Sarah Johnston: The Briefcase Coach | The Business Blast Podcast #196

Welcome to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode.

Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner, and today I have Sarah Johnson with us. She's the founder of The Briefcase Coach, and she's a job search coach, and she helps job seekers develop a job search strategy, interview prep, and resume writing. So welcome to the show, Sarah.

Hey Tyler, thanks so much for having me today.

Of course. Thank you for joining us, and we'll dive right into the show. The first question that I have for you is, what's the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?

Sure. So I grew up in small-town Georgia. It's kind of funny, but all of the post-apocalyptic movies are filmed in my hometown. Hunger Games, Walking Dead, you know, but I think being from a small town really shaped a lot of who I am today. Growing up, I knew every kid in my high school. I knew their story because I grew up with them. And going through high school, you pretty much had to stay friends with the people in your class, otherwise you wouldn't have any friends. We looked out for each other, we shared each other's accomplishments. As an adult, I still have that desire to be known and to know others. And I crave connection in a non-artificial way. My granddad, who was in insurance sales and literally knew everyone, made me read the book, How to Win Friends and Influence people back in the 7th grade. And other than the Bible, that book was one of the most influential books in my life. The book, the things that the book talks about are things that I try to put into practice every single day and it helps shape me as a friend and as a small business owner. And these include giving honest and sincere appreciation for people, becoming genuinely interested in other people, smiling. This is a fun one, remembering that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any other language. Being a good listener, encouraging others to talk about themselves, and make the other person feel important, but doing so in a very sincere way.

Yes, that is one of my favorite books too, so thank you for sharing that. And what's the most valuable piece of information that we should know that is within your expertise or industry?

So as you mentioned, I'm a job search coach and resume writer, and I talk to exhausted job seekers all day long. You know, the ones that say, I applied to 250 positions and I'm still unemployed. I want your listeners to know that there is a better way. Job boards boast a measly 1 to 4% average response rate, and that's a lot of resumes to send and not hear anything back. You know, while I've known plenty of people, great people who've gotten jobs by reactively applying for positions online, through a job posting. My secret tip, or not so secret tip, that I share with all my clients is that informational interviews are powerful. It's reported that 80% of people get a position through networking, and for those earning more than $100,000, networking is the most successful strategy, with 50% of candidates surfacing through opportunity that way. I recommend informational interviews, which are one-on-one conversations with someone who has a job that you like who works within an industry that you might want to enter or who is employed by a specific company that you're interested in learning about. So simply put, an informational interview is kind of a hybrid of an amazing networking opportunity slash info session slash job interview. I recommend that you could get informational interviews through people that you know in your personal network, or if you are on LinkedIn and you find someone that has a job title or a career that's of interest to you, you could just send them an email. And just a simple email could be something like, good afternoon blank, I hope this email finds you well. I recently had a meeting with Paul at blank, and Paul thought the work that you do at X company aligns with some of my career interests. He thought you might have some valuable advice for me regarding getting my foot in the door in this industry. Would it be possible for us to meet for 30 minutes? I would appreciate hearing from you on your thoughts in the industry and any advice that you might have for me as I look to make a career transition. Thank you so much. Best, your name. I tell my clients that it's flattering and people like offering advice. So you're not asking for a job when you set up an informational interview, you're asking for advice. So when you land the meeting, come prepared, respect the time of the other person. Ask thoughtful, open-ended questions, and just remember you're not asking for a job, and follow up with, with a thank you note.

And what is your best piece of overall business advice and not necessarily industry specific?

Yeah, just do it. There is never a perfect time. I launched The Briefcase Coach with a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old. So let me just say I was tired and there was not a lot of sleep that was, that was happening at my house. And also, I'd say keep your overhead low. A lot of people think, oh, I need all this training and certification in order to gain clients. In my experience as a small business owner has been that if you do a good job, you will earn clients. In my industry, there are several certifications for resume writers, and quite honestly, they're really expensive. Tyler Wagner Wagner, I don't have any fancy certifications as a writer, but my clients have literally never asked me about them. I currently have a 3-week waiting period for new resume clients. Intake. I got 4 client referrals this week alone from past clients. Um, my secret sauce is just doing a good job, offering quick turnaround times, and being accessible.

And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?

Yeah, I got married a year out of college and moved to a smaller community for my husband. 2007 was a really hard year to look for a job, and I had to settle on a job I didn't love or even like. My husband was a grad student and I was the breadwinner, so stability was really important. At that time, I felt like my professional career hit a brick wall. I felt like I wasn't growing. But looking back at that job and then that position, I was recruiting 100% commission sales agents. It was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I learned how to grind. I learned how to deal with rejection, and I developed a lot of scrappiness. And in fact, it was the sales training that I received at that job that I didn't like that has helped me launch my own business. And so for your listeners, just know that even if you're in a job that isn't ideal, you're still growing.

And kind of going a little different route, but in your opinion, what is the key to happiness?

Yeah, for me, the key to happiness, Tyler, is doing something meaningful with a greater purpose. But also having flexibility and freedom to invest in my kids and my husband. I have an awesome family and the coolest kids in the world, and I wanna be able to spend time with them.

And what's the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing, oh, I think I already know the answer to this, but, and what's the number one thing you learned from it?

Yeah, I kind of already hit on this one before. I love the book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People." But if I could give you a different book, an industry-related book to what I do, tell everyone about the book, The Informational Interview Handbook by Jeff Neal. And I don't know Jeff Neal, but he needs to start paying me commission because I've made all my clients buy his book. It's not sexy. It's not like, like a book that would keep you up at night, but it's so darn practical and good. He just gives easy-to-understand tips on setting up informational interviews, how to find people to network with, what messages you should be sending and how to structure your informational interviews. So if you're about to enter a job search or you're in the midst of one, I think it's a great book.

And what is your favorite quote and why?

It's a hard one. I do really like the quote by Jesse Jackson, and he's credited with saying, never look down on someone unless you are helping them up. And I just, I think it's a great quote because I've had the privilege of meeting and serving alongside people from all different walks of life. And when you encounter someone You truly never know what they may be facing at home.

Thank you so much, Sarah. So much value in this episode. Last question I have for you before we let you go is where's the best place for people to find you online?

Yeah, I'm on LinkedIn. I love to connect with your listeners on LinkedIn. Sarah Johnston, or my website is www.briefcasecoach.com.

Perfect. Thanks again, Sarah. We really appreciate it.

Awesome. Thank you, Tyler Wagner.

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