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

Jean, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?

It is really hard to ask family and friends to support you in your business endeavors. I think it’s because we are afraid of what they will think if we fail. And women, specifically, tend to feel like they have to prove themselves to others anyway. But the main reason I went after my passions was because of the important relationships I have with the women in my life. I’m very close with my daughter Reese, my mom, my sisters, and my girlfriends. I’ve seen so many times where women show up for each other to help, cheer one another on, or even just be inspired by another woman’s journey. In a way, we think, “If she can do it, maybe I can do it too!”

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.

I’ve always had a passion for doing fun things in the community. I grew up in a large family. Things were tight financially, and we couldn’t always afford to do some of the expensive activities other families did. My mom was great about making sure we had special memories by going to local events in town and when taking our annual trip to Wisconsin to see our grandma. My dad was a truck driver, so it would also be a working trip for him. These memories inspired me to do the same for my three kids, and I got pretty good at finding affordable avenues to have fun. That was something I wanted to share with others.

Inspired by my ‘say yes’ adventure mentality, I created an event business called Everyday Girl Adventures, with the mission to offer everyday people a safe space to come and connect and make special memories. I do my best work with others, so I decided to partner with local entrepreneurs and other small business owners to create unique events in the community. Everything my business provides is intended to be accessible for anyone, so Everyday Girl Adventures and my MissFit brand offer a variety of opportunities from free to affordable. There’s a little bit of something for everyone, and I don’t ever want anyone to feel left out, because I know what that can feel like.

My family was very close knit, so this naturally made me enjoy being around a lot of people. But at the same time, I didn’t always feel like I belonged. I’m the 6th out of 10 kids. My family is also very musically and artistically talented. I didn’t feel like I inherited much of that, so I felt out of place in the midst of my siblings. I always kind of felt invisible. I was very shy and had a really hard time doing anything out of my comfort zone.

When I started my Everyday Girl Adventures events business last year, I still carried this mentality of feeling like a misfit. The entrepreneur world was definitely out of my realm of comfort. It also made me passionate about the extended family we can create within the community. So, I decided to organize a free networking group called MissFit Networking–“where every ‘miss’ fits” to give others a welcoming space to connect, support local small businesses, and become inspired by other women’s journeys. In doing so, other doors of opportunity continued to open, leading me to design an elegant event studio to host my social club and rent out for special events such as baby showers, birthday parties and other intimate and memorable occasions. We’ve also had the pleasure of hosting workshops and photoshoots.

But the opportunities didn’t stop there. I decided to write a book and include other women’s stories with the same goal of empowering and inspiring joy in others. The Everyday Girl Adventures book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books, among other online platforms, and carried locally at Poor Richard’s Bookstore and Apricot Lane Boutique in Colorado Springs, as well as Tattered Cover Colfax Bookstore in Denver.

We developed everything in this book from the ground up. So, my partner, Jaime Obertubbesing, and I are currently building a publishing platform called Missfit Press with affordable ala carte services for first time authors. Stay tuned for updates. All information can be found on our social media pages and website!

How did you build your audience on social media?

I rely heavily on my social media director, Teresa Morey for most things on our pages. I enjoy creating fun posts and reels to advertise our services, but social media is another job in and of itself. She’s also much better at it than I am. And Everyday Girl Adventures isn’t about just one perspective. It’s about all women and their unique experiences. By utilizing a collective of other women’s creative lenses through different events, we continue to build a welcoming presence in the local community.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Quite honestly, by representing my brand. I’m an everyday girl that came from humble beginnings, and I’m a misfit by being unconventional in the business world. I think that when you show that your business has a genuine and approachable foundation, it makes the public more willing to support it.

Contact Info:

• Website: EverydayGirlAdventures.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/everydaygirl_adventures?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Everydaygirladventures?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-walton-44ab2a1b8

Image Credits
Headshot photo credit to Casa Bay Photography Boutique photo credit to NJW Productions