We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jess Parvin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jess thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

When I first became self-employed, I was a freelancer. I took all kinds of jobs- mainly in my wheelhouse of graphic design, but sometimes I would just “learn on the fly” whatever the client needed. . . social media posting, coding, email marketing, print and web design, etc. It was an educational but chaotic time! After a couple years of that I realized that I needed to change my mindset (and my business model) from “freelancer” to “CEO”. Now, as a Holistic Business Coach, this is essentially the process I take my clients through when they are starting a new business or rebranding:

We should begin the process of creating anything with clarifying the vision. Once we define the Big Vision, we can work “backwards” to create that reality, one step at a time. What kind of life do you want to create? What are your personal & professional values and non-negotiable boundaries?

For me, I first got really clear on who my ‘ideal’ clients were. After freelancing for a few years, I certainly knew who they were not! But I had worked with a few clients that I really liked, and projects that I really enjoyed doing, so I started there. Now I realize (after working with hundreds of other service-based solopreneurs) that typically our ideal client is a version of ourself. Generally a past version, someone looking for the same kind of “transformation” that we have been through. So I started to focus on working with other women who were starting a purpose-driven, service-based business, like designers, coaches, healers, etc.

After defining my audience, I thought about my services. I didn’t want to be doing EVERYTHING for everyone anymore, I needed to create a few simplified offers that would be valuable for my ideal clients and sustainable for me. Initially I only offered Branding and Web Design services, but eventually I focused more and more on Holistic Coaching because I saw the need for long-term support, accountability, and feedback when starting a new business or purpose-driven venture. I also saw that entrepreneurs often need support that extends beyond the business and into other areas of life (because it’s all connected!).

Once we’re clear on the vision, audience and offer, it’s time to think about my favorite part of business-building: Branding. Your brand is so much more than a logo, colors, and fonts. It’s really the “look and feel” of your business which is going to attract or repel certain people. I thought about what parts of my story, my personality, my skills I needed to bring forth in my brand, and I thought about what would resonate most with my ideal client avatar. I splurged on new branding photos with a really great photographer, I redesigned my logo and elevated my branding with new fonts and colors. Then I started building my website, which would be added to and tweeked over the next year.

I believe that entrepreneurship is the greatest container for personal growth, because it forces us to look at our blocks, address them, and take bold action to move forward. Branding, for me (and most of my clients) is a huge catalyst in this growth process. In my own branding process, I decided to take the approach of using it as a manifestation tool. I might not have yet felt like the powerful business owner I was becoming, but I aimed to embody that person in my photos, and project that confidence in my web copy. And it worked! By the time I launched the website and started marketing my new offerings, I could feel my confidence growing.

Finally, I entered the Marketing phase. This has never been my strong-suite and I loathe the idea of spending hours a day on social media. So I thought about all of the marketing options out there and focused on a couple of things that felt fun and doable to me, plus valuable to my audience. I had always enjoyed listening to podcasts, and talking is one of my favorite activities! So I started my own podcast: “Holistic Business Growth with Jess Parvin”. Initially the episodes were just me talking about topics that I knew would be useful and interesting to other solopreneurs. Then I started interviewing inspiring visionary entrepreneurs, many of whom were clients of mine. This gave me solid content to then share on social media, in my email newsletters, and even in conversation with people “IRL”. It has been the back-bone of my marketing plan for several years now.

Besides podcasting, the other types of marketing that have been the most productive for me are Search Engine Optimization (using my website to boost my visibility in Google), word-of-mouth, and old school networking in-person (and virtually).

Throughout my entire entrepreneurial journey, I have found support from coaches I’ve hired, groups I’ve put myself in, and fellow entrepreneur friends in my community. It is SO important, especially as a solopreneur, to have other people you can relate to, get feedback from, and turn to when you (inevitably) hit a rough patch. It is now my mission to be that pillar of support for other women.

Jess , 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?

My entrepreneurial journey has been a long, winding road. In my 20’s I experimented with all kinds of jobs, finally settling in to a 9-to-5 as a graphic designer and photographer for a high-end clothing retailer. When I got laid off, I immediately realized what a blessing that was. Even though the job was great, I was miserable at a 9-to-5, working in the same office every day. I craved freedom and flexibility. So I started freelancing, and then grew my business from there.

Now I look back and see that my main “struggle” in life has been around career/ work, and finding a way to live my purpose while making a living that supported my ideal lifestyle. So, not surprisingly, I have moved towards work that allows me to support others who are going through a similar struggle. I believe that everyone is capable of creating a life of freedom (whatever that means to you!) that also involves doing work they love. In order to thrive in our business, we need to set ourselves up to thrive in the rest of our life (and vice versa). This is the cornerstone of my Holistic approach to creating and growing a business.

Last year I completed a certification as a Soul Purpose coach, which complements my experience as a Branding Expert and Business Coach. Now my main offerings revolve around coaching female service-based, purpose-driven entrepreneurs with a method that balances a feminine and masculine approach. I also frequently incorporate one of my favorite tools- Human Design- into my sessions with clients. This is an amazing body-centered system that shows us how we can best use our energy in the world, and I think it’s especially useful when talking about work/ career/ purpose. Besides Holistic Business Coaching, I also offer Branding & Web Design packages, which include coaching sessions for a full-support experience.

So whether they just quit their corporate job (or got laid off) and are starting from zero, or have been in business for years but don’t feel aligned, I meet clients where they’re at. In my 1-to-1 coaching sessions, we move from envisioning the life you desire to embodying the bad-ass boss that you were meant to be.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Oh there have been SO many books! I am constantly reading for inspiration, especially books about entrepreneurship but also spiritual and personal growth books, because it is all connected.

One of my favorite business books is “Building a Storybrand” by Donald Miller. The part of the book that I always think about, and talk to my clients about, is the principle defined in chapter 6: “Customers aren’t looking for another hero; they’re looking for a guide.”

When I work with clients as a Branding coach/ strategist or Branding Designer, I always circle back to this concept. Even if you’re creating a “personal brand” (which most of my service-based solopreneur clients are)- YOU are not the HERO of the brand story (your client is), you are the GUIDE. So how are you positioning yourself as a guide, or the perfect person to take someone through the transformation that they seek?

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I am a recovering DIY-er. In the first few years of my business, I did EVERYTHING for everyone who wanted to hire me. I also did everything in my own business, from designing my logo and website (which is my wheelhouse) to accounting and tech support (which is not in my wheelhouse). This lead to burn-out, and at one point I almost threw in the towel and got a “real” job!

Slowly I began my recovery- hiring virtual assistants, tech support gurus, an accountant, and coaches who could help me navigate growing my business in a sustainable way. I began to realize that my time is my most valuable asset, and I should only use it on things that interest me and I’m good at- like working with clients, designing, creating my podcast, etc.

As a coach, I try to be a resource to my clients- reminding them what “not to do” as new entrepreneurs. I wish I had hired a business coach my first year, because I probably would have saved myself years of DIY-ing/ trial-and-error strategy that didn’t really move the needle forward. But it’s all part of the learning process that is entrepreneurship!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jessparvin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holisticbizgrowth/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessParvin/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-parvin-41974a53/

Image Credits

Photos by Gina Bower (Amplify Your Heartpath)