We recently connected with Jemi Crookes and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jemi, thanks for joining us today. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?

Working in the top levels of executive recruiting—alongside teams placing CEOs and board directors for some of the world’s biggest companies—taught me a lesson I carry with me every day as a business owner: even the most revered leaders are just people figuring things out. That insight hit me most when I helped plan CEO dinner series in cities like New York and San Francisco, gathering some of the most recognizable CEOs in the world. Despite their stature, they would show up with notebooks in hand, eager to learn from one another’s experiences. Seeing that kind of humility and openness firsthand taught me that true leadership isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about surrounding yourself with people who make you better. That understanding gave me the confidence to launch The ThinkFluencer Lab without falling into imposter syndrome—knowing success comes not from certainty, but from creating the environment where growth, collaboration, and innovation can happen.

Jemi, 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?

I’m the founder of The ThinkFluencer Lab, but my story starts much earlier—as a first-generation American born to parents who defied the odds to create new opportunities for our family. They gave me the freedom to define success for myself, and I’ve carried that spirit of possibility ever since. Driven by a deep curiosity about what shapes people, culture, and change, I built a global career that’s taken me across continents, living and working around the world. Early on, I worked at the top levels of executive recruiting, supporting the placement of CEOs and board directors for some of the world’s most influential companies—a front-row seat to understanding how real leadership and influence are built. That foundation shaped the heart of The ThinkFluencer Lab: a consulting and storytelling platform designed to help women leaders transform their experience into visible, sought-after authority. Today, I’m a founder, strategist, and mother, currently bouncing between the U.S. and Australia, where my family recently relocated. Through it all, what sets our work apart is a relentless focus on helping women not just build platforms—but build movements that align with who they truly are. I’m proud of the global community we’re creating: women who are reclaiming influence and reshaping the leadership landscape with depth, integrity, and courage.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for me has been partnerships with other women entrepreneurs who offer adjacent services to the leadership brand positioning and communication work that I do. I collaborate closely with brand photographers, event managers, community builders, PR experts, speaking coaches, executive coaches, wellness practitioners, and mindset masterminds—each of us specializing in a different part of the transformation journey for women building brands around their expertise and leadership.

I see my work as one important thread on a much longer string. When we intentionally weave our services together, we’re able to guide clients through a complete evolution of their insight, identity, and influence.

These collaborative relationships, built on mutual trust and shared values, have been the most meaningful and consistent pathway for client growth.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the most important lessons I’ve had to unlearn since starting my business is the idea that you need to build a perfect, start-to-finish program before bringing it to market. About a year ago, when I first stepped into this space, I did what many entrepreneurs do: I decided to build a course. I spent months planning it, outlining modules, creating materials, recording content, and even investing in editing and production—only to discover that when I brought it to market, it fell flat. Not because the content wasn’t strong, but because it over-indexed on one specific piece of the problem, when clients were actually looking for a more complete solution.

That experience taught me that perfection on paper doesn’t equal success in practice. Instead, I learned to start with the end in mind—secure the sale or the partnership first—and then work backwards, outlining just the three essential steps needed to achieve the result. By focusing only on what produces action and outcomes, I stay aligned with what clients truly need, not what I assume they want.

Trying to finalize something too early locks you into a version that may not serve the real market—and it wastes time, money, and creative energy. Letting go of the need for a finished “perfect” product has allowed me to stay nimble, resilient, and much more successful without the cycles of frustration and burnout that can sink businesses early on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Thetflab.com
• Linkedin: https://LinkedIn.com/in/jcrookes