Hi, everyone. Welcome to the first customer. My name is Jay Agner. Today I'm lucky enough to be joined by Jessica Corrado of Corrado Communications. Hello, Jessica.
0:22
Hi, Jay. Thank you for joining me. 1s Jessica and I worked together a little mom and pop shop years ago. Next gen? No, next gen health care is a massive healthcare company.
0:35
You were in marketing department back then, right?
0:38
I was. All right,
0:40
so tell me a little bit about your background. I know you're a jersey girl. I don't think you made it far from jersey. I think you're still in jersey. Tell me the story.
0:48
I've gone and come back as central new Jersey is too. Yes, I was born and raised in central new jersey. That could be a fight in and of itself, whether or not central Jersey is a thing, but I'll leave that there. My mom and dad are actually still in the house that I grew up in. While they continue their decade long debate of where they should retire to 2s on the youngest of three, I have two older brothers who are cool, kind, smart people. 1s I ventured out of new Jersey to the university of Rhode Island, where I earned two bachelor's degrees, one in public relations and the other in writing and rhetoric.
1:33
What is the rhetoric part of that? I did my homework, and I was like, what is the rhetoric part of
1:37
that? 2s The word rhetoric can mean different things to different people. In politics, it often means spin. In marketing and communications, I like to say that it means fitness.
1:52
Okay, I like that. All right. Good answer. Good
1:54
answer. Thank you. All right,
1:56
so after your dual BA. College experiment, where did we
2:01
go? So I've actually been working in the life sciences industry more or less since an internship my freshman year of college, where I worked in the communications department of a very small, 1s local Rhode Island hospital. And I have been navigating through various marketing, sales, and communications roles ever since.
2:27
And just this is like when a kid says, like,
2:32
I
2:32
know what it is, but why don't you tell everybody? What is Life Sciences, specifically? That also means different things to different people? What does it mean to you?
2:40
Yes, absolutely. It sure does to me. Life Sciences encapsulate everyone from the patient and their caregivers, their families, their supporters, all the way through to the drug manufacturers, those that are developing and producing drugs, and therapies so not only something that you pop in your mouth, but also maybe a medical device or a diagnostic. So a patient's entire treatment team, everyone from when you walk into your doctor's office and you're greeted by office staff or 1s a nurse sitting at the front desk all the way through to someone who's writing a prescription and the pharmacist that hands it to you.
3:24
Wow. See, as a layman, I think is what I'm called. 3s I thought it was everything. I thought it was, like, maybe I'm thinking of natural sciences. Is that something that's what I'm thinking. Very different. Right. That's animals and stuff. Okay. All right. We cleared that up. So we got back connected because 1s you started a business called Carado Communications. 1s Was that the first business you tried to start?
4:00
More or less. I've run businesses within a business for a few years, which gave me really good experience conceptualizing and strategizing and executing, launching, if you will, both the strategy and the operations of marketing departments, of marketing engines. But they've all been within 1s standalone businesses before, so crowd of communications is the first independent business I've started on my own. And
4:36
what in your life made you decide it was the right time for that?
4:43
Nothing.
4:45
That's the right answer.
4:50
Okay, so 1s more or less my story is quite linear. I worked in corporate for. 8s Edit cut.
5:05
We don't cut. This is just live, just streams. I mean, nobody listens to it anyway. By the way, this is just you and I are talking, so anything stays right here.
5:12
Just for sure.
5:14
Right now it is for sure.
5:17
I think I worked in corporate for about a decade, right? And I was increasingly just mentally and emotionally exhausted from running on this corporate hamster wheel of never ending projects. And that's not exclusive to marketing, right? I know a lot of departments feel this way, and 2s I'm a Jersey girl. I'm an Italian Jersey girl. So I've always had the courage to voice which projects I felt were having the most impact, which were maybe not the best use of my time, but I was spending, like, a disproportionate amount of time working on projects that were just. 2s Uninspired. 1s And look, the fact is there just not enough hours in the day to work on the fun stuff and the not so fun but critical stuff. And so at my last full time gig, when we hired a consultant to do the fun stuff, I thought, well, hey, there's an idea. And that was the time.
6:27
So it was 1s there was some timing, right? 3s It sounds like you started to realize the things that you're working on didn't excite you anymore. And you can kind of ignore that for a long time, right?
6:42
You can unintentionally. You almost feel like you are obligated to as part of your full time employment. Maybe that's cynical, but I think a lot of people can really late to that. And I think that there's this whole new wave of employees that are passionately pursuing jobs that excite them and that they feel like they're contributing to something. 2s And I want to ride that wave. I want to leave the ride of that wave. Yeah. And
7:19
I guess I don't put a ton of stock into the sky falling. Of all the people being laid off and all the people that quiet quitting, the quiet firing and this and that. It's like I think people just realize that doing a bunch of stuff that sucks forever is, like, not a way to live. And I think it's also a generational 1s when you're younger, you can just grind away and you're making money and you don't really care and you're paying some bills and you're doing your thing, but then you get older and you start to get a house and a family and things that you need to start planning forward for. Then there's 8 hours a day that you're miserable or like, what the hell am I doing? I have enough experience. I have enough stuff to go out and consult, but that does take a big leap. So how long have you been doing this kind of full time?
8:04
Last year was my first full calendar year doing it full time. And 1s I think that what you were saying about this sense of obligation when people were buying houses in areas where they worked and they worked there for 20 years, that was a hard cycle to break. My grandparents did it. My parents did it. My siblings did it. And so it did take a little bit of hudspa, we like to say, 1s to go in and do the damn thing.
8:38
So 2s what were some things that held you back from starting it sooner? Because I'm sure when you finally made the leap was not the first time you'd ever considered it.
8:52
You know, this probably isn't the answer that you want, but to make it fun,
9:00
yes. By the way, Jessica I did hire Jessica to be one of my marketing hired guns. So she says lots of things that are not the answer that I want to hear, but are the right answer. So this is not new by any stretch.
9:15
Well, thank you. But what held me back? Honestly? Nothing. I leapt so fearlessly, and I think that's a large reason why I've been successful. I have this momentum of I want to do the meaningful, the fun, the rewarding work, and 4s took some time to understand what it was that I needed to do to help get me there. And two months later, I was working as a full time consultant under 1s communication. Wow.
10:01
So, speaking of editing, I'll definitely have to edit my dog out because I can hear her. No, she's barking. I can hear her. It's fine. Maybe I'll have her on the podcast someday. 1s Interesting. 3s But something did hold you back for a while, right? Because you didn't do it until a year ago. So was it just having the stable 2s job that you didn't want to leave? Was it that you didn't think that you were ready to start it with your experience? You had like, something triggered a change from nine to five jessica to I'm going to go out and I'm going to do this right. So I'm wondering, maybe there's nothing there, but I feel like when I knew you'd, you were a grinder and you worked really hard and you're like, first one there, last one out, kind of deal. 1s Did that just get to you after a while? You finally said, enough is enough.
11:01
You are under something that I suppose I never really. 2s Realized myself, I didn't truly believe this was an option for a while. It just felt like a fairy tale. Like people don't actually do that. Right. 3s You have this cycle of conformity that is just a very steady track. It's a pretty nice track, all things considered. So to dare to step off of that, 1s it didn't feel like a real option for quite some time. And then it was an option and 1s that was that.
11:46
You've never looked back. 2s Well, you've been doing it for a year.
11:54
It's early to ask you this question, but could you go back to working in a nine to five corporate environment after? And this shouldn't hurt any of your future 1s employment opportunities, but I'm just curious, do you have
12:13
the bug enough that you don't feel like you ever want to go back?
12:18
I think this is an especially difficult decision for 1s female business owners because there are matter of, like, maternity relief to think about. That's fair. And so I do struggle with that, and I've already had offers for fulltime roles. But here's the thing there's. 2s Unparalleled magic in working with small to medium sized companies who are so hungry for success you can feel their bellies rumbling in every conversation that they have. I don't know that I could go back to the grind that is 1s public corporate America. 1s It's quite a debate, and I think it's hard for everyone, depending on their particular circumstances. 1s But I'm trying this new thing where I don't worry too much about the things that are that far ahead of me, that I can't control. I try to focus on, first of all, differentiating between the things I can and can't control, and secondly, 1s regarding my attention to the things I have control over.
13:42
Well, if you can master that, you're better. Better than I am. Because I'm trying every day. We're all trying, right? I think that's no, that's that's a good answer. 2s I mean, they're all good answers. There's no right answer, but yeah, it's interesting. Maternity leave thing is interesting.
14:02
Yeah.
14:04
I'd have a hard time going back. I could have a really, really, really I mean, I would be, I think, a shell of myself, because even the last role that I had, which was I really enjoyed 1s you hit the nail on the head
14:22
that hungriness that these people have this hunger, like this real think. You don't feel that anywhere else. But also 3s when you donate something to somebody who really needs it. Or it's like that feeling of just like you've really delivered something that was real value to somebody and they appreciate it and they realize how valuable you are. And it's like this exchange of just like, 1s high caliber talent back and forth. And it's such an addicting thing when it works and they get paid for it, which is crazy. You get paid to be happy.
15:00
How do you not like that? Right. 2s It's something else, man. 3s I think you're going to have a team, and you're going to be doing all the things that we've talked about and even remotely thinking of looking back will be a thing of the past very soon for you, I think. 1s Who was your first customer?
15:26
You see, I had a little bit maybe I didn't have a little bit of an untraditional start, but I do think that I came onto the scene a little differently than some deal. I 1s went with my tail between my legs and 3s pretty relentlessly contacted every person I had ever worked with, you included, and said, 1s hey, I did this thing. I would really love the opportunity to be considered for X, Y, and C type of projects. I took my time to carefully craft my portfolio that I hope adequately 1s represents my variety of skills, and I asked for the gig. 2s Digital marketing has had such an impact on the marketplace, where a lot of brands feel it's very complicated to initiate a conversation with your first customer, and often it is, but sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's just asking. Sometimes it's saying, hey, you're. At such an exciting phase of growth, I would hear, is how I can help you at this time. And. 2s I rinsed and repeated that message to my network and some people probably did me some favors. Other people, it was just really good timing. And I onboarded my first round of clients and my gosh, I feel like I blinked and here I am. So I asked. 1s He
17:09
didn't resolve. 1s You didn't that wasn't tail between your legs? I don't think that's the right way to look at that. That's a I mean, you were like primed for
17:22
this
17:24
opportunity. Like like, who better to start a business than somebody who's been a marketer their whole life? And you like, you knew the avenues to take. You knew the messages to send. You knew the people to talk to you're, right? That was not an accident. I wouldn't say that. I've heard very similar stories and Chelsea from Ryan reviews knocked on the doors of people. That's crazy. I mean, that's insane. But that's so cool. That's the drive of an entrepreneur. It's the same exact thing that you did. 3s That should be a very proud story because 1s the hut spot to go out there. Did I say it right? I probably didn't. I'm probably going to ban from
18:11
all
18:12
speaking engagements anywhere near that. 2s It sounds like you had a plan. You put it together and you kind of went after it, which.
18:25
I'll
18:25
say this, I think b to b is easier than b to c by a million light years. Not to downplay, I'm just saying because I'm in the same space. It still takes a lot to cut through the noise of b to b, though. And I think you've taken that personalized approach is the way to do it. Everybody likes to pretend like there's this magic formula, that you can put these things together, and like, a business pops out, it's 100% relationships. It's 1000% relationships. Unless you make a thing that you sell to the masses, it's about relationships. And B to b sales especially, you start in your own business. It sounds like that was very 2s common sense to you, and I think that was a great start.
19:07
Yeah, I think that this concept of brain engine optimization can be applied in so many different areas, and 1s recruiting for business is certainly one of them, because 1s there were many people that I reached out to at the time that said, hey, Jessica, congratulations. I wish you the best of luck. I don't have anything right now, but I'll keep you in mind. 3s That might feel like a soft no. Maybe it is. But perhaps more importantly, you are now in their head. And the next time that you think, hey, I really need a marketing consultant, let me reach out to Jessica. At the end of the day, we're all just thinking like, do I got a guy for that? I got a guy for that. You're sitting at the boardroom, you're talking with your colleagues, and you're like, we have this problem. Problem. For you to be able to raise your hand and be like, I got a guy, I got this. That's the dream. Right? And so if we can all install ourselves as that guy to our potential customers, I think that's a really good place to start.
20:18
And your confidence in what you were delivering, though, is also part of that, right? I would assume that's why, if I'm a sales guy and I want to go start my own sales business, I would not do it because of the fear of rejection, which is my God and 1s my biggest hold back from all this stuff. It's not even people I know. It's like random people. It's so powerful that people have never met and will probably never see my life. I'm afraid they're going to say no, 1s but once you kind of get over that, it all opens up. And your confidence in your product, which is you of that experience over the years, I think, lends itself very well to not having that barrier. Right. Like, you're like, I know I'm good at what I'm doing. I'm just going to see these people need what I do. Right. And a lot of people have the hesitance that they don't even know if what they're doing is good enough to be offering as a people. And I think that that confidence is like, what hangs people up and they get stuck in that space. Like, I got a thing, I got experience, I want to do it, but nobody's going to like what I do. Although it's like you took that leap, which was and it seemed natural for you, which is cool, which is why I think you're going to kill it. I think you're going to continue to grow and be awesome.
21:33
Thank you. Yeah. I think that there's a large part of that confidence was taught to me when I was in sales, and my a best piece of advice to someone who is. 2s Of, let's say, a software developer and then begins their own software development consultancy is for them to take an Introduction to sales class. Learn how to handle objections, learn how to qualify a prospective lead. Learn what different motivators people have in deciding whether or not to do business with the particular vendor. Learn what questions to ask to hopefully win the business. Those are not always things that come naturally. There are plenty of people that they're born with a sales gene, but to a lot of people it's taught. And I think that's a worthwhile exercise when you are the face of your business and to your exact point, you're selling yourself.
22:35
I want to do that. I need to do that. That too. It's funny you say that because I've been selling for years. 2s My stuff went through upwork, which I feel like kind of softens it. But I think I would benefit from that. I would love to hear how it's supposed to be done. And I've heard similar things that sales training is good just to be an entrepreneur in general because it helps you navigate a bunch of sales. Precarious situations. The first calls? First calls are I mean, I just had one earlier. I'm, like, should have been tighter, should have asked different questions. And, like, 1s that part is fun to me. Now, do you enjoy the sales process? Do you enjoy 1s course you do. Yes,
23:16
I love it. Yes, I think that there's and I love that I've been doing this for my clients lately, too, because here's the thing about being in marketing. When you're in marketing, you think that you know better than the sales team does. And here's the thing about being in sales. When you're in sales, you undoubtedly know better than marketing. Sure. So you've got to learn both. You have to have both tools in your toolkit. And I have been bridging that gap for a couple of my clients who have taken on all of the marketing elements, whether that's branding or lead generation or digital marketing, what have you. And then I've been coaching them on scoping calls and securing the business and how to qualify, how to ask the right questions, how to install urgency. And I could see that being a very natural part of a business like mine with someone who's way more qualified to do that because it is definitely a need for entrepreneurs.
24:22
That's a great point. Marketing and sales, 1s especially for smaller businesses, a lot of times they're one and the same. Right. How would you 1s tell somebody who just started a business how to categorize the two? Right? Like, how would you even begin an approach to tackle marketing and sales? Not obviously not an exhaustive approach, but how would you help them identify what buckets stuff starts to go in? Right? Because when I started, I was like, it's all kind of the same stuff. I don't know. And then you kind of helped me figure it out. But what are those two tracks that people need to start to identify to help them
24:59
out? Yeah, that's a really valid question. And in short, my answer is that they overlap and intertwine. So your marketing is, by definition, your pre and your post sales activity. It's everything from attracting, engaging, and obtaining your clients and then thereafter rotating your client. Your sales tactics are more so about once you get them on the call, maybe it's marketing qualified, prospectively enough to get them to respond to an email, and then you have to pick up the phone and talk to this person. Then what? That sales. So I love to repurpose the marketing work that I do with my clients in a way that's actionable so that they get off the phone with me. And now, yeah, they have a lead generation email template, and they have all their personas mapped out and the value propositions. 1s Respectively. But they also know how to talk to that person on the phone in a way that simplifies their challenge, in a way that empathizes with their status quo, what they're currently doing, what's not motivating them to change, and then not only convincing them why outsource, but why outsource to JQA? Why outsource to you? Right.
26:22
It sounds so easy you when you say it, but it's not
26:27
that easy in practice. So you're drinking lots of water. What are three things, health wise, that you're doing? And actually, one of my friends, Evan, who was on a podcast recently, was saying he focuses on longevity, and that may be kind of I feel like that's going to be the new buzzword. But
26:47
all his exercises and his diet is based around longevity. So I guess I'll frame the question that way. What are three healthy habits that you're using to kind of increase your longevity?
26:59
Yeah, I love that perspective. Yes, I'm drinking a lot of water. It feels better. When I drink a lot of water, my skin feels better. 2s My body feels better. It's hard to explain. I just feel like 1s being hydrated is just good for your overall mental and physical health.
27:20
Hydrated. Love it. I love it. Nobody actually said that yet, which is kind of crazy. I think it's such a given that you don't really stop and think about it, and then when you do think about it, you go, oh, I haven't drank enough water in the last week. So, yes, it's a great point. Well,
27:34
even on a day, sometimes I'll look at the clock and it'll be 01:00, and I'll think, wow, I've never transitioned from my coffee to my water. Yeah,
27:41
four coffees and no water. 1s It's not good.
27:45
The other thing that I do, I transitioned to a standing desk about two years ago now, and. 1s I am surprised at how little it has interfered with my work. I feel like a very easy 1s excuse, so to speak. If you're like, don't get a cinder desk. But I could never host my meetings, I could never create restrictions. But 2s physically, I feel better after standing all day long. And then the last thing I do, which I know that you are very familiar with, I take my dog for a long walk every single day. And I take that time to listen to a podcast. My first customer meeting.
28:32
There you go. 1s Plug it all day. There you
28:36
go. I listen to an audiobook. I call my mom, I call friends that I haven't had the chance to connect with. And we spend at least an hour walking every day. And there's a reason that 1s this has come up to be a little bit trendy as a Blight is to go on these mental health walks. I would highly recommend the hardest part is just committing to taking the time to do it every day. Yeah, no, that's a good one. An hour walk every day.
29:10
Wow. You just walk around all the jug handles in Jersey.
29:18
I live in town. I live in Red Bank, New Jersey, so I live in the Hustle and Buffalo part of the town for safety. I never walk the same route every day. I think that's super important, especially as a young woman. And I like to let my dog, Saatchi, take us on what we affectionately call a safari. That is her time to explore and she knows her roots. She picks whether she wants to take left, right. So I love Saatchi. Decide where we go. I can't
29:49
tell if I love that name or if it's the worst name I know. That is a great
29:53
try. I dare you. Try to. It's the most adorable concept I'm going to get. What do
30:01
you tell my kids? My daughter is going to say it and I'm going to probably fall in love with it. Sniff orange. Wow. All right, maybe.
30:11
All right. So
30:14
mystery question,
30:17
which is kind of funny because nobody listens to the podcast because everybody would know that the mystery question is the same team questions. So if you're going to be in the podcast and you're having to listen to this right now, next person on the podcast, this is the mystery question.
30:33
It's a great one. What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail? 2s It's one that makes you think for a second, so it's okay to take a second, but anything 1s from personal to physical to social to whatever. If you knew you couldn't fail at it, what would
30:49
you do? 2s Define fail financially. Come
30:55
on, marketing lady. You're like, like, I need six bullet points on what the word fail means so I can write 1s an effective email campaign. No. Fail. That you could not that you can do. You can't not do. I don't know how to say.
31:17
So I suppose failure, to me, currently means not having enough time or attention to devote. Okay. And so if I could do something without risk of failure, 2s I would spend just as much time supporting. 2s A nonprofit as they do my for profit. I am one of the leading volunteers for Short Saves animal rescue. Quick plug. Short Saves.com. Yes.
31:52
I'll put it in the bio. Thank you. I
31:55
hope that you will. We are a 100% volunteer run, 100% donor funded animal rescue. And, man, I I love the work that we do, because the difference in picking a dog up off of the highway after they've been driven for 16 hours straight from the south of the US. And 30 minutes later, after giving them a bath and letting them settle in, seeing their personalities come out after, I don't know, sometimes days, sometimes months, sometimes years of being neglected and not being able to feel safe and feel themselves, that is the most rewarding work I have ever had the pleasure of doing. If I couldn't fail elsewhere and maintain. 2s Everything necessary in my life, I would spend just as much time working with short saves. Wow.
32:59
That's, like, a realistic great answer. 1s By the way, as somebody who grew up in Virginia, how do you know that dog came from the south? Does he got, like, an accent, or does he he doesn't like certain
33:12
people. 3s Most of the time, dogs that we rescue come from the south because spang and neutering dogs isn't as common in the south as it is on the East Coast. On the West Coast, leave
33:26
it out to us, the Southerners, to just let them run.
33:31
I get it. Let a dog be a dog. But that's certainly
33:34
different down there. I tell you what. I understand. No judgment. 1s I understand. And while there aren't always the same decisions that I feel I would have made, that's neither here nor there. Right. What we can control in this scenario is taking the dogs that are being neglected or abused and giving them the care and love and attention that they need and finding them a family that will provide that forever. That's a great answer. I
34:08
love it. Thank you. Yeah, I love the work, and I would encourage anyone who's looking for a little bit more fulfillment in their life to just go out and do something that you love for one afternoon a week. Start there. I
34:24
like that.
34:30
I think the whole, like, you never work a day in your life thing just comes from that. It comes from the people who got that. Most of the things that my parents say I don't understand. I don't think they understand me. But I think they did get that part of it. 3s Doing what you want to do and doing something you enjoy, that's what you should be doing. That's what you should be making money doing.
34:54
It is a luxurious it's
34:56
a luxury. Not everyone has the opportunity or the privilege to be able to make that a reality, but there are certainly smaller steps that we can educate one another to make. And that's the dream, right, is to love what you do so much. You never work a day in your life. I hope that we can all get there.
35:20
You're a consulting evangelist like I am. You're like, on the ascent, you're going to be going to be going to the big mega churches and talking about consulting. 3s It's a magical thing. And I think anybody with experience in any industry is doing themselves a disservice not to at least explore the idea of selling your services as a consultant. And you've probably got way more to offer than you realize. And it sounds like you realize that, though, which is not hard to imagine. So karatecommunications.com spell that out for everybody. I'll put it in the link and everything, but I'm assuming that somebody goes at one r or 2D. Yeah,
36:03
sure. It's C-O-R-R-A-D-O. Communications. communications.com.
36:12
Wow. I wasn't expecting a communications, but that was great.
36:17
What opinion you realize is that I need a jingle.
36:20
You need a jingle? And maybe like a tiny URL. Like you need, like, a carrotocoms.com or something. I love it. I love your services. I love you. I think you're great. I think you're going to have a big impact with whatever you do, and it's cool that you do with animals. We have a dog that will probably be edited out at some point, but I grew up on a farm in virginia, all sorts of weird animals, and 2s those are usually good people. People who care about animals are usually good people. Like, I don't know if that's, like, a scientific fact or not, but it seems pretty accurate.
36:59
Sure does.
37:00
Except for cat people. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. All the cat people. I'm kidding. So all one of you out there listening to me? All right, well, let's wrap it here. This was great. You were fantastic. Thank you for coming on. I will continue to refer you to everyone. I think you're a fantastic marketing consultant, and I think you run a great business, and I appreciate your time today. All right,
37:21
thanks. Thank you so much for having me. Jay, thank
37:24
you so much. You're the best. Jessica. See you're.
47:43
Thank you.