In this mindset-shifting episode, Jeanne Omlor, Owner of Jeanne Omlor International, shares how she went from being a washed up single mom to building a million dollar coaching business in just 17 months.

You’ll discover:

– How to stop making your life harder than it is
– How you can make better decisions by neutralizing your emotions
– The importance of quitting the right things

Episode Transcript

Scott Ritzheimer

Hello and welcome. Welcome once again to the secrets of the high demand coach podcast and I am here with yet another high demand coach, in fact, a coach to high demand coaches. I’m so excited to have Jeanne Omlor here today. She’s a certified business strategist and online business coach. She’s a natural born motivator, an encourager of voracious researcher and strategist and what she does, she helps her clients to operate at their ultimate potential and performance level, Jeanne infuses her ICF accreditation from intelligent leadership into all of her training, and our clients have something in common they are smart, go getters who want to fulfill their ultimate potential. Well, Jeanne, I’m so excited to have you on the podcast. I feel like I already know you so well from any of the reviews online or looking at your website, and even our conversation ahead of time. But I’d love for you to us to just take a step back, before we jump into what you do and kind of what makes all of that tick. Why don’t you tell us a little bit about what you’re doing before becoming a business coach, and how that ultimately led to what you do today?

Jeanne Omlor

Well, first of all, thank you for having me, it’s a pleasure to be on your show. Okay, so it’s a long story, but I’m going to try to boil it down to as short as possible. So before I was encouraged, okay, just to fast forward, I started off my life as a fashion designer, I studied fashion design in college and Australia. And then I really didn’t want to do that that much. So I decided, yeah, I really want to go traveling. So I really wanted to be an actress. So I went traveling, and I lived in different countries. And I studied acting here and there. And I ended up doing that for a while I was in Europe for eight years, I was in Paris for six, and I got tired of being clandestine, and sort of being a bohemian type, I literally would just, you know, people can’t believe this now. But I would sit in cafes and have coffee with my friends. And I teach English. And I worked for a cordon bleu chef, like during your food design. And, you know, this was really not working. So I really, I was trying to get papers there. But they kept changing the laws. And I thought, you know, I think I’m just going to go back to the States. Even though I grew up in Australia, I was American, but we moved to Australia, I’ve never actually lived in the States since I’ve been a kid. So I moved to New York to you know, to do the acting thing. And of course, that’s a whole hustle. And while I was doing that, I got a job as an executive recruiter on Wall Street, just they just hired me and said, You’re going to be great at this. And so I became an executive recruiter, and I came became really good at it with not even trying, like, it was one of the things of life, I didn’t even try to be good. Like I didn’t even have to try it was just good at it. You know, when that happens, when you’re a natural, it’s like, oh, everything else, I do have to practice for 1000s of hours. So I did that. But I was still doing my acting. And I became a filmmaker. And you know, did that for a while and then got married. And it wasn’t a successful marriage, let’s just say that. And, and when I was on my own with my two kids in New York, one was four and one was one, I thought, you know, I really have to do something because I have no money and have worked in a long while, you know, I was doing a bit of consulting here and there but wasn’t steady, I thought I really need to do something where I can take care of my children, because I wasn’t willing to farm them out. You know, I just have an attachment parent. And so how can I do this? And I thought, What am I going to do, and I started to kids blog, and the kids blog was a big hit. However, it did not make a lot of money. But I was well known all around the world for this kid’s blog, like pretty soon thought, Wow, I can’t believe that happened. Somebody the party’s out a lot of loot sent that thought, you know, the little bit of advertising, because I didn’t know how to to really make money. I didn’t do what I could. And I did a little bit of advertising and thought okay, this is not going to do it. What can I do that? Well, I used to coach actors, and I was on people are always asking my advice. And and I used to make films I thought you know, I’m actually pretty good at coaching, maybe I should become a coach. So I looked into it. And I thought this is perfect for me. Because I am on you know if you do those, any diagrams of like, what makes a good coach, I was like hitting every single one, you know, like helping personality blah, blah, blah. Okay, this looks like it’s fit. So I just got certification at night while my kids were sleeping. I worked from seven till midnight every night for two years to make this happen. Because I was looking after my kids from seven till seven. I was so sleep deprived that this has to work. So I just started that slow. And I got a business coach immediately. I asked a woman I knew who was a coach, the only coach I knew then who’s your coach. So I hired her. I didn’t know anybody else. I just wanted to make it happen. However, I was learning offline methods, you know, the old way of coaching where you go to networking events, and you get the cards and that’s all I knew. And it was such a hustle because I’d have to like get a babysitter go to the networking event. It was so hard. I thought okay, and you know, soon after I thought I really got to maybe learn this online thing. Okay, but then something happened. We had to move to another state and it was like, kind of got lost in there, you know, and I thought, Okay, I gotta get back to that. And then you know, where I lived, which was a state where people don’t really invest in their businesses that much. This isn’t working what I used to do in New York City like that was where Can you not smell it? What do I do? And, you know, one one day I woke up, I was 54. So it’s almost four years ago, I thought I need to do something. This is I’m in deep debt now. My kids are going to understand at some point that I’m not really a success, you know, I’ve got to do something. I literally had what people call a defining moment. And I always wondered about those defining moments. Because for my life, it wasn’t like a lot of defining moments. It was just sort of realizations as I went. And I thought I had a defining moment. I just thought I need to get online. And I need to learn this. And I know it’s gonna be really hard, because I’m not techie. And I don’t know anything about online marketing. But I’m going to do this. So I started searching around, I found a 10k program. And I thought they were going to teach me Facebook ads, because that’s all I knew. I just knew I needed to get online. And I thought the only option was Facebook ads. I got online, I did the program. And I realized immediately Facebook ads were not what I was supposed to do, because I had no validated offer online. I thought, wait a minute, there’s Oh, no, you can’t do Facebook ads. I said, but that’s that’s what I paid you for. They said, No, no, you’re going to do something called Organic marketing. I said, like carrots, I literally said, like carrots. Well, I learned organic marketing. It was hard because I was so not ticket I did. I was like okay to learn this because I had to. And on the eighth week, I got my first high ticket client with organic marketing. And then I got two more. So I made $15,000 In one week, that changed my life. I thought, Okay, I got this, I’m good at this. And then people were like, how did you do that, and I started getting clients. And in the my program got built, and I got, you know, started adding specialists. And now we have a great team. And this is over three and a half years ago, I started creating those, those trainings as I went that people needed and it just grew. And I got to a million dollars in 17 months from that point. And now, you know, we’re multi-millions now but but that that basically was the whole story. I hope that wasn’t too long for your your listener.

Scott Ritzheimer

It’s amazing. It’s amazing. So there’s so much I want to unpack in that. But one of them because it’s such a big part of the entrepreneurial story. But why do you think that defining moment was so important in your story? And why is it so important in so many of the stories of the folks that you serve every day?

Jeanne Omlor

Well, this defining moment, I realized touch it’s a real real defining moment. And it touched a chord with all the people that think they’re too, too anything too old, too young, to not a man to, you know, to, uh, to a single mom, to anything to, I don’t know. And I think what it is, is, here’s a mom, who’s 54 years old, not techie, I am so not tied to learn. A colleague of mine had to do a loom training to show me how to use Zoom. Because he’s I’ve never met anybody, so not techie. They didn’t need tech. I was offline meeting people. Okay, and so so it’s also on not techie. That’s okay. I wasn’t on older that’s okay. I was 54 Well, I’m a single mom, so am I. I’m a single dad, so am I. Well, you know, I got kids take care. So do I, I homeschool I was. So basically it knocks out all those excuses. People have been like, oh, because you know, people have this thing. They have to be young, younger, you know, and they have to be like Insta friendly. And, you know, blah, blah, blah. And also I’m an introvert. I hate doing even though I was an actress, I hate doing videos. I did not do I avoided videos for the longest time. I got to talk very high monthly income without even doing a Facebook Live. And I thought Jeanne, just do this. So it’s important, because I was washed up. I was washed up and I knew it. How do I become washed up? This is not who I am. And I was sort of, you know, had Lola, I was depressed. It was systemia. But I was depressed. You know, I was my kids didn’t know it. Because it wasn’t a full blown, I thought actually pretty, you know, low level depression. I just I remember I thought Wait, this is somebody I had a vision I thought, but I’m supposed to be that million dollar coach. And I knew I couldn’t say anything that you know, how can somebody who’s washed up even voice that somebody else? They’ll think you’re ridiculous. Right? But I had that in my mind. I thought no, wait a minute. I know I can do this. I just need to find the way. That’s all. And so I was hard. I gotta say Scott, it was not easy. It was like, no success. Washed up mindset not in a good place. I must say to kids, like, oh my gosh, I’m older. How am I gonna make this happen? I don’t have that much time If not now When? And the defining moment was If not now, I heard the voice if not now, Jeanne. When? When are you going to do this? And I was like, woke up I thought whoa, now I have to do it. Now. I’m not getting any younger and none of us are so thanks defining because I was so washed up. Honestly, there was no backup. Yeah, yeah.

Scott Ritzheimer

Well, why is it that you think and I would imagine you see this quite a lot in your life. of work, but why is it that we work so hard to disqualify ourselves from success? Why is Why are those? Why do we give those excuses? Because that’s what they are. But why do we give them so much credit?

Jeanne Omlor

Because we are in not a culture, because it’s the world. Sure, we’re in humanity, okay. And it’s a human thing. And it’s been happening forever all over the place. I’m not gonna say to American culture, this, we are human. And we have a human culture of thinking, Oh, no, that’s not for me. That’s for those other people over there. That’s those other people, when you start thinking that those other people, are you because we’re all one. And I started thinking, Wait a minute, why can I be those other people? Why can I jump the fence for the grass is greener, actually not looks greener. But I talked about that in my coaching since I started that, that life is like, there’s two, there’s two pathways. There’s one on the right and one on the left, and there’s a fence, you got to jump that fence, you’re walking along the pathway that’s not successful, that you’re unhappy, you’re not fulfilled. You hate your life, a lot of people do, and I’m just being real. I hated my life. I mean, I didn’t hate my children. I liked something about my life. I wasn’t I wasn’t fulfilled, I didn’t feel like a success. I felt like I really should have been doing better. And it wasn’t, you know, I’ve proven to myself, those are not just empty thoughts. So it’s real, because look what I did, right? So you’re on this path. And you’re like, on this path, where every day is a day, you’re never gonna get back? Right? I’m very conscious of time. I’m like, wait a minute, not now. When? How long am I going to go on this path, where I’m not happy, I’m not fulfilled. It’s not what I want to do. And it’s not sustainable. Because I’m in deep debt. People have to understand there is another pathway is not the grass is always greener, the grass was greener, it’s on the other side of that fence that you got to jump. And on the other side of that fence is your real life, your real life, I feel like I’m finally living my real life, not the fake life that was putting up with me not being fulfilled. That was the fake life, this real life because I did what it took to jump the fence. And I feel like I’m bathing in my real life right now. I feel so like, this is this is it? Is my life perfect. No, nobody’s life is perfect, but it’s still your real life. Right? So so that I think what it is, is conditioning of, you’re not good enough. That’s for other people. And it’s all sorts of conditioning, family culture, it’s always about Know your place, especially for women. That’s not a feminist thing that you know, we have to carve out the pathway to even drag the chair up to the table. You know what I’m saying? So, I’m not I’m not like doing some feminist thing. But all people need to do that men need to do that, too, is men, it’s not men or women, it’s people. We lack confidence in ourselves. We think we have to be perfect. We have to be the smartest, we have to be the best. The prettiest, the most knowledgeable. It’s just rubbish.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, yeah, that’s so true. I think having worked with both male and female clients, I would say there are very big differences. But they’re so similar. You know, it’s similar patterns, we have different, we come at it from a different angle. But what I found is true, we all wrestle with some form of discouraging thought process or just have some type of imposter syndrome, especially in the coaching consulting professional services, there’s, there’s this idea that like, you are selling you to an extent, right, to a very real extent. And so it compounds the feeling of like, if you have any sense of I’m not enough for, for what they need, right, which, you know, that’s not even your role. But that feeling has a very logistical implication, right? It’s like you have to get on a sales call to actually sell yourself you have to get on social media and actually talk about how you help somebody and, and so it looks very different for men and women. But everyone struggles with that. I think everyone should know you don’t have to. It’s not fatal. It’s not that you have to stay there. And to your point, you can jump the fence, but I think it’s really helpful for folks out there to hear everyone has to jump the fence at some point.

Jeanne Omlor

They do because it’s it’s walking through the fire. Okay, but the big question is this. It’s not how do I jump the fence? It’s Who do I get me to give a leg up over the fence? That’s the key. Nobody, nobody thinks about that. They’re always how do I do things? How do I do that? How do I do that? What about who can give you have a leg up to get over the fence? That is getting help. That was what I always knew, like immediately was I was deep debt broke. I always said I need some help. I’m gonna but I was always like that. I’ve always paid a lot of money for all sorts of, of lessons for myself, I always invested all my money in singing lessons, acting lessons, you name it, channel, I mean, so. So I always did that, that was a reflex with me to invest in myself in all ways, all sorts of stuff. So if people don’t have that, and you know, flows through to my children, because when I was broke in New York City, all my money went to their lessons we ate, and they had lessons that was so important to me to develop them. And actually, I was watching this video about how the wealthy wealthy think, and that was in there, the wealthy think about developing themselves investing. So luckily, I already knew that. But you knew, right? If you don’t, it is painful, isn’t it? Isn’t that painful? When you say, Oh, I’m gonna, like, just, I’m gonna get, it’s not like you can go along with your normal everyday pace to jump that fence, you’ve got to step back and do a run up to jump over the fence. And it’s not like, Oh, sure, I’m gonna jump the fence. It is walking through the fire, isn’t it?

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah it sure is. It sure is. And you’re hitting on another topic that that actually comes up quite frequently with guests. But I think and we’re, it’s actually great to tie this in, because you’re talking about, you know, social media and organic marketing, and you’re putting yourself out there. I’ve also found the dark side of that is there’s a lot of stuff on social media that actually breathes on those insecurities, right? It’s this idea that, you know, business is easy, you don’t you can jump, there is no fence, you know, it’s like, being an entrepreneur is sipping martinis on the beach, or, you know, pick your cocktail choice. And and I don’t think there’s very many things that are as rewarding as building something as an entrepreneur, right? I think there’s something really, really unique and special about that, especially if you’re called to built for it. But it’s your right, it is not easy. And I think we we do a disservice to folks to call it easy. It’s not that it’s easy. I think it’s rewarding. Would you agree with that?

Jeanne Omlor

Um, it is rewarding, and it’s also not easy. However, again, the who, who can make this easier? Yeah. Because there’s also this addiction to pain. I’m just gonna make that so hard for myself. And, and even on the mindset side, if you if you say, You know what, I’m gonna do this. And it’s not that hard, I won’t be that hard. However, the whole journey is hard, because you got to learn how to do that. And that’s hard, right? So a lot of this is the mindset and how we frame things. If you go, Oh, I’m going to touch so much pain into doing that tiny little thing, it’s going to be painful. And you will see a variety of clients, and one just does the work. And the other ones like all this pain, I call it the pain body. They’re touching their pain body, every single thing they do, because that’s to do. So it’s really about mindset wise. Like, how do I clear this mindset as much as possible, and get my emotions to a point of neutral? About the work. And that’s what I teach my clients in the mindset portion, because we do a lot of mindset is, how do I, okay, I’m feeling icky. I don’t like the marketing on spammy, blah, blah, blah, okay, I’m fearful. Okay, great. You have all those emotions. Don’t sit there. And you know, people process they say, I have to process this. Why? Why do you have to process those emotions? Why do you have to process every single emotion that goes or every thought that goes through your head, it’s a waste of time. When we know what those are feel it in your body, I have a whole instant shift technique that actually deals with the feeling in the body, because that’s important and neutralizes on a physical level, these emotions, because our job is to neutralize emotions. There’s not bad and good. Everything in life has yin and yang, and negative and positive even when something is great. This one, there’s always some downside, and just look at it. That’s just life. So people are looking for the amazing, everything’s so amazing. Well, sorry, nothing is always so amazing. Every single business every single day, there’s good and bad every day. You look at your business every day. Right? So immature, that people have to have nirvana or hell, heaven or hell? No, can’t you just like saying, You know what? Life is positive and negative? I’m going to neutralize all the stuff that’s keeping me from not taking action, instead of giving it so much importance and a story and it goes on and people do this. Have you seen that? On and on? People need to become anti fragile, you know, that book? That I love that book? Yeah. So the more you say, You know what, I get that normal people do that. But I’m going to not be normal. I’m going to be above average. I’m not going to let the force of average, because of those people that understand average, I don’t want to be average. Those are the winners and it’s really just controlling your emotions. Or you know, neutralizing, isn’t it?

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, it really is. Yeah, it’s such a big thing. Ben and again, because I don’t I think most folks fail to understand how emotionally charged starting and running your own business is right? Especially when you’re doing it alone, right? You haven’t looked for help from other people? It can be it can be just a massive roller coaster, especially if you let that roller coaster lead you.

Jeanne Omlor

Well, I would never do something I’m so big on getting help. Why would I guess when I could pay somebody to give me actually what works? Right? And I think the more your mind is wired for success, you’re like, who can? Who can? Who can help me find this person who can actually do this? Why would you just go around and around guessing your life time? Every day is so valuable? Why would you waste weeks, months, years trying to figure something out? You could just pay a coach? I don’t.

Scott Ritzheimer

So true. It’s so true. It’s so true. So there’s a question I like to ask all my guests. And it’s this what’s the biggest secret that you wish wasn’t a secret at all? What’s that one thing that you wish everybody listening or watching right now knew?

Jeanne Omlor

Folks, there is no velvet, you know, the velvet rope? That’s imaginary. There’s no velvet rope where there’s you like, you know, the velvet rope and you’re waiting to let let get into the wonderful nightclub or exclusive. The velvet rope is in your imagination? That’s not there. It’s not there. They’re basically you’ve created that velvet rope. Do you know what I mean by velvet rope? Yes. Do you think your listeners know what I mean?

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, so I’m trying to remember. Go for it.

Jeanne Omlor

The barrier to entry where the elite get let in, but you’re behind it, you’re gonna get into that exclusive place. That velvet rope is in your mind? Because all you need to do is find the who and the how. And you just do certain things. And it’s like, oh, wow. Okay, so that actually worked. And that wasn’t that other people get that and I don’t. That’s the secret.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah. Yeah. There’s there’s nothing that separating you from them other than what you’re letting separate you from them. Yeah. So good, so good. And it’s something it’s one of those things that I almost, there’s almost a little grief, and maybe because folks will hear that and just kind of accept it, but not really hear it. And it’s one of those things that I think if you really hear it and let it sink in, it has a massive power to transform you, your business and your success, for sure. So yeah, I love that. Thank you so much for sharing it. One other question that I have for you. And then I know, folks are gonna want to get in touch with you. We’ll show them the best way here in a second. But before we get there, I’m actually going to have you take off your coach hat, put on your CEO hat and kind of jumped down into the ring with the rest of us as entrepreneurs and tell us what the next stage of growth looks like for you and your business and what challenges will you have to overcome now to get there?

Jeanne Omlor

Okay, so the next level, there’s always a new challenge of who you hiring as who is always the who now, and the who helps you with the how, right. So I want to get to 10 million now. So I’m strategizing. Okay, if you’re doing what got you here will not get you there, right, you have to understand that you’re what you’re currently doing, you have to know how far that’s gonna get, you usually don’t want to play it out to the very end because it means you’re losing money. Because you could have started integrating. However, I’m big on the one thing, I’m big on doing one thing over and over and over again and really maximizing but then really being sensitive. Okay, now I’m at that point where we could open this up. Okay, so now it is putting I’m hiring a lot of people, okay, so who Who do I hire, and often those people are not good if it’s like a digital marketing agency. But you know, that, again, you have to understand that business, you’re not always going to be able to hire the homerun. And when people understand that’s part of the testing is testing who you’re hiring, instead of, Oh, I heard that person that was wasting money. I’m a failure. No, you hired that person. That was a failure. Keep going, you’re gonna find a good one. Right? So people have to position their thinking in a longer timeline and not be like, good or bad, good or bad, because even on have hired bad people, sometimes I got something out of it, sometimes not. Okay. And you’re just Okay, that wasn’t a good decision. I did qualify them. They didn’t say do what they said they were going to do next. Not, oh, I’m never going to hire another person again. So I think people have to really watch where they’re being a victim. Oh, that didn’t work. I’m never going to hire another person like that. So my CEO thing right now and it’s good. You asked that is, okay, who do I hire to get to that next level? And that’s going to be back into people. That’s going to be other because some of the marketing we do in house I haven’t hired, I hired immediate team, but I put the media team together myself, because I thought, How am I going to produce that I’m going to create my own media team in house so we can work together There’s other things I don’t want to do in house. So who are those people? How do I qualify them? You know, get them. I’m hiring somebody today, actually. So I’m actually starting a podcast again. And, you know, so that was like, okay, I’m not doing this myself, that’s for sure. Like, I’m not going to produce it. So I did some writing that today. So that’s one thing. So what’s the next thing? I’m doing a podcast? Again, I started a podcast. And it wasn’t the right time. I wasn’t, you know, also people. I will say, doing everything all at once is always not the right thing. And I started the podcast, and I didn’t really think I was working with a marketing agency. At that point, I thought, I don’t know if this is the right time. Oh, it is. And I said, No, actually, it’s not. And I’m very good at walking away for the right reasons. Nope, not not right now. And I thought, now’s the time. So just because you.. I’m not a quitter, but I quit for the right reason. It just wasn’t right. I just wasn’t into it then. So what’s next hire podcast person? What’s next? Hire somebody else? What’s next? You know, we’re always improving our SOPs. We’re always, you know, looking at everything, improving my leadership, how my team behind works, the scenes. So there’s all of that as well and developing because, you know, I’m into leadership as well. And the bigger you get, you have to change your systems. So that’s what’s next. Me. And also, I’m developing a mindset course at the moment, because I do. It’s more about like, getting clients and there is some mindset, but I’m going to be developing just a mindset course as well.

Scott Ritzheimer

Yeah, fantastic. Fantastic. Now, I know, there’s some folks that are listening to this. And they’re just like, I’ve got to, I’ve got to get in touch with John. So how do they do that? How do they find more out about you in the work that you do?

Jeanne Omlor

Well, you’re gonna put the reviews links, so they can actually see these reviews. And there’s a booking link there. Also, all over social media, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, just look for my name. It’s very simple. I keep it simple. And you can follow me or friend me or DM me and you want to email me, it’s [email protected]. It’s very simple. And it has a lot of ways to get there’s website reviews, email, DM me. I love people DMing on social media, and I do I do answer. So I’m very accessible.

Scott Ritzheimer

That’s fantastic. And again, we’ll drop it in the notes here, but jeanneomlor.com. That’s jeanneomlor.com. And then head over to /reviews and you hear some amazing stories of folks that Jeanne has helped. And you’ll find yourself in those stories as well. I’m sure So Jeanne, it was an absolute pleasure having you here. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing and for everyone listening you know, your time and attention mean the world to us. I hope you got as much out of this conversation as I did, and I cannot wait to see you next time. Take care.

Contact Jeanne Omlor

Jeanne Omlor, is a Certified Business Strategist and Online Business Coach. She is a natural-born motivator, encourager and voracious researcher and strategist. She helps her clients operate at their Ultimate Potential and Performance level. Jean infuses her ICF Accreditation from Intelligent Leadership into all of her trainings. Her clients have something in common: smart, go-getters who want to fulfil their ultimate potential.

Want to learn more about Jeanne Omlor’s work at Jeanne Omlor International? Check out her website at https://jeanneomlor.com/

Podcast Booking Status: Open

We are looking for podcast guests, and we want to share your story.

Are you a coach, consultant, or advisor for entrepreneurial organizations? If so, let’s do a great show together – and we can promote you to our audience on all our social media channels, website, and email list.

Guest requirements:

• As a coach, you should be experiencing some very good momentum AND be grossing $100K or more annually. We’ll be talking about how you help your clients achieve extraordinary results.
• Consider yourself as equally people and results-oriented in your mission.
• High-authority expert management and independent coaches who work with founder-led entrepreneurial organizations of 40 or more employees. We also encourage guests that are operations/strategy and culture consultants, advisors, and leadership coaches to be guests (no specialties in marketing, branding, sales, or IT, please
• Please, no new coaches (under 3 years), published authors, non-independent coaches, or non-business coaches/consultants.