Meet Joanie Parsons

We were lucky to catch up with Joanie Parsons recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanie, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

My mom played a huge role in my mission to elevate and celebrate women. Because
she grew up in a time when her career choices were limited secretary, nurse or teacher,
she always told me that women—and specifically her daughter—could do anything they
wanted.
As a single mom in the 70’s, she worked hard to support us as a secretary at a local
bank. She would read MS Magazine during her lunch breaks and on weekends we
joined women’s rights marches and campaigned door-to-door for one of the few local
elected officials who was a woman.
From childhood, my mom taught me that the world would be a better place if women
were in charge. And that it was going to take a lot of hard work, so we should roll up our
sleeves and get busy! That’s pretty much how I still feel today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

RevelEleven is all about helping women 50+ create a life that’s authentic and
unapologetic. A life full of confidence, connection and joy, where mind, body and spirit
come together in ways that are meaningful and magical.
We help you discover what matters most, so you can chart your course and create the
life you want—a life without limits! You’ll learn from, be inspired by, and experience the
stories of amazing women—both our presenters and other members.
RevelEleven has three main areas of focus:
Online conversations & connection. We talk to women about topics that are
meaningful and essential parts of our lives: health, relationships, finances, sex, finding
balance and purpose, travel & adventure and so much more. We bring in authors,
experts and leaders of all kinds to share their wisdom, warmth and wit. Each session is
part interview and part workshop, so there are always takeaways you can use in your
own life. We have a library of more than 200 interview at RevelEleven.com or on our
YouTube channel under the same name.

Adventure & travel. From hiking trips to culinary and cultural tours, weekend retreats to
international journeys, RevelEleven curates life-changing, one-of-a-kind adventures that
fuel your soul. We focus on women-owned businesses, artists and makers, so together
we can support women from across the globe. Pack your bag!
In-person events. RevelEleven organizes dynamic, thought-provoking and events,
community gatherings, retreats, and more. While many of our in-person events are
based in Seattle, we occasionally host retreats in Port Townsend, Winthrop and other
locations throughout Washington state. All our events are designed to spark connection,
transformation and personal growth.

In addition to RevelEleven, I also spend my time with Parsons & Co., a Seattle-based,
full service strategic communications firm. From marketing to media relations, strategy
to social media, planning to promotions, we bring a unique perspective, uncommon
creativity and proven expertise to our clients.
Our passion for environmental stewardship has been a fundamental value of our
company for more than 20 years. Our tagline is “growing the greater good” because
we’ve been steadfast in our commitment to working with clients who support the health
and restoration of our planet.

We understand that the path to a more sustainable future is a collective endeavor and
we’re honored to help advance strategies and initiatives that move the needle in the
right direction. We firmly believe our actions today will contribute to a thriving planet
tomorrow. This passion has continually evolved and expanded to include a variety of
different clients who are growing the great good with their businesses.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Always Authenticity – It’s important to know yourself well enough to put your mission
and goals out into the public with clarity, conviction and no apologies. If you try to be something that you’re not, people will soon find out. (And even if they don’t , you’ll
always know.) Staying true to yourself is the only way to align your values personally
and professionally. And if you can do that, you’ll always love what you do.

Embrace Your Strengths – I’m a huge believer in leaning into your strengths and
focusing what you do well and surrounding yourself with talented people to fill in the
gaps. I know that I’m a big thinker who loves to curate and connect, so I often look to
hire people who are better at drilling down on the details. who do other things better. I’ve
learned – over and over again – that I’m most successful when I’m not trying to do too
much and can focus on what I’m really good at and truly enjoy.
Lastly, if you can afford to do so, get some pros on board and make sure you have a
good accountant, bookkeeper, lawyer and financial planner on your team. It’s the
smartest money you’ll ever spend!

Chemistry Matters – You’ll never love what you do if you don’t like the people you’re
doing it with. When you work as part of a team, especially a small team, finding the right
personality and fit is just as important as experience and skill set, and often more so.

How would you describe your ideal client?

I love working with people who are passionate about what they do—and why they do it.
People who believe in collaboration, connection and community. Companies that see
the big picture and are committed to creating positive change. Brands with core values
that attract loyal and energized fans and customers. Partners who share our vision and
values and excite us with their passion, performance and potential. Colleagues who are
smart, compassionate and forward-thinking.
I’ve also learned that, despite the best intentions and effort on both sides, sometimes
client relationships don’t work out. And that’s okay. If a relationship isn’t working, it’s
often better to make a break sooner rather than later. Don’t waste your time trying to
mend a relationship that can’t be fixed. You’re better off spending your energy and
enthusiasm on trying to find new—and better—clients.
My other big piece of advice when it comes to clients is to review your relationships,
both good and bad, regularly. What are the common threads in the clients and projects
that are going well? What ties together those that aren’t as successful? This process will

help you better understand what you’re good at and where you can improve. And this
valuable information will help you make better decisions about what clients or types of
clients to work with.
For example, I live in Seattle, home of Microsoft, Amazon and lots of other technology
companies. There’s plenty of tech work in town—and my company doesn’t do any of it.
That’s because we’ve learned that technology…just isn’t our thing. Whenever we’ve
tried, it hasn’t worked very well, for us or the client. So we don’t spend any time
worrying about it and focus on clients and projects that are a better fit for us. Learning to
say “no” increases your chances of getting the “yes” you really want!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://reveleleven.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reveleleven/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reveleleven/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reveleleven/about/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/revel11women
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@reveleleven

Image Credits

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