If you're a coach who provides one-on-one services, has the course launches through masterclasses or any combination of all of that. You are definitely going to want to listen to today's episode where I interviewed Jessica Berk, a toddler sleep coach, and she has taken her business from that journey of starting off with one-on-one all the way to having her course on evergreen. And accomplishing her first six figure month last month. So come along, listen and hear her entire journey, the decisions that she's made and the thing she has had to do to get there.
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Welcome to the Breakthrough Mastermind Show. I'm your host Jen Argue, and I facilitate masterminds for women entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses to help others and create financial independence. I am so excited to welcome Jessica Berk to the show today, she is a toddler sleep consultant, which means she helps parents of toddlers and preschoolers help transition their kids from crib to bed.
And she makes a bedtime easier and more fun, and she helps people be successful so that they can sleep through the night and function to their fullest during the day. And another fun thing about Jessica is she is in my mastermind and I have seen her business grow from just even the few months that she has been with us. So I'm excited to have her here today.
Welcome Jessica, I'm so glad you're here. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah. So one thing before we dive into what has happened to your business in the last two years, I want to have you share with people, your journey from where you started to where you are now, like kind of the big picture, because we know for women entrepreneurs, the line, isn't always a straight line, get to, you know, where you wanna be.
And I would like to hear what that's been for you. Yeah, for sure. And it's definitely not been a straight line. It's been a long and windy road. And I think that's just how it is. I think we should all just like accept that. That's how it was going to be. Yeah, um, I started off my career out of college I got a job at an ad agency and was doing some online marketing and...
It did that for a number of years and then started having my children. I've got two daughters and... when I started having kids, you know, I was kind of in my mid thirties and my husband was kind of climbing the corporate ladder on his own. And so for a while, when our kids were little, we kind of made it work.
You know, we kind of shared the parenting responsibilities. And then I feel like what happens kind of naturally, at least. And I shouldn't generalize, but in our relationship was he kind of started climbing the ladder. And then I took on more of the parenting responsibilities. I had to kind of flex my job schedule.
A lot of that kind of family stuff fell on me. And then it was, um, you know, then I felt I was just getting very stressed out with work and balancing the kids and doing kind of more of that on my own that I really started to think like, there's gotta be something else I can do where I can kind of manage my time and have more balanced in my life.
Um, we also were facing a move. So this was kind of what prompted that we were moving to a different city. And I had to obviously deal with a lot of, you know, getting the kids settled in the new and the new city. And I'm thinking, am I just going to get another job here? Like I had all these thoughts in my head and I really decided it was the right time to kind of follow this side passion that had kind of flared up over the last few years, which is sleep coaching. Mm...
So it was interesting when I had my kids, we lived in California. We were far away from our family because we're from the east coast. And I wasn't surrounded by friends with kids and I didn't really know what I was doing. And I always heard, oh, you're going to be exhausted. You're never going to sleep again.
You know, all the things you hear is like a new mom and sure enough, I had my first daughter and everything was, you know, I was exhausted. She wasn't sleeping and I was in this new moms group and they had a sleep consultant come and talk to us. And I was like, oh my God, like, I can actually help her sleep at longer stretches.
And I can kind of work on how to time for naps. And it made my life so much, so much easier because her sleep schedule was more predictable. I was less stressed out, she was getting better sleep. We weren't up all night. It was like really a game changer. So I fell in love with like getting your kids on more of a regimented sleep schedule.
And so I had my second daughter and of course she was an awesome sleeper. And then I was helping my friends when they were having their babies. So it was really just like, you know, just kind of like a side passion. And then I kind of decided when we made this move and I was kind of feeling the pressure with the work-life balance thing.
I just decided to get certified as a sleep consultant and hang out my own shingle and start my own business. Oh, wow, okay. So you started out in the corporate world doing online marketing. Yeah, Interesting. [laughs] Yeah. Which is very helpful for sure. Yeah. So did you feel exposed to the world? Well, you started off with one-on-one coaching.
Right. Right. When I started, so I've had my business for about seven years, um, but it's really been the last couple years that I've really kind of made it a full-time thing. I, it was kind of always on the side as I was, like I said, balancing kind of work family stuff. Mm... So when I first started out, um, yes, I was just doing one-on-one coaching and I was helping families with kids, you know, from newborn to five years old.
And it was a wonderful, wonderful business to have helping families one-on-one and really like being in the weeds with them. And because, you know, when you have a child who isn't sleeping, no one is sleeping. Right? You cannot feel like a great mom when you are sleep deprived, it's like not possible. And it affects the whole family.
It does. It affects the whole family. And I mean, I always say that I have the best job in the world because it's true because... when you're able to like help a family get back into a sleep rhythm and everyone's getting the sleep, they need it. It really is a game changer. Mm... mm... So you started with one-on-one, you got certified.
Well, first you started [laugh] just other naturally the things that you were learning and you started helping your friends kind of just very naturally. And then you decided, okay, I'm going to make this like official. So you got certified started doing one-on-one coaching. More broadly. Yeah. Mm... How did you start that after you got certified?
How did you get the word out? Did you start like an Instagram or what did you do? No. No, I mean, this might've been before Instagram [laughs] wasn't around, but no, so yeah, I got certified because I figured like, you know, I felt like I needed some kind of formal training, you know, I needed somebody to kind of tell me what to do to make sure I like, knew exactly how to help other people, um, which I kind of feel like this is going to be a common thread in the story. [laugh]
I'll tell you about the growth of my business, because I really liked... to like... learn from people who've gone before. Like I really like to kind of have that roadmap. Yeah. Um, so I got certified and then I just started in my local community and group that I got certified with kind of helps you get started. You have to find some families to work with for free, in order to complete like the final to actually get your certification, you have to help a number of families.
And then they have to be interviewed about how you did. And so it's kind of a rigorous process. Mm... So by kind of going on. I think I went on, you know, like next door or something like that, and kind of looked for families and, um, Atlanta, where I was living at the time and looking for families to help for free.
Of course that gets the word out there. Yes. So then I kind of built up the network that way, just kind of locally and then in my own kids' preschool and kind of on from there. Okay. So really it sounds like word of mouth referral... very much, very much it started that way for sure. Okay. And that's so good to hear you say that because when I coach one-on-one clients who are kind of starting off, I'm always encouraging them, like be known in your community first.
That really is the easiest way to start that income rolling in faster and to grow faster. People often think it's like go online and just do blast all the time. But honestly, it's that, in you're talking about that, how that worked for you. So I love to hear that. Yeah. So how did you know that you wanted to niche down into toddlers sleep coaching?
Yeah. So this is really interesting. So I worked with families, like I said, for a long time in a variety of ages. And you know, a lot of people when their kids are young, you know, six months old, eight months old, they start looking for some sleep help. And that's what I did for a long time. Mm... And then I kind of realized this was a couple years ago and I had really kind of recommitted myself to kind of go all into my business and really grow this thing in a way that I hadn't before we were very settled.
My kids were a little older and then I was just still feeling like some resistance. Um, and I ended up hiring a, a business coach. Well, actually I joined a small group, like business coaching program. I think there was maybe eight of us in there. I never done anything like that before. And ironically, this was, I joined the group one week before like COVID hit in the world shut down.
Oh my gosh! [laughs] I just have to say, I feel like that was a big turning point. I feel like part of me was like, all right, forget it. Let's forget this whole business thing and just try to survive. Yeah. But I actually think my business helps me survive to be honest with you. [laughs] Oh yeah.
So I was talking in this group and I realized that what it was is that... I really loved working with older kids, kids who are like closer to three years old, four years old, five year olds 6, 7, 8. Once kids are out of the crib because I experienced this myself. My kids were always great sleepers when they were babies. Mm...
But then there's always a weird transition. Once you move out of the crib into that toddler bed, where, you know, your child who, um, you know, they can talk, they can run out of the room, they can say heartbreaking things and really need you. And you're like, oh, is it a nightmare? Like what, what do I do? It's very confusing.
And so I loved when those families found me, I loved working with them, but they were, it was few and far between that I was hearing from those folks. Mm... I knew that there was a much bigger that it was a pervasive problem that I could help fix. And so I really went all in and just decided, you know what, I'm not going to do the baby thing anymore.
Okay. No one was really addressing the toddler and preschool or sleep issues and the way that I am now. So I really saw a unique need for that. Yes. Yes. And so at that point in time, when 2020, when you decided to go all in, on the toddler sleep coaching, you were still doing one-on-one right. Still doing one-on-one.
Yeah. And at the same time, were you developing a course or did you already have like a method or a course type framework that you took people through with your one-on-one coaching? So I had a framework. Well, I mean, I always kind of had a similar thing that I was doing. And then I learned that I could call it a framework, basically give it a name to make it kind of more marketable. Aha...
So I did that. So yes, I was moving people kind of through my framework, my one-on-one clients. And once I really started doing some more marketing, getting on Instagram, getting more active in Facebook. And really sharing the messaging about this age group that I was serving and really speaking to the specific problems that those families had. Aha...
I really started getting a lot of traction and I was booking up and then I was, you know, working outside of the hours that I wanted to work because I was having so much demand. Mm... um, And then, you know, I'm, I'm talking to my husband and I'm like, I just don't think I can do this. Like, I, I came into this whole entrepreneur thing to have balance and like, look at me, I'm like running around like a chicken with my head cut off, you know, I'm like always doing like these intro calls, trying to sell new families and then I'm serving the families.
And like, I'm just like, exhausted. Yeah. Like, no, you're not going to quit. You're going to raise your prices. Yeah, [laughs] that's what we do now. Okay. Okay. So I kind of started raising my prices and this was probably summer going into the fall of 2020. Mm... Um, and I was still booking out and then it really like what happened is I really showed, even though I knew there was a need for this... mm...
It was, it was very clear to me, mm, that this was something that a lot of families needed and way more families that I could serve. It wasn't a matter of just raising my prices and having things even out, I was raising my prices and I was still like on a wait list. There was just so many people. Wow. I started feeling like.
Bad kind of, cause it's like, I know I can help these people. Yeah. I know that I have the skills to do that. I just don't have the time and that isn't a good feeling like that makes me feel like I'm leaving people, you know, out that I can help. So I don't know. I started thinking about making an online course and kind of in my free time when I would be like...
Running or something. I started looking at some podcasts and I found Amy Porterfield. Yes. And then I'm like, oh my God, this is like a thing. This is like this whole like industry. Yes. And then it became so obvious to me, like you're saying my framework was something that could be packaged up in this way. Mm... Um, and so I was thinking about it, but it just, it definitely felt.
Kind of out of reach, it was like, this is for other people that like, know what the hell they're doing [laughs] this isn't for me. Like, I'm just a sleep coach. What do I know about this? Oh my gosh! But it sounded really cool. So that's kind of, I think how kind of the flame started inside of me thinking about it. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Your story is still good for people to hear, because what I love about what you're saying is that, it everything has come naturally out of like necessity.
You know, you started doing the sleep coaching because you loved it. It really helped you. You were good at it. All your friends were asking you for help. You got the certification, um, to, you know, what bigger became a household name and your community basically. And then... You started doing it like so much and you there, you know, even after raising your prices, you were still in demand, had this huge wait list and the course just became a natural progression for you.
And Amy's community is fantastic for that because you get to see all the different people with different interests, like making courses, which probably inspired you and encouraged you. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. I started listening to her podcast and then, you know, I was really thinking that like back to what I was saying about how, when I wanted to get certified to be a sleep coach, cause I kind of wanted that roadmap.
I enrolled in her, um, her program, digital course academy in October of 2020. Um, okay, because again, it kind of, I, you know, she knows what she's doing and I wanted that roadmap. So I had to kind of gain all of these new skills. I didn't have to figure out how exactly I was actually gonna make this course and, and, um, and get it live.
So that was it. That was a huge learning process. The fall of 2020 was like bananas between trying to keep my business going and learn how to like set my business up in a whole new way. It was crazy. Yes... yes... And so if you're an Amy's universe, I assume you're doing it Amy style by doing webinar. A hundred percent like the greatest Amy student Ever... do it.
I'm doing it exactly [laughs] that way. Yes... yes... And so you did your first webinar. How'd that go? So I did my first live webinars. So the way she teaches it is you do live webinars and she recommends that you, you know, you do. I think she says maybe six live webinars to kind of really see what your audience is resonating with.
So my first webinar, I think it was right at the end of January of 2021. And I think I did maybe four live webinars over the course of a week and I had great like a likable registered, like, you know, it felt like there was a lot of momentum, but I really honestly didn't see the sales that I was hoping. Mm...
Um, So I had to kind of go back and look at what was going on, like within the webinars. So I made some tweaks. I didn't like, let this stop me because at this point I'd already built the whole thing. [laughs] I'm like, this thing is awesome. Like, it's just a matter of me, like expressing it in the right way for people to like, believe that this is a solution that is going to work for them, you know, because I knew it was so the first webinar was like, eh, kind of a little bit of a bust.
So a month later, I readjusted everything and probably went back and watched digital course academy again, to like follow her amazing blueprints a little bit better. And then, yeah, and then from there I kind of hit the right note with everybody and it really resonated with a lot of people. So when you say adjusted everything, are you referring to adjusting your messaging?
Yes. I adjusted the messaging in my webinar, but also some things about like, kind of when you get to the sales piece of the webinar, about how all of that lays out, I made some changes there as well. Okay. Okay. And were you running ads to your webinar in the beginning? I was doing it all. I was doing all of this on my own, so yes, I did start with my first webinar.
I started, um, trying out some Facebook ads... and so then when I was doing the second round of the webinar, I did some Facebook ads and then that second webinar was, uh, was great. So I did that, that I ran that exact same webinar. I live launched that every month. And so I was doing between like four and six webinars a week, every month.
Wow... wow... of months, One week a month. It was like directly. So I would have like a launch period. Right. So it would be like, I would do webinars like Monday through Thursday, mm... And then four weeks later I would do it again. Okay. So it would be to the ads. It would be like kind of a whole new launch. Okay. And of course I have my, you know, email sequences and everything, and then serving, you know, the families that are enrolled in the course.
So it was kind of a machine and I was doing it all on my own, which I look back and I'm like, I was insane. I mean, yes, so much work, but like I kind of got it down to a rhythm. Yeah, It was going really well, it was going, it was going great. I actually really enjoyed the live launches. I mean, I was terrified. Like, don't get me wrong.
I mean, terrified... [laughs] but I really loved it. I really loved engaging with all the people in the webinar. I was trying to do the webinars, but also read all the comments and stuff. It was really cool. It's like, it's really a really cool experience. That is really cool. And can we just take a step back and just appreciate that you were doing this in a pandemic [laughs] with two kids?
And didn't you like move or [laughs] didn't move in. They haven't moved since I started with this, [laughs] is not yet, but you have the pandemic and the kids, not as all a real thing. Yeah. Yeah. Well running your one-on-ones and keeping everything going. Yeah. Amazing. Amazing. So I'm just kinda curious, I'm, I'm getting a little digging into this a little bit more because I think it's interesting for people to hear and to be encouraged when you are launching those first few months, those webinars, and it sounds like you're running ads.
Were you looking at the breakdown of the percentages of, you know, where you could optimize this launch? Were you looking at like the clicks, you know, your clicks on your ads and the registration attendance and, you know, follow through? Yeah. There were some key things I was looking at, but I mean, certainly I should have had more people helping me to like really dive into all of that stuff.
I probably should have that now, to be honest with you. But yeah, I mean, I was definitely looking at, you know, ad performance in terms of clicks. I was looking at my cost per registration, mm... Um, from the ads that was really important to me to keep that number, you know, relatively low. And then I was looking at my... the percentage of people that were attending live.
How many of those registered, and then, you know, the percentage of people that were ultimately ordering through like an email nurture sequence, if they didn't attend live, you know, maybe they watched the replay, you know, found out about my course through the email sequence. So I was definitely looking at all of those numbers too.
Mm... mm... Okay. So you were doing all this live launching. At what point did you decide to go evergreen and how did you make that decision? Well, I really wish that it was like a well thought out decision. And I could tell you like, well, these are the three ways, you know, when you're ready. But unfortunately, [laugh] like I think most entrepreneurial journeys, it ain't that easy.
Basically, it was about to be the summer. And I was about to go on vacation and I was like, what's going to happen to my business. Because at this point it really relied on me to be doing this webinars. Mm... I call them master classes and sit my toddler, sleep masterclass. And it was all on me. And, you know, I had done it at this point. I think I had done it maybe five times and it was a lot of work. It was like I said, I was doing all my own. So it was a lot of setup. And then it was the summer. My kids were about to be home or going on vacation. And I was like, okay, like... and I think Amy says to do it six times and I think I hadn't done it six times and that was [laugh] my concern.
I was like, I feel like I'm not ready... for that magic number [laughs]. Great. Great. But I think I'm going to try. And in my mind, I was thinking, I'm just going to try running this on evergreen for a couple months during the summer. And then I'll just get back to it, mm... Back to the live launches that was what was in my head.
We'll just see... it's okay. Like we need to be prepared if this doesn't work things take a dip for a little bit and then I'll get right back to it, you know, at the end of the summer and the fall and everything will be fine. That's what I was thinking. Well, and then I set up all the pieces to run my masterclass on an evergreen model and...
Load and behold like... It was actually still working. So then I was like, I mean, it wasn't working as well as the live launches in the beginning. It wasn't just like a magic thing that happened. Like, like everything, it, like I saw that there was like signs of life. Like this could actually, maybe this is going to work.
So it took a lot of tweaking and kind of optimizing and I that's, what I'm still doing now is trying to tweak and optimize all the different pieces to make sure that it works as effectively as it can. Mm... mm... But you were able to enjoy your summer? Yes, yes, absolutely. Yes. To enjoy the summer. Um, yeah. So then it's then once I saw that that was actually going to work, I mean, it really, it changed so much because, I mean, if you think about it, you know, before in 2020, I'd spent all my time working one-on-one with families.
Yeah. And at the beginning of 2021, I spent all my time doing live launches and preparing for live launches. Then all of a sudden in the summer and the fall of 2021, it kind of all changes. And now it's like, oh, this is like more of a marketing situation that I'm in... mm... The way it's been very, every phase has been really different and required a lot of different skills.
And there's good pros and cons with all of it, for sure. Oh my gosh. Yes. Yes. People often don't realize when their business starts to grow, how they get more out of it and are focusing more on it. And in your role really switches from being the main service provider. To overseeing the team and overseeing the whole, um, machine, basically.
Yeah. You've put in the work in the beginning. Yeah. Yes. Yes. It's just been an interesting journey and it's yeah. Having to learn new things that you never really thought you would have to learn. And I don't know, just embracing it all along the way. It's just, it's a big learning process [laughs] Right, a lot of times. So does it feel like that is actually something you're a little bit more comfortable with being uncomfortable?
Ah... I'd say I'm getting there. I mean, I think I've like, you know, I've heard enough people say that, you know, you're on the right track, you know, with, with something new, if you, if you really feel like you're gonna throw up. [laughs] And like, yeah, noh... Something here, I must be who must be on to the new learning curve that I'm experience.
Yeah. Yeah. Um, I have this question. I'm going to ask that before I do. I don't want to leave something like lingering in somebody's mind. And wonder if somebody might be thinking of, is listening to this. When you were starting off doing the launches, the masterclasses, and you were doing it once a month, is your program... more than a month long. And if it is, how are you serving these people that are coming in? Is it a DIY course or is it... like a Facebook group that you have that you're doing, you know, weekly or monthly coaching calls in? What does that look like?
Yeah. Yeah. And this, and you know, this is something that's flexed and changed also. And I mean, I think it always will because how things grow and so, yeah, it's been a journey for sure. So I started off when I was doing the live launching the program came with, uh, I think I did weekly zoom calls for a month. So everybody then enrolled in the course, it was like an open and close launch. So if you enrolled in the course within the five days that it was available, then you could join four weekly zoom calls and ask any questions that you wanted to.
And I did that, I think for the first few months, but then what started happening was I was getting more people who enrolling and then all of a sudden there were so many people joining these calls that it, it wasn't respectful of anybody's time. You know, to be on this call for an, like, I think it started out as 45 minutes and they'd be like an hour.
And then they were like two hours long and I'm like, people don't have the time to sit here to get their questions answered. And then I was having to spend all this time going back through like making timestamps for people to watch the replay. And it got very cumbersome. Um, and you know, I'm thinking this is not scalable. Mm...
It's not scalable because I always knew that, you know, this is a program that people it's built to be DIY. Mm... The support is kind of a nice to have, and it's a nice way for people to have a chance to ask questions. Um, but all the answers really are in there. And I also have a... I call it my ever expanding library of frequently asked questions because like every time I'm getting questions from people I'm like going in there and making sure that.
The answer is clear. The answer is succinct and... So it's very much a searchable database that people have access to 24/7, mm... So I think I added that FAQ database after having all of these calls and seeing that a lot of people have similar questions. So I decided those calls just were simply not, not scalable.
So I removed them for a period of time. And then... you know, things were going really well. I do have a Facebook group, so I have have everybody going into a private Facebook group. So all the families that enroll have access to that in addition to the FAQ library. And so I spend time in that, on that Facebook group every day, answering questions, um, and other families, that's the best part.
It's become such a community. So there's other families in there that are answering people's questions, supporting them, you know, here's what happened to me, stick with it like. This is what you can do for this or that. So it's very much a community feel. Mm... I have gone back to at some points I've given away free calls with me, free one-on-one calls with me to ask one question or so like just for individual families.
And that's been great to talk to the families. So I kind of, I'm just still, I feel like trying to kind of figure out what's going to resonate best with people. Yeah. So yeah, there's, there's lots of different options there. Yeah. So that's so good to hear that you are testing things out that you just don't wait until you have it all figured out perfectly, but you just go for it and you're figuring it out as you go, it's funny that you're saying that because like, that is true. [laughs]
I hear myself saying this and that is true, but it's so not what I feel like any decision I've made has been me sitting here trying to painstakingly figure out the exact right way to do things. So I only have to do it once. But the only truth is like, that's never going to work. Just try something and then you probably have to try something else after that.
So I've tried to kind of let that go a little bit, but yeah, the desire to want to set it up and think through it all the way to the end is definitely deep inside of me, but, but it's been a process trial and error really.
Yes. Yes. Oh my goodness in that, so good. And it's good to hear your, you know, your intention behind it, that you certainly want things to be perfect, but that it never actually is, [laugh] you know, put you find something that works for the time and then you figure it out as you go. Yeah.
So when we look at your, your business and how it has been on this journey, how it's like morphed, you know, into one thing and the next and the next, have you seen your income incrementally increase as you've taken all these steps to scale? Um, yeah, I definitely have, I would say there's some key decisions that have helped that, um, have helped that scaling process.
I think bringing on the right partners is very important. And then I also think, so these are things you obviously have to make an investment in, which, you know, can feel a little bit scary or uncomfortable, but I think the two things that have been the most important are bringing in the right partners to help with things that you're not an expert at.
So, like I said, I was running all of my advertising on my own for awhile, but fully knowing that like I knew enough to like launch an ad, but like there was way more to it than I understood or had time to learn or deal with. Not just my expertise is not what I want to be an expert in. So I didn't want to spend the time to figure that out.
So having the right partners to, to offload things that aren't your area of expertise, I think is really important. And the other thing is investing in coaching and masterminds because, you know, entrepreneurial businesses are like kind of lonely, at least solo preneur businesses. You know, it's just me sitting in my house like...
Thinking of things and making things out of thin air. So it's really important, I think, to make sure that you are surrounded by people who are on a similar journey and who face similar self-doubt and all these things that we all have, and that we all deal with. It's, it's important to surround yourself with the right people.
Um, mm, mm... Yeah, well obviously I believe it or not [laughs] and I love that you're in the mastermind. I love that. One of the other investments that you made was in marketing, you know, to help you with that. And I think this is really worth highlighting as part of your journey, because I have seen. Enough entrepreneurs and worked with enough entrepreneurs to know that once somebody makes an investment in something that doesn't end up going, according to plan that it can leave like a trauma stamp.
On that person and they might never want to go down that road again, even though they know that it's a big step for scaling and growing the business and accomplishing your dreams. And I know you have a little bit of that experience. Would you mind sharing that? Of course I'm happy too because this, and I'll try not to cry because I swear it's like so close to the surface, but this was back in the beginning of 2021. As I saw that things were growing and this was going to be a good, you know, concept. And again, back to knowing I was doing all kinds of things that weren't really in my wheelhouse. I hired a marketing agency to do a bunch of things for me. And you know, after a few months it was clear that like they weren't delivering on their promises.
And I was kind of getting the run around. I'm not getting direct answers and they just really weren't living up to their end of the deal. And this was the first I want to say this was the first, like, this was definitely the first agency I'd hired. It might've been the first person I paid to do anything.
And it's really uncomfortable. It's really uncomfortable to have those conversations and to say, you know, I'm happy with the work that's happening and what's going on here. And, but, you know, I had some responsibility in that. I had made some poor decisions and how I had contracted with them. I had paid them upfront, which was not something I would recommend just because of my experience, because what happened was they... it was a long, weird situation, but they basically ended up...
Trying to cancel my contract and blaming it on me. It was very weird and you could tell that this wasn't the first time they'd done this, let me just say. So anyway, I did not get all of my money back, which this was very traumatic as a new business, starting up very traumatic. And you know, it felt like I know it's work is work is not personal or whatever, but this was personal.
This was, we were two women owned businesses, we were close I thought we had a relationship. And marketing agencies are a huge investment. Yeah, it's huge. If you haven't looked into it yet, whoever's listening it. It's a huge investment. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I really, I mean, there was lawyers, it was a whole thing.
Like it was not pretty, it was not pleasant. I had to happen to a side of myself to deal with this that I didn't want to have to deal with. I mean, honestly, like I was treated, so it's treated in a way that I never met. I would be treated like it was very, a sad realization that there's people like that out there in the world.
So it was a grow up kind of moment, but, you know, and I have to say, I feel like I, wasn't a period of mourning for a little while, but the truth is like, at the end of the day, it's like, I knew I can almost see my business outside of myself. Like I know. It needs to grow. It is serving families. It is doing good work in the world and I refused to be the person to hold it back.
That is literally how I was thinking about it. I like to see that visual and I didn't want to be the person to be just moping around sad that, you know, I got screwed over and you know, I'm not going to just lay in bed and be upset about it. So it took me a little bit, but I found another amazing partner.
And when enter the relationship very trepidatiously [laugh] based on my experiences before, but it has been wonderful and it's been absolutely wonderful. So, so yeah, I'm very, very thankful for that. I'm so glad to hear that you have the right perspective. You have the healthy perspective to keep going. Of course, you're smarter the second time around.
With the right way to approach it, the right questions to ask. And you're a different person entering into this new relationship with this new marketing agency. So yeah. Well, I have to give you Jen props because you connected me with this agency. It was a very serendipitous meeting, but again, this is the point of being in a mastermind.
You find the right connections, you meet the right people through your peers and through your coaches so... Yeah, that's such a good point with the masterminds. Like oftentimes people join and they think it's going to be all about the weekly meetings. And it is, it is. I mean, that's where the magic happens, but it could be also to have one connection that you make or that one, you know, big transformation that happens as a result of the relationships and being with other people who are all go-getters high achievers.
You know, wanna make a big difference in the world like you. Yeah. So I feel like the typical questions that I ask are what is the soft skill that really made a big difference in your business? So I think it's a couple of things. I mean, I think I always try to focus on the families that I'm serving and I spend a lot of time.
I feel like thinking about them, thinking about their perspective and what are they experiencing. Like, I want my messaging to speak to them and they're like, moment of need. Like, how are they feeling? So I think spending time, understanding your customer is really important. I think from a business side, I mean, certainly being in having a coach, having a mastermind, like we've talked about has been so important, but the other thing too, I think, and I never really did this before is like journaling.
Hmm. I always spent, well, I say I always spend, I want to always spend like five minutes. I want to start my day and I set my timer for five minutes and I just want to journal about whatever I'm feeling like, whatever I'm up against, whatever is coming up for me, as it relates to my business. I think that's really revealing because we spend so much time.
Go, go, go. Here's my to-do list. Check the box. Um, pick up the kids, you know, dah, dah, dah, dah. It's important to take a second and like, really think about what's going on in your head and you got a manager, you gotta manage your brain or you'll get lost [laugh] in there and locust, oh my gosh. I love that... nobody's said that yet.
I love that so much. What about the hard skill or what is the one strategic thing? That you think really made a difference for you? Well, I really like to find people who are like ahead of me and see what they've done, like study what they've done. So, you know, like I got certified as a sleep coach cause I kind of wanted to have that blueprint.
And then I took digital course academy with Amy Porterfield because I wanted to have kind of her blueprint. So I think that helps give me confidence because the truth is like, even though no one's made my course before, I'm not reinventing the wheel. So you can be creative and have your own, your own ideas and your own setup.
But ultimately, like there is a lot of knowledge out there in the world. So I think finding that, yeah, has been important. I love podcast. This is kind of a soft skill one too, but I love uh... the life coach school podcast, of best, back to the beginning. Like I'm in the beginning, I'm in episode 170 right now. I mean, so when I walk my dog, it's like the perfect dog walking link and I'm like, yes, but I, I spend time doing that too.
Oh, I get everybody hooked on that podcast. And I always tell people, start at one, starting up and look what, because it's those first 10 that are it sets the foundation for everything. Yeah. Yeah. Another woman that I love is "UnF*ck your Brain." Yeah. Start at the beginning of that one too. Mm... Like that is a great one. So I don't know if that's a hard skill listening to podcasts. [laughs]
Yeah. I think finding people that have gone before and being open to taking advice, all that kind of stuff, I think that's really, I think that's really good. Um, and then when you need to learn, like, if you want to learn something new, don't be afraid to buy someone's courses on it. Mm... You know, I did a little course on Facebook ads.
I've done a little course on Google ads. So ultimately I'm hiring people out to do that, but I still want to like, have it general understanding of what I'm hiring out for. Like, are they doing a good job? So I always do something that too.
And I just want to bring up for people who are listening, that Jessica is not just, uh, a course collector. [laugh] Jessica does the courses like we've had this discussion before. She's like... I don't get how people buy courses and don't go through them. [laugh] you actually, you go through them. Yeah, I have this whole notebook. I pronounce I'm like the best student. Oh, that's so awesome, every course creator now is like. Your the best... [laughs]
Everybody wants people like you, taking their courses, right? Yeah. Yes. So instead of just developing a huge library and never actually opening them up, so, yup, for sure who knows. Yeah. Well, this has been so great and... one thing we didn't mention is that Jessica, like she has scaled her business. You've seen her journey know that she has laid out before you so generously.
And it's so inspiring that... you know, she started off with one-on-ones and now this past month was a six-figure month for you. Yes, it was my first six-figure month, which is crazy to even say that loud. Yes, like from my dreams from like two years ago. [laughs] And the other thing I meant to say, and I guess this is a hard back to the hard skill question, but like, I think just being consistent, like I started sending, I sent out an email, I do a blog post every other week and...
Like you see that frequency build upon itself. And I think I was nervous to like commit to a schedule and, you know, I had some apprehension, am I going to be able to come up with new content every couple, I just do it now. It's just part of the process. And that has made things so much easier. And you really do start to see that you start to see that payoff.
You start to see your audience appreciate that. That's another, mm... thing I wanted to mention. Oh my gosh, consistency that is so awesome. Just curious when did you start doing that? So consistently. Um, I think why did some experimenting, I tried every week and then I decided that every other week was a better cadence.
And that was for you or for... for my open rates. Okay, mm... Yeah. For my open rates, and I think I started that back in the spring of last year. So maybe like, you know, March 2021, okay. Wow. And then you haven't only hired out your marketing, but what else have you... hired out. What other type of team members do you have and when did you get them?
So I have a social media manager and I started working with her last summer. I believe, yeah, maybe July, August of 2021. Um, and then the marketing firm came on in October of 2021, mm... And those are the, those are the only hires I've made to date. Um, but I am about to hire out for my like bookkeeping for my business.
And also I'm going to be getting like a, some virtual assistant help with some, you know, administrative tasks and things like that. So, mm... I definitely you're taking my own advice and trying to offload, I find myself like, I'm like, what, okay, what am I spending my time doing every day? And a lot of the things I don't need to be the one doing them. [laughs]
So now if it doesn't require a toddler sleep coach to complete this task, I shouldn't be doing it. That's kind of the way I'm looking at everything I'm doing every day. Like, okay, Nope, don't need to do that anymore. Right. So right. And you can see the return on investment on those things. Like they're actually helping you well.
Yeah, for sure because I haven't endless, um, a number of ideas and other things, other things I want to do, other ways it can serve people, other, you know, things that need to be happening to grow my business that are just on the back burner, because you just get bogged down in the day-to-day. So, yeah. Yeah. And I just wanna...
I wanna make a quick mention to the person who's listening. If you're starting your business, start your bookkeeping now this is such... a thing that happens with a lot of entrepreneurs that I work with, is that I'm not saying this to you, Jessica. [laugh] I'm just saying this because you brought up bookkeeping and I know that most entrepreneurs really struggled with that because we were big idea people, were visionaries and getting into the weeds is really hard to do with anything that's outside of the area that we're teaching. And so it's so common, I, I really can probably count on one hand the entrepreneurs that I've worked with, who have...
Had their bookkeeping, not even up-to-date but established. [laugh] So I really want to encourage you that something to do early on and it'll help you make decisions as you're growing your business. So yeah, I had to do that and public service announcements like... [laughs] I love that you've done so much and I see that, you know, the order that you've done, things hiring, you know, buying the right courses, the right certifications, getting in the mastermind, getting the marketing agency online, that has really been things that have helped you take those huge leaps in your business.
Um, obviously it's been you getting out of your comfort zone, but that most things as well. So congratulations and all that and your first six-figure month. So awesome. This was so amazing, Jessica, thank you so much for being a guest and for sharing your journey so openly. I know it's going to inspire and encourage so many people who maybe see themselves on a similar path as you doing all the one-on-one coaching and then moving into the course and the masterclass and the evergreen. So thank you so much.
Yeah, of course. You're so welcome. And how could people get in touch with you? Where do you like to hang out the most? So I hang out mostly on Instagram, Awesome Little Sleepers is my handle, the name of my business. You can also sign up if you want to join the toddler sleep masterclass and learn so much about what's going on with your own toddler sleep issues.
Uh, you can visit awesomelittlesleepers.com/toddler-masterclass, and then you can reserve your spot there. And if you can't attend at one of the times, um, that shown I'll send you an email and you can watch the replay. Wonderful! Awesome! Thank you so much. Thank you.
Wow! That was such an incredible interview with Jessica. I will have all of her information, her Instagram handle her link to her masterclass, all of that in the show notes. And I definitely encourage you to reach out to her, especially if you would like some help with helping your toddler sleep at night so that you can function your best. But I want to just say... like, I hope that this encourages you, no matter where you are on your journey, that this is possible that you can do this. This is why I do this podcast so that you can get behind the scenes of people's businesses like we do in my mastermind so that you can be encouraged by other people who are experiencing success.
So if you would like to experience that type of support. That type of inspiration and challenge. I encourage you to apply to my mastermind and you can find the application on my website @jenargue.com
