Jessica Rhodes Joins Us On The Steve Jobs Inspired Join Up Dots Podcast
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Introducing Jessica Rhodes
Jessica Rhodes is today’s guest joining us on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots business coaching podcast.
It’s not often that I say, I love today’s guest, but in this case I most certainly do.
I love what she is doing. I love the way she is doing it.
And I love that our paths cross more times than anyone else I think I know online today.
Back in 2007, she began her journey to where she is today by working in the position as Field Manager for Clean Water Action, where she directed, managedSEO and trained a staff of up to 25 canvassers. and supervised the office manager in all administrative tasks.
And quite honestly as well as I know her, I can totally see her doing this kind of thing, as she is doing a similar thing today although totally in a different environment.
After that, her organisation skills were taken to the next level, whilst her communication skills went up several notches too, by stepping into one of the hardest environments of all.
How The Dots Joined Up For Jessica
Knocking on doors and cold calling, canvassing political opinions and fund raising for the political wannabes campaign.
So you can see that she can talk, can organise data, and likes nothing more than leading a high performing team that delivers big time for her clients.
And now she is the leader of a team of amazing ladies at Interview Connections, the premier agency for booking guests onto podcasts across the world.
She has taken all those dots gained over the last nine years, and created a company that has filled a need for podcasters across the world, which is the way to build huge success.
Podcasters struggle to find guests, she has the connections, put the two together and job done.
But of course there is so much more to it than that.
So when did the idea come to her, and was it an epiphany angels singing moment in her life, or did she just stumble into something?
And how did she feel when competition started springing up online, with others seeing her success and modelling the service that she was providing so successfully?
Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only, Interview Connections legend, Jessica Rhodes.
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Jessica Rhodes such as:
How she believes 100% that her personality has helped her achieve the success she has had due to her ability to organise and to mirror the personality of the person in front of her. Which is so vital to build a business.
How she has managed to build a business where she loves 90% of her role and will delegate the 10% that she hates. It hasn’t been easy, but if you want it enough then you can do it too!
Jessica shares the mindset struggles in how she came to the understanding that its not up to the businessman to decide what there customers can afford. So just choose a price and then provide huge value.
And lastly….
You will hear the first ever Podcast Karaoke battle. Yes, America and the UK come together to perform a live premier of Join Up Grease!!
Jessica Rhodes Books
How To Connect With Jessica Rhodes
Return To The Top Of Jessica Rhodes
If you enjoyed this episode with Jessica Rhodes why not check out other inspirational chat with Rick Astley, Pia Silva , Dan Martell and the amazing Dan Lok
You can also check our extensive podcast archive by clicking here – enjoy
Audio Transcription Of Jessica Rhodes Interview
Intro [0:09]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling join up dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph
David Ralph [0:34]
Yes. Hello, everybody. Hello, all my listeners across the world, wherever you are, do you know this is Episode 546 of join up dots and for the first time for ages, I actually feel a bit nervous. I’ve got sweaty palms. I am on age because today’s guest is a lady who has been stalking me from afar, she’s got a bit of a crush on me. And thank God for the stretch of water between the United Kingdom and the Americas. Because I don’t know what she do. But is um, it’s true to say that it’s not often I say this, but I do love today’s guest. And I certainly love what she’s doing. I love the way she’s doing it. And I love that our paths cross more times than anyone else, I think I know online today. Now back in 2007, she began her journey to where she is today by working in the position as field manager for clean water action where she directed, managed and train the staff of up to 25 campuses and supervised the office manager in all administrative tasks. And quite honestly, as well as I know, I can totally see her doing this kind of thing. And she’s doing a similar thing today, although totally in a different environment. After her organization skills were taken to the next level whilst her communication skills went up several notches to she stepped into one of the hardest environments of all knocking on doors and cold calling, canvassing political opinions and fundraising but a political wannabes campaign. So you can see that she can talk, she can organize data and light. It’s nothing more than leaving a high performing team that delivers big time for her clients. And now she is the leader of a team of amazing ladies at interview connections, the premier agency for booking guests on the podcast across the world. She taken all those dots gained over the last nine years and created a company that has built a need for podcasters across the world, which is the way to build huge success podcaster struggled to find guests. She has the connections, put the two together, and it’s a lovemaking thing going on. Not really is this job done. But of course, there’s so much more to it than that. So when did the idea come to her? And was it an epiphany Angel singing moment in her life? Or did you just stumble into it? And how did she feel when competition started springing up online with other singer success and modeling the service that she was providing so successfully? Well, let’s find out as we bring onto the show to start join up dots with the one and only interview connections legends herself. Yes, not the porn star Jessica roads. How are yet today, Jessica?
Jessica Rhodes [3:01]
Oh my gosh, I am 1000 times better after hearing that introduction. That was amazing. I feel like I should be running across the stage to you right now David
David Ralph [3:13]
you could do that arms outstretched, we could have that hug. But you’ve been building up to for for quite a few months. So there’s a there’s a connection going on, we should tell our parents, we should tell our partners or should we just keep it secret. We should
Jessica Rhodes [3:25]
just keep it between us in the podcast.
David Ralph [3:29]
And that’s beautiful, because you’ve come on a show but no one listens to so nobody will know what’s going on between us. But there has become a kind of, well, from my side of the fence. It’s a huge respect because we’re going to touch into it later. But you’ve created something that is so valuable, so useful, but you do it in such a nice friendly way. Which is it’s a way of building success, isn’t it taking that online environment but keeping it personal as well?
Jessica Rhodes [3:56]
Yeah, yeah. I’ve it’s funny when you said that you said you know it, take it something that in what we do at inner reconnections, we were we know how to be pushy in a friendly way. You know, like booking interviews, I’m I do everything I all of you know, my sales, my guest booking and my and how I talked to people, it’s all very direct with a smile on my face. So I can tend to be I’ve always been told and I’m a little bit abrasive and direct, but I have a giggle on a smile. So I never get myself in trouble.
David Ralph [4:29]
And Is that why you book ladies? I don’t know if there’s any guys working for you. But the only ones that we do.
Jessica Rhodes [4:35]
Yeah, we have one guest speaker David so I think he’s a little scared of the rest of the team. But yeah, I do tend to you know, we have a large team of ladies and not by design I am I have had men that have worked for me as well. But I guess yeah, I don’t know why we we have a large team of ladies, I guess it’s because a lot of our team, many of them are stay at home mom. So I guess the kind of work is good for their lifestyle, being able to make their own schedule and work from home. Maybe that’s it. But But
David Ralph [5:10]
is that is that not the way of life anyway, I know that’s the message of this show that how you people, if you’re in a job you don’t like there’s opportunities, you can do lots of different types of work. And as we touched in the introduction, you have got that side business going or porn star, which was shocking when I first discovered it. But um, I think we should bring that out to the fore, don’t you?
Jessica Rhodes [5:31]
Yeah, so it’s very difficult, because I have not yet done a lot of SEO work to battle the other. And her name is Jessica, there is a porn star named Jessica roads. And so usually when you Google excuse me, Jessica roads, you will not find me unless you add entrepreneur business podcast interview Connect, usually have to add one of those terms after the name and Google or else it says do you mean Jessica roads. And you don’t want your kids around when you Google Jessica road.
David Ralph [6:11]
I was a bit shocked when I found that connection. And I was very shocked when I started following her on Twitter, and Facebook and all those other places. And I continue to be shocked on a daily basis that the things that that lady gets up to but she’s providing a service. That’s what it’s all about.
Jessica Rhodes [6:27]
Yes, exactly. She’s got a personal brand, and she is providing a service to the world.
David Ralph [6:34]
So let’s talk about you because that’s why you on the show. Now, your journey when I was going back over your profile, there seems to be a series of dots. Most of us have dots at join up. But with yours, I was looking at it. And I was thinking, yeah, I could see it doing this job. And yes, I could see the next one and it just seemed to be bigger stages be you to be slightly bossy. I suppose these how I’m trying to get to it.
Jessica Rhodes [7:01]
I was actually really impressed at how much of my backstory you dug up because I don’t have all that in my current bio.
David Ralph [7:07]
No, you don’t I I do my research. I like to know these things. And so when when the sort of the young Jessica, obviously going around door to doors or knocking and trying to get money out of people? Is that really? Were you playing a part then? Or was that a job that you actually thought? Yeah, I can I could do this with my eyes closed, you know, because what I’m doing at the moment isn’t me playing a part. This is just me, it just seems to be a natural fit. Was that kind of bossy? Give us your cash kind of purse personality? Was that you?
Jessica Rhodes [7:37]
Yes, 110% I, I was a natural at that job. So when you got your you know, even today, when you apply to be a canvasser at least that I could speak about how it works at Clean Water Action where I worked, there is a training period. So you start with an observation day. So they have you go on an observation day, we’re paid a small stipend to observe the job because it’s not something that I wants to do. So you got an observation day I raised like, $75 and an hour and a half of my observation day and they were like, oh, okay, and I was like, why doesn’t everyone do that. And then I, you know, you make staff, so you have 20 days to, you know, achieve the qualifications to be on staff, and not be a trainee, and I made staff in, I think, seven days, seven or eight days, which is pretty fast. And it was just, it was just natural to me, I never felt like I was being bossy or pushy, again, like my style was, I mean, what we were doing was raising money for our organization, and our organization lobbied for public health and environmental policy. So we will go around, and we would get donations and signatures. And we would get people to write letters to their politicians. I was such a tree hugger and still am. And I cared so much about what we are working on that I just went out there with a lot of conviction that everyone needs to do their part. And I would just tell people what we are doing, and tell them what we needed from them. And my first night canvassing was in South Philadelphia, like right next to the projects. And I had no fear. I loved it. I loved going out and connecting with people. And it was just such a great job. And it was I was just a total natural at it.
David Ralph [9:27]
But that was real rocky territory then you was in
Jessica Rhodes [9:30]
a little bit. Yeah, my parents were so nervous. I mean, here I am. 19 years old. Going to college in Philadelphia, I was working you know, and we did this at night, mind you like it was dark, like six to nine o’clock 430 to nine o’clock, and we’re knocking on doors in the city. Yeah, but
David Ralph [9:49]
we used to do that didn’t we? We only used to do about to go out on a bike doing a paper round. And it used to be pitch black are used to go out in the evening cycling along. No lights on, it was just what happened. And now you Yeah, you wouldn’t let your kids go knocking on strange doors. But we survived. Emily, Jessica?
Jessica Rhodes [10:09]
We did we did you know. And what I learned is most people are good. Yeah, most people are good people. You know, obviously there’s creeps out there. And they’re scary people, but majority of people are really nice. They’re kind hearted, they let you use their bathroom, they give you snacks and water and let you come inside when it’s cold or when it’s raining. And you know, we all are, we’re also common, we all have so much in common. That’s really what I learned knocking on hundreds upon thousands of doors over the course of six years is, you know, it doesn’t matter who you’re voting for, or what your opinions are, we all have so much in common with each other. And really, I mean, of course, there are people that we caught them on a bad day, but the majority of the time, it just really raised my opinion of the human race doing that and how many people would open up the door and smile and and hear what you had to say.
David Ralph [11:06]
So even in those days, a key thing about you was building connections because I used to work up in the City of London and my very first job or one of the very first jobs that I remember being successful at because when you first start going to work when you’re 16 and 17, you just basically go turn up, do what they tell you. And then after a while you start to find your vibe, your swing and you you get sort of headhunted into certain environments. So when I first went to work, I was just putting bank statements into an envelope. And that was it. I was just doing that day after day after day. And it was sort of mind numbing work. But it was all right, you know, we were all young and more fun. And then I got taken on to the sales team and I had to make cold calls. And every minute of the day, I had to phone up and try to connect with people instantly and be engaging and being fun and try to get them laughing. And I kind of look back on it now. And I think podcasting is the classic cold, cold environment. 99% of the time that I have guests on my show. I’ve never spoken a word to them before we literally two minutes before the show. We connect on Skype, have a little chat and we record and hopefully it sounds like we’re friends. So did you look at that and you think Yeah, the skills that you will learn through your life and never last, but you should look to transfer them to where their most valuable.
Jessica Rhodes [12:25]
What Oh, completely. I’m so like, passionate and excited. And I love the fact that everything I learned canvassing, like I am I’m just I feel so strongly that the skills that I learned as a canvasser are just life skills and sales skills, and they’re all the skills that I have applied in my business and my relationships. I mean, really, we, you know, when we would knock on the door, you had to really just make that connection. And it’s just like with a podcast, right? We all know that in that first 10 or 15 seconds. If you don’t catch the listeners attention, they will click stop and go to another show. Yeah. And when we would knock on someone’s door, you had a very, very short window of time to get them to say yes, I want to learn more. So we had an intro, a mid rap and a close. So when we knocked at the door, we’d say, Hey, how are you? And it’d be like that I wish I know. Or they like I’m good. And then you did your introduction, say who you are, who you’re with what you’re doing, and then you would hand them the clipboard. And in that first little introduction, if you didn’t get that clipboard into their hands, you were done. They were closing the door and you are moving on to the next house. So I learned how to make those connections with people in any relationship. You mean think about if you go to a conference and you’re meeting people you’re meeting, maybe you’re meeting your spouse’s friends for the first time, like learning how to have a conversation with someone. That’s a skill that you know, it’s not always fun to implement, because it’s like, oh, my gosh, what am I going to talk about with this person? But that’s definitely one of the things that I learned canvassing is how how to come up with a conversation with someone I literally don’t know who they are. I don’t know anything about them, but the color of their house. And what clothes they’re wearing that day, because I knocked on the door. They opened it. And that’s all I’ve got to work with.
David Ralph [14:10]
Did you ever have anyone open? who wasn’t wearing any clothes?
Jessica Rhodes [14:15]
Yeah, oh, my God, I had somebody open the door who like the door was open. I go up to him. He’s on the john. And he’s like, I can’t come to the door right now. Like his bathroom door was open.
David Ralph [14:25]
Did he give you any money?
Jessica Rhodes [14:27]
No, No, he didn’t. I think I came back later, though, later that night. And then you know, we had like elderly people who would just be wearing like a night gown with nothing underneath and the sun is shining. And you don’t you just get a full silhouette.
David Ralph [14:39]
I’d give them money. Do you know that? I would give them money and close the door behind me. But Oh, yeah. What what because what we’re talking about here, and it goes out to the listeners is basically doing your preparation and putting your best foot forward isn’t it is like, so many people are in podcast sense. I do very lengthy interview, I do my research, because I want the guests to know that, hey, I’m been looking forward to you coming on this show. And I have prepared for it. And it doesn’t matter if it’s the first show or the 550 of show. Now that is a key way that you differentiate, differentiate yourself from everybody else. Because if you listen to podcast, most of people do like a five second little intro and away you go into it. You set your stalled out, but you are something different. You were personable, you was attentive, and I can see why you’re successful. It’s not rocket science, is it? But the world has missed the trick of building personality into their work somehow.
Jessica Rhodes [15:42]
Yeah, I agree. I agree. You have to keep your personality into it. One of the things I was just I think about this quote in this lesson all the time. Are you familiar with the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People? Stephen? covey? Yeah, great. I mean, there’s so many great lessons in that book. And one of them is seek first understand and then to be understood. And then another lesson that we would, that we talked about in canvassing was something we called matching energies, which you probably heard of this lesson, just in a different phrase, but you would, you know, you want to match your energy and kind of your, yeah, I guess your energy to the person that you’re talking to kind of mirroring their personality. You know, it’s kind of like if I canvassed all over I canvassed in Texas and Virginia, DC, Rhode Island, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia. And if I was canvassing in Texas, I would talk slower. And people would say, call me ma’am. And, you know, you just talk, you want to match the personality and the way someone’s talking. So I don’t know if that really relates to what you just said. But it was just kind of got me thinking that what
David Ralph [16:50]
he does, doesn’t it? Yeah, no, he does. Because what you’re doing is, not only are you being personable, you’re being attentive, you’re being prepared, but you are tailoring your content. For Yes, so the listener
Jessica Rhodes [17:05]
is like exact join up dots
David Ralph [17:07]
is very emotional, very inspirational. And so I’ve got to be very full on over time, it wouldn’t work at the beginning, I go, Hello, everybody, welcome to join up dots This is gonna be great. You know, it’s not gonna work, because people expect that, that that vibe, it’s not about what you deliver. It’s about how you make that person feel. And if you are creating the wrong type of mirror, that person won’t build the connection.
Jessica Rhodes [17:36]
Exactly, yeah, it really fits in. And you know, I think about it in terms of podcasting, and what I do in terms of booking guests. But it really relates, I bet anyone can find how this lesson relates in what they do. You know, when I talk a lot about like, how to pitch a podcast or how to get on a show. And one of the lessons is, you know, customize your pitch to the person that you’re reaching out to? Well, that goes back to the dots of how I connected with people, when I first knocked on their door, if we were talking about air pollution, or you know, how much the landfill and Rhode Island is really filling up fast, I would present that issue in a way that they would resonate with it. So if I were in a neighborhood, that was, you know, probably multi million dollar homes, really wealthy people, I’m going to talk to them differently than I would talk to somebody who can barely put food on the table and his paycheck to paycheck, the conversation. And the issue is different from both of those people. So and so I learned that lesson of years from years of door knocking and canvassing around environmental issues. And it’s the same, honestly, with any sales work. You know, when you’re selling something, you’re showing somebody how that product or service is going to solve a pain point in their life and the pain point is going to be different depending on who they are.
David Ralph [19:01]
Well, let’s play some words Ben, and then we’re going to take you to the next stage of the conversation. These are words I play generally, at this time of the show. I’m going to do it again, Amy’s Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey [19:10]
my father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him. And so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job. And our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
David Ralph [19:37]
Now, what a lot of people out there probably don’t realize is that your father is the world, the American sexiest podcast host, Jim, Jim Palmer. Now you can’t agree with that. He’s your dad. But you you are kind of in similar environments. Were you inspired by what he was doing more than Jim Carrey was trying to get away from what his dad was doing.
Jessica Rhodes [20:02]
It’s interesting, because when my dad started his business, I was around 13 or 14 years old. And it was after he was unemployed for over a year and had had cancer. So are. And so then throughout my entire adolescence, he was growing his business, the first year of his business was revenue free. I remember I’ve got clear, vivid memories of seeing my dad go come home from work at eight o’clock in the morning after being there from you know, four to 8am stocking shelves. And I saw him being a courier where he would just pick up random stuff and like drive to the airport. And he did all of these odd jobs while he was building his business. And there was never any handouts in my house, there was never allowance just for existing in the house. You know, you I was babysitting. And since I was like 12 or 13, I had my first job at 15. And I became you know, a manager or shift leader, I’d like whatever top leadership position I could have as a teenager working in wherever I was working. That’s what I did. So I was that the inspiration I got from my dad as a child wasn’t necessarily around, building this dream business it was about you want something You better work for it. And you do whatever you can to work for it. Like I worked at a dry cleaners I was serving ice cream. I remember like working on Friday nights when my friends were just taking the, you know, the Sunday morning shifts or something like that. So I was missing out on like going to the movies in the mall because I wanted to, you know, have a job where I could make money and I don’t know spend it on whatever I 16 and 17 year olds spend their money on. And then it wasn’t until after I was married and thinking about having kids that actually thought about how that work ethic could apply to being an entrepreneur or a business owner.
David Ralph [21:55]
So is it hustle that is more important than experience? Did you take the action payments of your past occupations, and move into a sort of a new environment with confidence? Only if you know that you’ve got hustle behind it?
Jessica Rhodes [22:10]
I think I like the word hustle. I think it means a lot of different things to different people, I think about the term that I have used more or feel more is just being a hard and smart worker, I would say hard worker most of my life. But now as a business owner, I prefer the word like smart worker because I consider myself somebody that works full time. But if I were to just if I were to track all the hours I work I probably work like 30 or 35 hours a week in my business. But I work really smart. I’m very focused around the tasks that I’m doing and what I’m delegating and you know who I’m spending my time with? And where am I being educated. Like, you know, this morning, I’m drinking my coffee. I’m working on Melanie Benson districts money DNA course and really trying to up level my mindset around money success. So that’s about not necessarily like hard work, but it’s very smart and focused work. But yeah, I mean, hustle along, I think hustle, everyone’s got a different definition of it. I don’t know if you seen Stu McLaren made a whole video about hustle. And Gary banner talks always talking about hustle and it means different things to different people. But in general, it’s it’s for me, it’s just about work ethic and being really intentional about what you want. You know, you think about what you want, and you’re intentional about how to get there and listen to Charlene Johnson, listen to her podcast, and she talks about like, if you want the six pack abs, and a really awesome body, you ever know what it takes to get that like that takes like probably exercising every single day for at least an hour.
for ice cream,
David Ralph [23:48]
which is born naturally with that, and it’s just got better. I don’t do anything for it. But I tell you what you could bang a coin of my stomach.
Jessica Rhodes [24:00]
You’re so lucky David
David Ralph [24:02]
blessed, I’m blessed. But But on this show, we talk about hustle muscle. And the way that we describe it is the fact that when you first do something, it’s really difficult and then you keep on doing it, keep doing it. And then it gets easier the same way as if you’re lifting up something the first time you cannot be move it and then it just gets better and better. And I do that the entrepreneurial mindset when I transitioned from joint for my job into join up dots I honestly I look back on it now and I slapped myself in the head, but I felt if I built it, they would come that that was my whole business plan. And literally, okay, what I’ll do, I’ll get an audience and the audience will come to me and say we want to buy your stuff. And I’d go Thank you very much. And I’d walk around the garden quite happily. It took me a long while before I realized, Oh, hang on, there’s some other things. There’s marketing, and there’s publicity. And there’s sales funnels, and there’s lead magnets and all those kinds of stuff that you have to sort of add on to it. When you look at your actual work. How much of it is fun? You really love doing it? And how much of it do you actually go for it, it’s not really what I bought into because with me, I just thought it was going to be podcasting. That’s what I am. I’m a podcaster. But now I realized, you know, I’m doing so much other stuff.
Jessica Rhodes [25:18]
I could honestly say David 90 plus percent of what I spend my time on, I just I love it. Because I delegate, I delegate a ton, like I delegate the stuff that I don’t want to do. And I think that that’s why a lot of business owners and entrepreneurs find themselves going, Oh, gosh, there’s so much other stuff I didn’t want to do. I just delegated all that. And part of it was because of necessity. I have you know two kids. And when my daughter, Lucy, she’s 10 months now, when I got pregnant with her, like I had to my whole 2015 all I did that year was grow a team, you know, creates systems in my business delegate the task that I would not be able to do. So I have really gotten to I’ve worked extremely hard and been extremely focused on getting myself to a point where I am pretty much only focusing on the things that I really want to do. And even the things that I do want to do and that are really fun. I mean, it’s still work, right? So it’s still exhausted you at the end of the day. It’s not like all relaxing and fun times even the things that energize you, you’re super exhausted by the end of the day. But yeah, I I, I’m at that point where I love what I’m doing. And I’m looking to do more of it.
David Ralph [26:39]
So if we take our mind back to what Jim Carrey was saying, and he said, you might as well take a chance on doing what you love that was my American accent really good. Oh, my gosh, that was brilliant money. Yeah, it was Yeah, you would have thought I’m a Trump boy, I’m saluting the flag and all that kind of stuff. Now, if you went back to what he said, and he said you, we’ll take a chance and doing what you love. Did you know that you’re going to love it at the moment at the start on you know, now you say 90% new love, but was it still a walk into the unknown?
Jessica Rhodes [27:11]
I didn’t know what my business was going to look like in three years that I mean, that’s the thing. Like I didn’t say I’m like when I went into business for myself. And when I I left my job, like when Nathan was born, right. So I kind of started my virtual assistant work on the side when I was pregnant. And then you know, when he was born, I was done working. And then I eased into, you know, being self employed and into a business. And I really didn’t know what it was going to look like because I first started as a virtual assistant just honestly doing what I could to make an income at home managing people’s Pinterest profiles and client support work. I was a virtual assistant working as an independent contractor for some entrepreneurs. And then it was as I started doing certain tasks, guest booking for podcasts. Then there’s these light bulbs start saying, hey, there’s a need in the marketplace. You like doing this people like doing interviews, I’m good at this. And then I’m like, okay, so I start getting these light bulbs that I wanted site, as I saw a need in the marketplace, a demand for it, people liked it, I liked doing it. And I wanted to make more money and I wanted to scale my business. Then I started moving into doing, you know, getting into where I wanted to be. And I am not good at like having a five year plan. I have vision and a vision and ideas about what I want life to look like in a couple of years. But I was so like, I really didn’t even have time in my head to think about like where I wanted to be all like I was just constantly in the moment of like, okay, you know, make money, make money, do something that works. My dad was guiding me through it as my business coach. So I didn’t really stop to think too much about like the dream business like freedom lifestyle. I like I just honestly was hustling to bring money to support my newborn baby and my family,
David Ralph [29:06]
show me my money I can imagine. Yeah, I know,
Jessica Rhodes [29:08]
I just I need to make money. I think that’s one thing that I feel different from a lot of other online entrepreneurs and like lifestyle entrepreneurs and marketers online is like, I didn’t start a business to, like have a lifestyle, you know, I started a business because I need to make money. And then I figured out what task and what service I enjoyed most and was going to be most profitable and in demand. You know,
David Ralph [29:34]
the funny thing, Jessica, and I’m going to share this with you. But I have gone through a journey of discovery. And more often than not, I sit listening to people like you. And as you’re talking, I’m thinking about my own life. But I realize now and this sounds madness to people, and I will argue the toss in any pub, but you will probably feel the same thing. If you have been an employee for so long as I was, were literally I just turned end up and I got given money. And it didn’t really matter what I did more often than not as long as you turned up and he was at your desk, you still got paid. When I became an entrepreneur, I think looking back on it, I was actually scared of earning money. I had quite a lot of opportunities in the early days to take money from people. But I was kind of scared of taking it because Hang on, I think I’ve actually got to do something for this. instead of it just being given to me. I’m not sure about I’m good enough. Have you ever had that feeling? Or did you just go Yeah, give me that cash sticking? up? I’m going David know,
Jessica Rhodes [30:35]
you’re definitely bringing me back. I think one of my challenges is remembering what it actually felt like in the early days. I mean, there’s been a lot of I’m sure you and I and a lot of listeners have been through a lot of personal development and self discovery. And I mean, I think that you’re right, I it was really hard in those early days to to charge a lot. I mean, there was that that initial feeling of Gosh, do I deserve this? I mean, now, most of us, like a virtual assistant, you know, you can get from any, you know, 30 bucks an hour as a contractor or something like that. And I think my original rates were like 25 or $30 an hour. And I’m like, Oh my god, I don’t know if I can charge that much. When now I mean, that’s, that’s like, I’m not going to do 20 You know, I’m, I’m going to charge several hundred bucks an hour if someone wants me personally working on them. So yeah, there was definitely a lot because, you know, as an employee, if I, you know, my last job is like $36,000 a year, which meant, you know, I was seeing like, okay, $16 an hour on my paycheck. And even though it’s with all the tax stuff, being an independent contractor business owner, you know, you’re going to see higher hourly rates, because, you know, you don’t have all the taxes that an employee has taken out. But yeah, just to charge that much. It was definitely really hard. I mean, when my first started interview connections, I started I you know, I no idea what to charge me my initial program was like, $47 a month, and then 47 and 977. Now, they’re there several times that, but I was not sure what to charge. And yeah, there was a lot of work I had to do around in my mindset of being okay with charging a lot. And I mean, this is one of the things that was always a challenge canvassing is you we were always so afraid. Most of us were afraid to ask for the big donation because we kind of assumed that the person wouldn’t be able to afford it. Because as a early 20, something I could donate 120 bucks, that was a lot of money. Yeah, so a lot of money, but you have no idea what somebody else can afford. So the biggest challenge has been and continues to be putting a price tag on something that you offer. And now thinking hey, can they afford it, it is not your job or your business to decide if someone can afford it. If they want it, they will find a way to make work. And we just have no idea. Like what people have in their bank account, we have no idea what they’re willing to put on a credit card. So I think that’s one of the most challenging things that you know I continue to work on is not thinking we’re assuming where your clients are at financially, you know, you don’t price your services based on what you think people can afford. That is wrong, you price it based on the value that you provide. One of
David Ralph [33:31]
the first coaching platforms, I don’t do a lot of one on one coaching, everything that I do is scalable, because I’m totally different from you. The thought of actually having my own business, I can’t be bothered and the fault. Because basically you have employees now you’ve got responsibilities for the employees. I like the fact that everything I do is through me. So I
Jessica Rhodes [33:52]
have a service based business with the team, which brings a whole other host of things to deal with both good and bad,
David Ralph [34:00]
especially and put a load of women together. It is bad news. They they start fighting they drink early in the morning, we know what it’s like I’ve managed ladies before. Now with my situation, I just want to have my own job. You know, I just want to have no issues. I have no buffers. But when I started my first foray into the online world, I thought, okay, I get an audience, I do some online coaching. And I offered it out at something like $47 a month or something, you know, and it literally I look back on it now it was going to be me doing, you know, three hours a month, but each person for about $15 each, because I I wasn’t at that point to say no, hang on. I’ve got somebody. But I had loads of people that go Oh, no, I can’t afford it at the moment. I can’t afford it. And I used to think $47 $47 Yeah. So do you know what I used to do? Jessica? Should I tell you what I did? I started online stalking. And I if somebody came through and they said I can’t do? I used to go into Facebook and look at their pictures. And more often than not they were in restaurants every night they were buying new cars. Yeah, you were splashing the cash. But of course, it was just that I hadn’t proved the worth. I hadn’t proved to them that they needed it by wanted it. That is the token thing, the psychological piece takes care of the pricing issue, doesn’t it?
Jessica Rhodes [35:24]
Exactly. And it’s also figuring out who you should be working with. I mean, now I I’ve been doing a lot of work on really just the past couple weeks around, realizing who is my ideal client, who should I be messaging to. And there are a ton of people that I have surrounded myself with who I’m realizing they are never, ever going to give me money. They’re never going to pay what I’m charged with, you know what I charge for my service? So why am I putting all this effort into, like marketing to them, and trying to build a relationship with them. So it’s also you know, it’s not just about like, you might have people that that want what you have, but if like, Oh, I can’t afford it, then maybe it’s just not a good fit. And there are people that can’t like that do want to pay what you have. It’s just not that, you know, that original person. But yeah, you’re right, people will pay for what they want, they will find something, they will find a way to make it work if they really want it regardless of whether or not they have the cash. If they want it, they’ll find a way to make it work.
David Ralph [36:33]
But our family, my mom and dad have got a business brick and mortar business. And I’ve had to dig in old now my mom and dad are so coming into their 80s. And so I’ve had to sort of take part management of this, this shop and I went down there and I started looking at all the books. And my dad was saying, Oh yeah, you’ve got to have accounts. So the people come in, and they take stuff, and then they pay for it later. And I said to him now we’ve got to get rid of those. And he said no, no, no, their customers, their customers, I said, but they’re not paying you. They’re putting on account, and they’re not paying you. And we’re saying yes, but we don’t want to lose them. I said, You’re losing giving them stuff, but you’re not gaining anything. So we had this big battle over a long period of time, so that I could get rid of all the accounts and just have people that would come in and buy the stuff. And then hand money over which you expect in a shop. And away it goes. Well, basically, he is still at that mindset of he has to have every single customer come in and him servicing them, where I’m trying to get him on the at 20. But 80% of your profits will come from just 20% of your customers. So don’t chase all of them. And I think that is another thing. But you were sort of alluding to in your statement just a moment ago. But you realize now by drilling down, but you can find out your 20% of good customers, but paid by give you what you want. And they don’t cause you issues, get rid of the 80% about a pain in the backside half the time and you’re always chasing them or they’re just don’t turn up or whatever. And it’s happy day, isn’t it?
Jessica Rhodes [38:13]
Oh my gosh David I remember the first time I fired a client, it was the best feeling in the world, it was the best feeling in the world. Because like not too long after that I signed up a client or probably more than one client who was so much like such a better fit for me and I was a better fit for them. So yeah, I think that it’s like when you know, one door opens another like a when a window closes, the door opens or whatever the saying is, when you like get rid of somebody that’s not a good fit for you a better person comes along. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Mike McCallum, he wrote a book called the pumpkin plan. And I love the analogy that that book says that if you want to grow the largest pumpkin at the fair, you know that big 30 foot pumpkin, you need to cut every single disease pumpkin off the vine. So all of the nutrients and all the resources and energy goes to the big pumpkin. So when you have multiple clients in your business, like in my business, you know, I’ve got dozens of clients. If there is a client, that is what we call a diseased pumpkin, and they’re taking up a lot of our resources and draining our energy. If we let them go, we can put so much more resources and energy into, you know, the good pumpkins. And then there’s more energy and resources to you know, new clients who you know, are better fit with one of the exercises I’ll do if we have a one of our Booker’s is working with a client that is, you know, just taking like, it’s just takes four times as long to service their account and somebody else like I just this is Natalie one time I said, Okay, if we let that client go, how many? How many clients Could I assigned to you? Because if I let this client go up to me, for clients, I’m like, okay, $400 a month or 1600 a month? What shall I choose? Yeah. Yeah, so it’s so important, and then they can go they can go to a service provider, that’s a better fit for them to
David Ralph [40:10]
do you know, the very first time I pressed record on join up dots to record my very first interview was Mike McCallum. It’s
Unknown Speaker [40:19]
really,
David Ralph [40:20]
yeah, it was my very first time when our episode two because I promised a guy that he would go out as episode one, but it was the very first interview. And it’s the only one that I never go back and listen to. It’s it’s I don’t want to listen to it is a weird one. I? Yeah, Episode Two, you can go back and listen, but it was me. You know, when you you you’re planning something and you plan it. And it’s, it’s too stilted. I know. But every joke that I made, I’d written weeks beforehand, you know. And he politely laughed, and he was just awful. And I learned within that episode that I thought to myself, now Hang on, I’ve just got to be myself. And so Episode One was starting me going, hang on, I’m just going to make this up as I go along, which I think was a good way of doing it. Because it allows you to find those opportunities that you wouldn’t have seen otherwise, if you’re copying other people, or you’re doing what you think that other people should be doing.
Jessica Rhodes [41:16]
Yeah, well takes most people longer than one episode. So I applaud you.
David Ralph [41:20]
All. Thanks, Jessica. That’s what I want. I want a bit of adulation. I don’t think I get enough adulation from that side of the pond. That’s what I want. I want I want I want you to pick me up. It’s lonely and brave in UK.
Jessica Rhodes [41:34]
Nobody knows your soul. You are talented. You are love tells that
David Ralph [41:40]
sexy go with sexy. Go with the for us what we want. Yeah, there we go. You say and I’ll edit that out. So they don’t know that I actually lead you to that point. You see, it will just say you’re coming on to me in a kind of bringing
Jessica Rhodes [41:56]
your sexy line.
David Ralph [41:57]
Yeah, I’ll do that. And I’ll play it as my wake up Cole every morning. And my wife is like, Who the hell was that? Who the hell was that?
Jessica Rhodes [42:04]
Just Just a road?
David Ralph [42:05]
Yeah, just just a road. You’ve seen it on my Twitter feed. Right? Okay. So what we’re going to do now we’re going to play the words back created the whole show back in 2005. He’s no longer with us. But he’s words live on. This is Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs [42:18]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards. 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [42:53]
So do you buy into those words?
Jessica Rhodes [42:55]
I do, especially with you helping me see the dots and my past because, you know, as we’re leading up to this interview, I’m thinking I and I’ve thought about, you know, how my canvassing and my job, I’ve always thought about how all that stuff has, you know, brought me to where I am today. But I usually think about you know, okay, so are my business three years ago, but no, it started so much earlier in my life. And yeah, so I totally, I totally, totally believe that line. I think it’s completely true. And I think that, you know, you prove it so much with these interviews of showing how all these different parts of our of our lives from childhood. And I mean, I’m 28. So from my teen years into my early and mid 20s got me to where I am now. And, and I’ve got ideas about where I want to be and where I want my family to be in the next few years. But it’s it’s a little unclear of how what dots are going to take us there.
David Ralph [43:55]
So so he talks about you gotta believe in something, you know, got intuition. So what do you actually believe in when when it’s those dark demons running around your bed at night? And you’re thinking, Oh, my God, what do you tap into?
Jessica Rhodes [44:09]
Oh, my gosh, what do I believe? Um,
I mean, I think about, like, I always have to think about what my, my big, why is my big motivation and reason for doing what I’m doing. And for me, it’s my kids and my family. And, you know, when I first started my business, it was my kids so that I could be a stay at home mom, and have an income from home. And then I went got an office outside the home. And so for the last, you know, for several months, around the past year, I was a little bit directionless, because I didn’t, I didn’t know what I was working towards, you know, and just having just like making more money growing the business like that wasn’t enough. So I’m like, Well, I used to say, my big wise be a stay at home mom, but now I have an office outside the house and my kids, you know, childcare. So what, like, what am I working for? And so I’ve had to kind of do some discovery and like soul searching around like, what is kind of that next big thing to look forward to? Because one of my strengths and the I know you interviewed Lisa Cummings right? From the
David Ralph [45:19]
T as well. I’ll be honest, she
Jessica Rhodes [45:21]
is Yeah. I was on her show. And so we both geek out about the Strength Finders, and one of my strengths is futuristic. I am very futuristic. I think that’s mine.
David Ralph [45:32]
Number one. Yeah, one futuristic.
Jessica Rhodes [45:35]
It’s not my number one, but I think it’s my number four. But I’m very futuristic. And so and and I’m an extrovert. So when I like think about something that I want, I talk about it. You know, I heard a podcast, somebody said introverts think, to talk and extroverts talk to think I talk out everything, my husband driving crazy sometimes because I need to talk about everything. And then once I talk it out, I’m just gung ho about it. I’m like, done decision made onward. And so one of the things that like, I’m really committed to homeschooling my kids in a couple years. And so I know that that’s going to take a lot of planning. It’s going to take my husband needing to go part time,
David Ralph [46:19]
get them to slow, it’s free babysitting, that’s what we want as parents. So
Jessica Rhodes [46:24]
that’s the thing I don’t like need. So I mean, the challenge David and where I am is the
David Ralph [46:31]
attitude with you, Jessica, I can sense an attitude.
Jessica Rhodes [46:34]
I can’t because I meant and this is what I’m preparing myself for. Because I know every time I share with people that I want to homeschool, I’m either going to get you know, one out of every five people who like supports homeschooling, they’re gonna be like, Oh, that’s awesome. And then most people are going to look at me, like I’m crazy. And I’m a weirdo. Because there has always been, there’s always been a really big stigma around it. But for me, it’s very entrepreneurial. My husband and I have both worked really hard to get to a point where our incomes, you know, his job, my business, our location independent, he works from home, he creates his own schedule. He’s, he’s a lawyer on the side. And so we have this total flexible lifestyle. And the last thing I want is for my kids to have a schedule and a place they need to be at a certain time every day. So there’s a lot of different reasons why I’m motivated to do it. And so my next big challenge is getting my business to a point where I can mostly support my family and my husband can be you know, part time and do his work, you know, just the hours that he needs to but I read a really inspiring blog post about you know, two professionals who homeschool, and they both they both work. So I think there’s a way to, to craft the life where you can still work and run your business and you’re not with your kids like 24 seven. So anyway, that’s kind of my next big thing that so I believe and answer your original question. I really believe in having that that vision. And in that why
David Ralph [48:02]
I believe in getting the kids to school in nine o’clock. And not picking him up to half past three. Can you imagine homeschooling him to give him the full school experience. You’ve got to you know, spend the day boy hated
Jessica Rhodes [48:13]
school though. Like, I mean, I, I didn’t thrive in school until I got to college, when it was so much more self study, and I was working a lot I I was I didn’t like school, I didn’t have a lot of friends. I was like, kind of just a grumpy emo kid. And I just didn’t like it. And so I think there’s a lot of, and there are anyway, we get into homeschooling, but I’m very inspired to learn about it. And it’s not about committing for an entire lifetime. Like somebody said, you can do it forever. I’m like, No, I mean, I don’t know, maybe. But who says they know they’re gonna do for the next 18 years? Nobody? You got to take it year by year or just really day by day.
David Ralph [48:57]
Can you do me one thing when when you’re doing physical x sighs at home, you’re doing p? Can you lie your kids up against the wall and go by I have you first and pick one of them. And and so they get that feeling of not being wanted by their teammates? Can you do that? Because that that’s what that’s what school is all about?
Unknown Speaker [49:16]
No,
David Ralph [49:17]
not gonna do that for me. Okay, you’re not going to do that. But what we’re going to do, we are going to send you on a journey, maybe not back to school time. You can choose it anytime you want. But this is the bit we’ve been building up to, when we send you back in time to have a one on one with your younger self. And if you could go back in time and speak to the young Jessica, what age would you choose? And what advice would you give? Well, we’re gonna find out because I’m going to play the theme tune. And when it fades, you’re up. This is the Sermon on the mic.
Jessica Rhodes [50:10]
Jessica, you are 18 years old right now and you think you’re going to be on Broadway in four years. And you’re going to be a theater major and you’re going to make it Well guess what? You don’t know where you’re going to be in four years. And even though you think you know everything you think you know what life is all about? You don’t so just open up your mind and just do what more experienced people advise you to do. And life is about to get so much better when you leave Exton Pennsylvania,
David Ralph [50:49]
sipping a theater a job where you enter singing was it singing or dance? Yes.
Unknown Speaker [50:54]
Don’t give
David Ralph [50:57]
up so now. Oh my god. No. Go on. Go on. Wait, we can do it together.
Jessica Rhodes [51:03]
Okay, well, well, let’s go back to
let’s pick a musical that I was in.
David Ralph [51:11]
musicals you were in? I know.
Jessica Rhodes [51:12]
I’m trying to think of one and then a song. Well, so I was in Greece. I was Frenchie. In my senior year.
David Ralph [51:20]
Right here we go. This is going to be the first ever podcast karaoke. This is going to be brilliant. I will kick it off with doing over Skype. See how it works. Ready?
Jessica Rhodes [51:31]
Oh, really? What song are we singing? You’ll get
David Ralph [51:33]
it. You’ll get it? We’re professional. Okay. You have a professional Jessica. Bomb, bomb. Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb. I got
Unknown Speaker [51:41]
you.
David Ralph [51:46]
You’re doing my line. This is rubbish. I thought that you would be a podcasting legend. The first time we ever had a chance to do podcast karaoke, which is a whole show in itself. And you did the man with what did you do in a man line?
Jessica Rhodes [52:02]
Cuz I’m very masculine.
David Ralph [52:04]
bossy, you’re bossy you dominate the ladies that will be discovered all the way through. But
Jessica Rhodes [52:10]
you know, I could never get the romantic leads in high school because I was taller than the boys and theater. I’d like that scarred me David
David Ralph [52:17]
Yeah, I’d like that in a lady. My wife is fourth at 10 and it really is. I feel like I’m gullible. When I go home. It’s like,
Jessica Rhodes [52:26]
How tall are you? You seem really tall.
David Ralph [52:28]
six foot 1 and yeah, so um, she’s she’s she’s a little one. But she’s, she’s dominant. As our most you know, if you look at Mousellil, and hit that an order that are all little people, so she’s got that same vibe my wife’s got going on. She doesn’t listen to this. But Jessica, just before we say goodbye to you, what is the number one best way that our audience can connect with you
Jessica Rhodes [52:51]
just go to my main website, Jessica Rhoads are h o d s Jessica roads dot b i g Jessica dot biz. That’s my website with all my blogs and videos. And you know, all my contact informations there.
David Ralph [53:04]
Well, I have over links on the show notes. Jessica, thank you so much for spending time with us today. joining up those dots. Please come back again when you have more dots to join up. Because I do believe that by joining up the dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Jessica Rhodes. Thank you so much.
Jessica Rhodes [53:21]
Thank you.
David Ralph [53:24]
So Jessica Rhodes, yeah, she is somebody who’s in the forefront of podcasting. And she said she wasn’t expecting where her business was going to go. But she’s got the vision. She knows what she wants to deliver to not just her clients but to her cell. And she’s doing in the right way, believe me every transaction that I have with her, and her team is just absolutely top notch, very, very professional. But I do it in a fun and friendly way as well. Thank you so much for listening to join up dots if you’ve got any guests out there, but you’ve seen and you think they would be good. Let’s try to get them on join up dots please drop me a line and let me know. I get people to suggest people that I wouldn’t possibly have known were out there. And now we’re sort of lining them up to come on to the show. So it makes it a lot easier and more interesting because it gives us a different spin to what other podcaster delivering. Thank you so much for listening to this. Thank you so much for being part of the join up dots movement. I’ll speak to you again soon. Cheers. Bye
Outro [54:24]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become so he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to join up dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on join up dots.
