Forging Your Own Path with Kris Jennings

Can you build a six to seven figure Soloist business doing the opposite of what “the experts” recommend? Consultant Kris Jennings has created exactly that by forging her own path:

How her “tiny, tiny” email list delivered over $1 million in revenue (and provides a vehicle to nurture key referral relationships).

How she thinks about and serves her list (hint: it’s exactly the opposite of what most every email marketer recommends).

What she does with advice from experts and “gurus”.

How she measures success—and how her metrics have changed as her business matures.

The evolution of her risk-taking philosophy in business—and what elements must be present for her to say an unqualified “yes”.

LINKS

Kris Jennings Website | LinkedIn

Rochelle Moulton Email List | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

BIO

With nearly thirty years of experience, Kris Jennings’ work has helped more than a million people change. From large technology implementations to digital products for Type 2 diabetes, she designs ways to help people take small steps forward.

She has run a consulting and advisory business since 2012 and her clients include Fortune 100 global organizations. She now primarily supports change leaders and project teams. Her first book will be released this fall (2024).

She holds a bachelor's degree from The Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. 

Kris and her husband live in Minneapolis, Minnesota with their two delightfully curious, mischievous kittens. She dedicates time each year to bucket list adventure travel with their two young adult sons.

BOOK A STRATEGY CALL WITH ROCHELLE

RESOURCES FOR SOLOISTS

Join the Soloist email list: helping thousands of Soloist Consultants smash through their revenue plateau.

Soloist Events: in-person events for Soloists to gather and learn.

The Soloist Women community: a place to connect with like-minded women (and join a channel dedicated to your revenue level).

The Authority Code: How to Position, Monetize and Sell Your Expertise: equal parts bible, blueprint and bushido. How to think like, become—and remain—an authority.

TRANSCRIPT

00:00 - 00:11

Kris Jennings: To me, it's not about selling something. It's about reaffirming the relationship that I have with those past clients, because they're gonna be the ones that are gonna refer me to other business. And I'm

00:11 - 00:16

: gonna be the 1 that's gonna refer me to other business. And I'm gonna be the 1 that's gonna refer me to other business. And I'm gonna be the 1 that's gonna refer me to other business.

00:16 - 00:56

Rochelle Moulton: Hello, hello. Welcome to the Soloist Life podcast where we're all about turning your expertise into wealth and impact. I'm Rochelle Moulton and today I'm here with consultant Chris Jennings, whose work has helped more than a million people change From large technology implementations to digital products for type 2 diabetes, she designs ways to help people take small steps forward. Chris has run a consulting and advisory business since 2012, and her clients include Fortune 100 global organizations. She now primarily supports change leaders and project teams and her first book will be released this fall. Chris, welcome.

00:56 - 00:58

Kris Jennings: Thanks, Rochelle, it's great to be here.

00:59 - 01:31

Rochelle Moulton: Well, we've had quite an exchange of ideas and conversation about growing a soloist business. In fact, you introduced me to earlier guest Heather Welpley a while back. But the initial spark was when you dropped just this very casual comment about your, and I quote, tiny, tiny email list generating over a million dollars in revenue for you so I'm kind of thinking we should start there but let's go back just a little bit so you started your firm in 2012. Tell us how that happened How did that

01:31 - 02:10

Kris Jennings: come about? So it's not the great story of like being excited and leaving the big organization to pursue my dream as a solo opener. It's actually quite the opposite. I was laid off. A very surprising layoff from an organization that had never done layoffs at the end of the recession, just coming out of that span from 2008 to 2012. So it was January of 2012 and got the layoff notice and within 2 weeks actually had a consulting gig. So it wasn't the route I was planning to take, but a friend nudged me towards trying it out.

02:11 - 02:19

Kris Jennings: And honestly that set me on the path to where I am today, which is 12 years later, having done some amazing projects with some amazing teams.

02:20 - 02:27

Rochelle Moulton: I love that turning lemons into lemonade. So how long did it take you to earn your first hundred thousand? Do you remember?

02:28 - 02:44

Kris Jennings: It was that first year. So I am 1 of those unusual people that my skill set is highly in demand and I have never had a break. So for 12 years, it's been go, go, go. And that's been financially rewarding.

02:44 - 03:06

Rochelle Moulton: Yeah. I'm hearing an undercurrent in there, which we'll get to. So you know I have to ask you more about your tiny, tiny list. I mean, it feels like there are lots of people in our space shouting that building a giant list is the way to go. But we know when you're in a high-end B2B consulting space, the metrics tend to look different. So, like, who's on your list?

03:06 - 03:37

Kris Jennings: I mean, how tiny is tiny? Tiny is under 100 people. I love that. Yeah, really, right? So stop and think about that. And I've been writing it for a year. So I've been diligently writing for about a year. So I was 11 years into my entrepreneurial journey before I really kind of did any kind of what I would say outreach or any kind of marketing. Literally, my business has been 100% referral based. So I've always gone from, you know, 1, if you will, friend to another, people who are behind the scenes saying, okay, we have the,

03:37 - 04:12

Kris Jennings: we're doing the same thing you guys did. Can you please recommend somebody? And that's how I've, I've really pieced together a magical career over the last 12 years as a solopreneur. So I started writing the newsletter every week because I'm a writer at heart. My background and my degree is in journalism and I love telling stories and I have ghostwritten for executives and it's still a big part of what I do in my work in change. But it was really about me and writing for me. And so the newsletter has become this thing of like, I

04:12 - 04:47

Kris Jennings: just really share it within the close circle of people who've worked with me and family and friends who are, who know I'm very passionate about change and it is a very safe space for me and actually all of us on the list to collaborate. So it's not the traditional email newsletter. It's the, hey, we're going to try and experiment this month. We're going to do some change experiments. I do whatever I want because I know that the people on the list are reading it. And I just looked at the open rate and prep for this. So

04:47 - 04:52

Kris Jennings: my open rate is hovers between 70 and 80%. This week it was 82%.

04:52 - 05:09

Rochelle Moulton: So anybody listening to that just had pangs of jealousy at that open rate. That's unusually high. But I also think the way you described it is really interesting. It feels like a collaborative space versus a one-way speaking space. Yeah. I mean, I think 1

05:09 - 05:43

Kris Jennings: of the things that kind of who I am is like, let me create something and play with it and see what happens. So with the list, it's like, I think the mainstream thinking on it is build your list, build your list, because then you're gonna sell something to everybody who's on your list. Mine's the opposite. I've already sold, as you said, I've already sold a million dollars worth of services to the people on that list. So to me, it's not about selling something, it's about reaffirming the relationship that I have with those past clients, because they're

05:43 - 06:09

Kris Jennings: going to be the ones that are going to refer me to other business. But just more so from this like, yeah, it doesn't have to be about monetizing the list. It can actually be the reverse, right? I've already done that. And now here's this place where we get to cultivate and strengthen the relationship that we've built through doing hard projects together. Well, and I like the spirit of generosity that kind of weaves through the

06:09 - 06:27

Rochelle Moulton: way you describe that, right? Like, I've helped you, you've helped me with the financial exchange, and let's continue to be able to grow together. You know, something that you said, and I was thinking about it, conversation we had 1 time about your book. So did you start writing for the