Meghan Houle (00:02.091)
All right. Well, Jacqueline Johnson, welcome to the Pivot With Purpose podcast. How are you, my friend? How is everything going? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (00:08.977)
I'm so good. I'm so happy to be here and excited to chat
Meghan Houle (00:12.73)
I know, well, just all that I know about you and reading and everything that's out there, I know you are the ultimate multi-hyphenated woman doing all the things, an investor, entrepreneur leading so many projects right now. So I cannot wait to dive in. And just knowing your story too, I know you are someone who is really fueled by purpose with lots of pivots in your career story to highlight. So.
Jaclyn Johnson (00:39.071)
Yes.
Meghan Houle (00:42.37)
What I also love too about you, before I dive in, is you're just not a gatekeeper. You are a woman who is someone who is so generous with their information, their time, their coaching, paying it forward. I mean, with all the things that you have done and are continuing to do, I really appreciate that about you. So thank you for all that you are. And in starting off.
Jaclyn Johnson (01:03.11)
Oh, thank you! That's so nice!
Meghan Houle (01:09.118)
Where are we catching you today? Let's talk about the here and now before we dive into early career highlights. What are you excited about? What are you up to? What's going on?
Jaclyn Johnson (01:17.093)
Yeah, so we were just chatting about this a little bit. But like, I have so much going on. I feel like it's you know, obviously, it's the end of the year, everyone's in last 60 day mode or last 30 day mode now and just kind of getting everything done. But currently working on like a bunch of different stuff I'm really excited about. You know, as I was mentioning, we're doing our sort of launch, launch ish party for cherub, which is the platform I'm the co founder of it's a double sided marketplace connecting angel investors and startup founders.
doing that in collaboration with Trust Fund Ventures, which is Sophia Amoroso's VC fund. So it'll be super fun. But again, just in stress event mode, it never ends like really like you know, you're so good.
Meghan Houle (01:56.366)
It never ends. And I always say, well, we always say, dude, you're like, okay, I'm gonna like do this and take a little break and take a, well, that's cute. Like little breaks in our schedules. That's cute. Maybe enjoying the holidays a bit, but there's just always something. There's always more. And I just feel like you have so many cool collaborations and all going on. So I know that's gonna be really fun. And I can't wait to dive into all the various projects. But to start off, I mean, you are also this ball of energy, which I...
Jaclyn Johnson (02:12.737)
You guys are always something.
Meghan Houle (02:26.194)
also very much appreciate from one ball of energy to another. And I know it's authentic, right? Like you show up, you're so passionate. Was that something in terms of your entrepreneurial soul? Were you like that as a child? Like, what were you like as a kid? Were you just like super high energy bubbly like all over? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (02:45.997)
Yeah, and it's funny because I never really knew I was high energy. I just was like, this is who I am until people were like, you have so much energy. And you're like, Oh, I guess I am a lot. I don't know in a good way. But I think like, for me, I've just always I like to stay busy. Like, my friend like said to me once she's like, you cannot not be in motion. Like that's just not where you operate as a human. And I really like thought about that. I was like, that's so true. It's like, I always like to be in the mix of something like
Meghan Houle (02:50.452)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (02:58.071)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (03:14.252)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (03:14.265)
I can never just like lay still. I wanna be learning something, doing something, creating something, like helping people. Like that's just my natural baseline, I feel like. So yes, very similar to you in that we are just balls of energy.
Meghan Houle (03:23.95)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Meghan Houle (03:29.866)
Yeah, and the world appreciates you. I mean, you've created so much that people all over have benefited from. So thank you for keeping that energy going. And early Jacqueline career highlights. On Pivot With Purpose, we love to talk about all things careers, pivots to where we are today. So give us a little sense of Jacqueline early career highlights. Like, where did you start off? What were you doing?
Yes, paint that picture. Mm-hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (03:59.117)
Yeah. So I definitely started in corporate America. I was, you know, living and working in New York City at different agencies, I kind of got into like, I would say like the most pivotal role I had was at the startup agency called Attention, which is now massive. But I was employee number three. And I feel like that was really like my boot camp into entrepreneurship, because I saw the founder of that business like
started from scratch basically. And so being employee number three, I was able to like one, hire people I really liked and made a lot of like lifelong friends there, but also learn of like how to sell something, how to close a deal, how to service a client. Like I just learned, I had a firsthand view of what it took to run a business, even though in my head I was like, I'm never doing this.
And then I was recruited to start working at larger agencies. So I worked at iCrossing and I built up their social media platform. And then I went in-house at IEC and worked on some of their projects and then basically was let go during the 2009 recession and was like...
what now and I was, you know, had moved to Los Angeles. And so that's where my entrepreneurial journey really began with my first company, which was called No Subject. And it was a marketing events and influencer agency that I started here in LA at the time when really like only in LA there was like entertainment and gaming and like we were kind of first to market in like, we're servicing fashion beauty like startup clients. So we were able to get a lot of traction quickly. And I would say like the early highlights like one was like I it's funny because I
got Forbes 30 under 30 and everyone assumes I got that for Creighton Cultivate, but I actually got that for no subject, which was really exciting. And I was I was like, I think it was 28 or 29. So I was like really getting close to the 30 mark. But like that was super. Yeah. And that was a game changer for me because I think previously like a lot of my businesses and Creighton Cultivate as part of that, but also the agency like they were just sort of like a lot of the press I got was like lifestyle press. So like, refinery 29 and
Meghan Houle (05:42.301)
Getting up there. Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (05:57.385)
things like that. And so this was the first time I got in a business publication. So I think, you know, bigger clients started coming in, I was able to charge more I had more of like that name, value in the business space. So that was a really big game changer for me. And then of course, selling that first business to small girls PR was a huge, huge learning and win for me in that way as well.
Meghan Houle (05:58.356)
there.
Meghan Houle (06:18.986)
Yeah. What was one of your favorite jobs or what were you doing early on that you just really, really loved?
Jaclyn Johnson (06:25.173)
So it was interesting. I thought I was gonna be a magazine editor forever like that. I studied magazine publishing I was a journalism major and I had amazing internships living in New York City So I interned at Connie Nass traveler self magazine Avenue magazine, which was like a big like sort of society publication So I was like I and I loved it. I really loved it, but I was always so Intrigued by the sales of it all and the marketing that went into it and I was like, huh I wonder if I could do that and that's how I kind of pivoted into like the more marketing side of things but
Meghan Houle (06:28.918)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (06:54.761)
I think like, you know, in terms of jobs, I loved I've loved, I love working like I genuinely do like I get a lot of personal satisfaction and pride for my work. So every job I had, I feel like I worked my ass off learned so much and like have maintained like those really strong relationships throughout my career. I mean, a good example of this is I worked at a company called pronto at
Um, I see, which was sort of like an Amazon competitor, but the CEO of that business was John Foley, who is the CEO or the founder of Peloton. Um, and so obviously he hadn't done that yet. He went on to do that. And Peloton actually was one of the first sponsors of Create and Cultivate when they weren't even a company yet. Like he's like, I created this bike and he supported my business. And, you know, so it was just, I feel like I've been able to kind of create those relationships, um, even though I had such a small time in like the corporate world.
Meghan Houle (07:37.922)
Oh my gosh. Yeah.
Meghan Houle (07:46.95)
Yeah, well, and I feel like too, just from our chats and getting to know you even more and more, you are the queen of the white space, right place, right time, connections, right? So how have you felt like trusted your gut and really kind of seeing these opportunities have really been the key to your success? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (07:56.35)
Oh
Jaclyn Johnson (08:08.429)
I do feel like a little bit of luck is involved and I feel like I've been very lucky in a lot of instances, but I do think like I've stumbled into a lot of things early. Like I was really like in that job at attention. I was really like...
doing social media marketing before it was called social media marketing. I mean, we were really like thinking about Facebook groups and forums. And now I sound a hundred years old, but like, I was really early in that world because I had a blog in 2006. And so it was like me and four people on the internet had blogs. So I was able to like really kind of build up this like kind of influencer stuff, which again, before we were called influencers and then kind of like be early to that world. And so being early to anything makes it makes you an immediate expert. Right.
thrust into this role as social media expert, which was a great place to be in the early 2010s and things like that. So I got very lucky in that sense. And then I also think it's like, I think one lesson I wish I had learned a little earlier was like, your network is your network. It's so true. Like the people you know, the connections you make, whether in college, at your first job, whatever, those are the connections that will see you through for the rest of your career. And I think it's so important. The work is important.
Meghan Houle (08:59.991)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (09:20.437)
but almost the community is more important. So I think that was something that I kind of learned pretty quickly and then was able to really cultivate a community and I talk a lot about that in the book, we're pretty of like, be a pleasure to work with, like, you know, leverage your network in really authentic and meaningful ways and you know, pay it forward and do favors for them and favors for you and like that favor economy has really like paid off for me in spades.
Meghan Houle (09:43.794)
Yeah, I love that you're talking about and can we just have a moment here for and I need to make this an highlight literally you that's the page I'm on right now because I wanted to reference it's actually be a fucking pleasure to work with. And I'm like, a bad Jacqueline because you know, in my world and I love it, I just I know you're a master networker. And I think that it's definitely something innate where you just enjoy having conversations with somebody, you know, it's a two way street. It's like what
can I kind of gain from knowing them, but how can I support them as well? And I think it's something, oh my gosh, in this past like three years of going through the pandemic and all the jobs and I'm deep in fashion, retail and all of that, I mean, so, so affected. There are individuals, Jacqueline, that are still struggling to get hired these days. And I coach a lot of individuals on the career side, founders, business owners, and I'm just like,
Jaclyn Johnson (10:33.747)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (10:40.682)
you know, leveraging your network is also so important in a job search and in any part of your life where if people don't know what you do and how they can support you, you know, they're not going to be able to say your room, your name in a room of opportunity. But we're like, so scared to ask for help and ask for a connection. Like, what advice maybe would you give somebody that
Jaclyn Johnson (10:57.045)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (11:00.418)
could be struggling with thinking like, oh, no one wants to hear from me or nobody wants to like help me. I don't know, where do you find the confidence or where could you give somebody advice to kind of gain that confidence or take that first step to ask, right? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (11:14.141)
like people are especially women are scared to ask for help right we don't want to seem like we don't know or don't have the connections like really and especially like even now we're living in this world of like everything's perfect and like I have everything figured out and like that's just not reality and I think it's absolutely important to ask for help
Meghan Houle (11:17.376)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (11:26.604)
No.
Jaclyn Johnson (11:29.849)
But also have no expectation of receiving it. I think that's sort of the difference is like, do you have to unabashedly advocate for yourself? Like you have to be your own hype woman and get yourself in those rooms. Like when you look and like you think like, oh my God, those women, they just like did it. It's like, no, it's such a struggle. Like I remember looking at magazines and like seeing, you know, the Whitney Wolfs or the Jen Rubios and like on the, like, you know, on the list and the features and I was like, I'm gonna do that. And like.
I took so much work to get there, but I put myself out there. I really, and you have to do that in order to get in those rooms, in those conversations, in those job interviews. It is a very competitive, I hate to say, but the squeaky wheel gets the oil. That's the reality. And I think sitting back and thinking like that, you know.
Meghan Houle (12:15.136)
It is.
Jaclyn Johnson (12:19.601)
So-and-so is going to help you or they'll see that you need help. It's just not reality. Like you really have to advocate and ask for it, but also have no expectation that someone's going to give it to you. So it's like kind of this like, you know, yeah, sitting in the middle.
Meghan Houle (12:28.166)
Right. Yeah. And it's the hard truth, right? That it's like, I'm sorry, but nobody's thinking about you. And I say that quite often. And also, opportunities, I'm sorry, you can get lucky, but they're just not always going to fall into your lap also. And it is hard work, excuse me. And I think people get really frustrated of the process taking so long or the interview process of this business or things are taking... I mean...
Jaclyn Johnson (12:35.98)
YEAH!
Meghan Houle (12:55.914)
It doesn't happen overnight, right? And I mean, you can attest to that as well. So that's such good advice. And I feel like we just can't give up. I mean, I was talking to someone today, after nine months, you know, they finally got landed into their dream job. And I mean, not all the time do people have that much time to navigate a job search or build something, but you know, we have to have a little patience, but we also have to like get out there and.
Jaclyn Johnson (13:18.682)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (13:21.302)
put the time in and it doesn't just fall into our laps, everyone, so amen to that. So pivoting to create and cultivate, which so inspired by you, I feel like all that you've just built in this event space and career world and empowering women, it's really influenced and motivated me to keep doing what I do. And in terms of that part of your career in life, what was that big pivot for you to bring create and cultivate together?
Jaclyn Johnson (13:31.733)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (13:51.51)
Did you really see at that point that specific need or gap in the market that led to that? Creation where you know, it's truly that platform to help women in the professional world that you brought together, right? Yeah
Jaclyn Johnson (14:03.293)
Yeah. And speaking of like the nine months wait and like all those things, it's like creating culture had a similar story. So I had my agency. And, you know, again, was running that solo entrepreneur really young running into issues and was looking for community. And so I started creating cultivate as like a sub event of that agency. The first one was like 30 people, you know, like super small. And I was like, Oh, great, like, let's do it. And it was really more like a marketing expense of that agency to be like, we're doing this cool event.
Meghan Houle (14:06.815)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (14:31.159)
Mm-hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (14:32.181)
from there it like grew every year and it kept getting bigger and bigger until like, eventually I was like, this is kind of a thing like brands wanted to get involved, like talent want to get involved tickets were selling. And so I was like, Oh, this is like, doing really well. But it wasn't like a business and nor was it running like a business. It was like breaking even like pretty much every single time if not losing money. It was just like I was treating it as a new business lead for the agency until
Meghan Houle (14:39.298)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (14:59.281)
basically like, you know, it got so big that it got the attention of like, what would be my future business partner in Crate and Cultivate? And she was like, what is this thing? And I was like, oh,
not a thing, you know, and she's like, No, I think this could be like your next big thing. Like, I think like you do all the marketing and branding for all these other people, like, why not do it for yourself? Why not invest in this business and try and make it something bigger. So it took like a third party to kind of like open my eyes to it. And we both put in money into the business to invest into it and like kind of see like if we put some money into this, like what could happen. And the rest is like kind of history, it took off, I had insane momentum, way more than the agency did, even though the agency was an amazing business, it was like
Meghan Houle (15:31.5)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (15:36.545)
I was like, suss, you know, go aggressively going after new business with that company, whereas creating cold day, everyone was coming to me interested. And so I always like to say go where the momentum is, like, I think that's also really important, like, it's seeing like what's resonating with the market. And creating cold day just from a consumer standpoint, from a brand standpoint, people, everyone wanted to be involved in it. So I was like, this is something I need to double down on. But again, it was a slow burn, like, it wasn't an overnight success, like people are like,
Meghan Houle (15:42.826)
Yeah, yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (16:04.017)
everyone kind of knows Creighton Cultivate from like 2018 on like I would say that's like when people started to really hear about it we had the big name celebrities um but it existed from 2011 to 2018 like and I always didn't know about it um so it was a slow building slow build um and I again I had the time in the to do that because I had this other business right and so I had the opportunity to really build a community organically slowly without having to be like I need
Meghan Houle (16:07.67)
Mm-hmm.
Meghan Houle (16:16.334)
Right, there was some early years. Yes. Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (16:34.073)
like so it was like a real luxury in that way and then after selling the agency I did a year between both and um and then eventually took the leap into doing creating cultivates all the time.
Meghan Houle (16:34.85)
Right.
Mm-hmm.
Meghan Houle (16:45.646)
Yeah, and in Create and Cultivate, it is all about, like you were saying, building that community. Do you feel like that was the biggest part of your success in bringing this nurturing, supportive community together? And what role did that play in really continuing to allow for you to build and bring more people in? And what was the success around that community? Secrets of your success, yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (17:08.913)
Yeah, I mean, yeah, the community was the biggest piece of the company, obviously, without the community, it didn't exist. But what I think we did that really worked with a few different things. Like one is like, we led with authenticity. I think people really loved creating culture because they were like.
Meghan Houle (17:13.502)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (17:23.005)
this girl who's running it is like a me like she's figuring it out as she goes along. We were completely bootstrapped. Like it was me hustling around. Like so I think people really belated to the fact that like I was in the same position as them. It wasn't like I was Gwyneth Paltrow, like gracing the stage, you know, I was like running around looking like this probably and just like, you know, like doing the thing like trying to make a business work. And so I think people like really respected the authenticity too is like
Meghan Houle (17:27.531)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (17:43.437)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (17:48.041)
We always led with value. Like we wanted to provide opportunity and access and value to our community and access. What I found was like really amazing is like twofold. Like we gave people access to the best in the business. The speakers and the talent were always like top of mind for Crate and Cultivate and something that we really tailored. And two, and what Crate and Cultivate like kind of came from was, you know, I was an influencer blogger, whatever, at the time, and was always at these cool events and posting about them and...
Meghan Houle (18:04.691)
Mm-hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (18:15.021)
You know, they're beautiful and amazing and gorgeous. And my sister, who's a wedding photographer in Florida was like, I would kill to go to an event like that. Like that's so fun. And so I really took that influencer event model and like approach and made it for consumers. Like it was beautiful. It was fun. You're getting freebies. You're able to shut like, you got your gift back. Oh, and by the way, like you get to hear amazing business owners and CEOs and content creators and celebrities speak. Like it was kind of a dream day. Like, and I really wanted people to walk away feeling that.
Meghan Houle (18:31.382)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (18:43.895)
Mm-hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (18:43.989)
Um, and thirdly is like we didn't, so we had a lot of value for our audience and we, which built a lot of trust. And then also we didn't, we tried to do, and this was like, you know, again, from my perspective, as much as possible for free or cheap, um, we really kind of wanted to make our
Meghan Houle (18:59.21)
Mm-hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (19:01.793)
ticket prices as accessible as possible. All of our events besides the conferences were free. So we wanted to give access to people. We really wanted them to be able to have the opportunity to come and hear and learn. And so I think it built a lot of trust around the brand versus trying to monetize them immediately off the bat. So I think like...
Meghan Houle (19:17.899)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (19:22.378)
Yeah, that's great.
Jaclyn Johnson (19:23.637)
So much has changed since that time, right? And now people are selling $5,000 tickets to things and people are willing to invest in that, but we were always just the accessible option. And I feel like we took a big sister approach and I think it really worked for us.
Meghan Houle (19:29.1)
No, no.
Meghan Houle (19:38.026)
Yeah, and how did you see the landscape help change the lives of women in business through Create and Cultivate? What do you feel like were some of those big takeaways from your event? Yeah, yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (19:47.509)
Yeah, it was amazing. Like I always would say is like there's no job in the world like this because I get cards in the mail I get like handwritten notes from women who are like I went in and asked for a raise after attending creating cultivate And I got it and my life has changed. I met my business partner at create and cultivate and like I've never been like happier I met my best friend. I went alone and I was so like welcomed by the community like You can't
Meghan Houle (19:53.378)
Oh, that's that. Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (20:09.833)
There's no like dollar amount you place on that. And I think it was such, like, I genuinely feel like being the CEO was like such an honor and a privilege for so long. And it was like a really, truly humbling experience. And I think, you know, for me, it just, it's unbelievable to talk to people who are like, you know, I coach a few people who are like, Cranky, that's how I started my company. It's gotten me through these things. And it's just, it's unbelievable. You know, when you're building,
Meghan Houle (20:12.919)
Mm-hmm.
Meghan Houle (20:34.555)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (20:38.449)
with your head down, you don't really sometimes get to see like what's happening. And so it's always like an amazing reflection to look back.
Meghan Houle (20:42.114)
Right.
Meghan Houle (20:46.082)
Yeah, I love that. And, you know, to go back to your book, Work Party, which we will link in the show notes, and everyone has to read it. In the very first chapter, I just love the very first chapter when crushing it crushes you. I feel that to my core on most days, you're like, okay, Megan, just keep going. But what was the context of that feeling for you? And when did you know it was time to make a meaningful decision to pivot out of what you were doing? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (20:59.711)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (21:14.405)
Yeah, I mean, I think like, as I mentioned earlier, I love working, like, and even when I was at like peak on a plane every week working, you know, 100 hour weeks, I was happy, like, I loved it. But it wasn't like the healthiest state of being. No, you know, so I think I think that's the tricky thing about burnout is like,
Meghan Houle (21:18.644)
Mm-hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (21:35.613)
you can burn out and still be happy and like excited and like ramped up on what you're doing. And that's why I say that when crushing it crushes you, it's hard to tell sometimes. And I think for me, I had such like a unnerving amount of drive to make this company successful, that I put every other priority by the wayside. And so I knew like, I mean, I think for any small business owner who went through COVID,
Meghan Houle (21:38.967)
Mm-hmm.
Meghan Houle (21:45.859)
Hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (22:01.797)
especially a small business owner who is in a, you know, owned a brick and mortar or owned a restaurant or had an events company. Like it was so like there's a lot of PTSD that I think is people have not even addressed or faced because it was such a survival mode on every level where, you know, every CEO or founder or whatever had to step up for their team and be like, we got this, don't worry. But like you're facing the complete unknown. And so.
Meghan Houle (22:09.152)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (22:29.077)
I went into overdrive in 2020 to save the business and pivot it and come out the other side. And you were very successful at it, thank God. And like, you know, press word about it and like how great we pivoted to digital and all these things, so we did it. But like the toll that took on me was very real. And I think I had just...
Meghan Houle (22:38.466)
Mm-hmm.
Meghan Houle (22:43.265)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (22:46.828)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (22:49.097)
Two, like, well, one was like, I think like, you know, a lot of the, you know, I was doing all the creative for creating Cultivate, like every stage I designed, every look and feel, you know, with the help of an amazing team. But like I had been tapped, like I felt tapped, like I can't think of another thing. I'm too.
Meghan Houle (23:01.578)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (23:04.905)
totally burnt out. And so, you know, when the company was acquired by private equity, majority stake in 2021, you know, I had let them know, like, I think we need to bring in a new CEO, not because I didn't want to do it anymore, or whatever, just because I felt like I was doing a disservice to the company by being so burnt out on and like almost too burned out to like take on new ideas, like people coming in and being like, we should be using this software and updating this. And I was like, I'm too tired to like, my brain can't like I love
Meghan Houle (23:29.25)
You're like my brain is full. Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (23:33.485)
and we're sticking to it. And that's a disservice to a company that's nine, 10 years old because we do need to change and move. And so that decision was very intentional, but it also gave me the space to start taking care of myself and learning about myself and putting boundaries up and all those things.
Meghan Houle (23:42.071)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (23:52.47)
Yeah, well, before we pivot on from Create and Cultivate, was there a success story or moment that really stands out for you where Create and Cultivate had a significant impact on someone's career or business? Like any big moment. I know you get lots of the handwritten cards, but any other moment that really stands out for you? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (24:13.041)
Yeah, I mean, I think the most like this most special one would probably be Marina. Like Marina was a Creighton Cultivate attendee. I met her through one of our vendors slash good friend of mine who I'm an advisor to her company. And she kept telling me you have to meet this girl Marina. She's such a Creighton Cultivate fan. And I was like, Sure, sure, sure. Like I just wasn't like thinking about it. And so we met in New York, our small business summit. She was a mentor and she had this like, beautiful pink suit on and pink hat and like looked at me. Yeah.
Meghan Houle (24:18.238)
Yeah. Well, yeah.
Meghan Houle (24:38.906)
always yes.
Jaclyn Johnson (24:41.537)
Who is this girl? But anyway, we met and again, like wasn't thinking anything of it. And you know, she aggressively followed up with me. And I just was like, this girl, like, a good point to that story is like, you know, and like, she's wore me down. And I was like, this girl has so much energy. And like, she's so many so much passion and ideas. And like, I was in a place where I was sort of like,
Meghan Houle (24:51.062)
The squeaky wheel, right? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (25:07.801)
not passionate and didn't have ideas and didn't have motivation. It was like kind of a perfect storm of us connecting and now we have the blueprint together and now she's a business partner of mine. That's crazy. Even she's like, I have photos of us from 2018 where you have no idea who I am. And I'm like, that's so funny. But I'm like, it's amazing how people come into your life through these events and things. At the time it doesn't make sense. And then there you are a couple of years later and you're like, we have this, now we're family at this point.
Meghan Houle (25:15.926)
Mm-hmm.
Meghan Houle (25:24.634)
Right.
Meghan Houle (25:36.766)
Yeah, yeah. No, it is. And I think like, I have so many of those serendipitous moments too, where, and you also feel like, okay, I'm doing these things. I remember Marina's story too, of where she was initially like afraid to talk to you and like say hi, and then all of a sudden like, here you are. And I think what's so special is you find those common denominators, right? And you, yeah, I mean, I think you both are creators and both are.
Jaclyn Johnson (25:37.677)
It's really exciting.
Jaclyn Johnson (25:50.445)
Yeah, shit.
Meghan Houle (26:04.962)
just these incredible individuals that wanna help women and wanna help grow. So, you know, you have that similar purpose, which I also feel like really resonates too when you're sort of building relationships and all of that. So it's really special. And you know how much I appreciate all that you've built in coming into the blueprint and now being able to work with you and everyone and meet so many other incredible women where we are now all forming new partnerships. I don't know, I saw this post today on Instagram was just like.
If you would have told me in January, where I feel like my life was kind of this like dumpster fire, it's soul cycle, having like unkind thoughts, I'm like, this year is gonna be trash. It didn't start off that well, Jacqueline. To, you know, kind of ending this last part of the year with you and being part of Mastermind and like having all these ideas for the future of the new business. Like it's pretty incredible how life, you know, can kind of throw you all kinds of curve balls. But I think with them, you have to see the opportunities in them, right?
Jaclyn Johnson (27:03.081)
You are a harness of fire.
Meghan Houle (27:03.53)
And we're right, we're not always gonna hear the yeses. We're not always, it's not always gonna work out, but then that leads to something else. So in the relationships and the partnerships you have throughout the journey are so important. So what was that like for you pivoting out of creating Cultivate? Like what was that moment like and what was next? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (27:21.277)
Yeah. Well, it was hard. I mean, luckily the CEO that came in, I really loved and I still stayed on board and was like on the board and like involved from a consulting capacity, but it was an identity shift for sure. Um, I think it was really challenging to start navigating what it was like to not be the CEO of Crate and Cultivate. And then on the flip side of that, to have a lot of people not realize you're the, not the CEO of Crate and Cultivate and like still getting the DMs and messages of like, Hey, my thing didn't arrive or like whatever. And you're like.
Meghan Houle (27:34.42)
Hmm
Meghan Houle (27:41.195)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (27:45.322)
Right. Yeah.
Meghan Houle (27:51.094)
You're like, not my problem. Yeah. Yeah, no, no. Yes, I know.
Jaclyn Johnson (27:52.913)
And yeah, like, you know, and again, like, of course, I'm like, it is my problem. I care so much. But like, it's hard because it's like, I remember, they booked one of the conferences got like, we messed up on the dates. And like, I was on vacation at that time, that I couldn't like redo or replanning. So I wasn't at one. And I remember being like, no one's gonna care. Like, that's fine. And I got so many messages that were like, where were you? And it was, it was nice to see it. But I also feel like it was really hard because I was like,
Meghan Houle (28:16.905)
aww, yeah
Jaclyn Johnson (28:21.865)
Yeah, like I'm not in the room where those decisions are getting made anymore. So that was a tough challenge. And I think, you know, I think coming, it's such a personal business. So I think it's challenging to all of a sudden just think like, okay, bye. It's not like we're selling mugs and it's like, okay, you got your mug, but it's a community driven business that I'm like so passionate about. So I just think that's really, really challenging to kind of navigate.
Meghan Houle (28:46.086)
Yeah. Well, and for what you have going on now, so beyond the Blueprint, tell us a little bit about Cherub because I know you're also, and you have all these incredible classes, masterclass, and fundraising, and investing, which I just feel like too from our Blueprint. I learned so much about it and I can't wait to talk to you about it more. But what's going on in your world now? Yeah, that you're really involved in. Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (29:09.845)
Yeah, so cherub I'm the co founder of Cherub as mentioned, it's a double sided marketplace So basically if you're a small business owner founder entrepreneur And you're like I would love to have strategic angel investors on my cap table like cherub is the place where you find them I think there's a lot of you know other platforms out there where it's more like Crowdsourced angel investing so like you can get whoever on your cap table for 50 bucks Like they can invest in your business like this is not that this is like strategic capital It's like the soho house of angel investing
You're getting the top tier investors, Candace Nelson, Ali Webb, myself, Morgan DeBonn, huge names in the angel investing industry. And basically it's functions off of dating app mechanics. So if you like this investor and this investor likes you, like you match and then, you know, magic is made and you can get that investment. And so if you're a founder, definitely sign up. If you're an angel investor interested, or even like your first time angel investing, which is really exciting. We have a lot of first time angels on the platform that are making their first investments.
with minimum check sizes of 2,500. It's a really exciting place to be. We'll be launching the beta in January. Right now we have an alpha set up where founders can sign up. And we also have a newsletter list that goes out to thousands. So it's attracting angels and we're getting deals done, which is super exciting.
Meghan Houle (30:11.534)
Okay, nice.
Meghan Houle (30:26.726)
Yeah, no, that's really awesome. I know I follow obviously on social, we'll link everything, but it seems like you have some really awesome brands across all product and categories and industries and everything. And for someone to pivot a bit, for someone who has hired individuals in their time on your teams, and I'm sure continuing to go forward, what are some of the things that you really look for in individuals in the hiring process?
Jaclyn Johnson (30:33.387)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (30:53.058)
maybe some tough questions you ask, like what really makes someone stand out for you that you want to bring into your business?
Jaclyn Johnson (31:00.281)
Yeah, hiring is so hard. I would say for me, what one of the questions I always ask in an interview is like, tell me about the time you dealt with a fire like you dealt with a really tough situation. And I think like, that really is a defining moment for people. Like I remember I interviewed this one coordinator that I ended up hiring who was like one of the best coordinators I ever had. And I asked her that question. She was said she was she worked for a publicity firm and they wrecked child actors. And so she's like, I got to set
Meghan Houle (31:02.035)
I know. Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (31:27.829)
for this big photo shoot and realized that like the mom had like booked the hair and makeup for the next day. And she's like, I had slept at my boyfriend's house and I had my hair and makeup kit with me and she's like, so I just like did her makeup for the shoot and like did her hair. And like, because I was like, we have to do the shoot. And so I was like, I love that like no task too small, like I'll jump in, we're gonna problem solve this like, you know, that type of stuff to me is like, I love like those types of people. I think also people who are
Meghan Houle (31:41.006)
I feel like I got you. Yeah.
Meghan Houle (31:52.939)
Mm-hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (31:56.917)
upfront about their style of working. Like I always say learn your bosses love language. I think that's such a great way. Like my love language is like to do lists and updates like it just tell me what's going on. Did you get that done? Like all those types of things, but I'm not like super micromanaging in a way because I'll become micromanaging if you don't communicate well. So understanding communication styles being really upfront and honest, like I think a lot of people lie in job interviews because they're like
Like, we're like, hey, this is a super fast paced, self motivating environment. Does that work for you? They're like, yeah. But like in reality, they're like, no, that is not where I thrive. You know? So I think it's just about being honest with yourself and not just saying yes on both ends, right? And I think it's just about being as honest as possible in those interview moments.
Meghan Houle (32:22.624)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (32:29.37)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Meghan Houle (32:36.736)
Right?
Meghan Houle (32:40.99)
Yeah, and I heard this yesterday in a conversation I had of then on the flip side, like giving employees almost this like self audit of like who they are. So like not necessarily all those like disc assessments and whatnot, but you know, like what are their personality traits, right? For them to know and to be aware of as a manager, like someone may be a people pleaser and want to say yes to everything and that's a self-awareness. So you kind of have to back up when someone's like, yeah, I can do it. You're like, are you sure?
Jaclyn Johnson (32:51.34)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (33:03.757)
Totally.
Meghan Houle (33:10.114)
Like, are you sure you can really take that on? So I love that. And maybe for somebody who has had a lot of yeses, but also maybe have heard a lot of nos in your time in your career, I feel there is, as I was mentioning before, this frustration of a lot of rejection, things not working out, right? Via like businesses or landing a job and whatnot. And a no isn't always that you can't.
Jaclyn Johnson (33:10.388)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (33:27.693)
Totally.
Meghan Houle (33:37.718)
do something. It's just you're a no for maybe that person. But I think what gets scary is then sometimes you hear the nose, and people are like, Oh, God, well, I got a course, correct. And then I got to do this different. And then you wind up losing yourself and the authenticity because you're just trying to like make all these people happy for their vision of your life business career, but not yourself. Right? So how have you navigated those nose like we call it like the high highs of like, yeah,
Jaclyn Johnson (33:51.826)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (34:05.362)
and then the low lows of like, I'm a piece of trash. Nothing's ever going to work out again. You know, I just feel like people are still sitting in this frustrated moment of like, why is it not happening? So what advice would you give for someone navigating through the nose and the frustration to like, keep, just keep going, like you said, you know, yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (34:20.581)
I think friends, I think it's important to also realize like you're interviewing them as well. And I think it's important to think about like, when you're going in, like, there's nothing worse than hiring someone who's three months in, you're like, oh, it's completely not what they said they are. And then they're like, this job is not what I thought it was. Like, it's such a waste of time and money for both people. So you want to make sure that you are sussing out and asking the tough questions before committing because that's three months
Meghan Houle (34:26.286)
Uh huh.
Meghan Houle (34:41.3)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (34:50.635)
And so when you're taking that leap into a career, I think it's so important to really be as clear as possible with your expectations. And if you're getting a no, it's because you're not, like it's not a good fit on both ends. So like you would have been there miserable.
and like not happy anyway. So I think that's kind of like part of it. And I think timing is everything when it comes to these things. So I think it's just about like not getting frustrated, not getting down. And then I also think like asking for feedback of why they said no, like just curious, like, oh, maybe it's my experience wasn't enough. Maybe it's because I, you know, don't do certain type of software, whatever. Get that and then like, you could go learn that software. You can go up, you know, up skill and up level. But I think getting feedback is really important.
Meghan Houle (35:04.984)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (35:17.613)
Hmm.
Meghan Houle (35:24.095)
Mm-hmm.
Meghan Houle (35:30.018)
Yeah, would you say that maybe applies the same for businesses? I mean, I know you are also like the master of a pitch and really getting in front of investors. I mean, a lot of times it's just like maybe no, not for me. For someone who is trying to like get a business off the ground or get, you know, there's them started and feeling frustrated. What advice would you give to make sure, you know, they don't fall off track? Just keep going. What are some of your top tips there on the business side? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (35:37.34)
Yes.
Jaclyn Johnson (35:56.093)
I think it's like rejections. Rejection is part of the entrepreneurial experience. Like it just is what it is, right? Clients aren't going to be happy. You're not going to get that pitch. You're not going to whatever you might not get the fundraise like it's just the nature of the beast. And so I think there's a lot of solace and understanding that this is a shared experience. Like everyone feels this way. Like, I always joke like everyone knows create and cultivate but like I had other companies that didn't work.
Meghan Houle (36:01.199)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Meghan Houle (36:07.148)
Mm-hmm.
Meghan Houle (36:15.438)
Mm-hmm.
Jaclyn Johnson (36:23.081)
like no subject or create and call day work. I started like a talent agency with a friend for a while it was like a hot mess. But like no one knows that story because it's just not the story that got in Forbes, right? So it's like, just take sauce and the fact that like it's a shared experience as like an entrepreneur and like everyone feels it at different points.
Meghan Houle (36:32.395)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (36:39.574)
Yeah. So your road to entrepreneurship, as we were saying, comes with lots of challenges. What were some of the biggest significant challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Jaclyn Johnson (36:50.281)
Yeah, I mean, God, so many. I mean, I think like one is like, I mean, COVID probably was like the biggest. So like obviously pivoting into digital and starting to manage that, I would say. Um, I think also just like managing a team was always like kind of a challenge. Like, I think it's really hard, um, to be the CEO and the face of a business and also, you know, command a certain amount of.
um, business respect from your team when, um, you're like kind of a figure that people think is going to be like their best friend. But you're like really serious about your business. So I think that was always a challenge for me. I think, you know, obviously, like anything, selling a company is a nightmare. So like, navigating that road, I mean, there's a million challenges. And I think it's all about just understanding like
Meghan Houle (37:22.894)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Meghan Houle (37:37.218)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (37:40.861)
these happen, you'll get better, you'll be able to like navigate things more easily. Like I think, you know, I say in the book, too, like, you become a professional firefighter, and you start to make decision really hard decisions very quickly. And you understand it's not the end of the world. And I think that's important.
Meghan Houle (37:54.73)
Yeah. So what would you say to somebody who is an inspiring entrepreneur, maybe too that wants to go into business with a friend or a family member, you know, based on your own experiences, like what advice would you give somebody who today is like really looking to get their business off the ground and who should they be partnering with? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (38:17.361)
Yeah, I mean, partnerships are tricky. I would say like, just make sure you have really clear expectations on your roles, your goals, like your wants for the company, your needs, your like work ethic, like you really it's really about entering a marriage and being as honest as possible about like, your contribution to the business. And then that might change over time. So you have to have these conversations like often, and really kind of update and reflect the business based on where you're at, I would say.
Meghan Houle (38:44.902)
Yeah, so some fun questions and then I'll let you go. What do you feel like has played the biggest part in your just success overall? Like what would you say has been that secret sauce or that key? Yeah, what is that for you?
Jaclyn Johnson (39:00.789)
think for me, it's the fact it's like, I don't get I don't get brought down easily. I think like I'm really resilient. And I always think like resiliency is like the number one thing you need to have as an entrepreneur. And it gets better over time. And I think it's just really about leaning into the fact that like, even when things are like the worst possible, I feel like I always can be like, Nope.
Meghan Houle (39:09.64)
Mmm.
Meghan Houle (39:16.438)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (39:26.665)
we'll get through it, like we'll get through it, we'll get through it. And I think that's just like a really important trait.
Meghan Houle (39:29.039)
Yeah.
What drives you crazy about the industry via influencer or events space right now? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (39:39.325)
it so hard. I think like the influencer space and all these things I think I think
I miss the days where influence was really built around expertise and authenticity. And I think now there's a lot of manufactured influence of people who were like, I want to be an influencer. That just didn't exist when we were doing it. And so the people who rose to the top had a really strong point of view, a really specific sense of style, or a really strong expertise in something that people were able to tune into. And so I think now it's like, you see someone go viral overnight, and then they have a beauty line the next day, and then they have this the next day.
Meghan Houle (40:14.475)
Right.
Jaclyn Johnson (40:15.287)
of a show that and it's like the cycle so fast and I think it's like gonna cause a lot of like churn and burn um over time and I think consumers are getting a little like annoyed with that um so I would say that that's probably it.
Meghan Houle (40:23.705)
Mmm... Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Yeah, I always see it. It's like, what's that long-term plan? And then a lot of people that I coach in council too, like, yes, I want to be in this space and I want to be an influencer and I want to do all these things. And it's like, okay, but like, what's that long game? Right? For some people, it just is that short stint. And then you're like, okay, well, what's next? So totally agree with that. Who has been one of your favorite people to interview and why?
Jaclyn Johnson (40:44.138)
Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (40:57.289)
say I mean my favorite interview I mean there's so many but I would say I really love Martha Stewart I feel like she was such an icon like so amazing so hilarious and just like killing it and was so honest in herself like not scripted at all so I would that was probably my favorite
Meghan Houle (41:04.983)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (41:14.022)
What has been your most soul-filling project, career to date, that you've worked on?
Jaclyn Johnson (41:19.909)
say like my favorite thing that I ever worked on was the Creighton Cultivate 100 list. So it's like something we put out every year. It's 100 women in 10 categories making moves and it's like so fun to put together and we do a photo shoot and big events. So that's been really like a soulwarming experience for me.
Meghan Houle (41:23.991)
Hmm.
Meghan Houle (41:30.349)
Yeah.
Meghan Houle (41:35.926)
Besides Work Party, what is another book everybody must read or go to for you?
Jaclyn Johnson (41:40.585)
Ooh, that's a good one. I mean, I actually this was recommended from another blueprint member, but I started reading profit first, which was like a really good book around building profitable businesses. So I would say that's currently on my list.
Meghan Houle (41:48.181)
Mmm.
Meghan Houle (41:54.482)
OK. A non-negotiable in your daily routine in your life. Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (41:59.261)
I would say working out. Like I love it. I feel like it like brings me sanity in like a crazy world.
Meghan Houle (42:05.19)
Yes, no, absolutely. And what are you excited about today and going into the future and all that you have going on? What are you most excited about? Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (42:13.425)
Yeah, I mean, I'm excited for we're doing our Blueprint New York extension, which I'm so excited about that's happening in January. And that's going to be so fun. I'm excited to be back in the city. I haven't been in a long time. And we have some fun things planned. So that's kind of like what I'm looking forward to in January.
Meghan Houle (42:17.806)
Mm-hmm.
Meghan Houle (42:26.39)
Ah!
Yes, I know we'll see you there. So before I let you go, tell us more, a little bit more about the Blueprint Mastermind and maybe why somebody listening in should consider applying, joining, yes.
Jaclyn Johnson (42:43.166)
Okay, yeah, so the blueprint mastermind is awesome. Basically, it's an intimate mastermind run 40 to 50 women Who are you know?
killing it in their career. And that and what I mean by that is like launching a business, running a venture-backed business, running a big business, like all different stages and types of businesses. You know, we have CPG, brick and mortar, all sorts of things that are kind of happening within the blueprint. It's a six month program, primarily digital, where you're getting access to coaching, community online, and amazing mentors that we kind of plug in throughout the entire experience from like...
PR professionals, lawyers, things of that nature. Then there's two offline events that are part of it. So we kick one off at the very beginning. So you get to meet everyone, put faces to the name, connect, hear from speakers, panels, workshops, and kind of set your goal and intention for the next six months. And then we have one towards the end of the cohort where you're able to like, again, reevaluate where you are and what you're doing. And all along the way, there's like fun dinners and amazing cocktail moments and just a lot of connection. And it really is for people looking to build that community.
of women that are in the same space they are. And in a really honest and vulnerable way where you can talk about the good, the bad, the ugly of your business and not feel judged and feel like you actually are getting a real amazing community around this.
Meghan Houle (43:58.282)
Yeah, and in conjunction with you, I mean, there's Ali Webb and Marina Middleton and just such great support and advisors. And I've said this before, I'll say it a million times over, definitely one of the best investments I've ever made. And I'm so appreciative for being involved and honored to be a part of it. And before I let you go, with all of the amazing things you have going on, what's the best way for someone to engage with you? Like what platform do you use the most? Like just send you a million DMs.
We're just kidding. No, just kidding. Yeah.
Jaclyn Johnson (44:30.381)
Instagram mostly so definitely follow me on Instagram at Dr. NR Johnson, you can follow at the blueprint mastermind at invest with cherub. And then I'm also an intro where you can book me for like 15 minute increments for coaching questions, anything of that nature.
Meghan Houle (44:44.518)
Yeah, no, it's so great. So much access, so many offerings. And Jacqueline, thank you so much. You are such an inspiration. I truly am so appreciative, you know, to be in your space, in your world, and to know you. So thank you, my friend, for being on the Pivot With Purpose podcast. And we'll see you soon. Yes!
Jaclyn Johnson (45:01.761)
Thanks, my pet. Yay!
Meghan Houle (45:05.494)
Yay!
