We recently connected with Julie Littlejohn and have shared our conversation below.

Julie, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Two of the foundational aspects that contributed to starting this business are a love for people/relationships and movement through athletics. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in the dynamics of people within themselves and with each other. Similarly, I was the kid who loved climbing trees, exploring, adventuring, and playing every sport I could. Those two interests collided in my involvement with various teams. Some dynamics were better than others, of course. But I was fascinated by different player and coaching personalities, what made things work effectively, etc. And I cherish my time on those teams, with those girls I’m still friends with and coaches who cared about us beyond the court or field.

While maintaining my athletic involvement, I majored in Psychology and took a job out of college as an Assistant Athletic Director at a school in Nashville. While I was there, I coached high school volleyball and basketball, as well as taught and served as a girls social skills instructor. I had great relationships with my players and noticed a lot of anxiety in them around what they were going to do once they graduated. What would they major in? Where would they go? What if they had no clue? I wanted to help them believe in themselves and know that they had great value to add to the world through their gifts.

Around that time, I was exposed to a tool that combined a modified personality assessment and other inventories to help people find their place within the large ministry I was serving. I went through the curriculum and loved it. Something lit up in me and I thought, “Lots of people need a resource like this. My students need this. People on a larger scale need this”. And that was the start of an idea that would lead me to getting my Masters in Counseling, leaving my teaching job, and starting a business of my own.

Being a relational person, I wanted to create a highly personalized approach to creating clarity out of confusion. I knew it could be applicable to a wide variety of people, but decided to start with an emphasis on high school students and their parents. Over time, my original vision has come to fruition in that we are able to serve a ranging demographic. We truly take the time to get to know our clients, enter into their world, and maintain a holistic approach, which I believe sets us apart. We love seeing the “lightbulb” go off, indicating a new connection someone has made that will contribute to their forward movement, and then walking out the change with them.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Like I mentioned, I love connection through relationship, movement, adventure, and practical application of wisdom. My background in athletics impacts a lot of who I am, as I continue to enjoy various ways to move, explore nature and travel the globe. My faith is also a core part of me and I believe we all have a Light inside of us that the world is better for…when we are connected enough to live out of it. I want to help people find ways to access that Light in them and share it.

The Know You Project is a full-service career consulting agency. We help people do a deep dive into who they are, how they’re wired, what they’re good at, their strengths and how all those fit together to find a fulfilling place of work or involvement. Once we help reach a level of clarity, we help them implement those findings in the job-hunt, through help with their resume, cover letter, interview prep, etc. We also provide support with career/life transitions, anxiety/depression that can come from feeling stuck, group/team support, etc.

Owning a business challenges me in a good way. It has grown with me over the years and I appreciate how I get to experience different parts of myself as it evolves. It is a unique way to combine some of my strengths in both the deep personal exploration with a client, as well as helping make practical sense of tools and data to impact change. When I see a client experience a positive change in their life that is the direct result of their trust in our process, it is incredibly rewarding.

I am proud of the work we do and that there are others on this team with me who have shared in the vision and joined me in the journey. We are able to do so much more together, we love our work, and are walking out what we hope to instill in our clients.

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

So much of life is who you know. When I was getting started in the early phases of my business, I got connected to a well-respected executive consultant in my area. A friend who sat in one of his team trainings thought we should meet. He ended up being the father of one of my high school classmates, so we connected naturally. He became somewhat of a mentor for me as I made some key decision in the beginning stages of business development.

He mentioned a few times that I should meet his business partner. Eventually that happened and I got to know him as well. He started saying I needed to meet his daughter, that she wasn’t happy in her current job, and he thought we would hit it off. I eventually coordinated a coffee with Morgan, expecting to share a few tips I’d picked up along the way and see if I could help her find something else.

Morgan and I talked easily and she ended up asking me if she could come and be part of what I was doing. She had a lot of great experience, but nothing had been quite the right fit. I wasn’t looking to bring anyone one and wasn’t sure how to even incorporate another person into the work. But I did have thoughts around which aspect of the business could use attention and had growth potential: developing the “career professionals” side, job hunt, and resumes. Morgan came in, took that vision and ran with it.

In the 7 years since, she has become a dear friend, trusted adviser, formal business partner, and helped our practice grow in incredible ways. It has been a joy working and growing together. I’m so glad I decided to agree to that coffee date!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I believe the genuine care and time we take with each person and situation play a large part in how our clients experience our services. They know we are for them, that we truly hear them, and want the best for them – not just from a career perspective, but in life. In turn, they naturally share about their time with us to others and/or are willing to write authentic reviews and testimonials about their experience that give prospective clients insights into how someone in their similar situation might benefit. We also have clients who come back or stay connected throughout personal or career transitions for on-going support.

Additionally, we frequently get feedback that people appreciate our website/reviews and they can tell we are unique in our approach. The positive reviews help prospective clients find us more easily in online searches and grasp potential impact; word-of-mouth and our connections in the community help spread awareness that the Know You Project is a trustworthy, personalized, reputable service.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.knowyouproject.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knowyouproject/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knowyouproject
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/7090979/

Image Credits
Nicole Taylor (Nashville Corporate Photography) John Gentry Photography Jessica Frazier Photography