Jamie Slough is a brand strategist and marketing coach who helps female entrepreneurs level up their brands and become known as the “go-to” in their industry by their ideal audience. You can find her at www.JamieSlough.com, and on Instagram and Facebook. She’s rebranding her own biz in early 2022 and I can’t wait to see it!
What would be your walk-on-stage music?
Hands down Rachel Platten’s Fight Song. It pumps me up on the good days and plays on repeat on the bad ones. It has literally kept me from completely giving up on my dreams and myself on more than one occasion. (editor’s note as I listen to the song: *chills*)
When did you start your business?
After years of failed attempts and detours, the business that exists today started in 2019 as Jamie Slough Consulting. The brand itself is currently in the 3rd phase of its evolution and heading into the 4th phase to unveil early 2022. That’s a lot in 3 years!
Evolving to fit client needs and business growth makes up the majority of those phases, but also includes one forced rebrand due to a trademark infringement. That’s a story for another time but one I want to share with as many people as I can to help them avoid the same situation.
Lasting brands have to be dynamic to shift with current and future needs. I think it’s so important to remember that, and not feel like you made a mistake or failed if you have to shift your business for future growth…it’s all part of the process.
Why did you create your business?
I started my business to help other women and entrepreneurs succeed in their own way, after realizing my own personal struggle was not uncommon. I’ve been told so many times that I would never be successful. I’ve had a previous employer tell me I “wasn’t cutthroat enough for the marketing industry and that my husband better be prepared to support me financially.” I’ve had a previous colleague tell me they gave me “fame and fortune,” and I was nothing without them. And I’ve had plenty of the play-it-safe conversations with loved ones over the years who’ve watched me struggle, and with their hearts in the right place, suggested it might be time to get a job with security and benefits.
These are the moments and conversations that I don’t talk about often, but fuel me to do what I do and how I do it. Entrepreneurship is a long journey and not for everyone, but I can’t imagine doing anything else and I’m passionate about helping others succeed who have that same fire.
Tell us about your business and what makes you unique in your field.
I’m a self-proclaimed brand and marketing nerd that has managed to create a business out of it. My passion is helping women figure out their brand and tying together their personal and professional lives into a brand that creates their version of success. This came after years of trying to be someone else’s version of success. On the outside I looked like I had it all figured out. On the inside I was falling apart. I was chasing a version of success based on income and achievements instead of my own metrics, which really just involve doing what I love, helping good people, and putting my family first.
I start with my clients at one of two stages: Start-up or Rebrand. At the start-up phase I help them build their brands from the ground up. That includes foundation, identity, personality, messaging – all the good stuff! Once we’ve created a brand the client is absolutely in love with, then we take the next step with connecting the brand to their ideal audience through marketing strategy.
At the rebrand stage it’s about getting back to the basics and really setting that brand foundation that many businesses skip over while they’re figuring out who they are and what they do. It’s incredible to see these more established businesses break through to the next level through the rebrand process. It aligns everything in the business to have that clarity.
What do you feel makes your audience special?
I work primarily with women. In my opinion that’s about as special as it gets…women creating heart-centered brands. I know, I know…female empowerment is a major “buzz” concept right now and I think it’s fantastic! The future is female ❤.
Has anything surprised you about starting a website?
Yes! How hard it is to create your own! I help my clients create brands from the foundation up which means being very involved with building websites as one of the many elements of the brand. I work on brand and website strategies on a daily basis but creating my own website has been one of my biggest challenges in my business. I think it’s the whole seeing the forest through the trees.
Did you create your own website or hire it out? Do you use WordPress?
I created my own and typically work in Wix for websites like mine. More complex sites I work with my designers and we determine the platform that is best for the clients’ needs and long-term goals. Lately that has been WordPress more often than not. I am currently budgeting 2022 for a redesign of my own site. I find a 3rd party can often bring clarity that a brand and business creator just can’t nail down. The same reason my client’s hire me is why I need to hire someone else lol…Go figure.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about starting their own business?
In the words of Nike…Just do it! Just get started and then figure it out as you go. No one knows what they’re doing at the beginning. I still don’t know what the hell I’m doing half the time. Trust in yourself. Also, business ownership can be a scary, lonely journey. Find your tribe to ride out the ups and downs with you.
If you could go back in time and do something differently, what would you do and why?
I have made SO many mistakes, and often think if I could go back I would do things so differently…then I stop myself and realize I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t done things the way I did. I’ve grown more from the mistakes than from the successes and those mistakes and detours have been pivotal parts in my journey. My trials and errors have helped me learn patience, resilience and flexibility to finally get to where I am. And I’m pretty happy where I am.
Do you have an email list? If so, did you start it when you launched?
Yes and yes but it started VERY small. It’s still not where I would like it to be but it’s slowly growing. Quality over quantity.
Is this your only job? Did you launch your business while working another job?
I’m a serial entrepreneur so have several different things going on at all times including being a Realtor, which was my primary income making it possible to launch this business in 2019. I’ve since been able to transition to make this my primary, living and breathing all things marketing and branding every day. ☺
How do you promote your site?
Honestly I don’t. My business is really relationship and referral-based so my website really acts as a source of credibility more than anything. As my business grows and my brand continues to evolve, the website will be playing a more important role in the near future.
Who are your favorite bloggers or podcasts right now? Or what is an influential book that you’ve read lately?
Oh gosh…I am OBSESSED with podcasts. I’m always on the go so love that I can listen to them while I’m doing other things.
A few of my favs…
The Glowponent podcast…shout out to my soul sister Callie Wiley!
Boss Girl Creative w/ Taylor Bradford
And then always a sucker for Rachel Hollis and Jenna Kutcher
Outside of Podcasts I’m obsessed with Simon Sinek and love to binge The Futur channel on Youtube.
