Hey there, I'm Jean.
I’m a marketing mindset coach for women building service-based businesses, but who are so afraid of feeling judged that they’re second-guessing themselves into stagnation.
Once upon a time, I was frozen worrying what people would think.
I’m as surprised as anyone that I’ve landed in this business, because I went to music school to become an opera singer (which means I had to learn a thing or two about getting in front of people for the express purpose of being judged). I changed my mind, got my Ph.D. in music theory, and then quit after teaching for a semester because I couldn’t figure out how to balance career and family.
Y’all. I was embarrassed. And frustrated. And stuck.
Worrying about people’s judgment of my career “failures” kept me from feeling permission to claim what I really wanted…for YEARS. I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone that the real reason I quit was because I just knew that music wasn’t how I was meant to help people, but…
who am I to help anyone??? If I go for what I really want, they’re going to think I just fell for a dumb trend.
You know what’s harder than belting out Mozart’s “Queen of the Night” aria in front of all your friends, family, and professors? Launching a business dream. Business is a whole ‘nother beast! I started finding folks everywhere who were afraid to put themselves out there, desperate for some momentum in this thing they’ve invested in and dreamed of. So much strategy for sale, but they clearly needed something they weren’t getting, and their shame and disappointment was just building.
You know you need to put yourself out there, but “just do it” isn’t working and more knowledge isn’t making you less anxious—and I know you’re blaming yourself.
But there’s nothing wrong with you.
They usually have good advice, but the strategy salespeople don’t always address how much courage and resilience you really need—like, a metric crap-ton—especially when who you are is closely connected to what you do. No wonder you feel like putting your business out there is the same thing as putting yourself out in front of everyone to be judged. For a grade.
A simple, “no one cares as much as you think they do, you need a better mindset!” isn’t cutting it when you’re panicking at the possibility of rejection (and then judging yourself for panicking, and then judging yourself for judging yourself...)
We’re here to help people, not torture ourselves.
And too often, torture is what marketing feels like.
Maybe I’m no business guru (though I’ve picked up a few things by doing it.) But I discovered I’m really good at helping people out of self-judgment and procrastination and into the creative and resilient mindset they need to actually do the cool things the strategy salespeople are teaching (in a way that doesn’t feel like torture.)
Here’s the truth that no one else has told told you (but don’t worry, I’ll tell you why it’s not so bad):
Building a business will bring up all. your. shit.
Here you are, taking a precious dream and putting it out there. Exposing yourself to judgment. Risking failure, visibly.
And for many of us, we started with a passion, not a business degree. (And even if you do have a business background, doing this for yourself is a completely different game than doing it for someone else’s business, right?)
And as if it wasn’t already hard enough, while all this is going on inside you, you have to promote. To put your scared self out there. Because you know your business will go nowhere without marketing but how am I supposed to handle the judgment???
It’s no wonder that your fears about being good enough are coming up.
Me? I was completely stuck in my embarrassment about the careers I’d quit. What if I fail at the next thing, too? I cannot handle more shame! But I also couldn’t escape the feeling that I was meant to do something more, and eventually that feeling gnawed at me enough that it was less painful to give myself permission to try.
Fast forward a few years, when I’ve invested in a certification and a business course and started telling people I know what I’m up to (yikes!!!) I’m sitting in a cafe with a friend who’s asking me how it’s all going. And instead of squirming in my seat and changing the subject (anyone else done that?), I say “I don’t know how this is going to go, but I’m really proud of what I’ve done so far” and I mean it all the way down to my toes.
There’s never a guarantee it will work the way you want. But it’s really, truly possible to feel proud that you put yourself out there to give it a chance, no matter what happens. You get to choose that.
And you might as well accept you’re going to feel afraid BECAUSE this matters so much to you, and that doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for this. But don’t worry, you can handle the fear–resilience is just a skill (and you can learn it).
Being hard on yourself isn’t helping you do anything with your business except keep it to yourself where you feel safe, but disappointed.
I want to show you a better way.
I believe that self-kindness IS strategy. It's the secret seasoning that’s missing from all the tactical marketing recipes you’ve been studying. And that’s why they don’t taste good.
You’re not just building a business. You’re transforming yourself into the kind of person who can build a business you’re proud of. You need marketing strategies–AND you need a courageous mindset to apply the strategies.
I’m an INFJ, an Enneagram 5, a Leo Sun, Aries Moon, and Virgo Rising. If you know what all that means, you know too much about me, and let’s totally talk personality typing over some tea.
I’m certified through the Courageous Living Coaching Certification, where I studied under Kate Swoboda, author of The Courage Habit. From Kate, I learned how to help my clients use compassion and curiosity to live courage as a practice, not as something you have to “muster up” or “mindset yourself” into feeling in order to be “ready.”
I'm mom to a couple teenagers plus a sassy sheepadoodle. In totally unrelated news, I’m practiced in handling attitude and stubbornness.
I collect hobbies like some women collect shoes. Knitting and photography have stuck around the longest, and I think watercolor may be next up.
I’m no fun at parties–unless it’s a D&D party (my current character is a Warlock with questionable ambitions.)
I’m a Texas Girl and I use “y’all” copiously, even in writing. (Maybe you’ve noticed…)