Empowering Women To Create a New Revenue Stream & Negotiate Bigger Deals with Jenny Safransky

If you have been wondering, how can I add a new revenue stream to my business that already takes advantage of some of the things that I already use or the things that I really enjoy, then this episode is for you. One of the most critical things I feel like as a chronic illness warrior entrepreneur is finding ways to diversify your income opportunities, as well as your energy. And this episode is about both. And I am so glad because I have the most expert of experts that come on to talk about this with you and I, who is not only a mom, an amazing entrepreneur, but also has experienced an unexpected chronic condition that she has been overcoming with her business. And her name is Jenny. She is the founder of JDS Projects, a talent management agency focused on connecting diverse female creators and experts with like-minded brands. She is responsible for securing major brand partnership deals for her clients with things or brands such as Aleve, US Bank, TJ Maxx, Comcast Rise, and more. Before she started her business back in 2020, she worked in the marketing department over a decade and led a multimillion-dollar brand partnership for the Recording Academy's— the Grammys— with brands such as Absolut, Mastercard, Hilton, Delta, and Trident. Now she uses that experience to really help diversify and connect other creators to brands to help them increase their revenue by adding this as a stream into their business. So we're going to talk about that, of course. But we're also, like I mentioned, going to really talk about how she literally started this back in 2020. And we know what happened back in 2020 and how she has been able to find her, her flow, being a new mom, battling a new chronic condition, as well as entrepreneurship. So be sure to stay tuned. Welcome to She's Crafted to Thrive, a globally ranked podcast for women living with chronic illness Creatives in Business. I'm your host, Nikita Williams, chronic illness warrior and photographer turned digital marketer turned award-winning coach. I love helping chronic illness warriors and creatives to live with their chronic illness and creativity as their superpower in life and business. On the show, you will hear the very stories that helped our guests, my clients, and myself to define our dream way of making money with proven strategies and marketing and mindset, all to grow businesses that thrives without sacrificing our health. So stay tuned because you'll find the inspiration and tools and the resources you need to craft a life and business that thrives.

Okay, I am super excited to get on with Jenny. For real, we have been trying to do this like 3 times in a row. The internet has not been our friend, but I am just over the moon to have her on the show. Please introduce yourself to everyone. Tell us what you do, where you're from, and we'll hop on into the convo.

All right. Hi everybody. And thanks for having me, Nikita Williams. My name is Jenny Dinsafranski and I am the founder of JDS Projects, helping diverse female creators and business owners secure brand partnerships with confidence. I am originally from San Francisco, but I currently reside in Portland, Oregon.

Okay, okay. I, for some reason, I thought you were in San Francisco, but I should have known that, that you were in Oregon because you were talking to me about an event that was held in Oregon. So that's Nikita. How do you like it in Oregon?

I love it, actually. It's a different vibe. You know, I grew up in San Francisco my whole life, never thought I would leave, but, you know, ended up in LA for some time before moving to Portland, Oregon. But all those cities have different vibes, but Oregon specifically, it's, it's lots of space and lots of greenery. And I feel like during these times it's so nice to be around nature.

Nice.

Nice. Yeah. I have a client that was there before she moved to Hawaii and she was just there recently for a wedding and I was just telling her, I have never been. I've always wanted to go because I have some friends who like rave about Oregon. So tell us a little bit more about what it is exactly that you do, because I made this mistake when we first connected thinking, okay, so Jenny is a PR rep, like that's what she does. And You so lovingly and kindly sent me an email that was like, um, that's not what I do. So for everyone who is going to make the same mistake, I assume that I just did. I'd love for you to give us more details about like, what is it that you do specifically? Sure, sure.

I can give you a little bit of backstory before even diving into what exactly I do. You know, before I started my agency JDS Projects in 2020, prior to that, I was working at the Grammy Awards. Also known as the Recording Academy for 5 years, the brand partnerships team, you know, and what that means is, you know, I was helping secure the sponsorship deals, working with brands like MasterCard, Hilton, you know, P&G, Trident, JBL Harmon, you, you name those big brands, you know, we've worked with them. So I would help the team pitch to these brands, secure these deals, manage the contracts, to managing the activations for the, you know, the Grammy Awards. You know, so when you see like, you know, MasterCard is the official financial partner of the Grammy Awards, that's what I was doing. So fast forward into 2020, March of 2020, I had my baby boy at the beginning of the pandemic. So everyone ended up taking maternity leave as well with me. I guess the whole world laughed about that because that's what it felt like. But, you know, after I had baby, I took some time, took a step back and tried to think about what it is that brought me joy. And I ended up leaving LA, leaving the Grammy Awards and moving to Portland, Oregon. So, you know, being closer to family with baby is really important as now being a mom and a mompreneur, I guess you could call me, having that support is so essential and During that time, after I left the Grammys in August of 2020, I ended up starting my business in October of 2020, I would say. With my passion for helping other women and inspiring other women and just like the love for just mentoring other people, I created JDS Projects, you know, which then allowed me to leverage my experience in brand partnerships and also my passion for empowering other women together. So JDS Project serves diverse female creators and business owners secure brand partnerships with confidence. So in short, I help my clients secure brand deals. So, you know, if you see sponsored content, if like Nikita is working with a brand that you love, what's a brand that you love, Nikita?

Let's say Target.

There you go. Target. Target. You want to word target. But yeah, you know, I would be that, that girl that you would come to, to help you secure that partnership deal with Target. You know, I would be crafting those pitch emails, pitching you out to the right Target brand contact and pitching them on why they should work with Nikita. And they would pay you for it, right? Because they realize that maybe Nikita has the audience that they're looking to target. And that could include, you You know, sponsored content from podcasts to Instagram posts. It really depends on what assets you have, but I help my clients craft what those brand partnership packages look like in order to sell them into potential brand partners. And sometimes brand partners are also seen as sponsors. So those words can be interchangeable.

Well, I love that you went into that detail about your story, and I think so many, So many people in general, like, take that expertise, especially women. We are like multifaceted. Come on, y'all. Like, we do an amazing job of knowing a lot of different things and doing really good at those different things. And I think something that you brought up here, Jenny, is just learning how to leverage those experiences in a way that helps you, one, create a source of income for yourself, but also like that's fun, that you enjoy, that you want to stick to, and that also brings more meaning and purpose to what it is that you do. So I've noticed that you say empower women. So what does that mean to you? Like, tell me more about what empowering women looks like for Jenny.

Empowering women to me means being able to share your knowledge with other women so they can reach their full potential, you know, and I know that can sound cliché, but it's really true, right? I leverage my brand partnerships expertise that my clients do not have, right? And I'm able to share that knowledge in order to not only help them monetize their existing assets, but also empower them to negotiate bigger deals, right? I think a lot of the times as influencers and business owners who don't know how to work with brands, they often say yes when a potential brand comes in and they just say yes to the first thing that they offer, right? It's very common to negotiate and we can't be afraid to ask for more because when we do ask for more, we then can empower each other to get what we want, right? And not even just get what we want, but just get what we're valued and like what we feel good about doing. So it really excites me that I can help my clients negotiate bigger brand deals. For example, helping them, you know, turn free product into paid deals. You know, a lot of times I am doing that and then ultimately it's a conversation with the brand, right? Like I'm not afraid to talk to the brand because ultimately behind brands are people.

Yeah.

So we have to, to again, remember that behind these brands are people. So you need to have real human conversations with people and that means asking, right? Or saying no when it doesn't feel aligned with you or saying yes But so I think it's really important to help my clients in that way. And that's how I feel like I can empower my clients and the people around me.

I really appreciate that you went into the details of what empowering women looks like for you because it's so important because that definition, we hear that term all the time. Empower, empowering women, empower women. It's like, okay, yay. But what does that look like for everybody? And I love that you shared that aspect of what it means for you, which is like giving women the tools and the strategies to get what they want or need. And I think— and to learn how to do that, like, learn that it's okay. I think there was a coach that once said, like, you can't— you don't know what is not being modeled for you. And even with me just connecting with you, Jenny, there's things that you've shared with me in our little conversations here and there that I'm like, oh, I've thought of that, but I didn't think of it like that. And that is such more powerful to, you know, help a woman take those steps in growing her business and creating another revenue stream in their business. And so we are talking about all business things, but tell me a little bit more about you, Jenny, the person. Like, as you've grown as an entrepreneur and as a mom, have there been some challenges doing this kind of, you know, transitioning period and working for the Grammys, working for myself, mom, not mom? Like, what has been— what has that looked like, like, for you?

Oh, Nikita, it's been a breeze. No, I'm kidding. Just kidding. As you laugh, I think as we all know, or maybe I should just say, I think a lot of times people think entrepreneurship is very glamorous and sexy and fun, of which they are and can be, right? It is. I would say though, the transition for me from, you know, working at a corporate company, working at the Grammy Awards, very established, having structure, having, you know, people in place to do different things, right? It has— it— I would say at the beginning when I started my company, I launched my own website, did it myself, launched my own social media, did it myself. So at the beginning I had to do a lot of research, right? Because when you're a new business owner, you wear multiple hats. You just have to, right? You don't have that support system of, of like 10 other employees that do those that are actually in that field. Like, you're either— you have to figure out how to do it or it's not going to happen. So I think for me, given that I am a very driven person, go-getter, like, I was like ready to dive right in, you know. I think when I left the Grammy Awards, I of course, like many others, like, you know, do I— as a mom, like, it's safe, like, should I go back to the corporate world? Should I apply? And I found myself applying to jobs that although we're in brand partnerships, I just wasn't excited about, like, I was just like, this doesn't feel right. You know? And when I started my business, my goal ultimately in why I started my business was to spend more time with family, to be with Amari, to spend time with him, to be able to go on a walk if I need to, right? To be able to care for him when I need to without anyone saying or reporting to anyone and saying like, No, you can't do that. So I think that has been the rewarding side of things. But I would say as an entrepreneur, it often can feel like you're alone, right? It can often feel like that. I would say like, you know, I love having these conversations with you, Nikita, and having a network of women. But I would say it's important as an entrepreneur to find your so-and-so-called tribe.

Yeah.

Or even like people, it doesn't have to be a tribe. It could be a few women here and there that you connect to, right? Understand your business and like get what you do, just to talk, simply to just talk about like the challenges that you're going through. But, you know, it definitely has been a roller coaster ride. I'm going to be honest, but it's like a rewarding roller coaster ride. You know, I still love what I do. I get to work with some of the most amazing women that are experts in their own field, right? Like I work with a doctor of physical therapy. I work with a digital course creator, a fitness coach, someone who, you know, is a media personnel. And, and that That is what excites me and keeps me going because every day is different and everyone is different. And each client that I work with also inspires me to be better and to be like, to just like be better ultimately, you know, like they inspire me just as much as, you know, I am their advocate as well. So hopefully that gives you a little insight into the path to entrepreneurship for me, but You know, there are days when I work long hours and I have to remind myself to take a step back and look at my why, right? My why is to spend more time with my son. But if I'm too busy working on my emails and working on proposals and not spending time with him, I have to take a step back and remind myself like, Jenny, remember why you started this, right? Like, yeah, so you can spend more time with family, not just so you can be on the hamster wheel again.

Yeah, I love that you shared that because the why to me is— I mean, it's, it's core to why I also believe that our whys are all very unique. And so what we choose to, to do in our business and how we choose to do it is much dependent on our why. And if we're not clear on our why, we can get hung up in doing like all the things that all of the gurus are saying that you need to do in order to grow your business. What are some challenges? Like, have you had some challenges physically growing a business? For, you know, the women that listen to the show, there are women who are living with different challenges, whether it's physical, mental, or emotional, chronically. So have, have you had that experience where, for you personally or someone that you support?

You know, it's funny, you know, when I first connected with you, Nikita Williams, I didn't realize this was considered a chronic disorder. However, you know, in 2021, in January, right as I was just like launching my business, you know, and diving right in, like I got into a car accident. Not a lot of people know that because I don't— I'm a pretty private person, right? Like, I like to share what doesn't need to be shared. And I feel like that's my own. But with that accident, I had post-concussion syndrome, you know, which the doctor didn't know how long I would have headaches for, but They are to this day, they are better now, but it's been over a year and I still get these headaches that come and go or pretty like, you know, at times they're just pretty much there all day, but I just have to deal with it. So I would say that accident, which caused me to have long, you know, longer-term headaches than I thought I would have, caused me to, it actually not caused me, it forced me to take a step back. And again, taking that step back and realizing like, Jenny, stop working like on the hamster wheel. Take a break. Like it forced me to take a break because I had fatigue, right? Like I had like my eyes were really sensitive to light and working on the computer all day, that's hard, right? Yeah. But I quote unquote had to push through. So I definitely think in terms of last year, I would say it was really tough for me because I didn't share it with anybody. So I was running my own business, just starting, just kicking off, bringing on new clients. But meanwhile, at the same time, behind the scenes, I was pushing through those headaches. But again, I think it was a blessing in disguise because it caused me to take breaks. It forced me to take those breaks. It forced me to go walk outside, get fresh air, because that did help, you know, getting fresh air and going outside. Taking that 30-minute walk is so helpful throughout your day, you know?

Yeah.

And I think with like the pandemic in itself, on top of everything, we're so glued to our— to being in our house and being comfortable in our PJs.

Yeah. Yeah.

I think that accident that, that happened suddenly to me at the beginning when I was just starting my business really taught me to ultimately take breaks, right? Take breaks for yourself, you know, when you need to. You don't need to push through. Like, you know, I feel like a lot of times as business owners, again, what we put into our business is what we get out of it. So we feel like we need to push through, you know? And I don't think that's just a healthy way of living anymore.

Yeah, it's so fascinating. There's so many women I've had on the show talking about this topic in general. Like, you know, there are times in our journeys where we might feel the need to give more energy and pushing through, maybe because we're in the middle of a launch or something's happening and we need— we need to— we've given our commitments and things like that. What has been helpful for you in articulating to those around you when you do need to take that break? Like, what boundaries have you put in place for yourself and in your business to give you that empowered sense of confidence that, like, you know what, I'm, I'm still moving forward, but this just is looking different today?

I would say first and foremost to start with family, right? Like, we have a young child, right? He's 2 years old now, but again, at the time of the accident, he was maybe 9 or 10 months. So he needed a lot of attention and I had to ask for help. I had to call my husband and my mother-in-law like, I need help. Like, I can't do this alone.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And I think that's very important and setting those boundaries like, hey husband, like I need your help here and there. They're like, here are the responsibilities I need help with and here's what I can do right now, you know. And Unfortunately, with like chronic illnesses and headaches and things like that, people can't see it, right?

Exactly. They're invisible.

They are invisible to other people, but they are not invisible to you.

Exactly.

So it's sometimes hard to explain to other people or others around you what like the feeling is, right? They could be like, oh, you just don't want to wash the dishes. It's like, I really don't have the energy to wash the dishes.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

You know what I mean? Yeah.

Or I might be passing out when I do wash the dishes, or I can't see my hands, so I might cut my hand because my vision's blurred because my head is pounding. Like, there's so many things.

There's so many things. But, you know, again, towards like, I would say a lot of last year, it was a lot of like even those little tasks were hard to do.

Yeah.

Right. And being able to explain, like, although I know you can't see, the pain that's happening in my head right now, I can't, I just physically can't do it because I don't have the energy to do it. So I think it's important to effectively communicate to those around you your feelings so they can understand why you're not doing that thing or, you know, etc. And it is, it can be exhausting to explain, but you have to explain it, you know, because again, it's not like a cut that they can see like, oh, it's healing and it's not healing. It's like you just, it's invisible to other people. And I think for me, as with these headaches and while working with my clients, I, this is the first time I'm sharing this. Like I told them about my accident and such, and they know about my headaches, but again, they can't see it.

Yeah.

So I, thank goodness I've set my business up to a place where like, again, I can work the hours that I can I need to work in order to still bring success to my clients. Thankfully, that didn't impact them as much as it did me, like physically, but I still delivered, still helped secure these deals. You know, like I think one thing I'm proud of is despite the headaches and everything, I was able to help micro influencers collectively secure over $100,000 in deals alone. And I have to remind myself to celebrate that because I was going through something. Yeah, these headaches and things like that that I never thought I would have to go through, right? While running a business and taking care of a baby and these other things.

Yeah, all the other life stuff that happens on top of the chronic headaches. Like, it's a thing. Like, it's— there's so much there that we could kind of like delve into. But I think the thing that I wanted to kind of distill from that is really the ability to, one, articulate the boundaries you need to set with yourself. Like, you have to almost become okay with asking for help. That is something that's consistent that I've heard from every woman, is like, at some point you cannot do it by yourself. Like, you just can't. And I love how you said at the very beginning, it's like, yeah, before when I was working for the Grammys, I had a whole, like, department. Like, it's a whole department of people. And when we get into our own businesses, sometimes that mindset of I'm working for an employer, but Guess what? You are the employer, like, and you ain't got a team.

Like, so you're the accountant, you are the social media manager, you are all those things. And, and yeah, it's crazy.

Yeah. Yeah. So it's like, you know, we feel— I tell clients all the time, like, when we're feeling overwhelmed, like, there is complete legitimacy to that because there are so many things that we are juggling. But it's so important that the most important thing, right, is taking care of you. If there is no taking care of you and setting those boundaries— and I love that you said creating a business around that, right, around what works for you— you can ease and get rid of some of that complication of feeling overwhelmed because you've built a business as if you don't have those things going on, right? Right.

And I think what's important as an entrepreneur and business owner, however you define yourself, is is that this path is yours, right? It's your path, right? Like, I think, as you know, with, with social media, we can often compare ourselves to all these women who are like, let me show you how to secure 7 figures or how to do this and how to do that. And this is how you do it. And it's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, sister, hold your horses. Like, let me just get a moment to myself. But, you know, it's, it's not— there's nothing wrong with that. I think Everyone learns differently, but I think you've gotta figure out how you like to learn and how you like to run your own business. Like what makes you feel good, right? I think for me, for some time, like I saw all these teachers and educators being like, you should do a course, you should do this, you should make passive income this way, da da da. And I till this day realize like, that's not for me. I love that one-on-one approach that I have with my clients. I get to work with my clients directly and I feel like Personally, that's how I make the most impact, right? And that's how I can see their success shine through. But again, that's just how I personally work. So with my business, I love providing that one-on-one experience. And we can talk more about this, but you know, like from the influencer management side, you know, I have that path. And then, you know, when you were talking about empowerment and what that meant to me and providing tools and things and templates and things like that, I work with clients in another way where it's called the Brand Partnership Starter Bundle. And that was something I just started the beginning of this year because I saw a need for it, right? People are like, I want to work with you, Jenny. But again, as a one-woman show, I didn't have the bandwidth to pitch everyone out by myself, right?

Right.

Therefore, I created this, this digital product that also included one-on-one coaching, but This is where I, you know, created custom pitch templates for them, created brand packages for them, created media kits for them if they needed it, and provided, you know, one-on-one sessions to address any challenges that they have. So I think by listening to your clients, you find ways to create other opportunities for your business that also serves them.

Yeah, so true. And it's, it's so true, but it's all— I want to like go back to like, it distills from you knowing you, like, you knowing, like, yeah, I'm, I'm not going to create a course because that's not my thing, but I am going to create something that could be one-to-many but in the way that works for Jenny, right? And I think that's a powerful thing for all of us, like, whatever business, however you're growing your business, is to realize that not all ways are your ways, that all, not all pathways are your pathways to be traveling down. And so tell us a little bit more about how For all of— because I would imagine brand partnerships are very different than like PR technically, right? And so what are some things that if someone's listening to the show right now and they want to add like a stream of revenue into their business, that maybe be something like brand partnerships, what are some things that they need to start paying attention to and how could they get started?

I think it all starts with understanding who you are and the community you're serving. I think that word niching down, I don't know if I would call it that, but for lack of a better word, niching down and understanding who you are, right? Who do you serve? Who are the clients? Who's the community that you want to draw in? And I think it's having that first, first and foremost, that understanding of like just setting your foundation, right? I think setting your foundation is very important. So that means Understanding who you are, who you serve, your digital assets. Do you have Instagram where brands can promote to your community? Do you have a podcast? Do you have an email list? Do you have a, you know, a Pinterest? All those are sellable assets. So I think first and foremost, you have to look at everything as a whole in terms of what you can offer a brand, right? What is the value you can offer a brand? Because ultimately, brands want to work with you to tap into your community.

Yeah.

You know, so I think having a strong understanding of the value that you offer is very important.

Yeah. I have a client. She is kind of like a— I call her— she calls herself a gray hair influencer, but she to me is more of a self-compassion influencer. Right. And most to me, that's her core. Like, that's her value system is very much about self-compassion. And this is a conversation we've had multiple times. Where she has pitched— people come to her because she has such a large audience on Instagram. And the common calls we have together are, they want me to do this for free, and they— or they only want me to— they, they're sending me the product as payment, or they are— what's the other ones I've heard her talk about? Like, um, she's gotten really good at like articulating her value and, you know, you know, negotiating, but I can imagine there are so many people out there who have these assets. They know they have them, but they've heard so much conflicting information about like, well, you— in order to get your foot in the door, you have to do it for free, or in— or you can't really start making money until they start seeing money from your, you know, from whatever ads they're running. So what's the mindset a person needs to have once they realize that they have these digital assets, and when they are ready to like start talking or pitching themselves or when they're coming to them to pitch to you, what's the mindset they need to have about the— I don't even know what the term is— about the value of what they have to share? They need to have—

I would say the mindset that I would advise someone to have is, if I take on this brand partnership deal, does it make me feel good? Right? You know, I think everyone is different. Some people are willing to take free product. For an exchange for promotion. You know what I mean? Some people say, no, I need to be paid at minimum X dollars to do this brand partnership deal. So I think everyone is different. And I say that because the influencer marketing world in itself is unfortunately the wild, wild west.

No, straight up, it really is.

No, it straight up is the wild, wild west. And it's like you'll have some influencers who have, you know, 20,000 followers who understand their value, who understand know how to price their packages. And then you might have someone who might even have a million followers and is taking free product, you know what I mean? Like, yeah, everyone is so different. And that is the reason why the influencer marketing world is the wild, wild west. And it is important to have someone that is advocating for you, to be by your side, to be that support, to at least help guide you on how to secure the best brand partnership deal.

Yeah, and I, I think that's such a good point. Again, the point of there's— you have to be good with it. This is how I talk to my clients about setting prices too, like just for their services, is like, one, do you feel good about it? And two, are you going to regret when you're midway delivering the service to so-and-so and being like, I should have charged you yin yang, like I should have charged you out of the yin yang because this is ridiculous, you know? So like I like that you said that. It's like, really be honest with yourself again. Like, are you okay with free? Are you not okay with free? And since it is the Wild Wild West, how does someone know where they should start if they do want to start asking for monetary incentive for what they have to offer? How do they know? Like, how do you know what to say to charge for something? Like, how do you know?

I think there's different strategies for everyone. I think, you know, the brand reaches out to you, one, you can ask for their budget, right? You can say, thank you for reaching out. Would love to know what your budget looks like. So therefore I can create the right brand packages that fit and align with what you're looking for. So I think again, asking the question is really important. Sometimes we're afraid to ask even just what's your budget? Because you're like, well, maybe I might ruffle feathers or maybe they'll, they won't respond back to me because that's an awkward like question. I think if it's an awkward conversation for that or question for that brand, then you don't need to be working with that brand. You know what I mean? Like, you have to value yourself first before, you know, you can even show someone what your value is. And then second off is if they don't want to, if the brand doesn't want to give you a budget, I think you have to do your research in your respective field and your respective following. What are most influencers getting paid within this, you know, number of following? You know, people typically categorize the different influencer levels as like, you know, nano, micro, mid-tier, mega. It gets higher and higher, right? But I think it's really important to do your research and ask a friend. If you have a friend that you know is doing this, don't be afraid to ask. So I always go back to asking the question. You know, a lot of the times I'll ask the brand clients that we work with, what is your budget? They'll say, Jenny, it's $5,000, $10,000. Then we can curate the right packages for you. A lot of times I push my clients to steer away from doing one-offs, like meaning, hi, can I do, can you do one IG post? One post is not going to get the conversions you need for, you know, yeah, and it's not going to be successful for you or the brand unless the brand is solely looking for content creation, meaning they just want you to create a video that they can leverage on their platforms, right? So many ways you can monetize, whether it be sponsored content post on your channels or creating content that won't be posted on your channels but will be used on the brand's, you know, digital assets such as their emails, websites, and social media. So there's so many ways to monetize.

So I'm gonna ask this question for all the ladies that are on here who have an Instagram follower. And I, I'm pretty connected to like the women that follow the show, so they're sitting here, I'm sure, thinking, okay, Jenny, how many people do I need? What is the— how many people do I need as an asset, as a digital asset, do I need in order to even start expecting or wanting an exchange of money for doing anything brand related? Like, what is the lowest that I could be?

I don't think there is a bare minimum. However, I am going to share an example with you. I just worked with a client. She is a yoga instructor and teacher, all about mindfulness and wellness. She has about 1,500 followers. Okay. You know, she's already has been monetizing and working with brands. Through content creation. Remember I told you there's two paths. You can do sponsored content where you post on your channels and you promote the product to your community. And then the other side of things is the content creation side. So for her, she, although has done some sponsored content, she's leaning more into the content creation side.

Got you.

Because again, since she does have a quote unquote smaller following, a nano following, It's not bad or anything, but you have to lean into your strengths. Then you can pitch to a brand and strategize that way. Like, although I understand, you know, I have 1,500 followers, I do create quality content that you can leverage on your channels. So that's why, again, that's why prices range so much, because even if you have 500 followers to 1,500 followers, to 5,000 followers, you can work with brands. It just depends on which path you want to choose and how you work with the brands.

I'm so glad you shared that because I do think that there is a lot of noise out there that says there's a lot of focus on the numbers only, that if you, you need to have like over 10K. 10K to me is like the brain mark that every entrepreneur I've ever worked with has always said, well, I can't really do any kind of branding sponsor or anything until I reach 10K. And I just know just being in circles with other women, that's totally not true. Like, I'm like, girl, that's a lot. Yeah, yeah, I see it. So I think it's just really important to put yourself in rooms or areas where you're talking with other people who see that it's possible when you don't think it's possible. Like, you don't need to have $10K in order to create a new or different revenue stream into your business. It just might not look like someone who's at $10K and above, but it can happen.

Correct. And every brand is different in terms of how they work with influencers and creators. You know, some brands like bigger brands might have a threshold where they're like, we only work with influencers with 100K above because, you know, that's our strategy. But another company's strategy who could be potentially like a medium-sized to small business might only have the budget to work with nano and micro influencers, you know, so, and that's why the spectrum is so different. But I would say if you're listening and you're discouraged by people saying you need a big following to, to work with brands, that's not true. You don't need a big following to work with brands. I think you just need to be able to articulate how you provide value to that brand.. And I feel like a lot of times when you align with a brand and you naturally post about them already, remember those are like, that's like case studies that you share with the brand. So I think a good example, if you're, you know, a quote unquote smaller influencer to get your foot in the door, it's important to like, you know, post about those products that you use. You don't have to highlight them. You can just tag them, things like that. Like Again, as women, we're multifaceted and we do so many different things. We use headphones, you're using a headphone right now, you wear those earrings, we use deodorant, we wear the shirt, like all these things, all these products are from somewhere.

Yeah.

Actually tag them in the post and use that post as a tool to pitch to them and say, hey, look, all my, my, my community is asking about where I got the shirt. Now I know that I can provide value to you and et cetera. So yeah, just, just ease into the relationship too is very important. You know, easing into the relationship, I should say, is very important.

Yeah.

And I, you know, to me that's a quality you need to have in business in general is being able to ease into relationships. I am— you've just kind of started to know me, but my whole thing about business, you know, people say business is business. I'm like, no, business is so personal. Like, I just truly believe because we're working with people, like It doesn't matter how big a company is. They are— they're literally employing people. They're reaching people. This is a very— the science behind marketing, the science is all about people and their brains and how they work. And it's very personal. So I definitely think that there is just— there is so much to be learned about romanticizing a relationship with your audience, like, and your potential brand people that you want to work with, like really show them that this is part of who you are, what you do, and why you like them. I'm this— I do that all the time. I have HoneyBook right now is like my favorite, favorite management tool, but they're just doing so many updates and I have people reaching out for me and asking things about it. And it's like that kind of thing. If you're doing that in your business based on what you just said, it's a really great way to add value to your audience and also attract people who might be interested, that brand might be interested in the value that you're creating for your audience. So I love that you shared that.

Yeah, I agree. And I think brand partnerships is, again, the word partnerships, it's a relationship, it's a collaboration. We cannot treat brand partnerships as a transaction, just as you wouldn't treat a relationship like a transaction, right? At least a meaningful relationship, right? Like, so I think for me, as I build these relationships with the brands and the people behind the brands, I think it's very important to sometimes pick up the phone and call them. If there is something confusing in an email that doesn't sound right and you think that you can move the needle further by just picking up the phone, pick up the phone, call that person if you have that relationship and talk it out. So many times has that worked for me, you know what I mean? Like being like, hey, do you wanna just jump on a quick call and just, you know, so we can just move on to next steps, you know?

Yeah.

Or just Or sometimes I'll just on a whim call them because they're already emailing me. I'm like, let me just call this person and we figure it out. Right. I quickly figure out whether they want to move forward or they don't, or maybe it was just one little thing in the proposal that just like they couldn't do. So we talk it out, you know, like it's very important to pick up the phone and talk to people because these are relationships. Again, these are people behind the brands. They're not just like robots.

Right?

Yeah. They're not a bank either. They're not just like throwing out money. Like, really people behind these brands trying to figure out how to create the best and most authentic collaboration.

Yeah, I love, love that. Like, that alone, that little— that piece is going to be a clip somewhere because it's so important. The relationships are— yes. So, Jenny, Tell us what has been the best piece of advice you've received running your business?

I think, I don't know if I heard it from someone or I read it somewhere, but it's about the journey. I know it sounds cliché, but it really is about the journey that you go through. It's not, I think so much of the time we're like, I gotta hit 7 figures, I gotta do this and I gotta post every day and I gotta do all these things and, and, and that goal. I think the goal is important, but the journey and the experience during that journey is much more important. So I think for me as an entrepreneur, I'm accepting and welcoming the journey more.

Yeah.

Instead of trying to get like a quick fix to something or, you know, an immediate gratification from something. So I think for me, it's enjoy the journey. Right? Enjoy the journey and the experiences and people that you meet along the way that you can learn from. And it's less about the goal. You still should have a goal.

Yes.

1000% still have a goal, but just taking the journey and just, just go with the flow. Go with the ride that the entrepreneurship takes you on, the highs and the lows, and just, just own it and just know that everyone is going through the same thing.

Yeah, it's so important to me that we normalize the highs and the lows. I think on social media we're consistently bombarded with all of people's highs, so we think something's wrong with us when we're in a different season and all of these things aren't happening on the high. And we get so focused on the high that we lose the fact that the lows actually help those highs to even happen. So the journey of going through the lows is such an important part because that's where grow the most. Like, the, the lows is where we grow the most. Like, like, you, you learned those skills of grit and resilience and, you know, perseverance and like pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone a bit. And it's so important that we appreciate that. So I thank you for sharing that. And if anybody wants to connect with you, Jenny, online or anywhere, how can they connect with you?

You can find me on Instagram at It's JDS Projects, I-T-S, JDS Projects, or you can go to my website, jdsprojects.com.

Sweet. Well, we'll have all of that in the show notes for you guys to join us. Thank you so much for joining me.

No, thank you, Nikita Williams, for having me. It's been a pleasure.

All right, y'all, that's a wrap.

Thank you for listening, and I hope this conversation inspired you. Be sure to visit the website at craftedtothrive.com to check out the show notes and grab all the goodies that I or the guests mentioned in the show.

Join us for our next one. In the meantime, remember, you are crafted to thrive.