We were lucky to catch up with Kelly Jackson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kelly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I want to start by saying, I have spent the majority of my life being the most risk-adverse person on the planet. I was the master of playing it safe, often at the expense of experiencing the depth of true happiness. And in 2020, that all changed. As the world was undergoing a massive reset, I was in the midst of my own personal reset. I was fresh off a divorce, feeling incredibly isolated and lost, and made a decision to leave my 15-year Corporate career to start my own coaching business. I was unhappy in Corporate for as long as I can remember, but pursuing something else felt scary and risky. So I stayed. But I eventually got to a point where I decided that betting on myself was less risky than committing to a lifetime of settling in my career. I figured that if I was strong enough to start over after divorce, I was strong enough to start over in my career. So I spent several months planning my departure, both emotionally and financially, but I didn’t necessarily have a clear business strategy to replace my cushy Corporate salary. That said, I was willing to make that sacrifice if it meant pursuing a vocation that felt more purposeful and meaningful. So in the early months of 2021, knowing there would be a finish line, I worked with a Mentor and studied for my Life Coach Certification. By spring of that year I had resigned from Corporate, and in the fall I launched my coaching business. Three years later, I am still wildly in love with the work I get to do through coaching, and the people I get to serve. I could never imagine going back to a Corporate setting.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
For me, coaching isn’t just a business – it’s a calling. The coaching industry is massive, and you tend to see a lot of similar messaging and offerings out there. I think what sets me a part is that I weave a combination of mindset and somatic coaching techniques to work with my clients. Mindset work can only take us so far in life – it’s when we get the body (the soma) involved where we start to see real, holistic shifts take shape.
Oftentimes, my 1:1 clients will come to me when they are feeling lost in their careers and want to find more purpose and meaning. And what usually happens, is that we find much more that needs to unravel beyond their careers. There are limiting beliefs, values misalignments, boundary setting issues, etc. So we will work together to move through some of those blockers so that the client can then begin feeling a true sense of purpose and depth. It’s truly beautiful to see this type of transformation take shape!
One thing I’m really passionate about is helping women build confidence to disengage from their Corporate identities and build a life around things that feel really purposeful – whether that’s starting their own business, going back to school, starting a new hobby or passion, or being a SAHM, I think it’s really important that women reclaim their own sense of worth and success, outside of the confines of Corporate. In my membership community, Corporate Coven, we’ve created space and support for women to take off their Corporate masks and explore who they truly are.
Aside from my 1:1 coaching program and my membership community, I will have more offerings coming in 2025 – specifically for the aspiring Corporate dropouts! Stay tuned!
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
One thing I learned when I made the leap from Corporate to running my own business, is that it can feel very isolating and lonely if you are used to working within a team environment. In Corporate, you have a built-in team and perhaps, acquaintances, that can give you a sense of community and bonding. When you’re self-employed, that is something you have to intentionally create and become a part of. So, besides training and certifications, surrounding myself with a community of other women in my field has been a HUGE reason for my success and why I keep going. We understand what each other’s challenges and we are each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Community is KEY.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
There are two things that have helped me build and retain clientele in my field. The first is, simply being my authentic self. I no longer have to wear the Corporate mask, and play along with an employer’s values and talking points. I get to show up fully as me, with my values, my opinions, my lingo. And I think that really resonates with people that feel a part of them is dimmed in the Corporate environment. The second strategy is making use of my LinkedIn network. The majority of my clients have come from either LinkedIn or referrals. That’s where I do most of my marketing and that’s where I have built my Corporate Coven community. It’s an incredible tool if you learn how to make it work for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/itskellyjackson
- Instagram: @itskellyjackson
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itskellyjackson/
Image Credits
One27Media