Latest / The Confident Entrepreneur With Jennifer Ann Johnson / The Truth About Negative Feedback That No One Talks About With Christine Ierardi

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The Truth About Negative Feedback That No One Talks About With Christine Ierardi · The Confident Entrepreneur With Jennifer Ann Johnson

• 0:38
  Jennifer Johnson: We all know that customer feedback is important.
• 0:41
  Jennifer Johnson: But here's what I find fascinating.
• 0:44
  Jennifer Johnson: Some business owners treat feedback like a complaint box and they feel like they have to manage it.
• 0:51
  Jennifer Johnson: While others see it as a gold mine for innovation.
• 0:56
  Jennifer Johnson: The difference between these two approaches are really something that can literally transform your business.
• 1:02
  Jennifer Johnson: The most successful companies aren't just listening to their customers, they're turning those insights into breakthrough innovations for their businesses that nobody saw coming.
• 1:13
  Jennifer Johnson: Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Christine Ierardi, who is a high-ticket event strategist and she's the founder of Women in Business.
• 1:23
  Jennifer Johnson: And she's also the creator of the Women in Business Icon event as well.
• 1:30
  Jennifer Johnson: We're going to transform or explore transforming everyday customer feedback into powerful innovation that drives real business growth.
• 1:39
  Jennifer Johnson: Welcome, Christine.
• 1:41
  Jennifer Johnson: Well, thank you for having me, Jennifer.
• 1:43
  Jennifer Johnson: I'm excited to be here with you.
• 1:44
  Jennifer Johnson: Did I say your name right?
• 1:45
  Jennifer Johnson: You did.
• 1:46
  Jennifer Johnson: It was pretty much all right.
• 1:48
  Jennifer Johnson: I wonderful, wonderful.
• 1:53
  Jennifer Johnson: Well, I have known you in our community.
• 1:55
  Jennifer Johnson: I have seen you all over social.
• 1:58
  Jennifer Johnson: And you have a pretty amazing business.
• 2:00
  Jennifer Johnson: And I thought this just spoke to all of the things that you do.
• 2:06
  Jennifer Johnson: And uh I just want to get started because I feel like this is such an appropriate topic for a lot of our business owners out there who are listening.
• 2:15
  Jennifer Johnson: So the foundation of customer feedback and tying it back into innovation, what's the difference between just collecting that customer feedback?
• 2:27
  Jennifer Johnson: Because, you know, people leave Google reviews, they leave Yelp reviews, all of those things.
• 2:33
  Jennifer Johnson: Or you do have that little box at your at your business where they can drop in that card and and tell you what they think.
• 2:40
  Jennifer Johnson: But what's the difference between actually collecting all of that feedback and then using it to drive innovation?
• 2:47
  Jennifer Johnson: And where do you see most businesses fall short in that area?
• 2:51
  Jennifer Johnson: Definitely.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_03: Most businesses, I feel, will ask for that information or maybe not even ask for that.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_03: And that is usually the biggest one.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_03: They don't even ask for the feedback.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_03: And so they're just going on with their business, not really knowing how it's affecting their clients and customers.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_03: And that's the first thing.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_03: But when you actually ask for that information, use it for your benefit, for theirs.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_03: Because when you actually listen to the client, it's going to make your events, your business that much better for all of the other people that are coming into your world.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think it's really important to actually not only listen to it, but to implement it.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_03: Because when you start changing it, the one person that made that comment, it's going to actually, there's five other people that that didn't share that information with you.
• 3:37
  Jennifer Johnson: That's a very good point because I I don't remember there was a statistic at one point, you know, um ex-customers say that they'll come to you and say they don't like what you're doing, but so many more are being silent and not saying anything.
• 3:51
  Jennifer Johnson: They're voting with their feet and just not coming back.
• 3:53
  Jennifer Johnson: Correct.
• 3:54
  Jennifer Johnson: It's very true.
• 3:55
  Jennifer Johnson: And this is the way that you can can actually do something about it.
• 3:58
  Jennifer Johnson: But I'm curious as to your experience with this.
• 4:01
  Jennifer Johnson: What was, or maybe there wasn't, maybe it was accumulation of things, but a specific moment that you saw the power of taking feedback and making changes, making innovation in in one of your events that you've done, or maybe it was for a client.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_03: Correct.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_03: I would say honestly, the first brunch that I ever did, I created this space for myself because I was in an isolated relationship.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_03: And I wanted that community with other business owners to be able to connect and collaborate.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_03: And I went into it knowing I could put events on, but was this something that was actually needed?
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_03: So I went in and I immediately asked for their opinions and what they thought.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_03: I did a survey at the end of the event because I really wanted to know.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_03: I wanted to make sure that this was going to be successful, right?
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think when we when we're open to it, instead of thinking taking it as a negative, that's when things can change for us.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_03: Instead of looking at it and saying, oh, she didn't like this or they didn't like that, instead of sitting in their shoes, right?
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_03: And thinking about their experience, because with my events, that's something that's so important.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_03: It's the experience.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_03: And sometimes when you're on this side, you can't experience it how they do.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_03: So using that really has transformed how I do my events.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_03: For example, one of them, something so simple.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_03: I thought people 30 minutes was enough for them to connect.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_03: I thought people would love to sit down, but in reality, they wanted more time.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_03: And so if I didn't ask what they wanted or what could be better for them, I would have never known that.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_03: And they would have just felt rushed every time.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_03: So I've used that feedback.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_03: So now we have an hour, right, of connection time.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_03: Listen to what they're saying to you because they're telling you for a reason, right?
• 5:46
  Jennifer Johnson: Right.
• 5:47
  Jennifer Johnson: Do you remember the first time you got that feedback and what it felt like?
• 5:51
  unknown: Yeah.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_03: And at first you it sinks in and you think, Oh, I could have done right.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_03: Like, I didn't think about that.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_03: Why didn't I think of this, right?
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_03: Because I have done um pop-up shops too before.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_03: So I've been around so many female entrepreneurs.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_03: And that was something I didn't I didn't know when I started, right?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_03: How to do this, these events.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_03: I just kind of started them.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_03: So when you get it, you thought, you thought, oh, I I know what I'm doing.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_03: But then you get that feedback and it kind of hits you in the gut.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_03: But you could stay there in that feeling, or you can actually turn that into something that can really help and continue on.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_03: Because if you stay in that space, then you your business might not succeed, right?
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_03: Because you're you're just focusing on that feeling instead of where can I expand and grow?
• 6:42
  Jennifer Johnson: Right, exactly.
• 6:43
  Jennifer Johnson: Well, I mean, so you you have your positive feedback and then you have your not so positive feedback.
• 6:51
  Jennifer Johnson: And what type have you seen?
• 6:55
  Jennifer Johnson: Positive, negative, in between, neutral.
• 6:58
  Jennifer Johnson: Sometimes neutral can be that X factor that you didn't see coming.
• 7:03
  Jennifer Johnson: But in your experience, which has been the most beneficial to innovating what you're doing?
• 7:12
  Jennifer Johnson: Let's see.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's a combination of them, right?
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_03: I think the positive is great because it gives you that boost to keep going.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_03: But then when you get the ones that are, oh, maybe this I didn't love this, it makes you think even more and dive deeper into your business.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that's I think the negative sometimes are the best because now you have to spin it, right?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_03: And think of a different way.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_03: And how can I make this person's experience better?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_03: And that's where the true innovation comes from, because you really have to dive deeper.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 7:46
  Jennifer Johnson: Do you keep this like in a notebook?
• 7:49
  Jennifer Johnson: Do you keep this in how do you track that?
• 7:51
  Jennifer Johnson: How do you keep it as you're going through your events?
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_03: When I first started doing it, I would say I think I I maybe even had them writing on forms, and now everything is digital for me.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_03: So whether it's a QR code at the event, and it's all in my CRM system.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_03: So I can go in and look at my surveys and see what people, you know, what feedback they gave me.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_03: I I love to do pre-event surveys too.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_03: I think this is important too, just to see who your clients are, what do they really want?
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_03: Because if you don't ask, you're not going to know.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: And I think a lot of business owners get so buried in the business, they forget to stop and ask what people really want.
• 8:31
  Jennifer Johnson: Because you're doing it for your the attendee, you're not doing it for yourself.
• 8:35
  Jennifer Johnson: Right.
• 8:36
  Jennifer Johnson: That's hard sometimes.
• 8:37
  Jennifer Johnson: You know, so there's a difference between when you're a solopreneur or maybe you only have one other employee versus somebody who has a whole team of people.
• 8:47
  Jennifer Johnson: And how do you train your team to listen and to be still enough to hear what's happening?
• 8:56
  Jennifer Johnson: You know, maybe it's at an event or it's in passing.
• 9:00
  Jennifer Johnson: How do you train them to have their ears open to that?
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_03: I let them know, you know, all of this feedback, while in the moment it might seem like you're being attacked or you know, it's not the best.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_03: Just let them explain, right?
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_03: The less talking you do and the more you hear from them, it's going to be better.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_03: And then we could take that information and get back to that client after, just taking a breath in that because when we react, it's not going to be the best, you know, in that moment.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_03: So you can just let the client know.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_03: You the per our team member, let the client know, we would love, we are so thankful for your feedback and we will definitely respond to you.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_03: And whether it's your manager that's at your store, let's say, or potentially me, that we will definitely get back to you on this and make sure that it's taken care of for you.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_03: Because I think that's important.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_03: People just want to be heard at the end of the day.
• 9:52
  Jennifer Johnson: But how do you, how do you, because I I've been on the other end, I've been on the end of positive and negative and neutral.
• 10:00
  Jennifer Johnson: Yeah.
• 10:00
  Jennifer Johnson: How do you set yourself up to knowing that no matter what, you're you're not going to please everyone?
• 10:07
  Jennifer Johnson: But when that feedback comes in, it can sting, it can hurt.
• 10:11
  Jennifer Johnson: How do you not take that personally when you're the owner of the company?
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_03: I think because I'm we're human, right?
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: Mistakes are going to happen, and we have to be okay with that and just turn them into something positive.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_03: I'll use an example.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I have I had my conference that we just did, and I have people fill out their information, and then we create badges for them.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_03: And one lady was so upset, her name was spelt wrong on the badge.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_03: And she wanted a new badge right then and there.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_03: Of course, that was not possible, but I just went up.
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_03: My one of the people I work with came up to me and told me, and I went up to her and just let her know how sorry we were, right?
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_03: Unfortunately, there's nothing I could do right now, but I will go and check on this and see what went wrong for you, right?
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_03: So it's just it's just taking that time for the person.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: It was it was something that, you know, I don't know, maybe it would have affected me at the event, right?
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: Because you wanted to be perfect, right?
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: But but we're human.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_03: I, you know, I can't be on top of every single name that I imported, and maybe just the way my CRM system went into my Canva file, something didn't align, right?
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_03: But we have to be give ourselves grace, right?
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_03: Mistakes happen, and imperfect action is better than no action, right?
• 11:35
  Jennifer Johnson: I have a saying it's Pobuddies nerf it.
• 11:40
  Jennifer Johnson: Because we're not, and I guess once we start realizing that it kind of uh drops that veil of terror if you start getting some of this feedback.
• 11:53
  Jennifer Johnson: Have you noticed the difference between feedback that leads to small improvements versus feedback that leads to really big breakthroughs in your business?
• 12:03
  Jennifer Johnson: Is there a difference or is it all kind of the same?
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_03: I I honestly look at it all the same because I think that the feedback, no matter what it is, is going to impact what I do and the business.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_03: And when you look at it that way, I think it really makes the big difference.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_03: So in the business.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_03: So I don't I don't find anything too small.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_03: Like that, even that little thing on her, you know, name badge made me look at maybe something's not connecting, right?
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_03: So what is different there?
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_03: And it did affect her experience exactly.
• 12:35
  Jennifer Johnson: It wasn't big for one person, but it could be big for someone else.
• 12:38
  Jennifer Johnson: Exactly.
• 12:39
  Jennifer Johnson: Yeah.
• 12:40
  Jennifer Johnson: So now I want to move into uh actually how you collect the right feedback.
• 12:46
  Jennifer Johnson: And what in your experience have you realized were the most effective ways to actually gather this kind of intel, if you will, that led to innovation?
• 13:01
  Jennifer Johnson: Because you know, you can have your surface level complaints or your surface level, yay, you did a great job, because it's also good to know what you're doing well, so you can keep doing it.
• 13:10
  Jennifer Johnson: But what's the most effective way to gather that information?
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_03: Honestly, if for events, the day of is the best.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: Of course, I do things virtually, but even sometimes the paper in front of the person is going to make the huge difference.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_03: And keeping questions open-ended, don't give them an answer.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_03: Letting letting them have a bigger space to write what they want.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_03: What did you feel we did best today?
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_03: What do you think we should work on?
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_03: Or and even leaving another one, what comments or what what would you like to see that we didn't have?
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_03: And that opens it up for them to really give the feedback that they want.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_03: We're not limiting them with, you know, what did you like this speaker?
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_03: What, you know, like, or was this speaker good?
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_03: Yes or no, right?
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_03: Trying to get the answer that you want to get.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, yes, or right, exactly it was all great.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_03: It was all great, and it was all great.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_03: Like, great, this is perfect.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_03: We did amazing, yeah.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_03: So so keeping the questions open to getting negative feedback, right?
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_03: And I think that makes it even better instead of just hearing things are great, because when that happens, then nothing really changes.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 16:48
  Jennifer Johnson: You get the honest feedback, and I guess that goes part in parcel with asking the right questions because you I guess it goes along with as well, yeah, to getting your customers to give you their deeper frustrations.
• 17:05
  Jennifer Johnson: Because there's one thing where you know, there's always a story, there's always another story that we're not hearing, right?
• 17:12
  Jennifer Johnson: To get them to share those deeper frustrations, is it the same way?
• 17:15
  Jennifer Johnson: Is it just asking those open-ended questions?
• 17:18
  Jennifer Johnson: I think so.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_03: I use a lot, even with getting just information, excuse me, on my clients.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_03: I'll ask them, you know, what's your biggest struggle in your business right now?
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_03: Opening them up to that, to continue to give that information.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_03: Because if I just said, you know, are you having trouble with your email?
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_03: And maybe that's not what their issue is at all, but they're going to answer that.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_03: That doesn't help me, right?
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_03: Because everyone is different.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think that's why with the open-ended, it really makes a big difference.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_03: I've noticed that because then you're kind of limiting them and putting it in a box when you give them just answers you think that they should answer, right?
• 17:57
  Jennifer Johnson: So there's the the customers who actually speak up and give you that that feedback, but then you're also going to have customers who just choose to not come back, right?
• 18:09
  Jennifer Johnson: And do you reach out to them if you notice that, hey, they haven't come to my event in in six months, and I have one every month?
• 18:17
  Jennifer Johnson: Or do you reach out to them and and say, hey, what could we have done better, or we haven't seen you?
• 18:24
  Jennifer Johnson: Is that something that you could do?
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_03: That is something that I could definitely do.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_03: I will say I personally haven't done that much.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_03: I've done it a few times when I notice, you know, if it's, you know, even a sponsor, someone that was sponsoring, right?
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_03: And if they maybe decide to go another route, and sometimes it's financial, right?
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_03: But you like to know, and that that is a good way to go about it and reach out to them.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_03: I don't, I'm not, I don't want to call it pushy by doing that, but I almost don't want to pry sometimes.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_03: I know that feedback is valuable, but sometimes I am like, okay, you know, if they don't want to share, but I will, I think what an email or maybe just a message one time to just see what's going on would be really beneficial.
• 19:07
  Jennifer Johnson: Right.
• 19:08
  Jennifer Johnson: Because maybe that can lead you to uh yet another gap.
• 19:12
  Jennifer Johnson: Definitely that you didn't know, and it it could change something, it could be somebody else.
• 19:20
  Jennifer Johnson: Because so many times we have people who just don't show back up, yeah.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_03: And it is, and we can track that, you know, there with cats and things, but sometimes it's uh it's difficult to track, right?
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_03: Who isn't?
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_03: But I think you notice when if someone was coming all the time and then they're just not there.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_03: What happened?
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_03: Right, where did it go?
• 19:40
  Jennifer Johnson: Do you have a process from the moment you collect it and then taking those insights that you're learning and trying to distill it down into an actionable step to implement a suggestion, for example?
• 20:00
  Jennifer Johnson: Do you have a process around that?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_03: Honestly, my process is pretty much immediate.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_03: I will look at it and I will immediately write it down and see how we can do it for the next event.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_03: Someone had this great suggestion from the last conference, right?
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_03: And if I didn't ask, I wouldn't have even thought about it.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_03: But in that space we had, we had one room at our conference.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_03: Now we're doing a two-day and we have more space, we do headshots.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_03: And someone said, usually these are done in another room so that you can have privacy, right?
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_03: And I was like, that is a great, you know, that's so smart.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_03: Obviously, we didn't have the space here to do that, but now with the two-day that I'm writing this down immediately.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_03: This is a great idea.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_03: We could do something completely different, really create that exclusive experience for people, and they're gonna be more comfortable in the space doing that.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: You know, I saw it differently because people are able to go throughout the event and take even more headshots.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we kind of did it free and flowing, but now this is a great way that you get your set time, you can feel comfortable, different ways to look at it.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_03: But immediately I put that down because when you leave it, you're going to forget it.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_03: So you have to really write it down, even have a note, you know, in your phone that your suggestions that you can do for even if you don't have the event, my event's next year, but you're planning for it now, right?
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_03: So, and it's fresh and in your mind.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think that just having it ready and set up for your next event is really helpful to do that, or what you know, whatever your business is.
• 21:28
  Jennifer Johnson: So you do it immediately, but let's say you get some some comments that that you're like, I don't know how that I can do this immediately.
• 21:37
  Jennifer Johnson: How do you compartmentalize this I can do immediately and this I can't?
• 21:42
  Jennifer Johnson: Is there kind of a way that you look at it?
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_03: I think you write these things down or have a space for it so you know, you know, another feedback we got, and and so we implemented something else.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_03: People don't, not everyone loves fish, right?
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_03: We do this at sea salt.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_03: And so the food option, and I said, okay, I can't do something about it right now, but what will this look like for me in the future?
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_03: And I start to think about it then, write a little, write some notes and figure it out, and then work, you know, reach out to the restaurant.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_03: Should we can we have options?
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_03: You know, could we make it this and and ask them, do they have, you know, put it in the survey, right?
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_03: So I do the pre-event survey so people can give feedback on the food selection and let them know the menu, right?
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_03: So it's just use what you can in that moment, but then keeping it in your mind and keeping those notes so that you can adjust and figure out what's going to be the best thing, even if it's not right in that moment.
• 22:38
  Jennifer Johnson: But then you also have to look at it as is this from this feedback, what they're suggesting, is that the best investment for my event or for my business, right?
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_03: And it and it, like I said, if we were still doing our event at the Naples Grand this coming year, her suggestion for doing the photos in another space wouldn't work, right?
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_03: But so I would have to maybe adjust it in a new way, but but it was great feedback that I would essentially be able to use at another time, right?
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_03: So it's good to know that not everything needs to be done right away.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_03: You have to work for what you can do in your business at that time, or even just adjusting it a little.
• 23:21
  Jennifer Johnson: So, how do you not, and I at risk of being I how do you not feel like you're going crazy when you're getting all this feedback and everybody wants something different?
• 23:34
  Jennifer Johnson: And you know, sifting it out to knowing, I guess it's knowing what will work best for your event, but making sure that you're not losing sight of what you want your event to be like, but still taking into account what your customers are asking for.
• 23:56
  Jennifer Johnson: Correct.
• 23:56
  Jennifer Johnson: That's a great question.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_03: And I think when you start to see a problem or what people want, and a lot of people are sharing that with you, I think you can focus on that more than just sporadic, you know, oh, we didn't like this meal or this wasn't good, you know, and just like random things that people say throughout.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_03: But when you start to see multiple people sharing the same thing, or they want the same thing or need that, and I think that's when you can focus on that.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_03: Because then you really have to take a look at, yes, this is what I want, but these are the people that I want here, also, right?
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_03: These are the people that I want to help.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_03: So I need to look at it that way now in a different light than just what I specifically want, right?
• 24:39
  Jennifer Johnson: Sure.
• 24:40
  Jennifer Johnson: So when you're creating a new event, do you think about all of the things that you've done in past events and and kind of mesh them all together to create one like in your mind?
• 24:54
  Jennifer Johnson: The perfect, yes.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_03: I think right, I do, and it's very true.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_03: You have to, and I I look back at things.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_03: As well, even with my clients, something so simple that people forget when they are hosting events are either a garbage or right?
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_03: People always forget that, or cleaning things up, and it's so simple, but it's something we forget.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_03: So just bringing all of that in, you know, little things that you forget.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, obviously I know this now, but it's little things like that that you remember like, okay, this didn't work here, this worked well here, and that's how you can really create that event or your business, right?
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_03: What's working well?
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_03: And like I said, too, when I'm creating something new, I ask people, you know, what are they, what it, what do they actually want?
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_03: And of course it has to be something that, you know, I'm passionate about, or they're, you know, I'm not, it's not going to be great then, right?
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_03: You're just like, here, I made this for you.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_03: I don't have any passion.
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 25:54
  Jennifer Johnson: Hope it's good, you know.
• 25:56
  Jennifer Johnson: Do you have a checklist?
• 25:57
  Jennifer Johnson: I'm curious.
• 25:58
  Jennifer Johnson: Do you have a checklist as you're you're dreaming out new events and you're like, okay, I have to, is that how you do that?
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_03: I do have checklists.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_03: I make checklists for everything for my week, for you know, making sure everything's there and it's detailed.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_03: Because then we just get so caught up in in what we're doing, we can forget.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_03: So I think it's really important to have that to stay organized and structure is good to have, you know.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 26:23
  Jennifer Johnson: Right.
• 26:24
  Jennifer Johnson: So you get the feedback from your customers, your event attendees, you make that change.
• 26:31
  Jennifer Johnson: Now, how do you transition to closing that loop from the original, you know, that person that said this to the actual innovation?
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_03: I well, first of all, I I will reach out to the people that gave the feedback and thank them for that, which I think is important because so many times they feel they just shared and they're they're not getting any feedback from you as well.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_03: So I think that's very important to acknowledge, good or bad.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_03: You know, thank you for taking your time to do this and helping.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_03: And so, you know, the loop it closes when you when you decide what's going to work and what you're going to implement, but it continues.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_03: It's a it's ongoing, right?
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_03: So it something's going to be different for everyone at every event, even if you're doing it perfectly, right?
• 27:18
  SPEAKER_03: And like I said, even the badge goes, it's a different, right?
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_03: It's living, it's breathing, it's not hypostatic.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_03: Correct.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_03: And that's why.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_03: So I think it's a continuous loop, right?
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_03: It just keeps going.
• 27:33
  SPEAKER_03: But you're able to, it's not overwhelming because you're doing it strategically.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_03: You're doing it when, you know, let's say you did this a few times a year for your business, right?
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_03: And it's not every event that you have, but a few times a year checking in with the clients that are coming in.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_03: Are we is my team doing what they're supposed to, right?
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_03: And then you can work with that, and and it's going to get better, it's going to improve, obviously, right?
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_03: So your feedback is going to be a little bit less, and that's when and that's when it makes it, you know, all worth it when you're asking.
• 28:05
  Jennifer Johnson: So, what are some examples that you have in your business that, or or maybe in in other businesses that you've seen that seemed small, inconsequential, that really ended up having a big impact that you never thought that would be the case?
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_03: Let's see.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_03: That's a good question.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_03: What will we think about on that one?
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, maybe it's the badge that I didn't think.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_03: No, I think even just the feedback on that little bit of time extra for people to connect, you know, I didn't think that they even wanted that, right?
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think it's it's so much more powerful now that they have that time and they're not rushed.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_03: And that to me, I was like, do they really want that?
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_03: I felt like they were just standing there, right?
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_03: But they were doing something purposeful.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, oh, I I need to see sit them down, but now that's something that I I wouldn't have thought of, and it's so small, right?
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_03: Just adding a little bit more time for them when they're just connecting.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_03: So just little things like that make a huge difference in the feel and experience of the events.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_03: And what else, you know, even as I mentioned, the food selection to me, I'm just a foodie, so I eat everything.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_03: So I don't think about it.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_03: But it matters to people that is that's an experience, right?
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_03: Another part of your senses, really, right?
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_03: That's what it is.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_03: And there, if that's not being satisfied, then their go their experience, it doesn't matter what happened at the event, now their experience is is ruined, right?
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_03: Just from the meal, right?
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_03: So it's like little things like that that we just get, we're in our our business so much that we those little little tweaks really can make huge difference.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_03: And sometimes that comes from outside people telling us because we don't always see it.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_03: Exactly.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_03: Because we're kind of in this broader vision of what we want and want to help with.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_03: So these little nuances or little things, they really matter even more than this big picture that we see, right?
• 30:13
  Jennifer Johnson: Right, exactly.
• 30:14
  Jennifer Johnson: Tiny details.
• 30:15
  Jennifer Johnson: So as we're wrapping up, I know that we have listeners who are are immersing themselves in this episode, and they're like, you know what?
• 30:25
  Jennifer Johnson: I want to get better at this.
• 30:26
  Jennifer Johnson: I want to get better at collecting the feedback and actually doing something with it and maybe doing something innovative with it that's going to move the needle in my business.
• 30:35
  Jennifer Johnson: If you have advice, what's one piece of advice that you would give our listeners to take the first step to today?
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, ask your audience, send an email out to your email list, put a story on social media and ask, you know, maybe it's what's your biggest struggle, or what are you looking to do with your business in six months, you know, depending on what it is, or fashion-wise, right?
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_03: You know, what yeah, all different things that you can ask.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_03: Like, what it where do you want to see yourself with your fashion, right?
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_03: In a few months, or what does that look like to you?
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_03: And just asking because so often we're just doing and we don't stop.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_03: And once you ask, people are going to tell you they want to share their opinions.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_03: You can do a post on social media too.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_03: Make it simple.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_03: You don't need to have a whole form or survey, just ask a question, right?
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_03: Something similar is easier, and then just take that data, take screenshots, or you know, now you have it in your emails and make a Google Doc on that information that you have or in your notes, and now you can use that and really look into it and say, what can I adjust right now?
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_03: That's great advice.
• 31:44
  Jennifer Johnson: We're gonna move on to the final four.
• 31:47
  Jennifer Johnson: Are you ready for the final four?
• 31:49
  Jennifer Johnson: I think so.
• 31:50
  Jennifer Johnson: Like, what's the final four?
• 31:52
  Jennifer Johnson: The final four are four questions that I ask every guest who are on my show.
• 31:57
  Jennifer Johnson: And I'm excited to always hear what these answers are to these questions because it's very fascinating.
• 32:06
  Jennifer Johnson: And um, I've gotten really some great advice and great information from this.
• 32:10
  Jennifer Johnson: So the first question is what is your favorite book that you've read and what made it stick with you?
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, well, I'm going to be transparent here.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_03: I don't necessarily read the books, I listen to them, but it was the Robbins Let them.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, great book.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_03: I love this because we get so caught up in sometimes we can.
• 32:34
  SPEAKER_03: We see people that are copying us or doing you know the same thing, and and you just have to let them because you know what?
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_03: They're never going to be you, right?
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_03: So, and and that's actually something I'm teaching now.
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_03: I'm sharing my brunch and you know, what I do with the brunch and how to make it successful for everyone's business, because we can all do the same thing and be successful, right?
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_03: And I just love that.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_03: And so it was it's just a mindset shift for me, and that's why I love it because when I see it, I'm just like, let them, or it's great advice because honestly, you know, like your events, they're a fingerprint, they're different, they're going to be different if I did one, if you did one, because it has your spin on it.
• 33:17
  Jennifer Johnson: So that was a really great book.
• 33:19
  Jennifer Johnson: Do you have a favorite quote or favorite piece of advice that you find yourself coming back to time and time again?
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_03: I would say, and this is something I've been sharing too.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_03: No matter what you're doing in your business, if you're getting mentorship, learning something new, remember who you are and just stay authentic to yourself.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_03: Because just because someone's doing ABC, X, Y, Z for their business doesn't mean you have to do every single step that they're doing.
• 33:47
  SPEAKER_03: Make it work for you and take that, what you're learning that's new, and implement it into your business.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_03: But it doesn't need to be exact because you want it to be about you, and I think it's really important.
• 33:57
  Jennifer Johnson: It's your journey, yes, for sure.
• 34:00
  Jennifer Johnson: What is one habit or practice that has genuinely changed your life?
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_03: Honestly, praying at night all the time, and I just like sit in prayer and I just like I'm open to it, right?
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_03: So I just want people, I just want to be fed whatever I need to be fed that at that time and being open to to change and to just you know new things, right?
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_03: So it really changed things for me because I'm able to just let things go, kind of, or come up with a new idea and do it.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_03: So really changed things for me.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 34:41
  Jennifer Johnson: And then if you could have dinner with anyone, oh my goodness, whether they're living or not, who would that be and why would you want to have dinner with them?
• 34:50
  Jennifer Johnson: This is a good question.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_03: I this is something I don't even know.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_03: I know it really is.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_03: Hmm, living or I don't even know if it would be who it would be.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_03: I would I would just say someone that is more successful than me, I would say.
• 35:10
  SPEAKER_03: And just so I could pick their brain and see what were some of the things that worked for you that could take me to the next level, and you know, maybe find out their personality a little bit better.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_03: Because I think the mindset is a big thing too.
• 35:28
  SPEAKER_03: And so while I don't know the person that I would want to that's okay.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_03: Someone that I I could just get their experiences and see what their life looked like, how they got there, and just you know, see what there's that there's that learning part again that you just talked about, yeah.
• 35:49
  Jennifer Johnson: You know, being able to and and willing and open to learning from people.
• 35:54
  Jennifer Johnson: Yes, it's so important because we don't know everything, right?
• 35:58
  Jennifer Johnson: We shouldn't.
• 35:59
  Jennifer Johnson: We should never walk in being the smartest person in the room.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_03: I agree.
• 36:03
  Jennifer Johnson: And it's getting in those rooms.
• 36:04
  Jennifer Johnson: I love it.
• 36:05
  Jennifer Johnson: It's so important.
• 36:07
  Jennifer Johnson: I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together.
• 36:09
  Jennifer Johnson: If our listeners would like to get a hold of you, how can they do so?
• 36:13
  Jennifer Johnson: Definitely.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_03: You can go if you're local to Southwest Florida, if this is, you can go to wibswfl.com.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_03: That's all about the women in business.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_03: And then my other website, if you want to go to my masterclass, which talks all about my events, that is events that sell dot com.
• 36:33
  Jennifer Johnson: Wonderful.
• 36:34
  Jennifer Johnson: Thank you so much, Christine, for being on my show today.
• 36:37
  Jennifer Johnson: Thank you for having me.
• 36:38
  Jennifer Johnson: It's been a pleasure.
• 36:39
  Jennifer Johnson: And thank you to my listeners.