There is much worth celebrating, even in the smallest of places, and as we share those things with others, we amplify them, creating even better places, and long-lasting legacies that we can be proud of.
My name is Je (sounds like “Jae”). 20 years working with business and community leaders, nonprofits, and grassroots organizers have led me here. I’ve learned a few things in the process of writing successful grants (from $500 – $1 million), creating newsletters that deepen connections and bring in donations, and getting a million organic views/ year on a small FB page in just 3 years.
I help people tell their stories of who they are, so they can become what they most want to be.
I’m not here to convince you to work with me. I’m here to help those who are ready. Those who are striving to make a difference; who understand that marketing is no longer about just paying for slick ads in magazines; that connecting with people is important; and that being authentic is a value you can’t purchase. These are the people and organizations I help.
Here are my “secrets”. My strategies and most pivotal inside tips, all boiled down to bite size bits. I share them with you that you may apply them liberally. And if you decide you’d like a little help delving deeper or applying them, well, I’m very happy to help you with that too.
Celebration, Goals, Legacy Building, and… Marketing(?)
“Celebration” and “Legacy”: these are not the the typical mantras of most marketers. That’s okay, I am not your typical ‘marketing expert’. I am someone who understands and delivers effective marketing that helps meet personal, business and community goals.
My values-based marketing approach focuses on three areas:
- “Celebration”- appreciating & sharing what IS.
- “Goals” – what you are working towards.
- “Legacies” – what you create along the way, between what you are and what you desire to be. .
Celebrating
When you celebrate who/ what you are now, you are making joyful noise. It’s okay to sing your own praises about what you are doing well. It’s also okay to celebrate the little bumps along the way. This is where you are. Right now. And there is so, so much good right there.
When you are a business owner, it can be hard to find those moments, and take the time to appreciate them. And if you are working on something a little bigger- like a town (even a small one!), it is tempting to focus on all the things you want to change. But, I can assure you, there is good happening here.
Sometimes it helps to have an outside eye helping you see your gloriousness!
When we are Celebrating, we want others to share that feeling with us. (Why else would so many marriage proposals happen in very public places)?
What magic could happen if we look for all the things worth celebrating, and share them with the world?
THIS is the very core of what we do here. By sharing our celebrations, it draws others to us. We become destination-worthy.
Goals
Goals. Creating them, Reaching them, Measuring them. This is the stuff of voluminous books, because it’s important stuff. There are “rules” and strategies to fit almost every niche and need, and probably three of each. I will not begin to touch here on how to set your goals. What’s most important is that you have some. And that they are clear, actionable, and relatively achievable.
Achieving goals can be important. What’s often most important is what happens along the way to reaching them. This is why we continuously reassess what we are trying to do. Because things change the moment we take action.
Creating Legacies
Legacies- the bits of ourselves that we leave behind. Most of us don’t regularly think about what we want our lifelong legacies to be. But when you do, things begin to shift. What is it you want people to remember most about you? Just as people leave legacies in the traces of others’ thoughts, so do places. From towns to streets to businesses and homes- whenever anyone stops there, it leaves an impression. Will it be memorable? Will it draw people back? Was it full of life? Worthy of celebrating?
We all hope the answers are “yes”! But it’s especially important for businesses and communities to identify their goals and work deliberately towards creating the kind of spaces and places where others want to be.
For individuals, thinking about a personal legacy can help fuel a passion-filled, purpose-driven life. It can help us focus on what is most important to use. For many, it’s family, friends, community, experiences.
When we have ideas about the really big things- the traces we want to leave, and the impact we wish to have- we begin to celebrate those things more, creating goals to achieve more, and in return, building our legacy along the way.
Marketing
At it’s core, all great marketing is about storytelling: sharing the right bits with the right people at the right time to elicit a response.
I help businesses and communities meet their goals by celebrating who they are as they create their legacies.
Having worked with hundreds of small businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations, I know this formula works. There also happens to be some really great science that backs up these claims and I look forward to sharing some of the best insights with you!