Julie learned the hard way that your business is generic until you add your personality.

She moved on to corporate sales and learned to manage people.  Her original boss, whom she greatly respected, was, in her words,  “Just super RA RA RA coach like, very militant, cursing all the time,” and then she growls in imitation “Get out there and work!” (We laugh at her imitation of a manly growl.)  So she thought she needed to be the same way once she had a team to manage. Did this work for her?  Not at all.  In her words, she failed miserably.  And it was one of the best lessons she could have ever learned… although it didn’t sink in at first.

Since she knew she couldn’t act like that guy, she started reading books and learning about other successful leaders to whose personalities she related better.  And then she tried to imitate what she read.  She failed at that too, until she realized that her own personality and management style was the only one that would work for her.  So in her third year as a business owner, she started relying on herself instead of acting like someone else.  That’s when she found her groove- her personal magic.

Her strengths lie in assessing potential in people- and relaying it to them in a way that pushes them to grow.  She is more of an encourager than a militant boss.  When she realized that work ethic, leading by example and having a great attitude have nothing to do with personality- her business finally took off.  She committed to the fundamentals and has acted like herself ever since.  And her company has grown to over 200 employees.

Julie found her personal magic over the years by embracing her personal strengths and staying true to herself, and she encourages other people to do the same.  It sounds cliche until you try it- and years later you have the numbers and the success to back it up.

When you let yourself be who you are, you have more energy to get the job done.  And the more naturally productive you are, the faster you’ll find your groove.

Considering that Julie now speaks at conventions with 3,000 people, it’s hard to believe she used to be terrified of public speaking.

Once as an entry level, she was asked to do a goal setting session with three other employees- “Three!” she shouts for emphasis as she laughs at herself to relay this experience.  She stayed up preparing all night and slept for one hour.  She went into the meeting with her voice quaking, hands shaking, heart thumping through her sweater...but she forced herself to do it. She was awkward- she talked loud- she talked embarrassingly fast- but she did it.

Time went on and she began to master meetings through experience and repetition. Fast forward a few years to when she was asked to speak in front of 600 people;  she recalls her legs shaking while walking up to the podium.  She wanted to run out the side door of the convention center but she employed that self talk that we’ve all done: “You’re gonna do this, you’re good at this...”  She went for it, found a friendly face, gave her presentation... and received a standing ovation.

These days, Julie isn’t nervous anymore, even in front of 3,000 people.  She attributes it to time and practice in forcing herself out of her comfort zone.  Some people naturally love public speaking but everyone has fears.  What are your fears?

Whatever you are most fearful of, the first step to conquering it is going through it.  And never underestimate the power of self talk.

Julie leverages her nurturing feminine traits by coaching her employees to overcome their insecurities and make things happen.  She’s nurturing- but she’s not soft.

She believes in sticking to parameters and maintaining expectations.  “I’m very forthcoming of the standards in advance,” she says. She then strictly adheres to the expectations herself in order to set the pace and be a model of accountability.

Follow through is key.  After letting people know the consequences of stepping outside the parameters, you must then follow through when they don’t hit those expectations.  “I also remember that everyone makes mistakes,” she explains, and she is forgiving as long as people are willing to fix it, to move on, and to be accountable.  “And if they are,” she says, “Then we have an agreement.”  There are a lot of ways to do things and as long as your employees stick to fundamental expectations- great bosses remain open to new ideas.  

Something she’s doing is working- her organization is full of dedicated superstars with a reputation for blowing their clients’ expectations out of the water.

With clear parameters and proper accountability comes productivity.

From representing million dollar clients and keeping her game face on through hours of negotiations and meetings every day, Julie has gained a philosophy about staying focused and committed to a goal: keeping a positive mentality is pivotal to the organization’s fiscal growth.

While it’s not natural to be excited and motivated about what we do 24-7, since we’re human after all, she believes that success requires a certain level of optimism- even on the non-great days. So she focuses on developing a make-things-happen presence about herself and walks into the office as though she’s on a mission every day.  The physical action of coming in with a purpose and getting into the zone helps remind herself and her employees that attitude is a requirement of success.

The people you attempt to influence will mimic your attitude.  Having a positive mentality rubs off.  Your attitude will show on your networks, your employees, your clients and even- Julie believes- in your profit-loss statements.

You know that funny trip when a girl catches her heel on the carpet- yeah- Julie does that all the time.  She’s clumsy- she admits it- in fact, she leverages it.  It’s just another part of her personal magic.  So for people with great potential, she wants them to look at her, see how real she is, and think, “If she can do it I can do it.”

Stop worrying about perfection and you’ll be a lot more productive.  Don’t take life too seriously- and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.

Be serious about goals but don’t let minor setbacks hinder you as you pursue them.   

"When it comes to getting there," Julie says, "I have to laugh at myself sometimes.  I have to let things roll off.  Everything is a stepping stone."