How to Create Authority and Authentic Relationships You Can Leverage In Your Business with Jaclyn Mellone
Episode 408: Show Notes
Relationships can make all the difference in your business and as many of us have learned, focusing on connections and networking in the right way can take your biz from quiet to booming! Our guest today is Jaclyn Mellone and she helps experts exponentially grow their businesses by becoming an authority in their space. One of the ways that she helps them do this is through authentic relationships. Jaclyn is a coach, strategist, keynote speaker, momma, guac lover and host of the Go-to Gal Podcast! In this episode, she shares how to create strategic relationships and how to utilize them as more than friendships without being weird about it!
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For Jaclyn, it all starts with an authentic connection and she breaks down exactly what that looks like. We also talk about how this translates into creating more friends in your own space and work environment and how to utilize these to continue to grow your business in the long term. We cover leveraging relationships, creating intimate connections that fill your cup, and how to jumpstart your biz in a big way!
Reasons Why Relationships are So Important
The idea of foundational relationships in business was ingrained in Jaclyn before she even had her own one! In 2004 she helped her dad start a commercial real estate business and move from a part of the industry into a company of his own. Together they were able to get it off the ground and scaled it really fast — and it was all down to relationships! Jaclyn learned fast, through many different types of situations, that connecting and helping makes all the difference. If you can help in a community and pay it forward, it will pay off for you too. When she started her own business about ten years later, this idea was second nature and she was surprised to see that more online businesses were not focusing on this area of business. Over the next year or two Jaclyn learned to break this down for others, so they could see its importance too! In the online world, it might be even more important to foster those connections. It is easy to feel isolated and these negative beliefs will prevent you from doing things and chasing your dreams! It is so vital to reframe this idea if there is some resistance to it!
Taking Your Personality into Account and Finding Common Ground
Jaclyn insists that although effort must be made, you do not need to do more than is comfortable for you. You do not have to impede on the work you need to get done. One coffee date a week can make such a huge difference and anyone can fit that into their schedule! You do not need to go off to huge events and conferences all the time if that does not suit you, just stay intentional, genuine and authentic in your pursuits. Remember, you are not going to create deep relationships every time you meet someone but you do need to take the time to find the right people. Getting out and about will increase your chances so you cannot stay cooped up waiting for the world to find you. Surface level chats lead to surface level relationships, so be a real person and find the common ground with your future tribe. Don't worry about the 'what', be less literal about what you want out of your relationships and see what blossoms!
Transitioning from a Friendship into a Business Conversation
The key is to find people with which it is sensible to connect. It does not mean there will not be some surprises in store for you! Once you start opening up this part of your brain you will begin to notice opportunities to reach out and celebrate people you feel a connection with. All of this can be a starting point for something great! It is so important to have that connection and relationship before you try to move it into a business realm, otherwise it can become uncomfortable if it is too soon. You just have to feel it out for the right time and the way you communicate these ideas is also vital. If you usually text, then keep texting. If voice calling is your thing, then do that. Stay true to your style! Jaclyn reminds us that asking questions is a good way to start off a conversation and feel out the waters to see what is possible. You can offer a referral informally or formally, or even just tag someone in a Facebook Group!
The Invisible Visibility Strategy
Jaclyn has this great method called the 'Invisible Visibility Strategy'! Many of us have seen the self-promotion route does not work very well in FB Groups. You get very little traction as people do not know you. It is better to go deep with the perfect group and the right people! Start off by getting the lay of the land, seeing who are the most active people and admins and engage directly with them. Then they will know who you are, you can even become Facebook friends! Then when the relevant questions come up in the group they will be able to recommend you naturally. You want to be the person that someone else tags in a post! This will lead to a lot more opportunities and is by far the best way to grow your authority and business. Another tip from Jaclyn is to take notes on the people you connect with. When you take care and pay attention it goes a long way, so keep track, take action and reach out to people when you think of them!
Quote This
If you just have a surface-level chat, you just have a surface-level relationship. Be less literal about what you want out of your relationships and see what blossoms
—Jaclyn Mellone
Highlights
Reasons Why Relationships are So Important! [0:03:28.4]
Taking Your Personality into Account and Finding Common Ground. [0:13:57.7]
Transitioning from a Friendship into a Business Conversation. [0:32:30.1]
The Invisible Visibility Strategy! [0:41:01.3]
#TalkStrategyToMe [0:50:04.9]
Make a list of people.
Call or meet with them.
Help and support them!
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Abagail & Emylee
The Strategy Hour Podcast
We help overwhelmed and creative entrepreneurs break down their Oprah-sized dreams to create a functioning command center to tame the chaos of their business. Basically, we think you’re totally bomb diggity, we’re about to uplevel the shiz out of your business.
KEY TOPICS
Support, Community, Entrepreneurship, Validation, Opinions, Self-awareness, Problem-solving, Social media
