GUEST BLOG: THE #1 CHANGE I MADE THAT LED TO PROFIT
About Jessica Zimmerman
Voted Top Wedding Planner by Southern Living Magazine, Jessica Zimmerman has mastered the art of designing and producing unforgettable weddings. She’s worked with celebrity clients and her designs have been featured in major media publications including People magazine, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, Country Living, and more.
In an industry full of beauty and flowers, Jessica has been described by both colleagues and students as the "missing component" with her business expertise. As she often says, "It's one thing to make a pretty floral arrangement, it's a whole other thing to make money doing it."
In a field that is often tight-lipped, Jessica's tell-all, tough-love approach has made her a sought-after speaker for the industry's top events.
Born and raised in Arkansas, she’s a proud wife and mama to a 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old twin boys. Her greatest passion is designing a life she loves to live while encouraging other businesswomen to do the same.
The #1 Change I Made That Led To Profit
I hear it all the time: “No one will run my business like I do.”
In fact, I had that same exact fear a few years ago. I was wearing way too many hats in my business. I thought wearing all the hats meant I was in total control of everything. Turns out, it was the complete opposite. Because I was trying to do everything myself, I was actually destroying my business. My mindset was all wrong. When I really think back on this time, it wasn’t that I was going to lose control, it’s that I was fearful of releasing some control.
The majority of my day was spent responding to emails and doing administrative work. This was giving me zero time to focus on the things I enjoyed, what I was naturally good at doing, and most importantly, growing my business.
I hired Kellie to take over the emails and administrative role in the company. She worked in the office adjacent to me in my studio for three years. Then, in 2016, she told me her fiancé received a job offer in Florida and she would be moving. I realized everything Kellie did for me could easily be done remotely from anywhere. So I told her to pack up the computer and take it with her. She may be leaving Arkansas, but she’s not leaving her job with ZIMMERMAN.
A virtual assistant taking over basic tasks like handling correspondence, emails, scheduling, travel plans, reservations, etc., frees you up and allows you time to actually work on growing your business.
The truth is, my business would not be where it is today without the help of an admin assistant. Releasing some of that control allowed me to not burn out. It made me motivated to work on the things I was actually excited to work on. It gave me free space in my brain to think again – to create, to dream. Without the help of an admin assistant, I would have never been able to write The Business Behind the Blooms, start a mentoring program, teach webinars, or produce big budget weddings. My productivity skyrocketed when I put Kellie in that role.
Another way it has grown my business is because Kellie handles all the admin work so efficiently, my brand is promoted because her timeliness adds another layer of professionalism. I would have so much to do in a day that my inbox was always overflowing. I was never able to respond to anyone in a timely manner. Because this is one of Kellie’s main responsibilities, I know each person that inquires or reaches out to ZIMMERMAN is being taken care of promptly and professionally. This is good for the brand. People want to work with professional, dependable, responsible people, and her quick replies promote all of those things. This is something I would never be able to do along with all the other things on my plate. I quickly realized my weakness was her strength and allowed her to take over that role completely.
People often say, “I can’t afford an admin assistant.” I understand this. Really, I do. I used to be there, but the truth is, you can’t afford NOT to. Your business will never grow if you keep trying to do it all yourself.
I often refer to Kellie as the glue that holds ZIMMERMAN together or the woman behind the woman. The truth is, she’s the backbone of my company. She now knows so much more than how to handle the tasks of the admin position. She knows everything about the company, about me, how I run the company, what I need, how I think, and how she can help in order to make me better, which ultimately makes the company better.
An admin assistant, rather virtual or physically beside you, is not a luxury, it’s an absolute necessity.
Want to hear more from Jessica? You can join her newsletter list here: https://www.zimmermanevents.com/newsletter-optin
Interested in learning more from Jessica? Her highly sought-after course, The Business Behind the Blooms, opens enrollment just once a year. You can learn more and get on the wait list here: https://www.zimmermanevents.com/bbb-waitlist-landing
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