Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jenessa Taylor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jenessa, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I quit my full-time job as a social media producer 3 months after I had my twin daughters. I went from a salaried job with benefits to zero dollars coming into my bank account. My husband and I decided to move our little family into my unfailingly kind grandparents’ basement to focus on saving.

A month after I quit, I registered my LLC with Utah. I had no clients, no real leads, and no idea how to make money. It was absolutely terrifying. I started with the people I knew. I reached out to family, friends, and old co-workers to tell them all that I was looking for social media contract work. That first month, nothing happened. The next month, I signed my first contract to cover a two-week project. The following month, I signed my first long-term contract. The simple act of networking, in the beginning, made all the difference.

That one decision has led to hundreds of business decisions weighing out whether or not I should take a risk. I’m glad I did then, and I find myself preferring to take the risks now.

Jenessa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Brightly Social Co. is an Instagram coaching and branding company. We love helping women in businesses thrive!

Brightly originally started as a social media manager freelancing gig for me. Over the last few years, we’ve grown to a team of 4 and changed our services! Instagram coaching includes 25-page, deep-dive Instagram reports, one on one virtual meetings, and Voxer access to ask further questions. Branding and rebranding packages include everything from primary and secondary logos to brand packaging.

We aim to help female small business owners find their voice, style, and strategy on Instagram and beyond.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Kenna and I are sisters-in-law. At the beginning of 2022, my workload was overwhelming, and I knew something had to change. I was stressing out in the shower and had a brilliant idea: ask Kenna to quit her steady marketing manager job, take a leap and go into business together. Three hours later, I was pitching my heart out to Kenna in my old Mazda over Diet Coke and Dr. Pepper. Spoiler alert, Kenna said yes.

It was a daring move to act on an idea so impulsively, and it turned out to be the best decision I’ve made for my business.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I choose to work part-time. Running a business with only 20 hours a week has proven to be a big game of efficiency for me. Because of this, I love Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism. He argues time is our most valuable possession. Greg taught me, “If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.”

I live by this concept. Every day, I look at my list of to-dos and do the most essential task, then the next, and then the next. The things I push down the list day after day, I remove completely.

As a small business owner, there are a lot of things I could spend my time doing. No matter how many hours you work, time is short.

Contact Info:

• Website: brightlysocialco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightlysocialco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightlysocialco
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brightly-social-co/