The Savvy Boss is a new column in partnership with BossTalks where we sit down for a morning coffee chat with some of the savviest lady bosses from around the globe.
We just love the name NATURALLY SERIOUS! Founded by Rochelle Jacobs and Sarah McNamara, two career-driven women, longtime friends and mothers on-the-go.
Rochelle and Sarah wanted clean and conscious skincare products that supported their active lifestyles and personal values. Unable to find truly clean, ethical and effective skin care – they created Naturally Serious to take out the guesswork.
Naturally Serious is committed to using clean, good-for-you ingredients and no B.A.D. (Banned, Ambiguous or Debatable) ingredients. We recently sat down with Rochelle to tap into her secrets of success and to inspire you to take it to the next level in your business and life!
Did you have any mentors? Do believe they are important when starting a business or in the business world?
I would have to say that my mother, June Jacobs, has been my biggest inspiration and mentor. Watching her determination, how she persevered and never listened to any of the naysayers was incredibly motivating.
I think it is super encouraging to see people, especially women, who succeed in the business world in spite of everything stacked against them! With the advent of social media, you can choose who you follow and what motivates you. I think seeing others’ business achievements are really important because it keeps you going!
What are the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome thus far in your journey?
I’ve had the pleasure and the challenge of working alongside my mother for the past 23 years. Some of her best assets are also the most trying. I think learning how to navigate having a boss and a mother in one unit has been (and remains) my biggest challenge.
What’s one thing you’ve done (good or bad) in your life where you look back and say, “I can’t believe I actually did that?“
Six years ago, my mother and I flew to China for a 45-minute presentation of our brand, June Jacobs. Before the business part of the presentation, we had choreographed a yoga opening with dancers and I was planning to do some fun poses.
We had intense rehearsals but when the big day came, so did an incredible amount of traffic. When we finally arrived at the venue, the dancers were entertaining the crowd and the crew told us I was too late to perform but I was determined.
Nothing was set the way we rehearsed but I had a huge surge of adrenaline and just ran out onto the stage as if it were the Olympics gymnastic finals and started tumbling like I hadn’t done since grade school. I jumped high in the air and miraculously landed in a perfect split!
The crowd went wild. We went on to finish our presentation and had all the senior executives come up and dance on stage with us.
What entrepreneurial hacks have you developed to stay focused and productive in your day-to-day?
For me, efficiency is key. As an entrepreneur, the only thing that is known on any given day, is that every day is different and you need to be flexible with your expectations.
The best advice I was ever given was to make two short lists. The first list includes the three most important things for your business. Everyday, 80% (or more!) of what you are doing needs to support those three things.
The second list includes three things you must accomplish that day. I try to make two things easy wins, and then one thing that pushes me a little more – something that I am not necessarily looking forward to doing but needs to be done.
What are three tips you can give to someone who wants to start a business?
Launching a brand and business is truly always a work in progress so be prepared for the unexpected. The most important thing is surrounding yourself with people who are invested in your success and will give you their honest opinions. It’s important to run your brand/product idea past people in your life.
This includes business partners but also friends and relatives. A good idea all comes down to whether it will resonate with the consumer, so you want to ensure that it resonates with those consumers in your inner circle. Think of them as your own personal focus group. Listen to what they tell you and hear what they say to each other, in order to make the most informed business decisions.
Arming yourself with industry knowledge is also crucial to success. If you have this fundamental foundation then you have everything you need to make informed decisions. Know and understand the industry landscape to see where there might be white space and innovation opportunities.
Finally, never forget your customer! When faced with a dilemma try putting yourself in your customer’s shoes and ask yourself whether it is something they would truly want or need. Once you have received feedback and done your research, you will have everything you need to put together a successful business plan.
How do you define success?
Doing right by people, myself and the environment brings me joy. Knowing I can and have helped people makes me happy. While you can always do better, I fall asleep every night being very grateful for everything I have and never expecting any more.
What is your definition of a Savvy Boss?
Being a boss doesn’t mean you have to be bossy! For me there are a few key things that I think of when being a Savvy Boss:
A Savvy Boss is humble.
A Savvy Boss leads by example. If you expect something from someone, they should expect the same of you.
A Savvy Boss is always open to hearing new ideas. I think it is super important to listen to what your team is saying, even if you disagree.
A Savvy Boss knows how to motivate their team and gets their buy-in during the decision-making process to help execute business-critical tasks.
