Create + Cultivate is exactly as it sounds. A female-focused organization for women looking to create and cultivate the career of their dreams. With it’s online platform of social groups and digital mentors, and it’s offline conferences, summits, and pop-ups, Create + Cultivate is taking the ‘women in biz’ industry by storm.
We have loved getting to know Jaclyn Johnson - CEO of Create + Cultivate, Author of WorkParty, AND host of WorkParty Podcast - but we are still wondering… “How does she do it all?”. We’re sitting down with this self-made woman to hopefully get some answers…
If you could go back to the beginning, would you do anything differently? And if so, what?
Get it in writing! When I was starting off, I was so excited and I’d say “sounds great!” to everything that came my way. Trust me, you have to be able to go back and reference a contract and its terms. Really think about the long-run and what’s going to happen. It’s important to be smart and have those terms upfront. Make sure you’re protecting yourself.
How do you deal with the ebb and flow throughout the evolution of the brand?
There are always growing pains when scaling a business, but we have an amazing C&C community. Knowing that we’re providing them with the resources they need has been the biggest reward.
You are doing SO much and killing the entrepreneurial game. How do you stay inspired to keep going?
I think everyone has different definitions of what self-care is. I think, for me, self-care is very personal, in the sense that only you know what you need to be your best self. Whether that’s exercise, whether that’s eating healthy, whether that’s napping for 15 minutes, or binge-watching Netflix on a Saturday, all day… it’s what you need to be your best self; mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Have you always been aware of the need for self-care in your business plan? Was there ever a point you fell into workaholic tendencies and lost that? If so, how did you bring it back?
This is definitely something that I’ve worked on and have become more aware of over time. I definitely fall into workaholic tendencies and find myself having less and less time as my business grows, so for me, my form of self-care, oftentimes is sleeping eight hours. That’s a luxury for me. I always suggest putting your phone away at the end of the day, not having it in your bag. Or even something as simple as treating yourself to ice cream. Self-care, in my opinion, is a question of, “What makes you feel good?”
You are so lucky to surround yourself around other power-house women that are absolutely killing it! Do you ever find yourself comparing or suffering from ‘imposter syndrome’?
I talk about imposter syndrome in WorkParty and we’ve discussed it on our podcast. No one prepares you for imposter syndrome in business school, but the fear of personal failure is very real. I experienced it earlier in my career. The best way to deal with it is to remind yourself why you’re here and that you deserve to be here.
What are some of the key takeaways from influential women you’ve talked to on the WorkParty podcast?
Every modern working woman has her own strength in business, whether it be negotiating, or honing a pitch, or creating a killer tagline.
What does a typical day in the life of Jaclyn Johnson look like today and how has it evolved from where you started?
I get up early and like to be in the office before everyone else so I have some time to myself. Every day is different depending on what we’re currently working on, but I always make a to-do list. I'm a list maker and typically write my list once a day, crossing off items, and moving items over to the next day. After work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and disconnecting when I can. Entrepreneurship isn’t a 9-to-5 job, so I am usually answering emails at night, but I really love what I do so it’s worth it.
