Name: Jenny Blake
Age: 27
Job Title and Description: Solopreneur; Author/Speaker/Life Coach
College Major: Political Science and Communications
Website: lifeaftercollege.org & lacbook.com
Twitter Handle:Â @jenny_blake
Her Campus: What does your current job entail?
Jenny Blake: My job involves a mix of reading, writing, coaching, interviews, and speaking engagements. I’m also currently building an 8-week coaching program to help people take their biggest goal from improbable idea to inevitable success. A typical day starts with a 20 minute run, then I try to tackle my most creative “high thinking” work first—otherwise I’m too tired later in the day. Afternoons and evenings are for reactive work: responding to various emails and requests. I also try to squeeze in a yoga class whenever possible—it keeps me sane!
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HC: What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
JB: My first entry-level job was helping one of my college professors start a political polling company. I was the entry level—it was six college professors and I. I got it by asking my professor if I could be her research assistant after taking her class. We started working together and when the opportunity for the start-up came up, she thought of me. I was ahead in school so I took a leave of absence from UCLA to move home and work. I later went back to finish in the spring of 2005.
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HC: What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
JB: Confidence is so important. Confidence in your ideas, confidence in yourself, and confidence that you can do anything you put your mind to. Be mindful about how you might be holding yourself back with ifs/thens—When I am older, then I can write about things I’m passionate about that. I would also say to allow yourself to be vulnerable and authentic—and focus on making meaningful connections with others in your industry.
HC: Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
JB: Susan Biali, one of my mentors and now good friends, has been an inspiration to me since day one. She’s an MD turned Flamenco-dancing life coach, author, and speaker. She is so poised and wise, and generous with her time. She’s been incredibly supportive of me, even before I had any momentum from my blog. Susan has been with me at every step of my process—getting the book deal, learning the art of being a professional speaker, and learning how to stay healthy, happy and sane in the midst of it all. She’s demonstrated what’s possible for me in this field, and has done it with such grace and courage.
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HC: What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
JB: “Action is the antidote to despair” and “You can’t cross the Grand Canyon in two small leaps.” Don’t be afraid to dream big! I like to tell people to “live big and start small.” Even the biggest dreams have a first step you can take even when you can’t see the full path. Start there, and then the next one will reveal itself until you eventually have a snowball of success on your hands.
HC: What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
JB: Not resting enough. I was working full-time at Google while writing my book and maintaining my blog. As much as I tried to keep my life balanced, I burned out several times and came to a grinding halt. It’s so important to build in more rest and recovery than you think you need—especially if you’re tackling a side hustle like I was. Â
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HC: What is the best part of your job?
JB: Inspiring people to live their lives to the fullest; getting amazing “keeper” emails from people who say that I’ve helped or inspired them in some way. It fills me up with gratitude and strengths my commitment to doing this work every single day.
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HC: What do you look for when hiring someone?
JB: Someone who is motivated, smart, passionate about their life and their work. Someone who loves learning and who wants to make a positive impact on others. Someone who is creative and proactively comes up with new ideas for ways to make improvements, and isn’t afraid to renegotiate deadlines and commitments if they’re having trouble meeting them (rather than just letting them slide).
HC: What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
JB: Whatever it is that you want to do in five or 10 years—find a way to start now. If you want to be an author, start a blog. If you want to start a blog, start keeping a notebook with thoughts and ideas. Set up a Tumblr account. You won’t go from zero to smash success overnight, so look for ways that you can start building what you love, one little step at a time. Definitely reach out to others you admire in the field—ask them for 15 minutes of their time (respect that limit) and see what advice they might have for you. Finally, set a vision for what you want before you get bogged down in the “hows.” What do you want to create? What would it bring into your life? In what ways are you already there? You got this!
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Co-Founded by Natalie MacNeil and Scott Gerber, Y.E.C. Women is an initiative of the Young Entrepreneur Council (Y.E.C.), an invite-only nonprofit organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The Y.E.C promotes entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment and underemployment and provides its members with access to tools, mentorship, and resources that support each stage of a business’s development and growth.
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