REAL LIFE ROSIE

http://www.jacquelinesmith.com/

Jacqueline Smith is an Iowa and SF Bay Area girl. She was born and raised on a family farm and now lives the big city life with a Midwestern heart. She’s happily married to the best man she’s ever met, and together they run jacquelinesmith.com.

What inspires you? Walking around my neighborhood (it smells like jasmine and roses), my husband, watching adults gain incredible confidence and healthier bodies from taking my courses.

Do you have a favorite quote? Oh gosh, it changes!

What are the most pressing issues facing women today? Distraction, trying to do it all, not having enough time to sit down and eat a healthy meal.

What are the biggest keys to your success? The more I invest in the happiness of my life at home, the more successful my business becomes. Also, meditation is a huge tool for business owners. Find a method of meditation that works for you, and go for it.

What are the biggest keys to the advancement or success of women? I’ve been fortunate to work with incredibly collaborative women, like Rachael White of Set The Table (rachaelwhite.me). She does beautiful work and I believe in promoting other women’s work to advance together. Find women you gel with and help each other grow.

Where did the inspiration for your business come from? I grew up in the midwest during the late 80s, early 90s, the age of fat-free everything. Fat-free and full of sugar. My family’s staples were bread, bagels, Toaster Strudels®, Wheat Thins, cereal, Pop-Tarts®, and “fruit” snacks (a laughable name). There’s a story my family tells of finding me eating only the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms box in my sleep. The frosted wheat bits weren’t sweet enough.

Wheat and sugar were in virtually every meal at home and school. Since I was a skinny kid I didn’t think much of it, but by the time I was in college, I relied on sweets to de-stress. By my mid-twenties, I was irritable and on-edge unless I had daily fixes, and I couldn’t figure out why I was struggling with adult acne (hint: it was the lemon bars, cheesecake, toast, “energy” bars, cookies…).

I know sugar addiction. But those days are over. Go Sugar Free is my way of showing others how to win that same freedom.

Where is your product sold (if applicable)? On my website, jacquelinesmith.com

What advice do you have for a woman who is considering starting a business? Take good care of your body while you’re building your business. Eat well, exercise, sleep well. You will burn out if you don’t. And, be true to yourself. Be honest, full of integrity, and sincere. There’s nothing better.

What are the biggest hurdles you’ve faced in starting or growing your business? How did you overcome these? My biggest hurdle so far was learning how to make the best of that phase where you’re jack of all trades. I’ve done web design, copy writing, course design, mentoring, running programs, customer service, marketing, video editing, bookkeeping…all the aspects that come with starting an online business. Of course down the road, I hope to hire out my least favorite parts. 🙂