We recently connected with Jalisa Lucas and have shared our conversation below.
Jalisa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.
Silencing my “self-saboteur” a lot sooner! When I started Watch Jay Work in Sept 2021 I suffered from the dreaded “imposter syndrome”. I felt like since my education and professional experience was not in the marketing industry there’s no way I could be successful and gain clients. Had I silenced that voice sooner I would have stepped out the box and taken bigger chances and risk.
Jalisa, 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?
Summer 2021 I found myself unemployed and truly at rock bottom. I had given 7 years of my life learning and working on a career path that left me unfulfilled and now jobless. Burnt out from the hustle of Supply Chain Management, I decided to take a chance. I began going to local pop-ups/markets, networking events to vlog my experiences and meet new people. This snowballed into me helping small black businesses and nonprofits create content and market via social media platforms. I realized I had a niche and Watch Jay Work was born! In this time I’ve landed several contracts, partnered with non-profit organizations and helped market the Louisville Juneteenth celebrations, Historic Dirt Bowl & much more!
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Free online courses! The internet is your friend. USE IT! LinkedIn Learning, Coursera by Google and YouTube have an abundance of free online courses, tutorials and certifications. I wish I didn’t wait until I it was actually needed to discover these tools!
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Showing up prepared and professional to every opportunity presented to me. Not only is it the right thing to do, it sets the tone for how others treat you and your business.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @watchjaywork
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100055391000976&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jalisa-lucas-392381139