We recently connected with Jillian Lawrence and have shared our conversation below.

Jillian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Success is elusive. The definition is ambiguous and open to interpretation. Ask most people if they feel successful and I bet the majority will say they don’t. Why is that? Could it be our culture has set the bar too high? Are we all looking to be millionaires with big houses and fancy cars? That seems to often be what is shown in media as a visual representation of success. If we’re not careful to define it for ourselves, we may unknowingly adopt someone else’s version, and continually measure our current reality against the contents of our bank account. This was me for the first few years in business. I had seen many other entrepreneurs online openly sharing about their quick journey to making 6 figures. Each time I felt more discord that I wasn’t anywhere near becoming a millionaire, let alone feeling successful. Comparison is the killer of joy.

When I sat down to define success for myself I realized that it is more complex than measuring money. Success is a feeling on the inside and not only defined by the things I have on the outside. I’d be remiss to say money doesn’t play a part in my feeling of success, but other contributing factors with more weight include freedom of my time, a list of incredible clients, and waking up happy with the woman I have become. These things are harder for someone to measure from the outside, which makes the definition of success ambiguous. What I find elicits the feeling for me, may be completely different than what rings your bells. When I have the financial freedom to feed my family nourishing food, buy clothes I feel beautiful in, and get my nails done because it feels good, I feel successful.

Of course, I’d like to make more money, wouldn’t we all? I’m sure even millionaires want to make more. But if I am feeling constant lack or scarcity, I can’t get there from here. When I cultivate the feeling of wealth, I feel wealthy and more opportunities make their way to me. When I get stuck in lack everything feels hard and I worry more. That’s when I return to my definition of success.

My definition of success is a feeling, not a material reward:

Success is feeling confident that I am on the right track to reach my short and long term goals. It is having the confidence to know I am making the best decisions with the tools I have at that moment. I know I am achieving success because I am celebrating my achievements along the way and recognizing that small wins are leading me to the big goals.

How will you define success and how can you start cultivating the feeling right now?

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 believe being an entrepreneur is a conduit for personal growth and a tool to express our purpose. I also believe we get caught up in our heads about what it’s “supposed” to be like and forget that we can create whatever we want. When I first started my business the fun wore off quickly and was replaced with dread, pressure, and exhaustion. It wasn’t until I reached burnout that I realized the traditional way of creating a business wasn’t going to work for me. I’m highly sensitive to energy, using my body, emotions, and feelings to navigate life. Yet when it came to business, I thought there was no room for intuition. Through a lot of trial and error, and feeling like a total imposter in the world of business, I finally allowed my intuition in… and that’s where the magic began!

Now I partner with other creative entrepreneurs to co-create their brand. I love working with inspiring people who have big ideas and are looking for help distilling their message so that they can clearly communicate what they do and who they do it for. My services include visual branding (colours, fonts, logo design), website design, and simple marketing strategies that align with their individual goals.

As a certified meditation teacher, I love bringing mindfulness into business to support my clients in creating offers that share their unique expression. I believe that as we grow as humans and discover more depth to ourselves, our businesses naturally expand. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing to create a business you love. By mindfully and thoughtfully designing your business you can create something that provides the feeling of freedom and success.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

Everyone is on social media, so we have to be there. Right? But how many of us actually enjoy it? I’ve adopted the mantra “follow your bliss” for my marketing, which means if I don’t like doing it I’m not doing it. Everytime it came to posting I’d grimace. I’d spend forever deciding what to post or finally come up with something that felt meaningful only to get a couple of “likes” on it. I’d end up shaming myself for not posting more often or feeling like a failure because my following wasn’t growing very fast. It was rare for me to be online and feel good about myself and my business. Then I started to question why I was even doing it. Because everyone else was? Because everyone else says you have to? Because I might miss out on business if I wasn’t there? I couldn’t find a legit reason to stay. So I left.

Nine months ago I closed my business social media accounts and haven’t looked back. When I measured the ROI (return on investment), it didn’t seem worth my time. I can speak at one conference for one hour and gain 1-3 new clients. I can spend 7 hours on social media and get no new clients. Hmm… something wasn’t adding up.

It felt like a risk closing my accounts, but when I honoured my mantra, “follow your bliss”, social media wasn’t feeling even remotely close to it. In fact, since closing my accounts I would say I am happier because I don’t have the energy leak of feeling like I’m not doing enough on my accounts. I have a marketing plan that works well for me and doesn’t include social media. I spend my energy in 4 places that feel good: my newsletter, speaking at conferences, networking, and a stellar client experience. Social media is one tool in a box FULL of different options, it’s all about finding the tools that work for you.

I encourage you to ask yourself this question: “If I follow my bliss for marketing my business where would I spend my time?”

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Over 90% of my business comes from repeats and referrals. This means client experience is my BEST marketing tool. It also means my past clients do most of the heavy lifting for me. By offering them a great experience they are happy to tell their friends and colleagues about my services. This often overlooked marketing tool is what I call low-hanging fruit – it’s easy to grab.

Here are some simple ways I make my client experience shine:

1. It’s easy to book with me. I have an online booking system linked to my website. There is no barrier to entry. Back and forth emails or missed phone calls can be opportunities for prospective clients to change their minds or get too busy to actually book with you. I use the free version of calendly.com which integrates with my calendar and zoom to book virtual appointments.

2. Onboarding is a breeze. I have a simple Google Form for my clients to fill out that gives me all the important information I need to get started. I also have an electronic signature contract. Ask me to print, sign and scan a contract to send back and I’ll procrastinate. I use the free version of smallpdf.com to collect online signatures making onboarding simple for my clients.

3. My clients are VIP. From my mindfulness training, I have adopted presence and the belief that the person in front of me is the most important person. When I am with my clients I am present and attentive. I’m an active listener and do what I say I will when I say I will.

4. Saying goodbye with an ask. When I am done working with a client I send them a simple Google Form for feedback and ask for a Google review. Usually on our last call I will thank the client for sharing the experience of cocreating their brand and let them know I am happy to receive their referrals. I ask if I can add them to my newsletter so that I can stay in touch with them. When I get referrals I always say thank you with an email or card and occasionally send a gift.

It’s so simple it feels like no extra work. What can you do to offer a great client experience?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jillianlawrence.com/
• Other: Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/jillianlawrence

Image Credits

Branding images by Linda Mackie Creative https://www.lindamackie.ca/