#21: Be scared and do it anyway with Jessica Principe, Founder of All Girl Shave Club
Did you ever make a business mistake so embarrassing it made you so worried for days?
If you have, you’re going to have a lot of takeaways from this interview with Jessica Principe, Founder of All Girl Shave Club.
Today, she shares about how she:
Turned an embarrassing experience into a lesson about overcoming fear and regaining confidence in business!
Launched her subscription business successfully and the things she did to make it grow such as building and nurturing a strong lead list.
Learned how to make decisions and how to trust the process.
If you’re looking for reassurance that experiencing fear in business at first is normal and not really a sign that you’re doing something wrong, you’ll love her interview.
Don’t miss her embarrassing story that made us laugh and get a little feisty.
Check out Jessica https://jessicaprincipe.com or on Instagram @jessica_principe.
Are you a visionary entrepreneur who wants to create change with your company in the world? If so, I want to let you know about a free masterclass that I just wrapped up. In this short but powerful training, I teach you exactly how to create a brand that inspires the hearts and minds of your audience and invites them into massive action. These are the very same frameworks that I've used to help my own private consulting clients and national companies you know and love, spread their mission, launch expansion, and accelerate influence. To join in, visit https://joybrandcreative.com/movement.
Listen to the Show:
Laura (00:00):
Before we get started, I wanted to let you know about a very special masterclass that I just wrapped up. If you're a visionary entrepreneur and you love changing lives with your company, you're going to love this free training. In this short but powerful video, I teach you exactly how to craft a brand that inspires the hearts and minds of your audience and invites them into massive action. These are the very same frameworks that I've used to help my own private consulting clients and national companies spread their mission, launch expansion and accelerate influence to join in visit joybrandcreative.com/movement. That's joybrandcreative.com/movement. Also available in the show notes.
(00:46):
This is the Scale with Joy show, episode 21: be scared and do it anyway with Jessica Principe.
(00:56):
Welcome to the Scale with Joy show, a podcast about scaling your company while living your most purposeful life, because here's the thing: there are no rules to say you can't grow a massively profitable empire and have joy in the everyday. My name is Laura Meyer and let's get started.
(01:21):
Hey everybody. I am here with Jessica Principe and she is the CEO and Founder of the All Girl Shave Club. I'm so excited for her to share her nuggets of wisdom with you. We were bantering over email before we started getting into this interview, and just now, like many of the speakers I'm like, wait, hold on, hold on, we gotta to stop talking. I'm going to hit record because I don't want anyone to miss this. This is so good. So, Jessica, if you wouldn't mind just sharing a little bit about your background and what brought you to today.
Jessica (01:50):
Absolutely. So thank you so much for having me, first of all. I started All Girl Shave Club in late 2016, All Girl Shave Club is just shaving subscription service and e-commerce store for shaving and body products for women, really unique and fun products. We have been running since 2016. I'm also starting to diversify a little bit and grow into teaching other women who are looking to add a subscription component or e-commerce component to their business as well.
Laura (02:19):
So great. You did not start this business that long ago.
Jessica (02:23):
No, I still consider myself a baby business. Really. It's so hard to kind of wrap my brain around how much it has grown in the last few years, but I'm so grateful for it.
Laura (02:32):
It's so cool that you have, like I said, only been in business for a few years. Many of our speakers have been in business for like 10 or 15 years. You're into the multiple six figures. Like what did you feel like you did really well to have that type of success in that period of time?
Jessica (02:47):
That is such a good question. I get asked that question a lot and I love to share because I truly had no experience doing what I'm doing. Like I came from an educational school background, like I was in the operations of a private school. And so I didn't have experience in e-commerce or subscription commerce. So this was brand new for me. And I really had to learn on the fly. I consider myself a self-taught product entrepreneur, but I think the very best thing that I did and what I'm teaching people to do now is running a very strong prelaunch. That is like the most important thing. And that is really just testing product market fit before you bring your product to market, before you invest a ton of money and resources into producing a product that maybe nobody will buy. I worked really hard during my prelaunch days, making sure that I was building up a strong need list, nurturing that lead list, making sure that I was prepared to meet and even exceed my potential customer's expectations before I spent any money on factoring and producing my product.
Laura (03:52):
That's so good. Okay. I want to unpack this for a little bit. Was that hard for you to delay that gratification? Like, were you kind of like, oh, are they going to buy, are they going to buy? Because that's so good, but so few people do that.
Jessica (04:05):
For sure. And I talk about this all the time about how that's like the not sexy part of business, right. We all want to do the fun stuff and that's not really the exciting part because it's not instant gratification. So it was super hard, but I knew that it was really important because I didn't want to waste my time or my money.
Laura (04:24):
So were you spending money at that point? Were you making some investments on developing that lead list?
Jessica (04:29):
Yeah, a little bit. You know, I was starting to obviously the software and the tech and the tools that you have to use to do that. We were spending money on it and I was spending a little bit of money on just, you know, products, sampling and things like that, photography, producing like mockups and things like that. So a little bit of money in the beginning, but mostly I waited to spend until I saw that list growing until I felt more comfortable that this might have legs.
Laura (04:55):
And did you have a number?
Jessica (04:56):
I knew that about 10% of my leads would convert to sales. And so I was really trying to hit that 1,000 mark as far as lead list before I felt like I could pull the plug and launch it
Laura (05:07):
So good. And I love that you were keeping them warm. Sometimes I go into companies, I do consult for brands like national brands, and sometimes you go in and they haven't communicated with their list in like six months. And you're like, oh my gosh, it's like the least expensive, easiest way to make sure that people engage with your message. So, and the other thing too, Jessica, is that you're a faith-based leader and, you know, just for full transparency, for anybody who's listening, I've invited both purpose based and faith-based leaders here and really asked them to speak openly about how that has played into their decision making. Like how did you balance that with prayer and faith and then kind of having these like, okay, when I'm going to launch it this time, was that something that you felt like came from a spiritual side or was it business or both?
Jessica (05:53):
Absolutely both. So in the beginning, and I always say that having my business and growing my business and even scaling my business has strengthened my faith. It has just changed my walk with the Lord. And so I absolutely believe that in the beginning and even through today, I do, I do everything very perfectly and intentionally, but also learning to kind of tune into my own intuition and what I'm feeling and what I'm seeing happening and trusting that process.
Laura (06:23):
What would you say to somebody who would have fear around stepping out into trying something new? Like what you did?
Jessica (06:33):
Yeah, that was a big piece of my journey. So in the beginning I was so nervous to even start my prelaunch. I knew what I wanted to do and I knew the direction I wanted to take it, but I was so afraid I have kept having that rea of those thoughts saying, who are you to do this? Like who's going to buy from you. There's already big brands out there doing something similar. You know you're crazy. I didn't know because I didn't come from this type of background. I didn't know what imposter syndrome was. I didn't know that that was a real thing.
(07:04):
I went to an event in Tennessee. I learned there about imposter syndrome and fear and all of those things and how that's just normal. That's like something that everyone experiences. Fear is really not a sign that I'm doing something wrong or I'm stepping into something that's dangerous or whatever. It's really just our body's natural reaction to the unknown and to just move past it and to recognize that limiting belief and to learn how to get over it.
Laura (07:31):
Yeah. Are there any specific action steps that you felt like you took to kind of move through it or is it just really the awareness of it?
Jessica (07:38):
This awareness was a big piece for me and attending that event where I met other people that were also going through the same thing with a big piece of it, because, you know, you can really start to feel very lonely and kind of in your own head, but when you connect with other women and other business owners that are going through the same thing, it just helps to make it easier to get through. It helps to kind of get some confidence that, okay, I'm not crazy. I'm not alone. There's other people suffering here and we can do this together.
Laura (08:06):
I really always encourage that. I always say like, try not to play the lone wolf game. Like, you know, and the busier you get, the easier it's to do that. Do you still struggle with those thoughts today or have they pretty much subsided?
Jessica (08:18):
So I think every new level, they peak out again. With new talent, and new levels, it comes back. But I do try to stay super surrounded with people that can encourage me. And that can help me to kind of squash those things when they're happening.
Laura (08:34):
Is that family or other businesspeople or both?
Jessica (08:38):
Both, I'm very, very lucky to have my husband who's super supportive. And he really is my number one cheerleader and can pull me out of those funks and those spirals pretty quick. But I also, you know, voxer all of my girlfriends and things like that. We helped each other along.
Laura (08:53):
I love Voxer too. If people haven't heard of Voxer, it's so good. It's like, especially if you're in different time zones from people, it's great to be able to touch base with them. It's kind of like a walkie talkie, that you can walk around and I guess it's the modern-day walkie talkie. That's like, if you have kids have walkie-talkies, that's basically what it is. So as you were growing, so we started with the launch, right. And now you're growing. And this was, again, this was about, I guess two and a half years ago that you launched. So were there other kind of inflection points that you found that you had to kind of reinvent yourself as a leader that you can think of?
Jessica (09:29):
Yeah. I know there are, like we were talking about, there are always new levels that we reached at different periods of business where you kind of have to take a look at like what you value the most and make the decisions based on those things. Like what your values are for me. I have to make my decisions based on what I want my customers to experience, what will be the best experience and outcome for my customers and what aligns the most with my values. And so sometimes that can be really hard when there's so many things coming at you from every direction. But when I focus on those two things, it helps me to stay on the right path.
Laura (10:05):
And then what about like letting go? You talk a little bit about like, in your leadership, that process of letting go.
Jessica (10:12):
That is so hard. And it was so hard for me in the beginning because I like to do things myself. I like to have the control; I know what I'm going to do. I know what I'm capable of doing, and I just want to get it done. And so when you get to that point where you're like, okay, I can't really do all of this myself and do it well, you know, it's time to bring on somebody in time to start delegating things out. And that was really, really hard for me. I think it came to just trusting that I had to just trust in the process. I had to trust in myself on hiring the right people. I had to trust in them and let them show me that they really can do the things that they can and let, let them do that rather than trying to constantly hover and make sure that they're doing it the way I would do it. And that was really hard for me. But I think it's so important to do and to recognize that you just have to let it go and trust that things will work out or the way that they're supposed to. Sometimes it doesn't always work out perfectly, but there's always that lesson to learn and new skills that you can apply the next time
Laura (11:14):
We chatted a little bit about beforehand, about some of the areas in which you really felt like you wanted to share that was on your heart to share. And one was around the idea of that we sometimes use control to kind of mitigate fear. And what are some of the ways in which you saw that showing up for you? And then how did you make changes as a result?
Jessica (11:36):
That's a great question. So about a year into my business, I was invited to do interview with CNN about starting a business and how that looked. And I was representing an event called business boutique. I had kind of gotten my start at business boutique, if anyone is familiar. And so they actually asked me to come down to do this interview where I could share my success story and just kind of do this thing. So they brought me down and I was super nervous. The first time I had any kind of interview, any type of recorded interview, at least on camera. And I remember going down there and just being super nervous, but I wanted to share my story because I wanted to help business boutique, but also help other women who were in my shoes because it helped me in the beginning.
(12:21):
And so I get there, I'm sitting down in the studio and all the lights and cameras are on me and I'm so nervous, but I'm trying to push through and she starts out. I'm asking you questions, I'm feeling okay. I mentioned that I was afraid. I mentioned the fear thing and she says, wait a minute, you were afraid. You were really afraid of what were you afraid of? The way the question came out and just totally sent me into shock. I just couldn't believe it. And I felt so just small and stupid for even saying that I had been afraid in the first place and the rest of the interview, just tanked. I bombed it. I just did such a bad job. I stuttered through and I couldn't get myself back in my head and I cried the whole way home. And I remember thinking, I'm never going to do this.
(13:04):
I'm never going to do this again. I'm never going to put myself out there again. I'm never going to do it. And that's where I learned about the control. You know, we often use control as a way to medicate fear really. And then as it turns out at the end, there was a breaking news story that came and they ended up never airing the whole segment. So they ended up cutting it. But that whole time that I stressed and worried about it, you know, I could have been doing something different with my time and just letting go of that. And I think that often the best antidote to fear is really just surrendering some of that control because that will be the confidence to do it again and to keep learning and to keep going.
Laura (13:43):
That is such a good example. And I'm so grateful that you're not afraid to share that press can be very unpredictable and they can have an angle that you don't know about. It's not paid advertising. So you don't totally know where they're going to go with it. It's not like this were beforehand. I was like, okay, what do you want to talk about, you know, for press, scandalous types of stories or what gets attention, sadly. So in retrospect, knowing that, you know, would have you handled that any differently or were you just kind of like, you know...
Jessica (14:10):
Yes, I would have. And now that I have had more experience and I feel more confident in myself and in my business that I probably would have let it roll off my shoulder now, but in the beginning it was just such an intense moment. And I didn't know how to handle it.
Laura (14:26):
Like, would you in the interview, what have you been like?
Jessica (14:28):
Yeah, it was so normal and I'm sure you were afraid at one point to.
Laura (14:37):
Go take out a line of credit and start a business and we'll talk. Yeah. Right. Or whatever you do dip into your savings. Or, I mean, like, this is not, this is not easy. This is not cheap.
Jessica (14:54):
I wish that I could go back and say those things.
Laura (14:57):
Do you, because this is what I'm saying to you right now. I'm like fired up that this happened. But like, I don't know if I would have said that.
Jessica (15:05):
I think that there could have been a better way to handle it for sure. Yeah. It's okay to be afraid. And I think that, the more we talk about that, the more that it can normalize it for people, I didn't know that other people were struggling with the same things, you know, and it would have been helpful, I think for somebody to hear that.
Laura (15:22):
And you, and I talked a little bit about port two, this idea of like letting go and letting God and whether or not you believe in God, or if, you know, there's a certain sense of spirituality that you have outside of yourself. Can you speak into that a little bit about like how the sphere has shown up and then how that idea has entered into your leadership and in your life?
Jessica (15:39):
Yeah. I think that there is a big thing to be said about this, like that the idea of letting go and letting God, like he is always showing up for me in ways that I don't even feel I deserve at times. And so, like we said in the beginning, just truly the, the whole journey, the whole journey in my business, growing my business has really been a way as testament of my faith and has strengthened me in so many ways, even down to little tiny decisions, like, you know, we had to switch platforms, the platform that we were selling on, we were selling on a certain platform that worked really well for us, but we were outgrowing it. And it was so hard for me to just be like, this is, this is what I know. This is what I like comfortable using to this other big, new, scary thing, but trusting in him and in the process and in the idea that I want to serve my customers, the best that I can, and this is going to be better for them and having to let go of that control and let it happen.
Laura (16:41):
I know I can't, I've totally been there and can completely understand. I have to say, like, there's probably people who are hearing your story about the CNN right now. And they're so grateful that happened to you in a lot of ways, you know, so God has a plan. There's somebody probably listening here. That's like, Oh my gosh. Like I felt shame in that type of moment before, or I felt shame around admitting that this was scary. And, you know, I started to kind of shrink down, but now I realized like, wow, you know, that happened with lots of people watching and like, she's fine. Yeah, exactly. So today, what are some of the things that you're most focused on in your business right now?
Jessica (17:23):
We are actually working on introducing a new product line. So I'm focusing on that right now and just kind of starting the process and testing and all of that fun stuff. And then I'm also kind of on another track starting to teach other entrepreneurs who are looking to add a subscription component to their business, or to start a new subscription box business, or even add e-commerce to their, to their business, because it's something I'm super passionate about. And it's given me so much freedom in my life. I just want that for other women too.
Laura (17:54):
Yeah, I totally agree. It's so nice when people can think about new ways to bring their gifts and talents to the world. And while I think it's fine for somebody who just wants to have a small business, and that's amazing if your heart is to grow and diversify ways that you're delivering your gifts and talents the world, subscription box such a smart way to do it. And you know, Jessica is your girl. If you're trying to figure out exactly how. We are a hundred percent in a subscription economy, I'm sure listening knows that you might already have a subscription business, but it might not necessarily be a physical box. And there isn't that many people out there that are really teaching you how to do that. So just as a great resource for that. So I just want to thank you so much for sharing. I think it's going to help so many people and just inspiring people that like you can do hard things. You can, you know do hard things, start it in a very intentional way and grow it quickly and you can still be smiling while you're doing it.
Jessica (18:45):
So joy is in the journey, after all.
Laura (18:50):
It is, it a hundred percent is. And it's so funny because I've scaled multiple six and seven figure businesses. And that took me a while to figure out is that when you can stop worrying about the next thing and start really just enjoying that you get to do things, you know, you get to grow the business, you get to create a new product line. That's not something you have to do with something you get to do, then you know, it really reframes it and makes it fun. So. Awesome. Well, thank you again, Jessica, for joining us and make sure if you're interested in adding a subscription box to your revenue streams to give Jessica a shout. Thanks so much for joining us.
Jessica (19:25):
Thank you.
Laura (19:25):
Make sure to visit our website, joybrandcreative.com/podcast, where you can subscribe to the show in iTunes, Stitcher, or RSS, so that you'll never miss an episode. While you're at it, if you find value in this show, we'd appreciate a rating on iTunes. Or if you just simply tell a friend about it, that would help us out a lot too. Thanks so much for listening.
The Scale with Joy podcast dives into the mindset and strategies of scaling your company to the million dollar mark and beyond. Each week, we follow the journeys of innovators, disruptors, experts and leaders - sharing behind the scenes stories of their most challenging moments and greatest lessons learned-all while building their multi-million dollar empires.