113. Jenna Harrison: From Nude Beaches to Business Coaching: Her Uncommon Career Journey

In this episode of the "How I Got Hired" podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jenna Harrison, a mindset and business coach. Jenna shared her career journey with me, which included working in corporate roles, moving to Spain to work on a nude beach, and eventually becoming a coach. We covered a range of topics during our conversation, including salary negotiation, clarity in decision-making, and the power of mindset. Jenna emphasized the importance of being grounded in one's mission and taking risks to achieve new results. I found her story to be incredibly inspiring and I hope that our listeners will be motivated to pursue their passions and create fulfilling careers.

Introduction [00:00:06]
Sonal Bahl introduces herself and the purpose of the podcast, which is to share stories of people who have achieved success in their careers.

Jenna's Corporate Role [00:05:18]
Jenna Harrison talks about her favorite corporate role as an executive assistant for the chairman of a board of an S&P 600 company and how she learned about effective communication.

Salary Negotiation [00:09:31]
Jenna Harrison talks about negotiating her salary for the first time when she applied for the executive assistant role.

Corporate Roles and Salary Negotiation [00:11:13-00:13:52]
Jenna talks about her experience negotiating her salary for a fashion job and the importance of advocating for oneself.

Working on a Nude Beach [00:14:32-00:20:12]
Jenna shares her experience working on a nude beach in Spain and how she ended up managing a restaurant there.

Choosing a Career Path [00:15:47-00:20:12]
Jenna discusses her decision to pursue a career in Spain after college and how she made the decision to prioritize her personal values over a potentially lucrative career in the US.

Corporate Roles and Career Progression [00:20:50]
Jenna talks about her experience of being interrupted in her career progression and how she trusted herself to bounce back.

Starting The Uncommon Way [00:23:24]
Jenna explains how she started her coaching business, The Uncommon Way, and how she helps women entrepreneurs create their own businesses.

Importance of Clarity in Business [00:29:03]
Jenna discusses the importance of having true clarity in business and how it can help in attracting clients and building a successful business.

The Power of Words [00:35:25]
Jenna discusses the importance of shifting language to gain clarity and how our brain responds to different commands.

Adversity as a Supercharger [00:38:22]
Jenna shares how being rejected from a business mastermind program led her to write an application for the future, which she accomplished in just one month, supercharging her business.

Methodology for Clarity [00:31:59]
Jenna and Sonal discuss the methodology Jenna uses to help people gain clarity in their lives, careers, and relationships.

Jenna's self-concept [00:41:19]
Jenna talks about how her self-concept changed after applying to a mastermind and how it affected her behavior and beliefs.

Promoting Jenna's podcast [00:42:40]
Sonal promotes Jenna's podcast, "The Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast," and encourages listeners to check it out.

Importance of leaving a review [00:44:12]
Sonal emphasizes the importance of leaving a review for her podcast to help it reach more people and fulfill her mission of helping others supercharge their careers.

Learn more about Jenna:
 https://theuncommonway.com/
https://theuncommonway.com/podcast/
All social media @TheUncommonWay
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Transcript

Sonal (00:00:06) - Hey there. Welcome to how I Got Hired. This is a show about ordinary people like you and me and how they created extraordinary success in their career. My name is Sonal Beel, an international career strategist and founder of Supercharge. I strongly believe that a fulfilling career is a birthright and not a privilege for the lucky few who have access to expensive education capital and networks. I am now on a mission to democratize access to high value career advice with my digital courses, with some coaching and content with my YouTube channel and this podcast right here. So, listen, you deserve to have a career you actually love, even if you just got laid off, even if you took years of work to take care of a family member, even if you are underpaid and overworked, if you are looking for practical strategies and tactics to build a career in life that you're proud of, you are in the right place. Listen, once you're done listening, I want you to promise me something. I want you to walk away with the singular thought. If they could do it, I can do it too. Now, grab your favorite warm beverage and let's get started.

 Sonal (00:01:26) - Hey there. Welcome back. I am so glad you decided to listen to this episode. I'm speaking with a super interesting person, Jenna Harrison, who is a mindset and business coach. She works mostly with women, but wait, all the men in the audience do not go away. Come back right here. There's lessons in here for all of us, I'm sure of it. Now, before we get into it, I wanna read a little excerpt from Jenna's website, the uncommon way.com. This is what she says. After college, I turned my back on the rat race and ran off to Spain to work on a newest beach. Yes, you heard me correctly. Long story, but predictively, my parents were absolutely convinced I'd committed career suicide. I'd done other things that seemed pretty brave at the time, like traveling solo, moving to New York City without a job, or a place to live, and turning down scholarship to a top MBA program to study jewelry design instead.

Sonal (00:02:35) - So upon return to the us, things were looking pretty darn good on paper. I went to a good school, worked myself up to a sexy little title at a top fashion company, and bought properties in Miami and Manhattan. Very fancy, Jenna . But I was miserable. I felt like my soul was being sucked out of me by the ugly fluorescent office lights. And it didn't matter that I was quote unquote lucky enough to have a window to gaze out longingly for over nine hours a day because I desperately wanted to be out there traveling the world and living each day to the very fullest, rather than stuck in here. Especially because I'd already had a taste of freedom. So I wish I could do that. People used to say, you can. I replied, that's how I first began helping friends and colleagues to get more comfortable with risk while showing them how to plan out their steps. So that's what Jenna does today. How did she get this clarity? How can we get some of that too? This is gonna be such a juicy conversation. Jenna, welcome to the show.

Jenna (00:03:55) - It is such a pleasure to be here. I love your podcast so much, and I love how much detail and richness you bring in to every question. And so I can see why that paragraph resonated with you, because there are a lot of juicy details in there.

Sonal (00:04:11) - Exactly. Uh, I can't wait to fill in those blanks with you. And yeah, let's get into it, Jenna. So, you know, I wanna first talk to you about your time in corporate, and a quick disclaimer here, because it's become so fashionable, you've probably seen it as well, Jenna, all over the internet. It's become so fashionable to bash the nine to five life these days, you know? But there's a lot that we learn by working in that structured environment, especially with other people. So, having said that, what was your favorite corporate role before you started your entrepreneurship journey? And talk to us about how you got that job.

Jenna (00:04:54) - You know, that's such a great question, and even just reflecting on it in the blink of an eye as you ask it, I was scrolling through my jobs and it was helping my brain focus on the positive for each mm-hmm. . So I deeply appreciate that opportunity. If I had to choose one, it would be, I was hired as an executive assistant for the chairman of a board of an s and p 600 company. Wow.

Sonal (00:05:18) - Okay.

Jenna (00:05:19) - And I found it, um, very enjoyable to work with somebody that I thought was extremely intelligent and that I felt valued by. And we had a really great working relationship. But I'll tell you, the thing that I found most fascinating was that I was in charge of all of his communications. And so I was just riveted by how he spoke and the decisiveness with which he spoke, and all of the little I thinks and ums and all of the things that, especially as women, we tend to incorporate into our language. He completely took all of that out. And I was mesmerized by the confidence and the power with which he spoke, and I saw how it affected people around him. And I, of course, I love messaging. That's something that I help people with now. And so I think right back then, that seed was planted about how much can change just with tone of voice, even through the written word.

Sonal (00:06:21) - Wow. Wow. That's interesting. And, um, you see that the umm and the ahs, it just kinda . It's a, it's a part of my personal brand, God damnit. But I hear you. I hear you. I hear what you mean. And I, I wanna also say something here, when you said executive assistant, a lot of people actually do not know, uh, that there's more to it, um, uh, than a, a glorified secretary. You know, there's nothing wrong with being a secretary. There's nothing wrong with being assistant, but we're talking chairman of the executive board. You need to be mentally, uh, at the same level, you know, to be in cahoots, to be sometimes having fist ball fights with people because they're expecting certain work done at a certain standard. And that level of pressure is not for everyone. Correct?

Jenna (00:07:10) - Yes. Yeah. Ironically, I took the job because I wanted less pressure, and I thought, oh, be easy.

Sonal (00:07:19) - And and how did you, sorry, go ahead, Jenna.

Jenna (00:07:22) - I was just gonna say, I think in hindsight I would've been just bored out of my mind if it had been too easy. Right. I absolutely thrived and

Sonal (00:07:30) - Loved it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, I hear you. I mean, um, we need a bit of challenge, not too much, not all the time, because that results in non-stop stress, not too little boredom. Both are problematic. Right. But just that, that perfect amount. And obviously there are days it goes up and down. And, and Jenna, how did you get hired into that role? Like, he found you out of the blue. Did you apply what helped you to stand out? Because I imagine it would be pretty competitive to be in that role.

Jenna (00:07:58) - Yes. So interestingly enough, he had, he was a, a Cuban native Spanish speaker, and he had been hiring people that were, that were also Cuban or Spanish speaking. And he was struggling with his communications. So when he would write to people, send emails because they were trans, you know, he was trans, they were transcribing his dictation, there would be some errors mm-hmm. . And so he'd finally changed his mind and decided he wanted just a pure gringa, you know, pure white girl to come and help. But there was a problem because there was so much Spanish spoken at that in the C-suite. And so he needed somebody who could do both. Of course, I'd lived in Spain, you mentioned that in the, in the intro. Mm-hmm. . And I'd also previously worked in New York in sales and was traveling to Central America. And so I'd been able to keep up my Spanish throughout that time. So that is definitely what helped me stand out. The fact that I went to a good school, obviously was literate and also had this Spanish background. Uh, but we really clicked right in the interview. It was very, very easy interview. We were already laughing. And, um, I, I, the reason that I applied for it, like I said, is because I wanted a break and I thought this would be a fun, easy job as a secretary, just like you say. And, um, it was the first time that I ever negotiated for a salary.

Sonal (00:09:31) - Oh, wait, wait, wait. I wanna pause you cuz that sounds juicy. I wanna stop right there. I think, um, before we continue, I wanna ask you, Jenna, were you nervous during these interviews?

Jenna (00:09:44) - Honestly, I didn't feel like it was part of a normal career progression at that point. I had been working in the jewelry industry, and that's where I wanted to be. And I wanted to have my jewelry company, and this was just a little time out, away from real life, so that I had a paycheck coming in while I built my jewelry

Sonal (00:10:01) - Empire stability. Ah, so this was, uh, the funding you needed ? Yes.

Jenna (00:10:07) - My venture capitalist for the

Sonal (00:10:09) - Empire Venture Capitalist. Uh, I wanna just stay here for a minute, and then I wanna talk to you about, uh, salary negotiation, which is a hot topic. Men, women, everybody. Um, because I think what is highly underestimated, especially in high stakes beatings, and I am, I am very much to, you know, it's not like I'm pointing figures. I'm very much someone who's made this mistake is the nerves are highest when we think the stakes are high. And if I don't get it, it's gonna be a disaster. Right. When the end game instead is, we'll see how it goes, if it works out, if it doesn't work out. And I've had other guests on the show who talk about enjoyment, particularly during high stakes meetings, like you are saying, we were actually laughing. We had such a great time, almost always when I've had a meeting. And it's been pleasant both the sides. The heartbeat is not, you know, normal. It's not crazy like high. Um, the chances of it going in the direction we want are much higher. Right.

Jenna (00:11:12) - Great point.

Sonal (00:11:13) - I, I'm, I'm feeling that for sure here, and considering this was a career change for you. And, and sorry, what industry are we talking about?

Jenna (00:11:22) - So I moved from jewelry to fashion, so it wasn't

Sonal (00:11:25) - A huge, this was fashion. Ah, okay. I got it still. Right. You would be considered a little bit of an outsider, particularly considering you're not, uh, Latin American like any, like everyone else. You definitely don't . Look at, you don't have the, the, the name compared to Sinor Cubano and the other Cubanos, the other Cubans. What is it that you felt, um, helped you talk to us about the, you know, advocating for yourself and demanding your worth that, uh, salary negotiation experience?

Jenna (00:11:59) - I think it's exactly what you said. The stakes were not high for me. I thought it seemed like a really great job. It would be really fun to do, but it wasn't like I needed that job. And so the negotiations actually took place outside of the meeting room, so I wasn't staring face to face at somebody who was, I think,

Sonal (00:12:20) - How, how was it, uh, Jenna, was it on email or was it over the phone?

Jenna (00:12:24) - Oh, good question. It was so long ago. Uh, it was over the phone. I

Sonal (00:12:28) - Remember it was on the phone. Okay. It was over the phone. Okay. Yeah.

Jenna (00:12:31) - Yeah. And so we'd had a, we'd had this great conversation, and then somebody, you know, got on the phone with me and said, um, the salary range you were requesting, I think is a little beyond what we'd like to pay. We'd like to offer this instead. And I just said, actually, I know myself and I wouldn't feel, um, I forget how I said it, but I just said that I, I wouldn't feel, uh, fulfilled and excited about the challenge at that rate. Right. It would only be at this rate. And then I heard back from them and they said, okay,

Sonal (00:13:07) - Good, good. It's not extra pushy. It's not a pushover either. It's that amount, you know, that Goldilocks,  Right. Amount. Like this is what I would, uh, be excited about and I'd, you know, show up as my best self. So simple, Jenna, but still so much, so many of us are so fearful of that.

Jenna (00:13:28) - Yes, yes. But you see the, the clarity there. So when you're giggling clear with yourself on what you're willing to accept and what you're not, and I see this with business all the time as well, right? If entrepreneurs are going to raise their prices or whatever the next step is, when you have that clarity and you're willing to walk away from it, that is what, um, I believe the universe is waiting for in order to give.

Sonal (00:13:52) - Yeah. Yeah. Because you feel like you have nothing to lose. Yes. It's not, not, uh, not an insane amount to lose. And, and even if you lose it, you can live with it. Um, super interesting. I wanna now talk to you about the newest beach . I feel like that, uh, portion deserves its own, like, really like its own section. Talk to us about new grad Jenna Harrison and doctors about this beach, the lack of clothes. What were you thinking? Like, let's get, let's get some clarity here. What made you take, you know, apply to the job? What made you take the job? Uh, we are curious, Jenna, we wanna know.

Jenna (00:14:32) - Yes, yes. I know. It is a question that comes up frequently when I speak with people, because it does stand out, right? It's, it's a fun fact. So I wanna,

Sonal (00:14:41) - And work workloads, uh, workloads, uh, the lack of clothes mandatory. Talk to us about the , the, the, you know, the dress code or the lack of it

Jenna (00:14:49) - , right, right, right there. It's funny, on Nud beaches, there kind of is a dress code. You're not supposed to be there if you're wearing clothes. Yes.

Sonal (00:14:56) - Yeah. You're more like, more like undress code, right? Yeah.

Jenna (00:14:59) - . Right. . All right. So I'll tell you all the details, but first I have to just paint this picture between these two lifestyles. So I had had a pivotal experience where I had already, um, studied in Spain and then I for a year. And so I'd experienced the Spanish lifestyle, which was so different than, especially in the States. It's very competitive, getting into the top colleges. And I had been working on that since, um, about sixth grade. So upper elementary school, I had already been planning and putting all of my efforts and resources into accomplishing that goal. And then I got to Spain. So I, this was my sophomore year of college. I had one full year of being in college. This is it, you know, academically working. And

Sonal (00:15:47) - Then I was Was it an exchange with exchange with your university in the us? Yes,

Jenna (00:15:52) - Yes. Got it. There was a program offered in Spain, and it was just like, whoa. It was like going from full speed to just, you know, hitting a wall because things were just so much slower there, so different, uh, the way people thought about their careers and about money and about everything was so different. And I loved it. I, it was just like a revelation to me. So I'd had that experience. But then I came back and I was, between my junior and senior year of college accepted to a really special program at the University of Chicago that they had at the time for their mba, which was where they would bring in liberal arts students to hopefully entice them into pursuing their mba because they wanted a more well-rounded MBA program and more well-rounded MBA candidates, I guess, coming out. And so they, um, brought us in and while we were there studying for the summer at the University of Chicago, we were being recruited by some of the top companies in the world, because they also wanted to get their hands on on these young students. And so I was actually in, can I mention names?

Sonal (00:16:58) - Yeah, sure.

Jenna (00:17:00) - So I was actually in the, uh, Goldman Sachs boardroom at the top of, not boardroom, sorry, comp, um, banquet room at the top of the Sears Tower. And we were

Sonal (00:17:10) - Fancy, was

Jenna (00:17:12) - Fancy. We were being wind and dined. We were having Yeah. Refreshments. And people were saying,

Sonal (00:17:18) - I'm totally imagining you with your manicure hands on a cheeseboard. Right? Yes.  just like enjoying yourself. Wow.

Jenna (00:17:24) - Right, right. Exactly. Yes. I felt like I was really an adult. I was definitely adulting in that moment at 19 years old or however. Wow. Time, 20 years old. And they had different people standing up talking about their experiences working there. And in the name of diversity, they had a woman stand up. And so the woman stood up and she started talking about how she had be, when she'd started having children, she had transitioned into a role of running and starting up their first childcare, um, in, within Goldman Sachs. And the challenge that had been, and how wonderful. And there was this moment where she, she kind of touched the pearls around her neck, and she was, and, and she said, but I really do miss the good old days. And she kind of touched these pearls, and she looked over at her coworker and she was like, do you remember the nights on the, you know, the all-nighters? And, and, and she was looking so longingly. It was almost like a sexual moment, her desire for that workaholic lifestyle where you were just working constantly. And of course, this is something Goldman is, was famous for Yes. At the

Sonal (00:18:38) - Time, and is still,

Jenna (00:18:40) - I Oh, and is still okay. So, um, I felt that resonance deep in my body. I also loved that workaholic. I would love to challenge myself. I would love to, but at the same time, it struck a chord of fear because I saw that so deeply in myself, and I realized I didn't want my life to be about that. And so I'd had the Spain experience, I was now being confronted with this, and I decided that after college, I was going back to Spain for a few years mm-hmm. That I really needed to investigate that. And I really needed to live that, not just as a student, but as an adult, and experience it. So I made that bold decision. And I do remember vacillating on the decision for a while, and I remember finally getting to a question, which I now use and consider Pivotal, which is, if I'm imagining speaking to my granddaughter about this decision, how do I wanna explain my reasons to her for my decision? And you don't always like the answer to that question, because sometimes it's scary as hell. And that's exactly what happened in that moment when I realized what I wanted to tell her. And I was like, oh my God, okay, here we go. Right. And so I made the decision, I was going to Spain, and I didn't have papers to work in Spain. And so hence the working at Odd Jobs. I worked in construction, I worked, I taught English, I did all sorts of things. And finally, I,

Sonal (00:20:10) - Whatever would whatever would employ you right under the table.

Jenna (00:20:12) - Sure, absolutely. Absolutely. Sure. And then finally, I was working as a, you know, a bartender and I would start doing waiting tables, and then this kind of quote unquote, steady job opened up that would be a full six months managing a restaurant with my partner, my, my Spanish boyfriend at the time. And it happened to be on an Nu to Beach. So that is how we ended up working on the Nu to Beach. But for six months we were running this restaurant, um, where people, after they'd been at the beach, they'd come up, they'd get their lunch, and they tended to wear clothes when they would do that ,

Jenna (00:20:50) - Or at least partial clothes. Um, I was fully clothed. People often asked that, were you nude the whole time? No, I was wearing clothes too. The restaurant just happened to be on the nu to speech. So that was what I was thinking. And at the time, I really just trusted myself to be able to bounce back and turn this into a great story. I, I didn't have the kind of fear that my parents did that this interruption in my career progression would mean. I, I mean, I knew I may not be eligible for the, you know, jobs where these companies like Goldman recruit the college students right out of their undergrad degree. I knew that may be off the table, but at that point, I wasn't interested in those jobs anyway.

Sonal (00:21:33) - Yeah, no, I, I, uh, listening to you, you know, with that lady, you know, longingly thinking about full nights of work, uh, there is a type of person who really, really enjoys that. Uh, there is a type of person who really misses that. And there is no like, judgment about what's right or wrong except what's right for them. Mm-hmm.  what suits them, right? Mm-hmm. . So, uh, I love that the clarity you got was so clear, so early in your life about what you don't want to do, even though everyone else around you tells you it's the right path, they've groomed you to get there, and everyone else around you wants that, right? Mm-hmm. . So you're, um, it's an uncommon, literally an uncommon path. And that's the name of your company, which I love the uncommon way. So interesting. So that is the context right behind, um, working in all these interesting , uh, you know, interesting jobs.

Sonal (00:22:40) - Thank you for clarifying and, and explaining what you were doing back there. And now let's come to the present. What do you do today and what made you start, you know, why is it called the Uncommon Way? What makes it uncommon? Talk to us about this journey of yours and, and, you know, how did you also like end up getting hired by your very first paid client? Because in the beginning, this is so scary. We are terrified of charging, and we are like, no, I'll help you out, I'll help you out. Before you know it, you're like, running on like net negative, but share with us that journey till date.

Jenna (00:23:24) - Okay. Such good questions. If I skip over any of them, just, just bring me back. Sure. But, um, I, so what I do today is I coach women entrepreneurs to create the uncommon businesses of their choosing. So there are so many ideas about the have tos, and I say, we can disregard all of those and actually create exactly what we want. And so I all, I know that it's uncommon because not everyone is charting their own path and has the, um, believes that they can, a, even if they have an idea of what they'd want, they don't necessarily believe they can do it. And I also don't think I am very much, um, I put a lot of focus on truly being grounded in your mission in order to help drive your decisions and how your business should look. And I don't think that everyone goes through life deciding, this is my purpose and this is what I'm here to fulfill.

Jenna (00:24:20) - This is what I wanna be doing. And I also think that it's pretty uncommon for any woman to be in business, to be self-employed, and to be charging for her services with, um, you know, a straight face. And to be able to build wealth is so, so uncommon for us. I earn more than my partner, my husband, I earn more than any relative male or female in my lineage, as far back as I know. And this is uncommon, this is revolutionary. And, um, it's, yeah. There's, there's a lot of things that we do in this generation that are very uncommon. It's breaking all of our conditioning, it's breaking all of our wiring to go out and be vulnerable and do some of the big things

Sonal (00:25:09) - That we're doing, and, and breaking all the hundreds of years of patriarchy, because this goes across cultures Yes. Across the world. Yes. So, no, I, I totally hear that. And, and how, um, how did you come up with this idea cuz you were working for someone and, um, you know, what made you decide, you know, hang on, I'm gonna start this. I don't know how it's gonna go. I'm gonna give it a shot. And then how did you get the word out and how did you get hired and, and, you know, leading up to today?

Jenna (00:25:39) - Yeah, yeah. So I, like I mentioned, or like you read in the blurb from my website, I got to a point where I knew I didn't wanna be in corporate anymore. Yes, I definitely wanted to be my own boss, but what I told myself for two decades was when I figure out what I actually wanna do with my life or what kind of business I want, watch out world, that's what I would tell myself. But I spent two decades in that indecision and that uncertainty. And what I realized in hindsight was that it was a perfect place for me because I got all the accolades. Everyone could say, oh, Jenna has so much potential. Once she figures it out, watch out. Isn't it a shame that she isn't, you know, that it hasn't come to her yet, right? There's all this language, very passive language.

Jenna (00:26:31) - Like, I have to wait for the inspiration to come to me. I have to wait for this to happen. And it was, I never had to risk the failure. I never had to say to my colleagues from college, this is what I believe in and this is what I'm going after. And I just got to kind of, if I didn't do well in a job, although I, you know, did well in the jobs, but I never had to have the fear of that because if I didn't, I would've said, oh, it just wasn't for me. As opposed to this is what I believe in heart and soul, and I, you know, I can't bear to fail, right? I just, I was, I had no tolerance for failure. And so, um, I found that a very, it became increasingly difficult to be in this place of discontent with my work life and to be spending so many hours in something that I didn't feel was really what I was here to be doing and wanted to be doing.

Jenna (00:27:26) - And so, finally I got to a really low point in my life, and there was, I think, something in me that said, I have to figure this out, right? I have to figure out what I'm gonna do when I grow up. Now I was knocking 40 at that point, and I just had to figure it out. My father was, uh, dying of cancer. My husband was deployed, we'd had infertility problems. All the things were happening. And I was like, I need this. And so I started to consider the fact that we always seemed to be able, in hindsight, to connect the dots and the fact that the dots were always there, even though we couldn't see it in H until we were able to look in hindsight. So I'm like, if the dots are already here, if the clarity, if the knowledge is here and I'm just not accessing it, what might those be?

Jenna (00:28:17) - And why am I not accessing it? That's when I started to understand. Of course, I was doing personal development work at the time and I started to understand what my motivations might be for keeping me there. And, um, that is how I kind of came across what I call my connect the dots method, which is how we start understanding the themes driving our lives. And when I understood what I really wanted to do, then again, there was really no holding back. Even though the risk of failure seems immense at the time when you're trying to do things you've never done before, I knew that's what I wanted to do. What I didn't know at the time, because I hadn't actually started building the business yet, was how much the same patterns of thought, the uncertainty, the indecision would actually carry forward into my business. Yeah.

Jenna (00:29:03) - Because how you do one thing is how you do everything, right? Yeah. Yeah. And so I didn't quite understand yet how important it is to have true clarity in business about and in life, right? But how, how powerful it can be to know exactly what your secret sauce is, exactly who you're working, who you're wanting to attract, right? Who your clients are, what's your niche, how are you speaking to them about this? All of these little steps of clarity. I wasn't, I never imagined that I would help people with clarity. So when I first started out, I thought I really just wanted to help people create unique lives to see that it was possible for them to help them take risks. And that's what I started doing within first just pro bono within the context of the military, because that's, I was living on overseas, on a military base with my husband, and I started seeing things that were holding people back, right?

Jenna (00:30:00) - Things that they wanted to excel at, things where their brain was getting in the way. And so I started helping them with that. And one thing led to another, I finally decided to make it a business. And it was such a great question about my first client. It was actually the husband of a friend of mine who wanted to, who was just really enthralled with my life story and the way that I thought about things. And he really wanted to take a sabbatical year from a very kind of high powered tech career. And he didn't, he was very worried about doing that, right? So he needed some support in making that happen. And so that was really my first client. But later on, what happened is I started seeing all of the women entrepreneurs using in my circles, Facebook groups, things like that, using language that I was very familiar with in terms of uncertainty.

Jenna (00:30:54) - And I don't know. And I finally, you know, I held back for a while thinking, who am I to help with clarity? That old story of like, you've gotta figure it out for yourself, or, or I can't, you know, it's, it's only you can figure that out rather than realizing that actually we just need help getting outside of our brains. And then the clarity is usually there. Even a brain surgeon can't do surgery on themselves, right? And so I finally said, Hey, I have no idea if this will work for you, , but this is what I ended up doing. Do you wanna, do you wanna try it, right? Mm-hmm. . And so somebody, you know, there was a hell yes. And another hell yes. And I ended up working with these people and they started calling me their business coach. And I'm like, you've gotta be crazy. Of course, I was investing very heavily in my business. I wanted the best support. So I was passing the things I was learning onto my clients, their businesses started improving. And before long it just, it just happened now that I became a business coach and working on clarity, helping people with clarity of all things.

Sonal (00:31:59) - But that's ironic, isn't it? Uh, cuz you were figuring all of that out and, and let's stay here, you know, cuz you, you, you talked about mission earlier, right? Mm-hmm. , um, and, and walk us through maybe, you know, for someone to get a taste of what you do, let's talk about this. Uh, the classic is I don't know what I want. Yeah. And you hear this from people, you hear this from yourself, particularly back then, right? And every now and then we, we do go through this. Uh, so how can we have more clarity on this? Jenna, this is the loaded question. And talk to us about that. Whether it's clarity in life, career, relationships, whatever. Walk us through the methodology you use that gets people to heck yes. From, I don't know.

Jenna (00:32:45) - Yeah. Such a great question. So there are several methodologies I use because everyone's different and the brain works right? In different ways. Um, but I will say that first and most important step, and I'll give you a couple different things you can use, but the, the first and most important step is to stop telling yourself that you don't know mm-hmm. . And instead shift into, um, you know, I'm becoming aware or even you can, the belief that the clarity is there. Maybe that belief isn't accessible to you yet, you just don't believe it, then I wouldn't bother telling yourself that if you don't believe it. But if you can, something that gets you a step closer and from that place, usually what I've seen, I can't tell you how many times that somebody has signed up with me as a client. And then before we even talk, we get on our first call and they're like, I got it. I got it. I figured it out. And it's because their brain, through their financial commitment, their brain finally understands that they're serious about it. Mm-hmm. And they are gonna find the answer, right? And then it turns out the answer was within the whole time and

Sonal (00:33:53) - Always, yes,

Jenna (00:33:54) - Yes. Really what was going on were their fears or their I couldn't do that, or their imposter syndrome, or who knows what else getting in the way of actually right. Receiving that clarity because it feels so threatening to receive that clarity, because then you actually have to ask act on it. Um, so that is the first and most important step is to just,

Sonal (00:34:15) - And, and that one, uh, tell Dr. Sa here, because I I totally hear you. I've, I've had clients where unlike, you know, something unlocks, right? And I tell them, Hey, let's start before we organize the first session, uh, this is the link for the first payment. And it sounds so cold, but it's more, and I always tell them, this is a signal going to your brain that you mean business. You're not going back. There's no way, there's no way back. Burn those boats and let's get into it. And the ones that, yeah. The brave ones, because it takes courage to say, Hey, I need help. We are still massively ego-driven as a species, right? And the ones that raise their hands and say, Hey, I need help, are are the ones that are going closer to the unlocking. So I completely hear you on that, uh, what you said, which was, um, really interesting. Um, gosh, let me see. It's gonna come back to me. Uh, yes. You know, the power of words Talk to us about this, Jenna. So I don't know, versus I'm becoming more aware. Hmm. It's a small shift, but what is actually happening here?

Jenna (00:35:25) - Yeah. So what is happening is we don't realize that we, I often say in order to be a leader, you need to become the leader of your mind. Mm-hmm. . And what we don't understand is that there are different personalities within our mind, and we, the watcher are the ones that are like the chairman of the board, and there are all these different advisors right. Going on. And so what happens is, because our brain knows us so well, and it can kind of pull the wool over our eyes, and it keeps us in this kind of matrix situation where we think that whatever we're perceiving about the world or thinking about the world is truth. But it's not, it's just made up sentences created by our mind. And so when our brain is telling us we're not clear, that feels very true in the moment.

Jenna (00:36:15) - And whatever those sentences are, feel very true. But as soon as you can shift that language and take leadership of how you want your brain to think, our brains are problem solving machines. And when you give them clear direction and clear order, they will, they can't rest until they figure out how to solve that problem. Right. Until they figure out how to find that solution. And so when you change the directions you're giving your brain, when you're telling your brain, I don't know, I don't know. What you're invariably doing is giving it a command to stay in the darkness. And when you shift your language into something else, you're giving it a new command, and your brain's like, oh my God, what do I do with this? Yeah. I don't know what to do with this. I need to solve this problem. Yeah. Yeah. And it does.

Sonal (00:37:04) - Yeah. No, I, I think that anyone who's a cynic right now and listening, I can almost hear the cynicism coming from the microphones. They're like, yeah, yeah, it doesn't work. Uh, they used to say in the 1980s, try before you deny. Right? And, and words are so powerful, uh, words that are said out loud words that we say silently to ourselves. And if something isn't working, it might be time to change the words and to change the language. And it sounds fluffy to someone who hasn't worked on it, right? Mm-hmm. , it's about, and, and, you know, things like power of yet and all of that is such a powerful reframe. So, um, love it. Love it. Jenna. So goodness, becoming close to the end time has flown. And talk to us about, uh, this is a, a question I ask every single guest. When you look back on your career and doing all these, you know, cool, interesting eccentric things that you've done, Jenna, what would be that one moment if there was one that supercharged your career and helped you to move closer to your current success?

Jenna (00:38:22) - Oh, such a great question. So I would say it was, other than the moment I told you about with the woman with the pearls. Yeah, yeah. Um, it was adversity. And so it was somebody saying no to an application I'd put in to be part of a mastermind, a business mastermind, ah, and say,

Jenna (00:38:41) - No, I didn't qualify, or that I wasn't the right fit. And I was shocked, , because I'm used to getting in. I'm used to being, you know, accepted and, uh, advanced. And I, what I did was I went back and I wrote that, that day. I got clear on why it was that I wanted to be in there and I thought, I'll be one of those elite coaches. That was my thought. I'll be one of those elite coaches. I realized that that thought was available to me now I could choose to be one of those elite coaches now. And so I went back and I wrote my application for, they open every six months. So I rewrote my application for six months in the, in the present tense, talking about everything I'd accomplished in the last six months. So this hadn't happened yet, right. It was just me thinking into the future about what I wanted to be writing six months from now.

Jenna (00:39:39) - And I talked about every, you know, the amount of money that I'd earned, the whatever kind of program I'd rolled out, all the things that I'd learned and accomplished over these six months. But then, do you know what happened when I put my mind to it? I accomplished that in one month, not sick. Oh, yeah. And that really, like you were just talking about all the, you know, cynics, all the deniers. When I saw the power of my brain and how I had un inadvertently been holding myself back from my true potential for so long because I hadn't had that kind of impetus, right. To go do the risky things that would create those new results for me. I was like, wow, brain, I am onto you now. Right? It's like, unleash the power, let's go. Yeah. And so that really supercharged my business.

Sonal (00:40:31) - I love this, um, a supercharged moment coming from a sting off rejection.

Jenna (00:40:38) - Yes.

Sonal (00:40:39) - Rejection can, you know, just hurt us so badly and you used it instead of fuel. I wanna stay here. I know we said we're coming close to the end, but you know, it's my show. I can do what I want, , but I, I think this is so powerful, Jera. So what was this, tell us, tell us about this. Was this a, you know, a journaling moment? Was it like OKRs, you know, objective key results where you got like, scientific into it? Or was it like just writing whatever the heck you want in the present tense and just materializing it? Because obviously there's work behind it, right? And, um, how did you go about that and, and converting, um, six months into one month?

Jenna (00:41:19) - I really believe it was the thought. I'm one of those elite coaches. Mm-hmm. And so it really changed how I showed up, what I was willing to talk about, where I was willing to talk about it, how I was on, um, discovery call, sales calls with clients, the kind of content that I was putting out. I just really believed that I could have, I should have and could have gotten into that mastermind. And that, um, if I had gotten into the mastermind, I'd now identified, I didn't realize it when I applied to the Mastermind, but I had now identified the thought that I was going to take on this new self-concept that I was going to have being a part of this. And I realized that I could have been in the mastermind and it was absolutely available to me. Now I could absolutely be operating like that. And how would I show up if I believe that about myself? How would I show up if I, um, had that kind of security blanket, that support of being in this group?

Sonal (00:42:21) - And you were like, I don't need that validation. I can actually make that happen today. Yeah. And you did. And the rest is history . I absolutely love this. And, and Jenna, someone who's listening today and is hungry for that clarity and wants to learn more about you, what's the best place for them to do that?

Jenna (00:42:40) - So I'm at the uncommon way.com on social@theuncommonway.com everywhere. And, uh, I really recommend that you come listen to my podcast because I give a lot of information away. Great information. I really am here to spread this message and not have anyone go through two decades of uncertainty and holding themselves back like I did. So the podcast is The Uncommon Way Business and Life coaching podcast.

Sonal (00:43:08) - Yeah. I love how, you know, you are a completely like, uh, the, in terms of personal branding, there's complete like  coherence, coherence across social media, the website and the podcast. I'm gonna link your, uh, website socials and of course the podcast, um, in the show notes. And I love this message. If, if I can help shorten someone's paths to less than two decades because I had to go through that, then it's mission accomplished, right? Um, and that's exactly, uh, the purpose for so many of us coaches. So this has been such a pleasure. Jenna, I wish you continued success with, uh, with the Uncommon Way with everything you're setting out to achieve, and Spain, Greece, I don't know, whatever, uh, with Clothes Without Clothes  Beyond. Thank you so much for being with us today.

Jenna (00:44:00) - Thank you so much. And thank you for what you do for so many people as well. I love your podcast. Thank you for bringing it to us.

Sonal (00:44:08) - Awesome. That means a lot. Thank you.

Sonal (00:44:12) - All right. If you love this episode, please leave a five star rating for this podcast and leave a review as well. The reason is the more reviews that you leave, the more my podcast gets pushed out into the algorithm to find the people that absolutely need it so that I can help them supercharge their careers as well. And that is my mission. So leaving a review would go a long way and I would be eternally grateful. Thank you so much for tuning in. I can't wait to see you next time. Take care of yourself and bye for now.