Just Women Talking Shit
Just Women Talking Shit is your go-to self-help podcast for real talk on personal & spiritual growth. Hosted by Jacquelynn Cotten, personal evolution mentor & founder of Spiritual Support System, this podcast features juicy interviews with badass, one-of-a-kind women. We dive deep into the good 💩, bad 💩, weird 💩, & life 💩, offering insights & inspiration to help you live a more authentic, fulfilled life. Join us for relatable stories, expert advice, & practical tips on overcoming challenges, building resilience, & embracing your true self. Tune in & start your journey towards personal evolution today!
Just Women Talking Shit
Ep 100: Celebrating Friendship, Resilience, & Business Growth: The 100th Episode with Lauren Najar
What if a single, authentic connection could transform your life and business? Join me as I celebrate a major milestone—the 100th episode of Just Women Talking Shit—with my incredible business coach and friend, Lauren Najar. Lauren's journey as a two-time cancer survivor and her indomitable spirit will leave you inspired. From our first online meeting in April 2021 to our heartfelt in-person encounter in Chicago, this episode captures the essence of friendship that transcends screens and distances. Expect raw emotion, laughter, and a few candid moments about mispronouncing Lauren's last name, all of which highlight the powerful bond we've built.
Follow Lauren on Instagram HERE.
Embark on an exciting new chapter as I share my plans to hit the road with my daughter in our newly acquired camper, aiming to enrich the podcast with more in-person interviews. With a waitlist of over 100 eager storytellers, I invite your input on guests and topics that matter to you. My first live episode in Chicago with Lauren was both a learning curve and a joyride, reflecting on the unpredictability and genuine connections that are at the podcast's core. Get ready for a future brimming with engaging conversations, fueled by the stories and insights of everyday people who inspire us to step out of our comfort zones.
Join Lauren's 30 Days Sales & Visibility Challenge HERE.
Listen in as we uncover the secrets of building a business by nurturing genuine connections. From overcoming social anxiety to crafting an authentic sales strategy, Lauren and I delve into our personal anecdotes, revealing how stepping out of our comfort zones has led to significant growth. The journey to 100 episodes underscores the transformative power of consistency and commitment. Whether you're looking to boost your social networking prowess or seeking inspiration from stories of resilience, this episode is a testament to the magic of friendships and the professional triumphs that arise from them.
Visit Lauren's website HERE.
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Welcome back to Just Women Talking Shit. Now, y'all know I don't always do an introduction, so this must be important, right? But big deal. I had the opportunity to fly out to Chicago to meet my business coach and really great friend. We have known each other since April of 2021. We started our relationship through just a simple hey, how are you doing? After I sent her a friend request and this woman that I speak of her name is Lauren. She has completely changed my life. She has brought me out of my shell whenever it comes to owning my authenticity, but also really brought me out of my shell when it comes to business. I had really no idea what I was doing and she took all my thoughts, organized them and helped me come up with a game plan. And going to Chicago to meet her and to be spoiled by her was her way of motivating me and lighting a fire under my ass. To stay consistent. Follow something through and see my podcast to 100 episodes. So here's the 100th episode my podcast to 100 episodes. So here's the 100th episode.
Speaker 1:We filmed it on Instagram Live in her hotel room on this cool little blue couch and we just did what we do best and that's just wing it, have some conversations, see where it goes and just really tuned into each other's energy. We've always had this really cool dynamic and it was very surreal to get to actually feel that in person because up until this point we've only ever met virtually. But this lady has a special place in my heart. She and her family are on our fridge every year for the holidays. They send Christmas cards. I've made her baby a blanket. We go way back and it's just a testament to when you go outside the norm, when you really are determined to find your people. If you don't have those people in your everyday life, you can find it online. It's a wild ride. You can find it online. It's a wild ride but you can take these social media relationships and bring them into your real life. And it was so cool to be in Chicago but so cool to be with this person that I've worked with and gotten to know and love through the internet for so many years now. But to see it in person and it almost be like we've always been around each other, was really cool to experience. And so introducing one of the most incredible, one of the strongest people I know two-time cancer survivor lost her. I'll get emotional for her lost her parents when she was very young and had to go through the cancer treatment all on her own. To come out on the other side so outspoken, so authentic, so standing in her power and just doing what she does best and that is helping form relationships online so that people like us, the people who don't fit in and don't want to work a nine to five and want to host a podcast or do something wild and have a life that is different from the norm, she is out there helping people do that through her expertise of generating leads online.
Speaker 1:So, oh my gosh, here we go. You're going to get some banter, you're going to get some emotional moments. You're going to get some cursing on my end. Y'all are used to that. I think even Lauren says a few curse words in here, if I'm not mistaken. So you're going to get the good, you're going to get the bad, you're going to get the spicy, you're going to get the emotional.
Speaker 1:But it's really cool to see it all come together in person and I can't help but think this is the beginning of more in-person interviews. Well, I'll just go ahead and spoil it for you. This is the beginning of more in-person interviews. I just bought a camper and my daughter and I are going to be traveling. Our goal is to travel at least a week out of the month and I'm hoping that I get to meet some of you lovely people along the way. So that's happening. Oh, and also little pat on the back moment, thanks to Lauren's lighting a fire under my ass and telling me that she's going to take me out to a fancy dinner and I get to see Chicago. I've never gotten to see it before. Oh my God.
Speaker 1:In conjunction just with my own personal lead generation and partnering with an amazing community called I'm Doing this Podcast, the numbers are starting to go through the roof. I just looked and I can't believe that. I'm getting almost 100 downloads per episode. It's going in that trajectory and so just this is incredible. The momentum is building. But what I was going to say is that we have officially this is wild to say out loud over 100 people on the wait list to be on the show. I have emails coming in daily. I've got one spreadsheet that's at, I think, 75 or people. I can't keep up.
Speaker 1:So, with that being said, gonna need y'all's help. You need to tell me who you want on the show? That's gonna help me a lot. What do you want to hear about? What are some of the things you're experiencing? Life challenges, business challenges just what do you want us to shoot the shit about? Tell me who you want on the show. Let me see if I can get them, but maybe they're already on the list, who knows?
Speaker 1:This show needs to be more catered towards y'all. I get on here and I shoot the shit and I share real moments and I try my best not to filter them or go back and edit very much to keep it on point with authenticity. But it would be even more authentic if I can go straight to the source and that is all of you. So strap your titties on, send an email, send me a DM, get more involved, make yourself known and let me know what do you want from this show. What kind of experts do you want to hear from so that I can make this better for you? Because we're taking this shit on the road and, who knows, maybe we'll be stopping by to see you. Now, without further ado, my wonderful friend and business coach recorded live in Chicago, illinois. I get to sit with Lauren Najjar and this is the episode that we recorded. Enjoy. Try to sit like a woman today. Let's do it.
Speaker 2:I know I'm trying to like I'm not gonna move from this position. I have a dress.
Speaker 1:We gotta be real still. But I just want to say first off everybody watching hi, this is the very first ever live episode. That's not just me, and like I can't think of anybody better, oh, for it to be with. And lauren, um, I like how you have your fancy boots on and I'm barefoot with some red toes you know what?
Speaker 2:I would have black socks on, like ankle socks, so I would be not sexy at all. At least you have barefoot. Look at, you see like, look at, yeah, we got some. Yeah, my toes are not painted, okay. Okay, so I did have some socks on before this, I took them you're on brand with being barefoot? I guess so am. I think this is literally an outfit that I wore at my last photo shoot. So I'm on brand two.
Speaker 1:I love it. Jacqueline Cotton, here I am coming to you live from Chicago. Okay, yeah, I know I'm a long way from home, but I flew in yesterday and, yeah, my arms are tired. Oh my God.
Speaker 2:What a joke that's so bad. That's a king of dad joke. It is I got, I got more yeah uh, someone heard you, so I just saw laughing emojis.
Speaker 1:So, okay, okay, good, good we're good, but no, I I got here yesterday. Uh, we've been planning this for a minute. Yeah, yeah, this is Lauren, lauren Najjar. I told her yesterday that up until about a week ago, I was pronouncing her my last name wrong. Yeah, nahar, I was convinced the J was an A, but isn't it so pretty though.
Speaker 2:Like I would love to have my last name be Nahar, like I honestly thought that that's what my last name was going to be and it unfortunately is not. Now there are a lot of Najars, nahars in the world, but I'm sure they pronounce it Nahar, yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know. Your husband looks dark he's.
Speaker 2:Spanish.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, so yeah, that's where my mind went was that J is an H. Yep, we're not here to talk about the alphabet or Spanish.
Speaker 2:No, that's not. We're not here to talk about the alphabet.
Speaker 1:Or Spanish, no I just thought it was so funny. We've been friends. We looked last night and it was April 30th 2021, I believe, is when she made the connection, yep. So I want to just tell y'all who, like, first off, she's going to tell you who she is, but who she is to me, oh God, am I?
Speaker 2:going to cry? I don't know to me.
Speaker 1:Oh god, am I gonna cry? I don't know. But so in April, april 30th 2021, I'm I'm like starting to remember I was. I was start really starting to try to be like put myself out there and take business seriously, quit making it a fucking hobby, right, and I'm pretty sure I was gonna do like a lot mentally right then, but I was working on my and I'm pretty sure I was going to do like a lot mentally right then, but I was working on my whole magnetic marketing thing and I was like learning all these methods on how we need to be adding people, and so I added her.
Speaker 1:I went and I listened to the message that I sent her and it was so cringe. But I sent her a friend request and that's not something I was comfortable doing, just sending friend requests. You know, I wanted to be like super aligned with it and make sure it's somebody that I would even be. That's typically how I am, like I'm going to send a friend request and I think I'd be friends with you in real life, or at least I said that that's where I am in business now. But she, I gravitated towards her and but I didn't send her a message. She sent me a message saying hey, like how are you? And it was just I remember being taken back because I I did the creeping, like I looked and I was like oh, she's into business too. She and I in my mind I was like who?
Speaker 2:I really did think that I know I've never heard this story, so I'm'm listening to it for the first time as well.
Speaker 1:Well, I felt because when somebody does their job well on the internet, you feel like you know them before they know you, and so I felt like in my mind I had built you up Like she's this big business owner, and so I was like kind of shy. But she wrote me so I figured, after I sent a really cringy voice message, she needed to decide I wasn't for her or I was for her and I thought you were going to try to pitch me to be honest.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was normally. That's how everything happens, Even nowadays. Like people will send a welcome message and oh well, you should come to my free thing, and like I didn't even get to know you. That's not what I do.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So I was just really taken back by it because, as a business owner, like it's your job to generate leads and whatnot. And so what was weird for me was I knew what she did. All her content said what she did. She literally put out there how you could work with her, and here she is not even trying to like sell to me, and so, anyway, I think over time you you saw like videos of my son, because you were there through all that, like, I think, when he because he was born in 2021, so he was brand new that was April. And the next, one of the first conversations we had, I think, was because of my Instagram story, and he was dressed up like Batman and you said, oh, my god, that's such a cute Batman.
Speaker 2:And I said something. My friend just had a, which is a true story. She had a baby boy in May, because I looked at our conversation.
Speaker 1:I didn't listen to the voice notes.
Speaker 2:But I mean, that's a real life thing, like yeah, like literally. My friend had a boy in May and has a Batman costume too. Just making conversation.
Speaker 1:It was literally. It was just, it was a conversation. And then I followed her to Instagram and the rest is kind of just like. But I know. The next thing was we followed each other for a while. We started getting really close in messages, like just getting to know each other, and the thing we had in common was our love for food and beer and stuff like that, and so from there we just started gradually becoming friends. But it was never like we were like best friends or anything. It was just like I felt like I I need to go check on Lauren and I felt like she would come and check on me. You know what I mean. But the pivotal moment was when I saw you were advertising in your stories that you were looking for an assistant. Yeah, and it turns out she was talking about like an in-person assistant.
Speaker 2:So I'm from Chicago, this is where I am, and obviously she's in Mississippi. So yeah, that wouldn't have worked.
Speaker 1:No, she was like, oh you. No, she was like, oh, you live local. I was like, well, what's local? What's local to you? And she's like I'm in, I'm in Chicago. And I was like, oh, okay, and I felt stupid. I felt so stupid Cause I was like I should have read back. I was like beating myself up.
Speaker 1:I remember exactly where I was when I sent that message. I was in the doctor's office with my son and he was getting like shots or some routine checkup or maybe he was sick, but either way, I was stressed out. So at that point I was, I was trying to make money, like I was scared. I was scared Like I cause, you know, when you're in a marriage and then the husband's bringing all the money, like they may not want, they may not say it stresses them out, but like I knew it was stressing them out, and then we have a new baby and you know, you know everything Finley's dad dying. It was just like a lot of pressure, that it just I felt like I needed to make money. Yeah, so when you posted that story, I was like, oh, my God maybe.
Speaker 1:I can go work with her. She said, well, no, that's not going to work. But what was sweet was she came back and she remembered that I like to write and I create content. And I'm going to cry because at that point I didn't believe in myself. And here I am trying to be somebody's assistant and really honestly like knowing what I know now, in a way like being someone's assistant, is beneath me. I've already done that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I was. I used to clean houses and like some really weird job. I've done all the like the grunt work, I guess. But then you said would you like to write some captions for me? And the rest is kind of history.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, I feel like we got closer through, I like how you said, the energy project.
Speaker 2:The other day, that's what it'll be known for I got to tell Rebecca about the how we call it the energy project. Now, rebecca Richards at a, a modern shift studio, giving her a shout out. Yeah, I think that through that experience we got closer and then that kind of like I don't know if that helped you because I don't know your point of view, but I feel like that helped me to just always like have you in mind to outsource things to. But then I mean, I got pregnant shortly after with my daughter and I kind of scaled back on clients that I was taking, so like my business kind of it didn't pause, just like I wasn't like exasperately growing or taking on clients like that at that point. So, um, yeah, yeah, I feel like it's just. It was just one of those things that organically happened over time. Like it was that I never, but that's how I am, though I feel like and I it's hard for me to talk about myself- but she's about to have to.
Speaker 2:but I feel like that is just if, if you, if anyone listens to this and you want to understand the feeling or the whole process of how I do lead generation and why it's so easy for me to build relationships like here. It is like prime example right here, like prime example of how, like you, just keep an open mind of the people that you connect with. You don't necessarily not every person you send a message to is going to be your person or your client and the rest is history. I feel essentially like you know I've you worked for me, um, and I think like we've just we've helped each other without coaching, right, like I've helped you before we became coaching client, but now now you've officially been my client now for like a year.
Speaker 1:It's been a year Like.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I don't know if a little bit, but it's been like over a year, yeah.
Speaker 1:I started thinking about it. I was like I don't even know how long. But no, like, and let's talk about that real quick, because, from a business perspective, since we are both technically business coaches, like our conversations today, I'm sharing some of my client stuff with you, like how can I communicate better with them? And because one of the biggest things in building a business online I find it very interesting. Everybody wants to build a business online and they want to help people, but nobody wants to talk to the people. And so I'm like, how do you?
Speaker 1:I love how she said like not everybody's going to be for you, but how else do you find the people there for you If you won't even go out there and like say hey, and the thing is they don't even fucking know you exist. You have to go and introduce yourself. So, like, can you touch a little bit on that, because this is byproduct of her? Just all she did when I sent the friend request you little motherfuckers that don't want to send the messages all she did was said hello, that's literally. She said hi, yeah, how are you? Like she noticed I sent her a friend request. You're new in my world. Like she didn't say all that she said, hey, how's it going how?
Speaker 2:are you? Yeah, I think, um, if I could say anything like like I feel like everything we're saying is obvious. People know they need to send messages. People know they need to connect with people. I really want you to think in like the really minute construct of what social media networking is. It is a network. It is a social network. You are meant to be social. You're not meant to post and run away. You're just that's simply. You will never get clients that way unless you constantly are pushing out content. You're constantly pushing out content that is even going viral, which is very hard to do and nearly impossible. You have to connect with people. The more you connect with people, the more, the easier it is to make sales with a small audience. The word you're using is connect.
Speaker 1:Yeah, can we point, can we dissect that a little bit, because if you do, okay, you're old enough to know, like, what was like to really go look for a job.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like I gotta go. I gotta get up early and spend the whole fucking day collecting applications and go ask for a job Right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's so different these days. Why do you think it is that we put? Because if we really stop and dissect it, you're given like we give these phones way too much power, when the reality is you're just sending a message and you don't know them. So what is it to you if they don't respond or say something back or they're mean to you? Like what does that mean to you? Why do we make it such a big thing?
Speaker 2:Yeah. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Fear of rejection.
Speaker 2:But here's the thing I think it. I think that mindset, unfortunately, is for people who are new to building a business on social media. I'm not saying new business owners, I'm saying people who are new to utilizing social media and having a lack of understanding how to build an audience on social media. You might have experience with in person. Like you said, I'm also old enough to where, like I worked at a bank for 10 years and I had to go to really stuffy networking events. We kind of talked about that today, yeah, and you, you went up to people and you shook hands and you exchanged business cards and you talked about really surface level stuff, like what do you do? And you're talking to old people you'll never talk to again and there's not really a connection there. So I do want to equate that.
Speaker 2:A lot of times I use the example of like how, when we're in person, how do we connect with people? We may not use like a networking event to be specific, but like we're here, we're connecting, right. It would be really freaking weird if, like I just had you come through the door, I'm going to sit here and I'm going to wait for you to talk to me, right? Isn't that weird? Or imagine, or imagine you go to like a networking event right, like an in-person networking event, and you know, even if you haven't been to one before, you know that if you're going there by yourself, it would be really weird for you to sit at a table by yourself not talk to anyone. What's the point? What's the point? I like the way you put that. So then, kind of equate this to then your social media platforms. What if you're sitting at a table in person? You have your name tag, you have all of your stuff. You're just holding a sign. Sounds like what you do.
Speaker 2:That looks like, right, that was me and you're in person and you have this sign and you might get some little stragglers here and there that are like, do you say stragglers? Yeah, I did say stragglers. You might get some people that are like gawking at you, like what are you doing? Like this looks interesting. Right, you're going to get a few people that notice you, but what you're not going to get is you're not going to make actual connections, because why should people care about you? Why should people come talk to you? Who's the weird one in the corner?
Speaker 2:Like I'm not going to talk to this person who doesn't want to talk to me. Like I'm going to talk to the person who looks like they're talking to everybody and like knows everybody. Right, I want to get in contact with that person. Or I want to make connections with people that I don't know and, yes, like we can get into the details. Like, yes, it's it's nerve wracking to do that in person, blah, blah, blah. But yes, and it is also nerve wracking to do that online. But that is the example I'm going to give you is why aren't we doing that? On social media? You literally can connect with thousands of people a day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I find it so interesting. I used to have that perspective. You know I'm introverted. Social anxiety out the asshole. Like, right, I don't. But here's the thing too is like I also know that I don't want to be going out and literally shaking hands and kiss, like I don't have the energetic capacity for that Right. So like, why not leverage what we have? And the other thing is, too is, yeah, it feels weird at first, but you know what, when you start making money and you start seeing like the actual evidence of conversations, it's really hard not to have conversations, and you said something about the person.
Speaker 1:If you think about it, y'all I bet everybody will have somebody come to mind, whether they trigger you or whether you love the fuck out of them, but somebody with this energy that they magnetize people to them. I'm one of those people. I think Lauren's one of those people, right? So like, it almost feels like, and like you don't feel safe in who you are to present that almost, and so maybe it's a confidence thing. But what's the alternative? If you really stop and think about it and this is just me being the tough love coach I am what's your fucking alternative? Are you gonna go out there door to door and canvas, or are you gonna suck it up and send a fucking message and just detach and see what happens? Because I've I've canvassed, I went door to door, I begged for business, I've printed out business, I've done it all. And I will tell you what I sure as fuck enjoy sitting here on my couch doing this instead. Yeah, like what's your alternative?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think you brought up a good point of going door to door. Like I kind of think of cold DMS when you're sending links like super cold, like you've just connected with someone and you're like.
Speaker 2:Oh, like, join my thing, join my thing, join my thing. And, of course, like, if you send it to like a thousand people, of course you're going to get some yeses, but the conversion rate is going to be super low. Now, the other thing I will say is like, I, that's the pushback I get when it comes to people who are like I don't want to engage, I don't want to build relationships, I don't want to send DMS, I feel too salesy. It's like you shouldn't be feeling like that, you should just be connecting. You should only. If you're thinking about it that way, you need to release the outcome. You're thinking too much about it and you need to release the outcome. Imagine, like, imagine this Jacqueline connected with me. So like and that's another thing too I know that people send spammy messages, even when they initiate a conversation. That is like hi, how are you? Whatever? I've gotten pushback, even from people I've messaged with just that, and I know that my intention is to connect. I know.
Speaker 1:I know that for sure. That was the word intention, like what is, what's the intention behind it? And if you're having trouble then it really seems like a lack thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like an excuse. Yeah, and I feel like people who have that excuse they aren't actually grasping the idea of what the connection could actually mean. So, like I'm thinking of all the connections I have right now and the people that I've built relationships with and they may turn into clients, but like our initial connection, you worked for me Like what would have, what would have happened if she didn't answer my DM? And like respond back and like kept building that relationship with me, like she wouldn't have worked on this energy project.
Speaker 1:Wouldn't have worked on the energy project, and so, working on that project, it gave me insight Like I. It gave me confidence to know that like I could also do this. Once the project ended, I was like, oh, now I have like insight into how these things work, I can do that too. Yeah, but I was scared shitless. I'd never written blogs for anybody. I'm literally Googling shit as we go. I was scared shitless. I'd never written blogs for anybody. I'm literally Googling shit as we go. I was not doing a great job, granted, I felt like I wasn't doing a good job.
Speaker 1:It turns out the client was super picky and not clear on their own journey, right, but but I was scared, I was scared and I did it anyway. You know what I mean, and I think that that's the biggest thing is like, yeah, we can be scared, and we can be scared sitting here like playing it safe, and then bitching at night and worrying about money and stuff, or we could be scared and still like do something, like we could be producing results. You've known me long enough to see how much I've transformed.
Speaker 1:And it really is just a decision, to make a decision, like the same decision every day, to work towards this goal and you transform as a person as you go through this entrepreneur journey, then maybe just I would love your insight, because you've had such an extensive journey. What time is it? And then we got to go soon.
Speaker 1:But, how you have, like, built this whole. You've got like a community, a whole culture going on. You teach people how to you make lead generation fun and just like how it should be. You know so, but how, based on your like, your story, did you even come into all of that? Because a lot of people, I feel like you have the compassion and the humiliation and the life experiences that make it so simple to like is you can detach and go. Actually, no, like yeah, there's not a problem sending a message like you have had real life problems. So I'd like to hear a little bit about just just a little bit.
Speaker 1:The reason why I was laughing is you said I have a whole culture going on and I'm like I do like that oh yeah, cool, yeah, she doesn't even.
Speaker 2:I love that. You don't even know it, I don't. I don't feel that. Um and I and hey, that's not my intention, but if that's going to naturally happen, okay, cool, I'm running a cult now culture.
Speaker 1:Oh god, I'm just. Is that where that comes from? The?
Speaker 2:cult. Yeah, oh, I didn't know that. Okay, but I mean I think cult is the group in cultures, I don't know. I don't know, I don't know. We're not brilliant scientists here, okay so um, okay, so actually.
Speaker 2:so that question is so interesting and like I, honestly, I honestly I'm getting a little emotional thinking about it Because you asked it in such a unique way that made me like my, my corporate career right, I can, I can think about how I sold like I was. I started as a bank teller and so as a bank teller, we still had sales goals. You know, like if someone just was coming inside the bank and doing a transaction and to go back to date myself as well, like banks used to be very busy when I worked at the bank and I feel like, cause I was working at the bank in 2010.
Speaker 2:That was when I got my first job. Um, cause, my dad was still alive. So, as a bank teller, we still had sales goals and we still had to like, oh, I see you don't have a savings account, like, lots, open it. Well, I think like, oh, I see you don't have a savings account, like let's open it. Well, I think, like I really haven't thought about this and now I'm just like in my head, like thinking about it I because I don't, they don't train you to sell. They they might, but you are more so needing to learn how to do your job and learn about the products versus how to sell optimally to get more sales. Like they just like, just ask people. That's what, that's what the sales training was Just ask people. But I think it's my willingness to do well that like man, I'm getting, and the reason why I'm getting emotional is because, man, I'm really proud of myself.
Speaker 1:You should be. I want you to reflect on it for a second. Like every job is lit up to this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think so, like cause I mean, even if we go back to, like, my job before that, I worked at an office Depot. We had to sell, like protection plans, like if someone bought a printer or laptop or even backpacks and stuff, like we had quotas we would need to meet for the day, um, and we would just need to ask Um. But I think, like I really just kind of I guess I would date this to like my willing, my willingness to learn, but also just who I am as a human being, and I never really put two and two together. Like you know, in the bank, and like then becoming a sales associate, then becoming a branch manager and a supervisor, and all of that, like you go through the ranks and you have to learn certain things. We even got to a point where we had to sell a certain way and I became certified and I had to train my employees. But I feel like they taught me how to have a sales conversation where we weren't following scripts, but it still was a scripted way on how to have a conversation. I know what you mean and so I they didn't I got, I would get my best sales If I, just if someone came to me and they were sitting at my desk and they were opening up a checking account.
Speaker 2:I'd be like, oh great, like where? Like I would literally start with nothing. Oh, that water bottle is so cool, where'd you get it? Um, they would tell me something oh, I got this when I was on vacation in Florida. Oh, awesome, where'd you go in Florida? Like, it is such an organic conversation.
Speaker 2:So just one question, right as I'm opening up their checking account. Right, because I'm not no one in my mind, no one has time. If they're coming into a bank and this again, mind you, this is like maybe 2018, 2019, people weren't really coming into the bank as much anymore. And I feel like, if people are coming in, they want to get in, get out. They don't. They're not needing me to like me, like, do their investments and like their wealth portfolio. Like they just needed to open up a fricking account but I was still responsible for other accounts or making referrals and things like that. So how I would do that is I wouldn't follow this damn conversation model. I would just get to know them. They would tell me about their kids, they would tell me about everything else and I would go oh, do you have savings accounts for your kids, because we can like start one with $5 today.
Speaker 1:You said something that you just got to know them. Yep, there's no pressure around that that's exactly it.
Speaker 2:So I think so. Then, if we want to kind of like marry that idea with how we can kind of translate that in the online space, like get to know somebody before you pitch them, and I think so many people out there are saying you're putting them in the friend zone, you're waiting too long, you need to really like turn the conversation faster, and I would disagree with all of that. And I used to be really scared to actually own that because for so long when I started my business in 2018, I was told I had to do sales calls. Sales calls are the only way you shouldn't be selling high ticket products in the DMS and I shied away from it. But I knew that that was my most comfortable way to connect with people. And as soon as I own that, as soon as I started saying I sell in the DMs, I made $20,000 and sold out of mastermind in the DMs and that was just like that was it. I was sold.
Speaker 2:I'm like I should have owned this two years ago and that and I even I have like almost like a sour taste in my mouth because I still go back. I'm like I should have owned this since day one, I would have been the fricking guru with selling the DMS, I would have been so popular. But I think that's another willingness for you to understand that, like you had, like you were mentioning confidence earlier, like you have to have that confidence piece, I wasn't confident. I was brand new in the online space and I thought more people knew better than me. But I also did take into consideration of all my sales training I have and I did it at the time. I always thought if people were more successful than me, they knew more than me. And that's not true. Oh, that's not true.
Speaker 1:That's not true. That's not true, no, that. So everything that you've taught me and where she's taught me to run ads, my ads are so far very freaking profitable. And so I kind of freaked out. The other day I sent her a screenshot. I was like this person has like 30, 38,000 followers and they're asking me for an audit, like what's up? Oh, no, 2000. Yeah, so it just goes to show that like it doesn't fucking matter. And you said something to me once, I think it was. Maybe it wasn't this per se, but it was something along the lines of like, if you teach someone to build a plane, you're not responsible for flying it.
Speaker 2:Like you teach someone to build a plane, you're not responsible for flying it like so I did.
Speaker 1:I definitely did not tell you that, but it was something similar to that. No, it was. You weren't like, you're not I.
Speaker 2:There was a saying after that yeah, like or like you, can I always say like you can take a horse to go drink the water, but you can't make the horse drink the water?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you have said that one. What else I made up? Yeah, just whatever, but I'm saying it was to that effect. It was something like it was.
Speaker 1:You were talking about a client that is making millions, she has got a million dollar company and so you're like six figures, multiple six figures or something like that, right, yep, but they still, like this million air has problems getting to that million there. So you're able to identify parts that they can't see it. Just, it changed my whole perspective and it made me think about I've always thought that, like me, job hopping was such a bad thing.
Speaker 1:Turns out it was the quickest way to figure out what was it for me you know, and whenever I had that quick spurt in November where it was like just sale after sale after sale, you know, hit over $10,000 cash, my mind was fucking blown and she was so excited. She was like cause she'd always told me it takes the same amount of energy to sell, like a $47 offer, that it does 5, 10, 15k. Price doesn't matter, yeah. And so when I did that, like it all clicked. It totally clicked for me. But you know what, when I was sitting there helping my customers get financed, it all clicked. Everything, every single job. In that moment it helped me. Customer service. In that moment it helped me. Customer service working in the car industry, selling and, you know, qualifying people, doing their finances, getting their credit approved. I knew how to play with numbers. I was able to support them.
Speaker 1:Again, like you were saying, you don't take sales calls, I don't want, I don't take sales calls. I don't want to take sales calls. I'm totally fucking introverted and you can get to know me through my content and just a few voice messages. So, like I love that, you said own that. But in that moment it all hit me that every single job. I learned something from every job and it all came together. So none of it was a waste, it was all like. What y'all consider failing is actually just like gathering information. Yeah, feedback right feedback yes, yes, yes, and that's all.
Speaker 1:Metrics are too, by the way, for y'all who sit and watch your metrics like hawks. Yeah, um, I know she probably doesn't want to talk too much about her history because we got to go in a minute. We've got some plans. I don't know if you noticed, but we're looking fly.
Speaker 1:We are, we got a date to celebrate this whole thing. But this interview even happening is. It's a true testament to if you could get the fuck over yourself and just send a message, just be receiving, to listen to what the other person says, like, yeah, you may not get a client. I mean I never thought I'd be her client. To be honest, I never. I was like very adamant on. I don't need her help, I don't need anybody's help, I'll figure it out, yeah.
Speaker 1:But I wasn't figuring it out. And then, but had she not had been so just caring? She never saw me as a number. I know that. I know her as a person, that she sees zero people as numbers. She literally takes one conversation at a time, gives them their like, her energy, and is so compassionate and she listens. Had she not kept following up in the most gentle way, like, hey, how are you and your son? For a while it was like I haven't seen fajitas in your stories in a minute and I was like, oh shit, she cares Right, and that over time, you know, people don't think about how those things do matter.
Speaker 1:And all it took was, on the right day at the right time. I made a decision and then an email came through, one of her emails, and I've already she's already paid me. I've been one of her emails and I've already she's already paid me. I've been one of her contractors like, but because I know how much she cares and because I've gotten to see her own transformation and like, so it's such a quick, you know a timeframe, I had the trust, like she built the trust and so it goes back to you saying like, really, like, release the timeline and commit to the result. You're going to get a lot of no's, but is it not fucking worth it? When you meet, like I will never, I will never, are you going to cry? I will never not talk to this woman again Like I love her. I love her so much. She sends me pictures of her. Like I get a Christmas card.
Speaker 1:I made a blanket for her baby.
Speaker 2:Like it her. Like I get a Christmas card. I made a blanket for her baby, like it's in my car. You saw it today.
Speaker 1:It's in her car. She actually threw up from the airport, but how silly would it be like to think that, being afraid of a conversation, we wouldn't have this. That terrifies me. So the fact of the matter is, is your tail, like some of you who are afraid to to have the conversations? Look at where it leads. It's worth it. And when you become more confident in yourself and concrete in your energy and you take care of yourself and you have boundaries, the nose don't. I really don't even phase you. It's almost like God. They're missing out. They don't even know what they're missing out on.
Speaker 2:No, it's so true, and I try to, I try to say that over and over and over again to people um, because you've done you never know it could be your next biz bestie. That's what I, that's what I say usually, um, but I think, yeah, I mean it goes both ways for you to receive I like how you said, receive so like even to receive that DM and just be curious, and I think then, like you said, you investigated who I was and what I did, like then I put a lot of effort into all of those elements as well, to make sure that I am showcasing, that I am open and, you know, not untouchable Um, where I feel like that's sometimes like there's almost like this hierarchy between client and coach and it's just like you know, oh, you're beneath me, kind of never um not with, at least not with you we joked though yesterday.
Speaker 2:Remember how you're like, oh, when you meet your mentors in real life and then it like fucks up, like yeah, like don't meet your heroes. I'm glad to hear I'm glad to hear she's gonna talk to me again, so I'm very happy about that.
Speaker 1:I would not be where I keep touching you, I know.
Speaker 2:I'm like real clammy too God.
Speaker 1:I'm a toucher, sorry, that's okay, um, but I would not be. I would not be where I am right now without her guidance. Yeah, thank you for saying that I wouldn't? Uh, the whole reason that we're here right now is like she told me. She's like are we like, are you going to do? What's going on with the podcast? Right, what's going on with the podcast? I was like I don't know, I want it to go big. And she was like so then, what's the plan?
Speaker 2:I'll have one.
Speaker 1:And she said, okay, I'll give you if you get your 100th episode. That's worth celebrating.
Speaker 2:And she put this whole thing together, yeah it was serendipity, I feel like when we made the plan, because it just seemed like how many weeks versus how many episodes she had left, it literally was going to be like january 1st initially or something, but then, um, then I think you took a break or you did a couple weeks where you I would have been consistent yeah, did a couple weeks where you didn't.
Speaker 1:I was just inconsistent a few weeks.
Speaker 2:But here I didn't want to say inconsistent, because you've literally put out 30 episodes. I wasn't on.
Speaker 1:I was like that is consistent. Oh shit, have I. I mean or 20 or something. It was a lot. I guess it was 20-ish.
Speaker 2:We don't stop and reflect, right, but you put out a lot, so I didn't. I don't ever want to say inconsistent, you just and people take breaks. I fell off schedule, however, so now, that's why the 100th episode is in person. But, um, yeah, I told her. I said I put her to task, but I will say I think I will say this and then we can end. But I do want to say I was kind of reflecting on this whole thing that you there wasn't really like you had plans and you were doing stuff and you were being very active with, like, selling and stuff, but I think this was the first thing that you really followed through on, which then helped you follow through on everything else. Yes, you kept that word to yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Kind of like kicked, it did kickstart because it showed me that. So one thing I've always been super inconsistent with is being consistent. I don't follow through with things. I come from a family that is they don't finish things, they run the fuck away as soon as it gets hard, run, just run on. So I was convinced that I couldn't follow through and her giving me the task of okay, no, like if you're going to first off a hundred episodes, a lot of people don't make it to a hundred episodes. So like the challenge of that, that's one thing. I'm competitive, but then I'm the person that I thrive on Give me an outline and I can do it Right. And so that it really did it again uncomfortable, didn't want to do it. Okay, I'm not a creature of routine, like I have to have a very loose routine, but it was the having structure and having something to work towards that. Yeah, maybe I wasn't completely consistent, but like I was committed.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:There's a difference. A lot of us think we have consistency issues, but really we have commitment issues. And so I figured that out and I was like, even if I do and you always reminded me even if you do get a few weeks off track, start back Like it's just. It's not like a you know, you're going, going, going and go up again type thing, Yep, so she really challenged me, but it did.
Speaker 1:You're right, it was definitely the building block that I can follow through with everything else too and, in the process, just use things as feedback. So, oh man, here we are. Tell them how to tell them how to find you. Follow me Whoa, oh my goodness, what just happened Was Follow me. Whoa, oh my goodness, what just happened.
Speaker 2:Was that a hand thing or I don't know? I think somebody else did that. So, um, follow me at Lauren Najar. That's the best way to get connected with me.
Speaker 1:My website here on Instagram.
Speaker 2:On Instagram. Thank you.
Speaker 1:I'm more.
Speaker 2:I'm most active on Instagram and then my website's, laurennajarcom.
Speaker 1:Oh, it's laurenajarcom. And what do you do? What? Do you help people with.
Speaker 2:You know, apparently I build cultures, Conversation culture, it is no, lead generation is my bread and butter, but I mean you need marketing and clarity with that too. So come for the lead generation, Stay for. You know making a lot of money, so there we go Make money.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're yeah.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 1:We're helping people get paid to exist over here y'all. Yes, all right, thank y'all for watching. We've got a steak date, apparently at one of the nicest. I don't know she, I don't know. I know I'm about to be spooled.
Speaker 2:And I'm excited she's mentioned seafood.
Speaker 1:a seafood tower, that's a thing. This little trailer park girl is about to like I don't even know. It's going to be great. I love y'all so much. Listen to this. It'll go out on the podcast website. I'll let you know when, but go give her a follow. I can't believe we just did this. This is so cool. Bye, love y'all.
