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

Jenna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today.

If I were starting over, I would make decisions faster. As a creative, I have a lot of ideas always running through my head and it can sometimes lead to decision paralysis. When I’ve been the most successful in my business is when I’ve trusted my gut instinct and move forward in spite of fear or not having all the answers. Especially in an online business, it’s easy to look at your peers and feel like they have it all figured out and know precisely the direction they are going. Once you engage in conversation, you realize that while everyone’s business may look different or be at different levels, the same thoughts, feelings & fears are always present.

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 am a wife and mom to 3 boys. From a young age, I’ve always been creative….I was always doing art projects, crafts, throwing parties so I could make decor, redecorating my room, you name it, I always wanted to create something new. I maintained that creativity throughout my childhood & went to college for interior design. Graduating college at the start of a recession, took my career in a new direction and instead of going to work for a design firm, I went to work for a manufacturers representative agency that focused on lighting. There I worked everyday with lots of design firms marketing different lighting companies to them & helping them choose lighting pieces that worked to showcase their designs.

In that position, I also got an opportunity to begin putting together lots of events & marketing assets & fell in love. I loved creating an experience & creating the special touches that allowed people to connect with a brand. That’s when I started to dream again about what other opportunities were out there.

By this point, I had gotten married & had 3 children & life looked significantly different than when I started as a sales rep. My third child had just been born 2 months premature, so I wanted & needed the flexibility to be even more available for my family, but also wanted to do something that inspired me. I started exploring the online space, but was skeptical, as I’d always been made to believe the “safe” choice was to graduate college, find a job with good benefits and essentially work that way until it was time to retire. I was unfulfilled & found myself daily asking myself “what I wanted to be when I grew up” & in your mid 30’s with a family, that seems like a silly (& scary) question to not know the answer to.

For a couple years, I found myself watching the online space through a course/coaching program wondering if people actually made enough money having an online business to provide for their family & if they did, if it was possible for me. Covid quickly helped push my decision to take the leap, when our company unexpectedly downsized and I found myself in the same boat as many others during 2020 with a job loss. That day, my husband told me I’d been talking about this “business thing” for so long and it seemed like the right time to take the leap and give it a try & it has been the biggest blessing.

I started my business supporting other business owners in subcontracting roles creating graphics for their clients & honestly, it was the best way to learn & gain confidence in what I did & didn’t like, while still maintaining an income that was growing to match the salary I had lost. However, one particular client I subcontracted for really helped me see the direction I wanted to take my business & this was with female boutique owners & product based retailers. I saw myself in these ladies, who were often building a business with products they love, wanting to create an experience for their customers & support other women in making them feel good. They could have an amazing eye for fashion or products, but first impression is so important & sometimes they struggled putting together graphics that felt on-brand or looked professional…and they were frustrated because it didn’t catch their eye the way they had hoped. Others didn’t even have a visual brand that was consistent & weren’t sure how to put one together. I have loved being able to come in, learn about their businesses, help create a visual brand that supports their values & attracts their ideal customers, brainstorm fun ideas for events & sales, create marketing assets, & help them create an experience for their customers.

Creative brainstorming & crafting an experience…I truly believe that is what sets me apart. I spent my entire corporate career seeing how when presenting multiple lighting lines, the ones with the most consistent and visually appealing marketing was always the most memorable to my clients (even if the product was inferior). When a customer walks into a store, all of their senses are helping to create an experience…lighting, decor, visual presentation, sounds of music in the background, scents, etc. Do they feel welcomed & want to stay, or is it overwhelming? And how do we create this same experience online (website, social media, and even online ordering/delivery). I want to help my customers elevate their entire customer experience with a brand they are excited to put out into the world.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

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

I believe the biggest lesson I had to unlearn was the fact that even the most successful business owners don’t have all the answers. I spent a lot of time taking all the courses, watching all the webinars and downloading all the freebies in the hopes that it would make me feel “ready” to put myself out there and advertise my business. And that feeling never completely goes away-no matter how many courses you take. I have learned more from gaining experience with the hands-on clients I’ve worked with and having the trust in myself that whatever situation arises, I have a community full of other entrepreneur friends that I can ask for help and at the end of the day, I will do what I need to do to figure it out.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jennastokescreative.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenna.stokes.creative/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.stokes.creative

Image Credits
Family Photo-Abigail Gorski Photography Brand Headshots/Brand Lifestyle Images-Lemons Photography