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

Jacqueline, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

When its all said and done, I want my life to be a reflection of assisting leaders with becoming better leaders and helping people start the things that they want to do!

While none of us can be sure that what we want said about us is what is truly said, I certainly hope that my actions and commitments are strong contributors to how I impact people and environments around me.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have a commitment to inspiring individuals and to take meaningful action towards discovering their inner leader and starting the things that they want to do.

But, before my leadership work and supporting the Just Start™ space, I had an 8 year career as a wedding and event producer. It’s amazing how the unexpected career stops that you make teach you all of your key life experiences and and critical life skills and that’s exactly what happened for me in the event production space.

Many years later, I started a company called Scarlet that started off solely focused on teaching etiquette to teen girls and now firmly operates as a leadership consultancy. We provide tools and resources to ensure people at any stage of their professional and personal journeys could feel ready for their next step. Leadership isn’t just a skill that’s reserved for those in the c-suite. We all have the power to lead in our own unique ways across both social and professional settings. Sometimes we just need a little push in the right direction to get there.

I now choose to show up in a lot of spaces that directly support my commitments and quite frankly the things that I enjoy.

I host a podcast, called, Just Start: Get Visible and I’ve authored two books, The Unexpected Leader: Discovering The Leader Within You (2022) and Leader By Mistake: Becoming a Leader One Mistake at a Time (2017), which shows how you too can find your inner leader by learning from your mistakes and homing in on the skills you already possess to lead confidently.

With over 30,000 students across the world, 200+ workshops executed and over 100,000 frequent flyer miles racked up, Scarlet continues to make meaningful impact through modern etiquette and leadership, both in-person and virtually.

As the founder and principal consultant at Scarlet, I have provided training, coaching, and consultation to corporations and community organizations, including Nike, the Department of Defense, the Detroit Lions, Deloitte, the Buffalo Bills, Ernst & Young, Fiat Chrysler, Midnight Golf, Spice Island Resort, and many others.

Along the way, I made a significant and life changing career decision to join AARP. In my role as vice president of startup programming at AARP Innovation Labs, I led a team committed to finding the most promising startups world-wide and identifying how they can move their innovations forward and become better leaders of their organizations.

I also serve as a corporate board member at Plastipak Packaging on the Functional Leadership Development Committee.

While my professional experiences have been instrumental to my success and impact over the years, my hometown and education have been too.

Born, raised, and educated in Detroit, I am a Warrior through and through.

I proudly hold two degrees from Wayne State University—a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and Master of Education in instructional technology with specializations in interactive technologies and performance improvement.

I’m also a graduate of the Protocol School of Washington, where I focused on international etiquette & protocol, and hold a Six Sigma Green Belt certification in process improvement, which I use to help clients develop systems and processes that will allow them to reach their strategic planning and development goals.

Outside of my professional and educational endeavors, I enjoy mentoring both young and seasoned leaders and serve as vice president for 12 Days DC Metro. I also love traveling, watching James Bond movies, and hitting the slopes during the winter for some snowboarding.

Oh, and sometime else that’s important to me…

Every chance that I get, I convene meaningful groups of people for great conversation, idea sharing, and accountability paired with delicious cuisine and wine. Maybe I’ll see you at a future gathering!

To keep in touch and learn more about my work, check out: www.thescarletway.com and www.leaderbymistake.com.

Because of my work in the leadership field, I have been recognized by several fine publications and organizations, including Essence Magazine, Medium, Ambassador Magazine, McDonald’s and Michigan Chronicle/Michigan FrontPage and on NBC, Detroit Public TV, CBS and Metro Parent Magazine.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source for attracting new clients is being visible and embracing thought leadership opportunities. While keeping your head down and doing the work is important, staying visible, accepting panel opportunities and even keynotes propels visibility and exposes us to new business opportunities. Consistent business referrals has also been a significant source of new clients as well.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I like being busy. I literally own 2 trademarks called Just Start™. Being busy (just to be busy) may feel good, however, it is usually not beneficial as you’re growing a business.

I can distinctly recall scenarios where I was so “busy” being busy because it felt good that I wasn’t putting my best energy behind most important tasks and opportunities.

It’s learned to pause and truly reflect on what’s the most essential thing to focus your energy versus being busy just to be busy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jacquelinembaker.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/magicaljax
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacquelinemichellebaker/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinembaker/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@magicaljax

Image Credits

Photography: Clark Bailey Media