We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Juliet Mitchell. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Juliet below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Juliet with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
In 2015 my father passed away at 93 years old. My father am from very humble beginnings with little formal education. Although he faced many challenges being a Black man serving in the US Army, he also reaped benefits that not only served him well, but served us, his 10 children, as well. After the military, he was fortunate enough to gain full-time employment with a national company that helped him and our mother to provide a home, clothes and feed for our ever-growing family. Life wasn’t easy, but we were provided for.
When my father passed, I got the blessed assignment of delivering his eulogy. “I’m the youngest.” I said, “Why me?” End of discussion, I was duly appointed to give the eulogy at my father’s homing celebration. Initially it was a difficult and formidable assignment. My dad was not a very expressive person, neither verbal nor demonstrative in affection. I pondered quite a while before my message came to me quite clearly. I called and spoke with my siblings, people who knew him well–family, friends, and community members. It quickly became clear to me that the underlying theme was hard work.
My dad was a man small in stature, but big on energy and getting the job done. My siblings will tell you that, as the youngest, I didn’t have to work as hard as they did and that I “got off easy”. Perhaps so, but I was there, and I watched, I learned, and I had my share of chores as well.
Chores, schoolwork and whatever we agreed to do, we had to do it and do it well. My dad did not sit back and watch us work; he was right out there with us. To us, my father’s work ethic was unmatched. He received recognition for perfect attendance at work more years that I can recall. Many of us also received perfect attendance at school. Not just, school. we also had to attend church with the same level of discipline as anything else.
Although my dad may not have known or may not have been able to define the term, integrity, he lived it. Following in his footsteps, we also learned to operate out of a high level of integrity…show up, do what you signed up to do, and do it well. If you did not do it well, you had to do it over. We didn’t like doing things over, so we learned to do it well.
Those childhood lessons formed the basis for my strong work ethic.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
1.0 Executive Summary
Life Etiquette Institute, LLC (Limited Liability Company), also DBA Ms. J, The Life Etiquette Expert, is a personal and professional development training and consulting company, focused on business and social etiquette and career development. Located in St Paul, Minnesota, Life Etiquette Institute’s major focus is to provide vital, yet often overlooked “soft skills” training and development essential for personal and professional development, career growth, and overall life success.
While employed in the corporate sector, Juliet Mitchell (Ms. J) developed leadership and management skills by providing employees with the direction and guidance needed to serve customers in the most customer-focused manner. This included coaching, counseling, and performance development, resulting in a strong team that often exceeding established service objectives.
Ms. J recognizes that many individuals and small businesses lack the interpersonal and social skills and experience necessary to ensure successful and long-term employment, and professional growth and advancement. While providing training and consulting services to individuals and small businesses, she recognizes that job retention is often challenging for employees due to underdeveloped interpersonal, social, and other relational coping skills necessary to build positive business and workplace relationships. On the other hand, employers face the challenge of retaining a knowledgeable, experienced, productive workforce. Whether by the employee’s own volition or the company’s decision, the result is a lose-lose situation for both the employee and the employer. Regardless of the employment secretary [public, private, educational or faith-based] businesses and organizations want a win-win.
Ms. J has formalized her training and consulting services under the establishment of Life Etiquette Institute, LLC.
Ms. J is a contributor to several local and national media outlets: Huff-Post, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, WCCO and podcasts. She appears regularly, offering Life Etiquette Tips on Fox 9 Good Day Show.
After many years of doing this work, I served a very diverse clientele. The group that drives my passion is NEPS, New and Emerging Professionals. They are the group that we invested in heavily when it came to technical skills; my role is to impart soft skills for personal grow, professional development and life success.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three most important qualities, skills and/or areas of knowledge that I possess that have been the most impactful on my journey are authenticity, trust-building, and a seeker of knowledge.
Whether I’m working with a group of high-schoolers, college students or young professionals, I take the time to encourage them to get to know themselves. How can you get to know others and have positive, productive relationships with others without first getting to know you? Taking assessments to find out more about you (your personality, emotional intelligence, etc., will aid you in articulating who you are. This information (self-knowledge) informs your actions, reactions, and how you show up in the world.
Take time to get to know you. This is a lifelong process so be willing to revisit this throughout your life. As we live and experience life, we grow, we change we adapt. So, take the time to assess and reassess who you are through the various stages of your life.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
When I made my transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship, my pastor became my boss. I was hired to manage a youth development program. I was developing my etiquette curriculum during that time. My Pastor/Boss introduced me to someone who was looking for an etiquette trainer.
Because of the relationship we had built, she was confident in my ability to not only do the work but to represent well in any environment. She served as my boss, my mentor and sometimes advisor. She encouraged me to learn, grow and continue to develop personally and professionally. I am forever grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lifeetiquetteinstitute.com
- Instagram: @mannersarememorable
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msjmannersarememorable
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/juliet-mitchell
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thelifeetiquetteexpert
