We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica DeFeo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.

Alright, Jessica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

After being in marketing for years doing various things- web design, social media content and strategy, email marketing, etc. the one common pain point amongst all business owners within their first 5 years was how no one had an overall marketing strategy and plan for their business. They were unsure of what to post, who their ideal client was, if they should do social media or a podcast. They didn’t know which marketing tactic would get them the most results, which to focus on first, or who to trust. My belief is that every new business owner should be supported from the start with marketing direction and a strategy to move them forward. The more clarity you have from the beginning, the faster your marketing will convert.

Jessica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Jessica DeFeo, founder and CEO of JMD Creative Consulting, a marketing strategy agency that helps small business owners — especially women in the first few years of business — create clear, intentional marketing that actually supports growth. Each phase of business is different within those first critical years, and that requires a different strategy and a different approach.

I work with entrepreneurs who are brilliant at what they do, but feel overwhelmed by marketing. They’re posting, networking, updating their website, trying to stay visible — but they don’t always have a clear strategy connecting it all. That’s where I come in.

My work is about helping business owners understand their message, clarify their offers, strengthen their visibility, and build marketing systems that turn attention into trust — and trust into clients.

What sets my approach apart is that I don’t believe marketing should feel like constant performance. It should feel like leadership. I help clients stop chasing trends and start building marketing that reflects who they are, speaks directly to the people they serve, and creates a clear path for people to say yes.

I’m most proud of building a business rooted in relationships, referrals, honesty, and strategy — the same things I teach my clients. My goal is to make marketing feel less chaotic and more connected, so business owners can grow with clarity, confidence, and a lot less second-guessing.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

One of the most powerful things I’ve done in my own business is turn networking and referrals into a predictable, repeatable growth system. In 2025, that strategy helped me go from zero to 10+ clients within 6–8 months — not from chasing strangers online, but from building intentional relationships.

I call this building your “web.”

It’s the process of creating and nurturing genuine relationships with people who understand what you do, believe in your work, and are willing to refer you or speak your name in rooms you haven’t entered yet. And while this strategy may not fit every business model in the exact same way, it is one of the most powerful ways to create consistent visibility, trust, and opportunity.

A strong referral network doesn’t just help you build a client list. It helps you build momentum. It opens doors, strengthens your reputation, brings new people into your pipeline, and supports multiple goals within your business — from visibility and partnerships to sales and long-term growth.

When you network with intention and continue nurturing those relationships, referrals stop feeling random. They become part of a system you can return to again and again as your business grows.

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

My approach to marketing is rooted in trust, transparency, and accountability.

Unfortunately, a lot of business owners have had negative experiences in the marketing industry. They’ve worked with people who overpromised, underdelivered, lacked follow-through, or couldn’t clearly explain whether the strategy was actually working. I want my clients to have a very different experience.

Within the first few weeks of working together, we identify clear goals, priorities, and key performance indicators so we know exactly what we’re working toward. From there, my role is not just to create strategy, but to help the client understand how each action supports those goals — and whether we’re moving closer to the desired outcome or need to adjust.

That level of clarity builds trust because the client can see that the strategy, the execution, and the results are connected. When the work begins producing measurable progress, everything comes together in a much more powerful way: the client feels supported, the marketing has direction, and the business has a clearer path for growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jessicadefeo.com
• Instagram: @jmdcreativeconsulting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-defeo/