We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jade Flogerzi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jade below.

Jade, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s go back in time a bit – can you share a story of a time when you learned an important lesson during your education?

I have a very untraditional college education. I dropped out of nursing school when I was 19 because I was so depressed imagining my life as a nurse. Instead, I worked as a restaurant server, and before I knew it, ten years passed. I didn’t want to be a server anymore. I loved that marketing was a blend of business and creativity and the variety of jobs to choose from, and I enrolled at our local city college to pursue it as a major.

I zoomed through my classes in less than two years and purposely saved one class for last…Algebra. I went through grade school avoiding math. I never took a class past a 6th-grade level of pre-algebra. On the first day of class, my mind was jello, I was riddled with anxiety, and I left halfway through in tears. For the next three years, I tried taking the class online, in person, hiring a tutor, buying apps, taking crash courses…Fail. Fail. Fail. Someone suggested I might have a learning disability. Me?? Haha. No. After 8 hours of testing, it turns out I do. THIS WHOLE TIME. I have a challenge with fluid reasoning. So, when information follows steps or a process, like a recipe, driving directions, or a math formula, I can’t retain or recall it.

With the relief of knowing there is a reason behind my lifelong struggle and now tools to help me, I enrolled in math yet again. It sounds dramatic, but that stupid class is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I wanted to give up every day, and no one was stopping me. I was in my 30s, I’d been working in marketing for seven years, owned my own business for two – and I was hanging out for an associate’s degree that no one cared about. I cried almost every class. Sometimes, I’d leave during class and cry in the bathroom stall. Then, after each class, I would head to the math lab and work with a tutor. More tears. I did every homework assignment and every extra credit piece.

I studied so many hours for my final, and I got a 52%, BUT I PASSED THAT STUPID CLASS!

I want people to know if they feel like a big dummy, you aren’t alone, you aren’t dumb and you are capable of doing great things. Your brain works differently, and typically, if there are areas you lack, there will be other areas you excel in. I excel in creativity, grit, critical thinking, and determination, which are strengths that allow me to have a business — not my math ability.

If you want to do hard things, do them, and don’t give up. The growth and the journey you’ll be forced to go through along the way are worth it.

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.

My marketing career started at the Four Seasons Hotel in Santa Barbara. I had a lowly job running a slow coffee kiosk where the daily sales averaged $30. It was such a beautiful location, surrounded by affluent, health-conscious guests, so I started thinking that a health bar with organic juices would be more successful. My coworker and I presented a business plan to the executive committee, and they approved it and gave us our budget.

That kiosk went from $30,000 in annual sales to $300k, and because gratuity was automatic, I got an 18% cut of the sales. I was very green, but that was my first insight into trying to discern what motivates people to make a purchase, aka marketing.

One of the juice bar customers saw that transformation and asked me to help him launch his family’s winery. I stayed with them for four years, then left to pursue marketing as my sole focus. I worked with a small ad agency for a year, and when he offered a nice salary to take over the business, I had the courage to take the leap and work for myself.

My experience with the winery and the ad agency were instrumental because I saw the lack of good marketing and value. I saw a lot of people making marketing too complicated. Marketing can be simple and straightforward. You have to figure out who you are and then tell the people that matter. It’s really that simple.

When I started Clever Punch in 2019, I wanted to help people level up their businesses. I wanted them to feel empowered as owners for having great ideas. Our secret sauce is our execution. Because marketing is so personal, business owners get in the weeds when they try to self-manage. The most valuable thing we offer is consistency. When you hire us, its a guarantee that your message will get out there month after month.

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

I’m obsessed with testing new tactics to find clients and spend thousands of dollars a month on our advertising and marketing because if I find something that works, I can offer it to our clients. Clever Punch is essentially like a think tank guinea pig.

Of course, referrals are the most valuable source because they come to us in full trust, ready to get started. However, when it comes to converting cold leads, LinkedIn has been the best source for us.

Here’s how our Linkedin outreach process works: We use a software tool to target our ideal audience and send a series of automated messages that feel very genuine. They sound like me if I were writing each message manually. Instead of offering our services out the gate, we show personal interest. We ask about their business and what challenges they are going through and offer to help. As soon as someone responds, someone on my team takes over in responding. After a few messages, it is obvious if we might be able to help this person improve their business, and if so, we schedule a call with them. We have met and acquired around a dozen clients this way, one of which resulted in a $40k project.

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

The most impactful business book I’ve read is “The One Thing” by Gary Keller. I cannot recommend it enough for anyone who feels like they are on the hamster wheel dealing with burnout, or is on the cusp of a career change. It will help you reexamine your life, and rebuild with purpose.

I will be forever indebted to a former mentor, Patrick Martinez, for recommending that book and then offering some mentoring sessions that encouraged me to take the leap and work for myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cleverpunchco.com
• Instagram: @cleverpunch
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-jflogerzi/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CleverPunchCo.
• Other: https://calendly.com/monica-figueras

Image Credits
Riley Yahr