We recently connected with Grace John and have shared our conversation below.
Grace, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?
My self-discipline comes from having to work hard for what I want. Nothing has ever been handed to me. I learned very quickly that if I ever wanted something for myself, or to make something happen for myself, that I was going to have to put in the work.
Going to a private, all-girls high school, I was surrounded by people whose parents gave them everything they wanted. My friends were getting $300 allowances weekly to blow at J. Crew or Urban and going on trips out of the country every break we had. But if I wanted to go to the movies or grab a new outfit from Goodwill, I was working for it. My first job was in the eighth grade – nothing crazy – I just worked volleyball admissions for $10 an hour a few times a week to make enough to see a movie or grab dinner with friends that weekend. My second job was at 15 as a pee-wee cheer coach for the Germantown Athletic Center, my third as a weekend barista for a local coffee shop during my junior year, and my fourth as a food runner at a local burger joint my senior year.
On top of working, dancing competitively, and doing theatre, I also had to perform well in school because I knew that in order to go to college, I was going to have to rely on a scholarship. I was conditioned pretty early on by my parents to be independent, hard working, and resilient for this reason. And that isn’t a dig–my parents provided for me to the best of their ability, worked hard, and I am grateful to them for everything that they have done for me. What they weren’t able to provide financially, they made up for by always encouraging me, helping me establish beneficial connections, believing in me, and pushing me to be the strongest, best version of myself that I could be. If it weren’t for them sacrificing their time and sanity to work, I wouldn’t have been able to go to the high school that I went to, the college that I went to, or do so many of the other amazing things I’ve been able to do throughout my life. They have also both been major inspirations for me in starting my own business since they both own their own businesses as well.
All of that being said, ultimately, self-discipline hasn’t just been a skill that I have developed; it has been a necessity for literal survival. Throughout my life, I’ve had no alternative but to maintain strict discipline. During college I balanced two (sometimes three) jobs on top of full-time classes to afford my rent. The option of lacking self-discipline didn’t exist then and doesn’t exist now. My discipline is also fueled by a deep-seated desire to care for others. And in order to be able to help others, I have to have that self-discipline, I have to stay on track, and I have to stay on top of things.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I do a lot of things in my business, so providing a title is difficult; however, integrated marketing and design consultant seems to fit the bill pretty well. In my business, Grace John Creative, I help small, woman owned businesses with marketing strategy, strategy implementation, and design. This can look different for each business based on their needs. For example, if someone came to me telling me that they JUST wanted help driving traffic to their website or online shop & they had a smaller budget, I may recommend a monthly container for Pinterest management in which I would audit their current Pinterest account, identify issues, come up with a strategy, create and schedule monthly content, and then provide monthly analytics reports to ensure we’re hitting our goals. Another option that I may recommend in this situation could be my Pinterest for a Quarter Service because it’s a one time project that provides you with 3 months of Pinterest content without the commitment of monthly management. Or a one time consultation with a strategy write up for them to implement with their team.
However, if someone with a bigger budget came to me telling me that they wanted help increasing brand awareness & creating a loyal community full of warm and hot leads, I may recommend more of a multi-channel marketing container that includes Instagram strategy and monthly management, email list building strategy, email marketing management, Pinterest strategy and management, as well as TikTok strategy and management.
I try to accommodate my clients to the best of my ability and won’t turn someone down just because they don’t have a huge budget. Instead, I’ll try to identify the thing that would benefit their business the most NOW so that we can hone in on that and then potentially add on more later.
The most exciting thing about what I do is definitely getting to work with so many different types of businesses and see behind the scenes. I’ve worked with functional nutritionists, physical therapists, professional athletes, authors, wedding photographers, graphic designers, copywriters, and even a psychic! Getting to know and support all of these amazing women has been the best part & is why I keep doing what I do!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Social media savvy and an analytical, curious mind are two things that have given me an edge in this industry. I grew up on social media, so all platforms – new and old – come very naturally to me. I spent my teenage years watching instagram influencers rise in popularity, analyzing their content, profiles, and the things that made them successful. I viewed it as a challenge. Could I replicate these results for myself? Did I want to? The answer to that question was a big fat NO (I don’t want to be an influencer), but YES, I do think I could replicate these results. My curiosity led me to seek out opportunities to put this theory to the test through unpaid internships, starting test accounts to see what I could do, and then ultimately, seeking out my own paid clients.
Having that curious, analytical mind helped me once I got my first few clients because it made “work” feel more like a game or a puzzle to me than actual work. I enjoyed auditing accounts, trying to figure out their pitfalls, where they could improve, how their profiles could be better optimized, what types of content their audiences were responding best to. So I think those are a few really important qualities if you’re someone who wants to get into marketing, social media, or consulting. You have to be social savvy, familiar with platforms, etc, but you also have to be curious, you have to enjoy the analytics, and be driven to solve those problems that your clients are coming to you with. If you like puzzles, mysteries, escape rooms, or just putting the pieces together in general, you’ll (more than likely) be great!
Another skill that has REALLY given me an edge – more than anything else – on the marketing side of my job has been my Graphic Design background. I got my BFA in design & being someone who is able to both put together the strategy as well as create on brand assets that look GOOD has been a major selling point for all of my clients. It can be surprisingly hard to find someone in the online marketing space who is good at both design & strategy, so if you really want to give yourself that edge, take some graphic design courses. Learn how to use Adobe Illustrator, inDesign, Photoshop, Premier, Premier Rush, etc. Learn about composition, kerning, leading, color theory. It will truly help you stand out.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Every single person in my life has played such a monumental role in my success. I apologize in advance for the length of this response.
My parents, Pam and Bobby John, have encouraged and supported me from day one. They always challenged me to be better, but in a way that made me confident that if I was already doing my best and there wasn’t a “better,” it was okay and they would still love and be proud of me. They have sacrificed their free time, their friendships, their finances, and some of the best years of their lives to becoming parents. Something that I don’t think I could ever be selfless enough to do. I see that sacrifice, I appreciate their support, and I absolutely could not / would not be where I am today without it. So many people have parents who don’t support them, who don’t want them to follow their dreams, who won’t let them be themselves. I am so lucky to have the parents that DO. And two parents who serve as such amazing examples! I mean my dad started his own Insurance Company before I was even born and my mom has had a slew of successful businesses as well. From starting her own makeup line to becoming a professional body builder and personal trainer, she’s REALLY shown me that women can DO IT ALL at WHATEVER age they want to! So inspiring.
My sisters! Emma and Claire John. There’s something about having sisters that really makes you want to support and be there for every woman out there. Seeing your sisters at their lowest and their highest points, how much is going on in their lives that so many people probably don’t know about or recognize and how it affects them. It puts things into perspective – if this is what my sisters are going through, then ever woman must be going through some version of this as well. It made me more understanding. Like, early on realizing that my actions affect others, my support can really help, my words can really hurt, and everyone has these rich personal lives that we don’t get to see unless we spend every waking moment with them. Seeing how bad ass they both are, how DIFFERENT they both are, how smart they both are. It is also inspiring and it has definitely played a part in why I have chosen to pretty much exclusively work with and support other woman owned businesses.
My teachers. Mrs. Townsend, Mrs. Arnold, Mrs. Durden, Janis McCarty – my AP art teacher in high school. She had so much faith in my and saw so much potential in me that she let me skip art 3 because she wanted me to have the opportunity to be in AP art and pursue an art degree. Mr. Robinson – my AP Gov teacher. He encouraged me to challenge things and to not just agree because it was more socially acceptable. Carol Hodson – a teacher of mine when I was studying art at Webster University. Brian Zimmerman – my graphic art teacher from Webster. His encouragement is actually the reason I pursued graphic design. So many more to name, but I don’t want this response to be 1,000,000 words long, so I’ll stop there.
My boyfriend, Bob Bell, has been such an amazing support. He has always trusted that I know exactly what I’m doing – most of the time even moreso than I do. He has never questioned whether I’ll be capable or successful of the things I set out to do because in his mind, I can do anything. He makes me feel superhuman sometimes, the way he looks at me, respects me, and views me as his equal.
My friends, Nia and Elijah. Nia has always been such a great sounding board for business advice & always provides amazing feedback and support. Elijah is always checking in to see how things are going, to make sure I’m doing alright, and to share any opportunities that he thinks may be a good fit.
Grace Winburne, Corrina Banks, Siobhan Bennett, and Emily Zachary have all been so supportive as well. The fact that they just believe in me and didn’t even question my starting my own business, whether it would work out, or if it was a good idea. They just made me feel like I was and am making the right decision and their support has been very validating, especially in moments where imposter syndrome gets the best of me.
All of my mentors, coaches, and other friends have also helped along the way; however, if I tried to name them all, I would be typing forever. Every person I have ever known has helped me get to where I am now because they’ve all left their mark on me & I’ve taken pieces of them with me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gracejohncreative.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/gracejohncreative
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graceejohn/
Image Credits
Headshot: Vixen Ruse (Emma Fox) www.vixenruse.com, Memphis, TN
