Are you feeling stuck? Have you wanted to launch your own business for some time, but find that something or someone keeps getting in the way? Well, a new book from Jennifer and Joe Remling might provide just the inspiration you need to get started. Add Carve Your Own Road to your summer reading list and you’ll be ready to change your career or strike out on your own before the fall arrives!

I recently spoke to Jennifer about her own journey into solopreneurship and the advice she collected while interviewing dozens of entrepreneurs for her book. Read on to learn more…

An Interview with Jennifer Remling

Noelle:

Thanks so much for making time to speak with me today. I’m really excited to chat with you about how you found the strength to strike out on your own to begin with – as I know you had several fabulous, well-paying jobs before you became a solopreneur.

Jennifer:

Well, that’s somewhat true. Out of college, I had three goals: I wanted to be a vice president, I wanted to do international work, and I wanted to make six figures within five years! (Laughing) I went into executive search and from there I transitioned into corporate recruiting. Looking back now, I see that my goals were very superficial, but at the time they were meaningful to me and I therefore managed to hit all of those goals within my timeframe.

Noelle:

Wow! And then what?

Jennifer:

Well, there I was – the vice president of global recruiting for a big global commerce company – I was doing international work – I had actually even moved to London! I hit all my goals, but I still felt unfulfilled. I found myself wondering, “Wow, is this all there is?” I was successful by all traditional standards and by the standards I had set for myself, but I was still very unhappy and unfulfilled. And then… I got laid off!

Noelle:

Ha! Talk about divine intervention!

Jennifer:

Yeah, but it took me some time to see the positive side of this situation.  It happened a few months before September 11^th and I wound up unemployed for about five months. On the day September 11^th happened, I was laying in bed feeling miserable about my unemployment. I realized that I had defined my entire life around my career and so when I lost my job, I felt like I lost my identity. My dog had just died and I was in a really bad mental funk… and then real tragedy struck and I knew it was time to make some major changes in my life. 

I started a journey of self exploration. I found myself asking why I was here on this planet and how I could make an impact on it. The journey lasted quite a few years and I read over 300 books during the process!

Noelle:

So did you start your business right after September 11^th?

Jennifer:

No. Like I said, my journey lasted quite a few years. I went back to corporate America first. I had known for a long time that I wanted to start my own company, but that’s a really scary thing for a lot of us who’ve had a corporate job and a solid pay check coming in. I wasn’t sure how I was going to start my business, but I did start doing some things on the side which is something I talk about a lot in the book – I call it “Building a Bridge”.

Noelle:

And what do you mean by that?

Jennifer:

Well, what I did was start to do some recruitment consulting on the side with people that I knew well. I started to build some income that way and I gained confidence that I could actually drive revenue from consulting.  Then one day I was meeting with a client, actually a potential client who was also a good personal friend whom I had known for a long time. I was trying to sell the services of the company I was working for at the time to him, and he said to me, “Jennifer you just don’t look happy. I have known you for a long time and I can see it.”  Then he said, “I have an idea. How about I tear up this contract and I sign a one year contract with Jennifer Remling, Inc.” (Laughing)

This was a total gift and just what I needed because I was really ready to quit my job, but until that point I didn’t feel like I had the net I needed.  That contract was my net.  We signed it on a Friday and I quit my job on a Monday!

Noelle:

Super!

Jennifer: 

Yeah, the contract didn’t equal my current compensation but it covered a good portion of it and with that contract in my pocket, I had the confidence to go out and get additional business which is what I did!

Noelle: 

Well Jennifer, that’s a great story. In The Freelance Mom we talk a lot about how building a successful transition plan can make or break a business, so I’m glad to hear how building a bridge between your corporate career and solopreneurship was so helpful.

What are some other lessons you picked up during the many interviews you did for Carve Your Own Road?

Jennifer:

Well, the idea for the book was to go out and interview people who had either quit a corporate job to pursue an entrepreneurial dream or passion or figured out how to stay in a corporate environment and do something really cool and innovative that was really meaningful to them.  So needless to say, we gathered a lot of great information and ideas; however one of the key things that stuck with me and one of the things that I cover in the book is the importance of having some clarity about where you want to head.

Noelle:

And what do you mean by that?

Jennifer:

It’s really important to take some time to sit down and ask yourself some important questions like what you want your life and your business to look like and how you want these things to feel. I recommend putting a two year plan in place. I don’t think you need a five year plan – I think a two year plan detailing how you want things to look and feel is key.

I also think it’s really important to let go and look at all the possibilities.  Don’t limit yourself! When you start to think about these questions you may find that your left brain will go “Oh that’s not possible!” or “How are you going to fund that?”  You need to ask your left brain to take the back seat so you can go all the way out there and create something cool. You can always come back to those left brain questions down the road.

Then, once you’ve established a vision, you should test it. Tap into your network and test your idea. Get some people behind you and get some feedback from those folks – then start building that bridge! 

Be clear about what you want and find peace with it because if you are full of fear, you can’t make good decisions!

Noelle:

So true! Thanks for the great story and advice! Where can my audience get a copy of Carve Your Own Road?

Jennifer:

It’s available at Amazon.com and at Barnes & Nobles Bookstores.

Noelle:

Great!  I also really enjoyed your recent interview on CNN – so I’m including a link to that interview and a link to your great website. 

And finally, I’m including a link to Jennifer’s new retreats for women.  These are a great opportunity for busy moms to get away and spend some determining how they  can start working and living on their own terms!  I’m definitley planning on signing up for one in the near future!