We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Millhiser. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.
Jessica, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Finding your purpose. That’s such a loaded question, really. I feel like people have the ability to sustain multiple purposes throughout their lifetime. I think we change over time and our priorities, interests, goals and skills change over time as well. What my purpose is now, may not be the same purpose 10 years from now. But what I will say, is that, I believe it’s important to recognize opportunities when they present themselves. Say YES when you can and when you feel it in your heart. So for me, my story takes a lot of twists and turns to end up where I am today.
I’m originally from Vermont. I graduated from a state school with a degree in Journalism and Creative Writing. I’d always had an aspiration to be a sports journalist. From there, I moved to D.C. for three years and worked for an international nonprofit – my first “real” job. In 2011, I moved to Los Angeles and lived there for 9 years. I mostly worked in hospitality, met my now husband and went to grad school. My Master’s degree is in Coaching and Athletic Administration (basically a business degree for athletics). I wound up at a private swim school as their Director of Operations.
In 2020, we ended up moving to the Denver, CO area, where I’m now an entrepreneur. I work in operations consulting for small to medium businesses. This was never the plan, if I’m being honest; but here we are. By saying YES to moving to D.C., to moving to LA, to going back to school for my masters, to taking on entrepreneurship – I’m now living this life I had no idea was possible. But I am so unbelievably grateful and feel that I’m doing a lot of good for those I serve. And I do feel that I’m living my current purpose. The work I’m doing, the people I’m helping, the community I’m building, would never have been possible had I not said YES to all those other things.
But I’m leaving room for more. I’m open to the idea that life will shift again and I’ll find another current purpose. Something that will also excite me, invigorate me, and allow me to feel fulfilled; in whatever capacity that looks like in the future. So, getting back to the question – how did you find your purpose – I attribute a lot of that to my ability to say YES and to be open to possibilities and opportunities that life presented.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My job, at it’s core, is to help entrepreneurs and business owners run their business better. And I do that by focusing on the internal structure of the business. How does the business function logistically. I look at Business Identity (mission, vision, values), processes, procedures, documentation, manuals – all of those things that build the foundation of a business. I know these aren’t the “sexy” aspects of running a business, but they are absolutely vital to the success of your business. Whether or not you will be able to sustain growth and thrive.
This work is absolutely my zone of genius. I love taking a look at things and figuring out where improvements can be made, what can be made more efficient, and how we can make things easier. Because that’s the goal – making things easier and simpler.
I can do this work a couple different ways. I can do it on a short-term project basis, where we work together to work on improvements – whether that’s creating documentation, building a manual for your team or establishing your Business Identity. We do this work collaboratively and get things done real time. OR, I can come on as your Fractional Director of Operations and actually dig in to your business and see what we can make better. This is a longer term relationship and really allows me to get inside your business and figure out what’s what. Both options are good – just depends on your needs and goals.
I always offer a free consultation so if this is work that would be beneficial to you – I’d love to schedule a call.
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?
When I think about what I do, the main components of my work revolve around discipline, compassion, structure, clear communication, planning and executing. There are many aspects of running a business, but the area I focus on is operations and organizational structure. In order to do that well, you need to be able to take the bigger picture and piece things together. You need to be able to understand how all the different parts work together and how they influence each other. You need to be detail-oriented, an effective communicator, and good with people.
Looking back, I would say that the top 3 things that helped me in my journey are my communication skills, my people skills and my ability to stay organized and follow through. And I’m always learning. I’m always reading business books, learning from others in the business profession, trying to grow in my own skill-sets and enhance my ability to help others.
If you’re newer in your journey – continue learning. Continue growing. Continue trying. And follow through. Stay true to your word and make sure your actions reflect what you want the world to see. What you put out there and how you show up matters. So make sure it’s an accurate portrayal of your authentic self.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
So many books! As I mentioned earlier I read a lot. A great place to start is the E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber. I think it’s an essential book for every entrepreneur to read. It’s not too long and easily digestible and really breaks down what being an entrepreneur looks like as well as the different phases and stages of entrepreneurship.
Another one that I just recently finished is called What the Heck is EOS by Gino Wickman and Tom Bouwer. This book is great for businesses with 10-250 staff. It’s all about implementing systems, making your business progress easier to track and enhancing your overall productivity. It’s well structured and provides actionable steps you can take right away to improve your business results. The EOS system is actually something I’m becoming more involved with this year and am feeling really excited about it!
I highly recommend both of these reads.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jmillsconsulting.com
- Instagram: @jmills_consulting
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamillhiser/
Image Credits
Lora Bong – Studio 37 Portraits
