocalize what they do, what they're passionate about? And I just really immersed myself in a handful of, you know, people that I respected, like, you know, Ed Milet, I've talked about Dan Sullivan, Wayne Dyer, like some of these people I just got really, really acquainted with, and started kind of evolving how I spoke, how I approached business, how I just approached my life that mimicked kind of what they did. And so I kind

of used that inspiration that I made it my own. And I'd say like that really helped me just show up professionally. Like at the end of the day, I'm 24. And so when you show up to a multimillion dollar business and you're like, oh, I'll take over all your marketing and like, don't worry about it. You know, it can go over a little strangely. And so I think it really helped mature how I approach, I guess, some of my clients and just my business as a whole in terms of other ways that we've been able to grow. A lot of it, probably 90 to 99% of it has been word of mouth. And you know, that just shows the power of creating a strong network, but also the power of delivering quality to your clients at the end of the day. Like I think we've done a really good job just

keeping the client at the forefront of our minds day in, day out. And so sometimes that means I have to work on weekends. Sometimes that means I have to put in a late night and that's just, you know, how it goes as an entrepreneur. But I think like not backing away from doing the extra mile for people because they feel that. And one thing that we've been talking about a lot recently internally as a team is like, what is the energy that I'm bringing? Because I get 15 minutes with my clients every single week to go over social calendars, newsletters, whatever it may be. And that might be the only touch point that I have with them. Like, how am I making them feel? How do they feel when they leave that meeting? Is it better? Because that's truly the goal, right? So I think it's

always about, you know, why do you do what you do? And like I said, if you have a deep layer of wanting to serve, of really wanting to put people first, I promise that the business and the sales, it will all come to you. Yeah. I mean, couldn't agree more. I think that's so important to remember. It's just that intention and the why behind what you're doing. And I'm curious if you agree with this too, but I think if you go into running your own business, for example, with this idea of, Oh, I have so much opportunity to make X amount of dollars per year, and I'm going to be successful and like all of this stuff. And those are your core reasons as to why you're doing it. A, you're going to get burnt out really quickly. And then a moment that a challenge comes that,

that affects either of those goals, like you're done, there's nothing else to stand on. So I know for me personally, to your point as well, just remembering why you're doing it and you're here to help people and help push their ideas forward and get the word out about what they're providing. I think that that keeps you locked into just your mission and continuing despite those challenges happening. Yeah, definitely. And it's so funny you talk about being burnt out because I've been through seasons and I think every entrepreneur like sometimes gets on the wrong track, right? Yeah. Where it's like, oh, I'm just here to kind of make money more and more for me, whatever.

And it was so funny because last year, so I got engaged, I don't know, two Novembers ago, right? And this turned out, I think we probably three X the business during the duration of my engagement. Like it was just insanity in terms of like the business stress and commitments, the stress of planning a wedding. So by the time I get to our honeymoon in August after the wedding, right, right after the wedding, we left the morning after I literally remember vividly, I'm sitting on a bus in the middle of fricking Peru and I just couldn't take it anymore. Like I literally just lost it. And I just broke down. I'm like, this is just too much. And I don't want to be here anymore. And you know, I can't put a hundred percent in this relationship at this point, like if I'm 0% myself. And so I think, you know,

like you said, you have to protect yourself and you have to have those boundaries in business and in entrepreneurship and all the good stuff, but like be very attentive to your energy. What's giving you energy? What's taking away from it? If it's there a certain client, is there a certain service that you decide to provide that maybe you shouldn't be providing anymore? Like be very attentive because at the end of the day, these things leak into our daily lives, into our relationships, our bodies, things like that. It's all intertwined. Yeah. 1000%.

I think that's so important just to make note of those things. And to the other thing I tell people all the time, kind of on that is if you have a task on your to-do list that you keep pushing because you like really don't feel like doing that task, chances are you're not probably they're super passionate about that industry that you're working in or that client or whatever, or the task itself is just something that drains your energy and doesn't give you energy. It doesn't inspire you. And so I think throughout your career, making note of those things so that when you go to say yes to the next opportunity, the next client, the new, the next job, uh, you have kind of a mental note of, okay, these tasks that I really enjoy are a core part of this function. Maybe this is a good

fit for me. And if it's not, then chances are, it's probably not the best opportunity to take on. That's so true. Yeah. So Jamie, I want to ask you a couple of questions just about brand strategy. You all at Brand Bosses, you do some amazing functions, social, you mentioned email, just really this holistic 360 marketing strategy, which is amazing. So I'm just curious from your point of view, are there any certain key elements that you feel contribute to a strong brand identity and how do you feel businesses can ensure their brand stands out across digital channels? Yeah. Well, what a question. That's something that I feel like everybody asked me in an initial consult, right? It's like,

how can I stand out? And so I think it's a great question. So yeah, when we started, we just offered social media management and then we branched out. And with all of our new clients, we take them on this kind of process where we craft a strategy for them once we have the contract signed. And this strategy is very comprehensive. It's like basically it's me and maybe our marketing coordinator just kind of sitting in a room and talking through like, okay, here's where I see this brand going. Like here's the aesthetic that I think we should shift to. Like it's just a very intense conversation that we have and then we lay it all out. And so in terms of branding and what makes a good brand, well, you know, you talked about this on my podcast and so I'm going to flip it a little bit, but consistency, obviously, right? Showing up day

in after day. And I think that is just the number one underestimated thing when it comes to building a brand. And it's the hardest thing. And I think that's why so many people don't do it or why so many entrepreneurs, businesses stray away is because it can be hard to think of new ideas, to think of, you know, how can I best show up today when I have 20 other things on my plate? It's just a reality. But, you know, that's something that we obviously take off the plates of the businesses we work with is we do the social or we do the newsletters, we do the digital marketing. Um, and so I think you made a great point. Like what are the things on your list that you keep pushing off? Because a lot of times, you know, our clients come to us and they're

like, we just can't handle marketing. I have no idea how to show up. I don't know my voice. Like, I don't know any of these things. And it's so funny because a lot of what we do, honestly, especially with our entrepreneurs is confidence is we work a lot on confidence because when you don't want to show up, there's typically a reason for it. And, um, so we work through that and we find, you know, the root of your business and the why that you have that keeps you showing up every day. And then we try to help you verbalize that. And so in terms of, you know, showing up online and standing out, I think it takes brand consistency. I think it takes having a brand that you love.

A lot of times we set these branding guidelines and then five years down the road in our business, we just hate them. And then we're uninspired by our business. And then we don't want to post. And then we don't want to do this and that. And then we wonder what's happening with our lives, right? That's kind of what happens. And so I talked about this on my podcast. I think a great example of this, it's so silly, but let's just take a look at like Taylor Swift for a moment. I mean, the girl has shifted. Every one of her albums is so different. And I just love how she's kind of opening up this door where it's like, you don't have to be the same every single day. Like you can show up in a completely new way, but do it in a way that's authentic to you

and aligned with whatever stage you are at in your brand. Yeah, no, I, I think there's a lot of lessons to be learned from Taylor Swift. Thank you for, yeah. Thank you for sharing that. Um, yeah, that's so true. And I think with that as well, just like taking people along with you through that journey, you know, that's another thing she's done is just, she's not only kind of pivoted and gone through these different eras per se, but, um, it's just, she's brought her fans along for the ride. And I think that's why everyone feels so invested in like the sense of ownership for what she's building because they've literally been there through each stage. So, um, that's a really fun lesson from her as well. Yeah. Yeah. But like I

said, I think that enough people have the confidence to kind of do that with their own business. But at the same time, if you're feeling uninspired by your business, if you don't know what the next step is, try something new. You know, like, like I said earlier, life's too short. Like you're, you're hopefully running this business for a couple decades if that's what you want to do. But try something new out and see how people respond. And maybe it's a flop at first. And that's okay. You learn and you move on.

But I think it's about having the flexibility in business and when it comes to your branding to really stand out. And never kind of following the status quo or hopping, you know, you don't always have to hop on all the trends that everybody else is doing. Do something that feels right to you, whatever that looks like. Yeah, absolutely. So kind of with that along the lines of just marketing strategies and everything, you know, we're recording this, not to timestamp it, but we're recording this at the beginning of 2025. We're coming off the heels of a 24 hour, pretty much TikTok ban and just craziness happening. I mean, I feel like, um, working in marketing, like every day is just, there's something new that's happening, being unveiled, whatever. Um, where do you feel the

future of marketing is headed or do you have any, um, predictions feel the future of marketing is headed? Or do you have any predictions for the future and just things that brands should be focusing on or leaning into? Really, whatever you would want to say to that. Yeah, that's really interesting that you asked, because I just sent out a newsletter kind of on this yesterday, actually. And Forbes kind of came out with this analysis of a study done by, you know, like to know it. They did this huge study on kind of where they think, you know, trends are going in 2025. And I'd say definitely influencer marketing is going to be boosted for sure. I think, you know, in the study, they said the average person has like three to four creators that they just are devoted to. So I think this is definitely going to be increasing in terms of just general marketing

trends. But I think it really goes back to the basics, right? Like we're talking about at the end of the day, you need to have the content pillars. You need to have the foundation of your marketing strategy. You need to have the content pillars. You need to have the foundation of your marketing strategy. You need to have goals. And with that, if you're able to stick to them, then I'd say kind of branch out, hop on some of these trends, you know, follow whatever new hot platform is out there. But many times, you know, businesses come to me and they have, they're on five different platforms and they're like, oh yeah, we haven't posted on these in like two years. And it's like, okay, well, you know,

we're going to start with one or two and we're going to get really good at it. And we're going to establish your brand and then we can branch out. It's similar concept to niching down, right? You have to start kind of small and then you can branch out. And so I'd say just where I see marketing going, I think it's just going to be those same basic principles that we've been seeing in terms of social media. You know, I think we all kind of are thinking TikTok is going to be making a comeback here. And so we just got to give it time. But I see Instagram as just being more and more of a force to be reckoned with. I'll be honest with you, like, especially with this whole TikTok situation, a lot of people are popping over there

in the reels. I think YouTube is just going to become a major force again to be reckoned with. YouTube shorts, things like that. Adriana again to be reckoned with. YouTube shorts, things like that. Adriana, my marketing coordinator and I sat down, we did a 2025 trend forecast essentially from a social standpoint. Snapchat seems to be on a lot of people's radar. Isn't that so funny? Yeah. So I think a lot of, because I think a lot of people are getting their news and their information from Snapchat. And so I think, um, another interesting thing from the study was a lot more like news-based influencers are going to be popping up. And that's fascinating to me that more and more, we are just getting our information. We're getting, um, what's, what's trending, what's going on in the world via social. And that leads me to believe that

social media is just becoming more and more important. And I said in my newsletter earlier this week, I said, if you're not on social, if you're not taking this seriously, take this as a sign that you need to be, because this is the direction we're all headed. Yeah. And it's never too late. So yeah, now's the time to start with that too. Like you've mentioned some awesome books between this recording and your podcast recording too. Um, but are there any specific platforms or resources that you're on, on a regular basis, just to keep tabs on what's happening on these platforms and just marketing in general, seeing some of the new campaigns being released? Like how are you kind of staying up to date on what's happening out there? Yeah, it's a good question. Well, I'll be honest with you. I have two interns.

They keep me updated on all the good things, all the good trends, all this stuff. In terms of what I personally have, I, you know, I read a great newsletter by The Leap. Have you heard of The Leap? No, I haven't. I'll check that out. Yeah, you know, I read a great newsletter by The Leap. Have you heard of The Leap? No, I haven't. I'll check that out. Yeah. Check them out. And, um, you can kind of create like a digital product using their services, but they send out a newsletter that's just jam packed full of really great marketing information. So I'd say them, um, in terms of trends and whatnot, I know that a lot of people use Twitter right now. I'm keeping my eye on LinkedIn, honestly, because I follow a few great creators on LinkedIn

that are just like pioneering the marketing sphere. And I think LinkedIn is very untapped, very untapped. So I'd say, um, in terms of where I'm getting my information, that's definitely some streams. In terms of just general marketing info, where I typically reside is anything that has to do with Alex Hermosi. As you probably know, he's a marketing guru. But he has a few really great books on selling, on creating your offer, on all the basics. And so I'd encourage you, even if you've been in business for a couple of years, like these are great points to really elevate your marketing. Yeah, I agree. He's a great one for sure. I'm going to check out that newsletter too. Thank

you for sharing that. I got to ask kind of pivoting back to just career and general business building and everything. Is there anything that you wish you knew now or you wish you knew earlier on that you know now just in life and career or anything you want to share on that? Yeah, what a great question. I would tell my younger self to be bolder. I think that's what I would tell them.

I think sometimes as women, we feel a little bit muted in different environments, in different conference tables, different rooms, whatever it may be. I would tell myself to be bolder because, you know, at the end of the day, we have just as much of a runway to become a powerful entrepreneur as anybody else. And as I mentioned earlier, like I really have a heart for helping females grow their businesses. Um, and I think that comes from, I've also mentioned this prior, seeing a lack of confidence as a common thread to my clients, especially my female clients. And I'm not quite sure why this is the case or where this, you know, stems from. Maybe it's just all the comparison that we're constantly just flooded with. But I would just tell that person or my younger self

or anybody starting out, be bold. You know, even though you're young, use it as a weapon for you. And, you know, people will look at you and be like, well, you're too young. Like I'm not going to hire you or whatever it may be. That's not your ideal client move on. Right. And so I just, that's what I would say. And then I'm going to keep it simple. Um, with that. That's so good. And then to like, you've shared a lot of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs or current entrepreneurs, but if you were to leave just us with one more piece of advice for someone who is looking to branch off on their own, they're kind of hesitant to take that step, maybe to launch their side hustle

or their full-time position in the future and leap into that, like what would you share encouragement-wise to someone kind of hesitating there? Yeah, that's a great question. You know, honestly, my piece of advice for anybody that's thinking about taking a leap is to be very candid with yourself

about the sacrifices that this leap is gonna make in in your life. Is it going to take a straight on your relationships? Like, do you really know how many hours this new position is going to be? If you're becoming an entrepreneur, do you understand that these next couple of months are going to be very quiet? And in the sense that a lot of people will not understand what you're going to do or why you're doing what you do, what you're doing. And so I would be very candid and I would just say, you know, be frank about what this is going to look like in your life. Because either way, any sort of transition or change can sometimes impact us in ways that we don't expect.

But sometimes we can be a little bit more proactive and say, okay, well, this is going to affect my weekends. Therefore it's probably going to affect my friendships and my relationships with my family and my relationship with my significant other, or, um, you know, I'm going to have to work really late evening. So this is probably going to affect my health in some way, shape and form. And I think sometimes we know that, or we know what a transition or a season of change is going to bring, but we don't accept it. And then we suffer some consequences because of it. So that's what I would say. I would say, just be very candid about kind of what this is going to bring. Understand that

change brings both the good and the bad. Like there's going to be a lot of beauty that's brought out of you transitioning and jumping to a different position or becoming an entrepreneur. But at the same time, bring your friends and family and those close to you into it so that they can understand what this new season is really going to mean for you. Yeah. That's such a good reminder. Yeah. Over-communicating with yourself, with others, you can never communicate too much. I think it's just, it's so important and just, you know, you're not missing anything and dotting all of your eyes and crossing all your T's. And so, yeah, that's such a great reminder. Thank you so much. I of course

want to know all about where we can find your podcast, learn more about brand bosses, follow you personally. What are the best places to do that online? Yeah. So our podcast is the Hashtag Brand Bosses Podcast. Anywhere that you listen to podcasts, you can find it. And then on social, you can follow us on Instagram, brandbosses.co. You can find our website, brand-bosses.com. Otherwise you can find us on TikTok if it comes back at Brand Bosses. Amazing. Jamie, thank you so much. This was such an encouraging conversation and I hope it was helpful to you listening as well and definitely go check out Jamie's brand and all of her channels. Yeah. Thank you so much again for being here. I really appreciate it.

Thanks for having me, Cassie. Thank you so much for tuning into this week's episode. If you enjoyed this conversation, I would love your feedback. And if you're ready to take things to the next level, sign up for my weekly newsletter in the show notes. You'll get weekly career and marketing insights straight to your inbox. And if you have an idea for a future Marketing Happy Hour episode, shoot me an email. Hello at marketinghappyhr.com. Thank you again, and I'll see you next Thursday.