You're listening to cubicle to CEO episode 190. It's a love story that rivals Taylor's version of Romeo and Juliet followed the saga of two cubicle the CEO mentees turned biz besties from meet cute to making $25,000 together by leaning on each other's strengths. What I love most about Mindi and Juliette's story is their improbable match on paper as entrepreneurs hailing from vastly different industries. Mindi Trimble is a college prep coach and creator of the acceptance accelerator program. Often described by her students as bubble wrap. She ensures they don't crack under pressure while creating personality filled applications that get put in the yes pile. Besides increasing student acceptance rates. Working with Mindi has also been known to yield her students financial aid offers ranging from five to 30 times return on their coaching investment. Juliette Molina on the other hand, brings over 25 years of experience as a makeup artist to her diverse clientele, which includes the likes of Nicole Scherzinger and Nike. Her company Beauty by Juliette specializes in serving women over 40 And she's transformed her in person freelance work into an online business partnership with Lyme life by Al Cohn, natural skincare and professional makeup, creating digital content and providing virtual global makeup instruction. Their case study is proof that biz besties not only better your life, but also grow your bottom line and why relationships are key to your success in business.
Welcome to cubicle to CEO the podcast. I'm your host Ellen Yin. I quit my job without a backup plan and bootstrapped my first $300 freelance project into $2 million in revenue by age 28. On the show, you'll hear weekly case study interviews with leading entrepreneurs and CEOs who share one specific strategy that successfully grew their business revenue. Skip the expensive and time consuming learning curve of testing everything yourself by borrowing what actually works from the best and brightest mentors. You'll also get a front row seat to my founders journey through transparent income reports and behind the business solo episodes, subscribe now so we can grow together every Monday.
Video marketing is here to stay. So I want to introduce you to my go to Video Marketing Coach and friend Natasha, host of the shine online podcast. Natasha helps you create strategic video content by sharing a simpler way for you to show up with confidence that doesn't rely on the latest trends or gimmicky hacks. Her sustainable approach is especially refreshing in Episode 71 of the shine online podcast titled be a creator, not an influencer, using social media as a business owner. Here's a quick note of encouragement from that episode that really resonated with me.
I'm literally saying that follower count doesn't matter. What matters is having the audience of the right size and the right people. You could literally have 1000s of people in your community. And that might not do nothing for your small business. I have seen it with one of my greatest friends Dielle. She's an amazing sales coach and she was literally making sales like her first six figure year with only a few 100 people in her audience and she still doesn't have a big audience and still has hit the seven figure mark rate.
Natasha smart discernment between creating content as a CEO to drive sales versus creating content to chase vanity metrics is a must listen. Search for the shine online podcast to play the rest of episode 71 And make sure you hit follow on Spotify or the plus button on Apple podcasts to add Natasha show to your weekly rotation. We'll also drop a clickable link below in the show notes.
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I have two amazing people on the show today. Juliette and Mindi are here to join us and share their biz bestie love story which is so original and creative, which is one of the things that made me fall in love with their pitch, their podcasts pitch was so just outside of the box and how they presented the power of collaboration and finding an accountability partner and a biz bestie to help you achieve your goals. And if you listen to the intro, you already know that together by being each other's accountability partners and collaborators, they were actually able to generate a collective $25,000 in revenue between their businesses, and also reach their first $10,000 months independently in their own businesses in the same month. So this episode is really all about connection and friendship and how we aren't meant to do the journey of entrepreneurship alone. So Mindy and Juliet, welcome to the show.
Hello, we're so excited to be here.
So Mindi and Juliette, you too have been, you know, longtime members of our community. In many ways. You're a loyal podcast listeners, you're part of the mentorship program, which is where the two of you met. So you know that our first question for all of our guests is, what is your cubicle, the CEO story, and both of you interestingly enough, come from performance background that seems to be kind of a theme recently with our guests. So Mindi, I'll start with you. What was the catalyst that finally gave you the courage to jump full time into entrepreneurship? And maybe just for a little bit of context, tell us about the business and the work that you do?
Sure. So my cubicle to CEO story is kind of like cubicle to center stage to CEO. And really, I mean, honestly, I feel like being a CEO for me has just been switching the stage over to this online entrepreneurship space. And I think that why I love it, I get to channel all of my performance creativity into this new platform. And so I actually was in a kind of a corporate environment, working for an educational company, and I had a test prep background, and all through my master's degree when I was studying opera and performing, I was working in person and doing group classes with students regarding Test Prep.
And eventually that company in about 2011-2012, were really early adopters of virtual tutoring. We were always having to overcome the objections about "Well, is it going to work online". So I've been working on Zoom since 2015, actually, and prior to that, we have other software. So I'm no stranger to the virtual space. But over time, you know, working for the company, I was developing relationships with students. And I really wanted to go beyond that phase of their education. And so I started, you know, getting my own clients and kind of exploring college list building and college essay and application development and project management.
And that is how I ended up developing Mindi Trimble mentoring. And yeah, you know, when I got pregnant in early 2018, I just knew that I was gonna go on maternity leave, and not really come back. And that's exactly what happens. So that's, that's my story.
That's incredible. I love that you said you just shifted your stage from performing, to using and channeling that creativity into helping students with their college applications and all the incredible work you do now today. So I'm excited to kind of pull up more pieces of the structure and strategy as we move into the case study. But first, of course, Juliette, I would love for you to share your cubicle to CEO story as well.
Well, as you know, I also have a theatre background, I went to college for theater, I was a child actor, essentially. So we have so much in common, which is so great. My cubicle to CEO story has two parts. It's like the original and then the remix. I'll start with the original because the catalyst for me leaving MAC I was a makeup artist for MAC at the time. And moving into freelance was quality time with my family. And having developed my skill set enough and my confidence in what I do and did back then to become a freelance artist and get out and do my thing. And so it was really exciting. It was a hard decision because I really had enjoyed my job and my career was plummeting. plummeting. What did they call it? Soaring? The opposite. Oh my gosh. And so it was a hard call, which I know from listening, you know, to a lot of your podcasts ln which I love so much that a lot of people share that difficult time of making that decision.
And then I developed that business but then we reach 2020 and I call it my 2020 remix story because everything stopped and my job really was highly impacted by the pandemic, I you know, had developed to a really incredible referral based business, that was a perfect balance for me and my family creating a space that worked for us, you know, and enough revenue that worked for us. And so then everything stopped. And so I had to make some pivots and explore new possibilities of how to take all this experience of 20 plus years of being a makeup artist on the field, to creating a global ecommerce experience that I could take that and help others and serve others with that.
And I know that you weren't alone in that transition. So many businesses had to figure out how to go online during that time. And it's amazing to see you in your zone now because it just comes so naturally. And I know both of you are extroverts, but your personalities are so warm and open. And it's so easy to connect with who you are even behind a screen. So, again, I'm just overjoyed to have the both of you here. One thing and I already alluded to this that really stood out to me about your pitch is the way that you presented it as a love story with five acts. You know, when I read through this pitch, I was like, Oh my gosh, I feel like I'm attending a show. Like we're here to watch. Act One the curtains have opened so take us to act one the meet cute. Where did you guys meet? And how did you form that first connection with one another?
Well, yes, so in true operatic you know, opera operas are long, Ellen, you know, I had to go for five acts. So you know, an Act One, you know, we have the chance meeting. Well, I guess it wasn't so much chance because it was a cubicle, the CEO call. But in the meeting, I had a question about my business. And you asked, you know, what do you do Mindi just for everyone in the room, and I described that I am a college prep mentor. And I really like working with younger students because it just makes their entire high school process easier. It's better for my business because I'm not having to you know, always get new clients all the time. And Juliette chimed in in the chat. "Oh, I have a sophomore." And you kind of pointed out like, "Oh, hey, looks like looks like you to maybe need to connect." So that was our meet cute was in the Zoom chat.
And I have to insert an early hot take here because those listening obviously even though you have similar backgrounds, perhaps in performance, your actual businesses are vastly different. Right? Like Mindi. Like you said, you're a college prep mentor. Juliette, you are a makeup artist, you teach makeup to people, but you also have a homeschool program. So very, very different industries and niches. Do you think that being in completely separate industries actually was an advantage to your collaboration as biz besties or as accountability partners? Or do you feel like that was something that made it harder at first compared to working with someone directly in your own niche?
I actually think that as creatives we knew we liked each other's energy really quickly, as soon as we were on a zoom call together. And for me, that's kind of the spark where it's like, boom, boom, how can we work together? Let's like figure it out. Let's just figure it out. Let's spin this, like, how can we come up with a way to just hang out more and maybe even make money doing it? So I think that's the kind of creative challenge that it makes it easier. It certainly makes it more fun. And yeah, it's kind of an unlikely pairing. But it's clearly has worked out in lots of ways.
That's right. That's right. I mean, I think it's, you know, I'm wired for connection, it's just came out like that. I love meeting people serving people connecting with people having fun with people, like you know, and so reaching out and connecting with Mindi, and then obviously being literally blessed by just this awesome relationship that has developed but more from the business side, I think what I've learned is to not let any limiting beliefs or anything that shuts doors to lead in my endeavors, right. So like, I will take that risk now. Much faster.
If I could speak to my younger self, you know, it'd be a lot I'd say to her, but that's probably one of the things. It's just really being aware of blind spots. And anytime you say, oh, no, but maybe if I if I reach out this or that, you know, like just removing those conversations, those inner conversations and getting out of my own way, in ways that have blossomed so many times now that the proof is in the pudding. Right? Like I mean, Thank you, Ellen, for being you and for creating a space that feels so safe to do that. And and you know, I've met some amazing people that I would not have met and thank you for this opportunity to by the way, I didn't say that earlier. Thank you for having us today. It's amazing.
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The honor is truly all mine, you guys have always been just VIPs in our community and such supportive women to to everyone you meet. And so I cannot think of a better pairing to feature for showcasing how powerful collaboration truly can be. And you guys talked about I helped facilitate maybe that initial like, Oh, hey, maybe you should talk to this person and vice versa. But to hear that and to actually take action on it are two completely different things.
And I think a lot of people find themselves in programs or groups where they may spend their entire time in that container never really forming relationships outside of you know, just attending calls with the coach or implementing the curriculum. And so I want to move us to act two where you to actually hopped on your first call together, how did you facilitate getting that call on the calendar, any insight you want to shed on how you can approach someone and getting that call booked without creating those barriers, like you said, because I know a lot of people, especially those who are shy or they sometimes feel a little hesitant to reach out to someone they don't know or on the other side on the receiving end. These days, we all unfortunately feel a little bit like we have our guards up because it seems like a lot of people have intentions that may not be aligned with us or we feel like we might get pitched on a call. So people can be a little hesitant to accept a quote unquote connection call. So how did you to go about this Juliet, I'll have you start in the Mindi if you want to add some insight, feel free.
I'm reminded of something you said earlier. I don't know if you remember this, Ellen. But you said to me, you picked up on my personality somehow, because that's what you do. And you said, you know, Juliette, I want you to remember that the same way you are on the field and in person. Because I'm getting this energy from you that you can apply that on the internet and the relationships that you're building through this network and networking in this space, you know, because I was new to the virtual experience someone. And so that really gave me a permission.
You know, I think the value of mentorship, right like is so key because there are so many value nuggets really that appear, golden golden nuggets that you have provided for me through the journey and my development that made me reach out and keep that at the forefront of my mind to just be myself how I am in person how I am in a DM how I am, you know, in all experiences, you know, and so when Mindi said initially, so we're still in Act One, but like when she said that, you know, she coaches, sophomores and such and when I say what about me, I have a sophomore, let's go you know, and then we kind of connected. And then I ended up coaching, you know her for makeup, it was really very fluid. And I was grateful to have had that advice and sort of lead with that and just remain really authentic, which is super important.
I think all that I would add to that was that it all felt very natural. And I even think that Juliette that you just shot me a DM on Instagram during the call and said, "Hey, let's make sure to connect". And that was really lovely because I didn't even know if she was like wanting to get on a sales call necessarily. But I was also working on my copy in the context of Cubicle to CEO and working on my message. And so I wanted to make sure that it felt like I was nurturing the relationship and I said hey, let's just do an ideal client interview. You know, I can send you a coffee card or you know, I have some other gifts I can offer and so just kind of leading with generosity, and a generous spirit. I mean, it was certainly generous of her saying like, I have the software and then you know messaging me right away that felt really lovely and authentic. And so it Yeah, it was really fluid.
That's amazing. And I think That's the takeaway that I want our listeners to have is a connection call can be specific in the ask. And I think that's where a lot of people sometimes go wrong is not to say that there was anything wrong to just hop on a call to purely connect and get to know one another. I think that's really key. But if you want to really incentivize a stranger to get on a call with you, I think sometimes it does help to have an actual purpose to the call, right? So beyond connecting, because connection happens naturally in the spaces around a conversation, but to also say, like you mentioned to you specifically said, "Hey, I would love to buy you coffee and in exchange, ask you a couple questions to help me fine tune my messaging". And then Juliette, you came into that conversation saying, "Hey, I'm actually interested in the work that you do, because I have a sophomore who may be a good fit for what you're doing". So having that specific purpose, I think can help incentivize both sides to feel a little bit more comfortable to say yes to that initial meeting. And then what a beautiful thing that developed from there, with you giving of your time to Mindi for that market research purpose, but then Mindi, you hiring Juliette to teach you makeup for a brand shoot, right?
Right, it was just kind of like we're in the moment together. And we're getting along really well. And we're just gabbing gabbing gabbing. And it was a great ideal client interview. And Juliet gave me a lot of ideas, particularly about reaching out to homeschool organizations based in the community, which I'm now doing. So that was fantastic.
And then I thought, gosh, well, how can we keep this party going? And I thought, oh, my gosh, well, I gotta do my makeup. It's been a long time since I took brand photos. And I could just drive over to MAC counter or I can jump on line with Juliette and have her teach me and then I'm acquiring skills, and I'm helping her out. And that just seemed like the best solution. And it was, and I kid you not, the tools that I got from that session last year, I use in my everyday makeup, obviously, don't go full glam. But one of my friends saw a picture of me from last week and thought it was from 10 years ago. So kudos to Juliette for aging us all backwards.
I mean, if that is not a testament to your skill, I don't know what is. So you're needing a makeup lesson. If you need a refresher on your beauty routine, or your skincare routine, and talk to Juliette, you can look in the show notes. And of course, at the end, we'll make sure that you have both of these two lovely ladies contact info. That's truly incredible. I mean, I just love to see how one thing one small interaction can really snowball into a long lasting lifelong friendship.
Act three is where we actually get into how this friendship evolved beyond just camaraderie and support and actually impacted both of your businesses from a financial perspective. So let's make the first talk about on Juliette's side. So Juliette, you entered a pitch contest locally, right? Give us some context, like what was this contest for? What did you plan to use this money for? And how did Mindi come into play and helping you secure these funds for your business?
Thank you for asking. Yeah, that was a powerful experience all the way around, it's a gift that keeps on giving, right, because I started with my remix 2020 experience, I looked into this community college business support program that's free. And at that time, because like I said, my business had stopped. And you know, funds were really difficult. They had a small business development center at the community college that allows entrepreneurship to be supported, you know, at like an individual coaching level, and I had participated with them. And that evolved into me kind of believing in myself in this new idea that I had, and I then joined, paid to create, you know, so like, it all is like stepping stones that led to this moment when one of the advisors nominated me, for this angel. It's called Dream Big Angel grant through Harper Community College, and they nominated Beauty by Juliette.
And so that led me to then talking about it to you, and this Cubicle to CEO program. And there's so much I want to say about, like, how that experience went from start to finish, you know, and like you mentioned, I think I heard you say something about, like, what I wanted the money for. And so, you know, I approached it, you know, after we talked about how Mindi coached me to get to the point where I'm actually saying, hey, you know, I have these three buckets that I want to fill with $15,000. And I didn't know if I was gonna get all of it if I was gonna get a portion of it. Like it wasn't so clear as to how the award actually would come about. But yeah, so that's, that's basically the the angel grant approach story, if that's sufficient.
Absolutely. No, that background helps so much. So you were up for a $15,000 grant for your business, which, by the way, we've had a few guests on the show before talk about pitching from the perspective of getting VC funding, so venture capital funding. We also did have one episode about crowd equity fund funding, Kim Lewis was on our show to talk about that. But outside of that, I don't think we've ever had a guest come on specifically sharing, you know that they entered a pitch contest and then won a grant or, or something for their business.
But I just wanted to pull up that piece for our listeners, because I think it's so important as entrepreneurs that we don't box ourselves into what's the norm for our industry. And what I mean by that is, I obviously, all three of us now operate mostly in the online business space. For me, specifically, my background in the online space is in the marketing course, and coaching sector, which things like pitch contests aren't as brought up in that space. I typically think a lot of people who do inter pitch contests are more, you know, in tech, or perhaps they are developing a physical product to consumer brand or something of that nature.
But I'm so glad that you are bringing your experience as a service based business as a makeup artist as a makeup educator who has courses and trainings, but also, as someone who has physical products, Juliette, I love that you're shining a light on being able to think outside the box of what we know, in our industry. And that money is all around us, right? There's so many different ways that we can grow our business and generate revenue. And it doesn't always have to look the same for every single person. So I just wanted to give you kudos for that. And then Mindi, if you wouldn't mind sharing how you helped Juliette structure, the content of her pitch to set her up for success? I would love to hear your approach to that.
Sure. Well, you know, I remember her coming into another call for cubicle to CEO and asking for advice and being inspired by the Comcast RISE promotion you were doing at the time, right? So I was just another business grant opportunity. And I thought I was just sitting there and I was thinking how, how can I help a friend like she's looking for advice on how to actually structure and set up this in person presentation. And there are, you know, a number of templates for these pieces of college applications called the supplemental essays. So a lot of people might be familiar with the college essay, the main personal statement, and yes, all the students all have to write that. But many students also have to write additional essays for each school. And beyond that, they're having to write scholarship essays or repackage those essays for scholarships.
So there is just inherently a lot of pitch practice built into this writing. And I thought, You know what, I can do this, because one of the templates I use is based on an approach that Andy Raskin writes about, it was on Medium, I remember seeing the article, and he goes through Elon Musk's powerwall pitch. So this is a really old article. I mean, this might even be 10 years old, seven to 10 years old. But it's this five step structure that I have been using with students to talk about having successful community service impact projects, or really high profile extracurricular achievements.
And so the first step is, if they're describing something they've already done, or even something they want to do, they're gonna like, name the obstacle, what's the problem? You know, what's getting in the way of a customer's happiness? Right? So Juliette, and I kind of talked through that, like, what is her mission? And what is she hoping to solve? And then the next phase of the pitch is to answer, why is this important right now? Why do we need to care about funding this right now? Why is it more imperative than it has been in the past? After that, that's when you're gonna talk about the vision, like the promised land, you haven't introduced yourself yet. You're not, you're not talking about the how it's all about, okay, here's the problem. Here's why it's important now, and this is what the solution is going to look like. So everyone is really there, they're on the right with you.
So you're telling the story, really, before you get to the nuts and bolts of the pitch. Then after those three steps is step four, that's when you are going to name the obstacles and how you're going to overcome them. So you know, that's when you're basically coming up with a counter arguments to whatever they might bring up. Okay. And then finally, that's when you present all your evidence and all the supporting data. And that right there is the pitch. So you're saving that really toward the end. So that's it.
Wow, okay, I'm so fascinated by this, because, I mean, I feel like the theme here is look outside your industry and be willing to think outside the box, like I just mentioned a moment ago, but here again, you're you're displaying that because you developed this five part framework after being inspired by an article that was written about how Elon Musk approached a certain thing, which obviously so like Elon is in the tech space, like completely separate than anything you do in college prep, but then you were able to distill this into a structure for helping your students write better supplemental essays to crack you know, attain scholarships or get into college, but Then again you were able to transfer that structure and apply it to a pitch competition for Juliette to talk about her makeup and skincare company which is just so cool to me to see how you're able to take something that seems so unrelated and bring it into play here.
With over 25 years of experience as a professional makeup artist, working with photographers, celebrities, fashion shows, bridal and special events, Beauty by Juliette is ready to highlight your inner sparkle. Connect with Juliette Molina for virtual makeup coaching from the comfort of your own space anywhere in the world specializing in beauty over 40 Juliette understands that beauty is a feeling and that it's also an inside job. Through training with Juliette you'll level up your makeup skills and confidence. while also getting matched to high performing skincare, makeup and nutritional products. You'll need to elevate your beauty game from the inside out. Juliette offers all of this in a one stop shop. So visit Beautybyjuliette.com to get started and put your best look forward today. We'll also drop a clickable link below in the show notes.
Described by her students as the bubble wrap of college and career coaching. Mindi Trimble gets teens to pop from the pages of their personality filled applications, while making sure they arrive in one gorgeous piece to the college of their dreams. Besides increasing acceptance rates working with Mindi Trimble mentoring has also been known to yield scholarship and financial aid offers ranging from five to 30 times return on investment in her Accepted Academy. A custom one on one mentorship program for college bound teens to transform high school into a purpose filled academic journey that helps students stand out and transition into their dream college with clarity and confidence. Parents of college bound teens, I highly recommend you book a free call with Mindi at Minditrimble.com/bookacall. Mindi is also offering our cubicle to ceo listeners a special gift of a You Science, Aptitude and Career Discovery assessment that she will review with you on the call a service package worth over $350, But it's yours for free when you book a call with her at Minditrimble.com/bookacall. We'll also drop a clickable link below in the show notes.
So that five part structure if you remember Juliette, what did that like from a very high level view? Obviously, you don't need to give us your full pitch here. But I think just for practicality, like what did that look like?
I had heard Drew Barrymore say like beauty is a feeling and it gave me sort of like this moment to tap into my why in front of the panel, you know, and you know, there was a lot of bankers in this panel, people who like didn't really know anything about makeup, and here I am coming in at the end of the day, thank you, Mindi, who told me like, pick that final spot, you know, it's gonna be great. And I did get feedback that that was the right choice that I was like a breath of fresh air at the end. But, you know, I talked about that I talked about why me instead of competitors, Mindi and I, you know, work through that. I spoke about what I actually do.
And then I talked about the beauty industry, I remember saying, you know, doing some research, like Mindi and I kind of dug deep into the relevance, you know, and and why should I be a good investment? Yeah, and so like, you know, I talked about the global beauty industry being a $532 billion industry, and I wanted a piece of that pie, you know, like that I had, you know, the groundwork to kind of be a good investment, you know, and talked about my financials I did, I talked about my three buckets, and how I would use those pillars, you know, like each of the buckets, each $5,000. And, you know, broke that down in the process and plans for scalability, talked about the future of my business. And I think one of them was like past growth projections. It's just, you bring your whole self everywhere you go. So I really Mindi helped me sort of tap into all of who I am so that I could structure that and present that and target a very specific thing with a very broad value that is me.
I'm remembering the whole process and the only thing that I just wanted to bring up Juliette was it especially for the first part, it was like, you know, in terms of permission. I remember talking about when you said Beauty is a feeling. And Juliet looked at me it was like, I want every woman over 40 to feel beautiful, and it's got to be now because now we're all accustomed to working online and I can really grow this business people are not bringing up learning via tech as an objection as much as they were prior to 2020 And so now is why I need the investment because the market is ready for it. And, you know, while the rest of the world is going back to in person, I am ready to keep growing online.
And I understand the power that makeup has, you know, and obviously, I'm a self care advocate. And so it's like, how can I connect with more people and serve more people, because I've had a lot of clients in my chair and over 20, almost 25 years now, right. And I'm like, you know, this is scalable, and not just in a financial way, but also in a way that more people are served by what I bring to the table in terms of creating that power experience. I mean, it's like a, you know, a power suit makes you feel a certain way, right. And so you know, how you show up putting your best look forward. And you know, so I want everyone to feel their best and most confidence self, as they show up and shine and everywhere, everywhere. And whatever they do,
I couldn't agree more that who we are how we feel on the inside, plays out in every aspect of how we show up in our lives, not just in business, but really in every facet. So I agree with you completely there. And spoiler alert, by the way, obviously, as you can probably tell from the way we told the story, Juliette did end up winning that $15,000 grant, which is huge. So massive congratulations once again for securing the money. Getting the bag.
So much. Thank you so much. I didn't happen alone. I didn't do it. Obviously, this is the point of our connection and conversation, right? Like it takes reaching out and getting the support. And in terms of thinking about you bring your whole self to everything you do. I learned a lot as a homeschool mom, right. And so one of the things I learned the most is that I'm very resourceful, and how to be resourceful. And so in talking about collaborating with other entrepreneurs, like, both of you actually, you know, like, you learn that tapping into those resources doesn't always mean money investment, in order to receive value, you just have to have a really open mind and an open view so that you can actually see possibilities, you know, in different places where you might not medically kind of head towards.
You know, that's a great reminder, I love that you brought that up money is not the only form of value. And I mean, you can see that so clearly here, even in your friendship. So moving into Act Four, we talked about how Mindi helped you reach, you know, your first hand came on through the securing of a $15,000 grant in that pitch competition. Now, if we reflect to the other end, Mindi, you also hit your first $10,000 month in your business in that same month? How did your partnership with Juliette, your collaboration, and your friendship with her? How did that impact your ability to achieve that milestone?
I'm really big in my coaching sessions with students about making uncommon connections, that's what's gonna make your essay stand out. Actually, as you're pointing it out, you're like, Wow, maybe Okay, so you took an article about Elon Musk from the big tech world, and you turn it into a template for a college essay, and then you applied it to your friends pitch, you know, those are the kinds of connections I'm constantly trying to cultivate in my students. And so I think working with Juliette gave me the boost of confidence to you know, go out and get back in touch with old clients, maybe their kids have graduated, but I, you know, I started reaching out and really was leading like a scrappy, unscripted Mindi's referral campaign because I was bound and determined to to get my 10k month entirely from college essay coaching.
So, you know, I had had 10k months in the past, but that was when I was still dipping my toe into the test prep waters. And I was at 2022. I said, Absolutely not, no more test prep, not doing it. So I really just went for it. And I leveraged my client relationships, and I, you know, got in touch and I asked for referrals and, and I made it happen. And actually, I even started working with some of my high school students that have gone on to college. They're one they were wanting some additional help. Some wanted to apply to business school last year. So they had an application process within their undergraduate program. Others just needed some more accountability and writing coaching throughout their first semester. So it was a really fun and exciting, you're all around.
I am obsessed with your answer to this because No, seriously, it just, I think it's such a great reminder that growing as a business does not always have to look like more people buying from you or more clients, more customers larger audience, it actually can just mean exactly like what you share. It can mean renewal, it can mean an extension, it can mean a referral, and I'm so proud of you for doing the difficult thing. But the important thing of going back to the people who have already experienced your magic who've already experienced one It looks like to work with Mindy Trimble, right like to see the results of that.
And it's so much easier to go back to those people and say, hey, you know, would you vouch for me to anyone who might need my services? Or hey, would you like to continue our work together in this new way? I think that's just such an excellent reminder of there's so many different ways to expand revenue, and it doesn't always look like new acquisitions. So that's excellent. I'm curious now, what did your breakdown of that 10k month from college essay services actually look like? So if you had different offers, that counted for that revenue, can you break that down for us?
That 10k month, that was right at the beginning of the fall, so typically, my business is seasonal. So from, you know, January through June, I'm working more with students who are not going to be applying to college in the fall, so younger, like ninth and 10th grade. And so in that season, particularly, I was really trying to acquire my Acceptance Accelerator clients. So those are the students who are going to be working with me, you know, really, really closely for six months between, you know, August or September through the November, December, January deadlines. And so I think that most of that 10k revenue that month, were from those packages. And then I also had, like I said, because I was reaching out to past clients, I had the two college students who so who were already in college and looking for additional assistance.
That is so brilliant, by the way, I mean, so many people are pursuing advanced degrees beyond their undergrad. And so it makes complete sense that as you're prepping for, like you said, business school admissions, or I'm sure even other forms of advanced degrees after where your communication strategies really come into play. And I think that's kind of like the brilliance of what you do, Mindi, is that you are applying it in the container of college admissions and college essays. But really what you do is, you tell stories, right? And you are able to use persuasion, writing to get someone on the other side reading this letter, thinking, okay, this person belongs here, I can see the vision that you're creating here.
That's right. I mean, truly, the cornerstone of all of the coaching that I do is how can you present yourself on paper with other elements of your application in a way that's going to connect with the reader. And connection doesn't happen through regurgitating all of our perfect achievements and our you know, our glossy selves, like we have to get a little vulnerable there in order to do that. And so I think that the students that ended up renewing with me were like, This feels messy, and I need some help getting through the mess in order to get where I need to go. So.
So yeah, but that's also why I love working with students in my major league determined program, where you know, we're digging in to figure out what they love and what they want to do, and then discovering what's out there for them. And then designing and kind of distilling their options. Because the earlier that you start, the more time you're building in to get an even larger return on your investment. And that's what's interesting about my coaching, is that just like with Juliette, there are really big price tags on the end of that work. I mean, the more of it that you do, the more practice you do, the more opportunities that you have to apply all of that knowledge or even recycle some of the same exact content, and turn it into money for college. So that's why I love doing what I do.
100% I can vouch for that. I mean, we're having a blast over here with her prepping my junior, high school junior now, you know, like, so I've had the opportunity to work with Mindi in both directions, right, like providing a service to her and she's providing a service to me. That's incredible. We're really excited. And as a homeschool mom, I, I want to say Mindi too, like one of the perks of homeschooling, one of the on the pros list is that we get to choose all of our experience, you know, like we get to pick the the creme de la creme over here, you know what I mean? Like the top of the tops of everything that I've I try I strive for, you know, and so when I pick something for my kids really always been about that it's like, how is this going to be a fit for my kid? How is this going to be, you know, a great person, you know, to influence them, and I get to choose that. So, I'm so grateful for what you do and that you're, you know, providing such an incredible service.
Thank you. I'm loving it.
I think the work both of you do is just so impactful. Because it's it's really about instilling at the end of the day, different mediums, right, but you're about instilling confidence in the person whether they're sitting in your makeup chair, right or, you know, if you're teaching them through screen Juliette or whether Mindi you're helping them set up for their next phase of life and feeling confident in sharing who they are authentically in their essays to connect with the reader like you said, so I admire both of you so much for your work.
This kind of wraps us into stage five of this case study which is all about the continuation of your Friendship and your connection with one another. So just a couple questions that I think would be great to leave our listeners with as they're thinking about who they can really lean on for connection and collaboration in this season of their business. I'm just curious from a more logistical perspective, how often do you to make time to connect and check in with each other? Is it kind of impromptu just on an ad needed basis? Or do you have something a little bit more formal set in place to keep yourselves accountable?
It's kind of become now there's been we're in the process of getting the standing date on the calendar. This point, it's looking like Friday's, there's gonna be a first standing date. And that's kind of the, that's naturally developed. But you know, we're also checking in, you know, via text, Juliette is such a huge, she comes to my lives, she's like, sometimes I'm surprised to see her there. And I'm just like, thank you. So I see her name. And it feels like, I've got my buddy in the audience. So yeah, I just I think we're, we're popping in and out of each other's lives here and there all week. But we do check in.
And also, you know, when there's a nice event, that means that the makeup needs to shift, right, like sort of Mindi called me for her appearance at the Emmy's event that she went to, which was a blast. I coached her because you know, we're not anywhere near each other, just to be clear, you know, like, we are remote. And so I would love to obviously come and play with her makeup and things like that. But we have the beauty of the virtual experience, and it keeps us connected. But anytime she has any event that you know, we need to tweak things, I'm available. Yeah, her pocket artist in her pocket.
My husband's in the industry. And we used to go more of these types of events in Los Angeles, you know, pre pandemic. This was the first in person event for a long time. And my husband just got into the Television Academy as location manager. And so my makeup was so good. And you know, I got my dress for Rent the Runway, the whole bit. There was an actual actor who was nominated for Ozark. It was a supporting role. And she asked me what I was nominated for. I was like, Oh, you're kidding. You've got to be kidding. You're so sweet. I love you, Jessica Francis Duke, she's so she's lovely. She plays the FBI agent and Ozark if anybody seen that? And yeah, so now we follow each other on Instagram.
Well, there you go. Because I think it really is about, it's the way you present yourself. It draws people in right and makeup has the ability to give you that confidence, like you mentioned at the beginning Juliette to put your best foot forward. And it's just so cool to see the ways that your lives continue to intertwine and how you continue to support each other. I hope all of you listening in today, feel inspired to maybe reach out to a friend that you haven't you know, connected with recently, maybe you've lost touch with or to reach out to someone new, just like when Juliette made that first DM, I don't think she was imagining that this is what it would turn into. But you just never know what that first reach out when you when you are proactive about developing this relationships where that can lead. So thank you for modeling what it looks like to have the most collaborative friendship and how to just continue to support each other in all of life stages.
So, of course, we have to end this interview by making sure that our listeners know where to find you so that they can connect with you and experience your makeup magic Juliette experience your help with their kids. If anyone has kids in the high school age, applying for colleges in the next four years, you definitely want to get on Mindi's radar. So anyways, Juliette, I'll let you start first, where should people connect with you?
Yes, Beautybyjuliette.com. And, you know, of course, I'm on the socials a lot. And I love to connect with people via DMS. You can, you know, contact me through there. I obviously have my services, which I'm really excited about. And also I love providing solutions, right? So I have tangible skincare and products that will help you in your self care, nurturing, confidence boosting, because I'm all about highlighting everyone's inner sparkle. Right? So that's my jam. And that's where it's at. And so if you can reach out to me via beautybyjuliette.com I'd love to connect with you.
Amazing. And Mindi, what about you? Yeah, so
you can come to Minditrimble.com/bookacall if you're interested specifically in talking about, you know, your own pitch or your students and you think we'd be a great fit, like, let's just chat about it. And otherwise, you can catch me on Instagram at @Minditrimblementoring, and there's goodies in the link there or just drop 'Ellen' in the DMS and let me know what you enjoyed about today's episode and I promise that I will send you a voice message because I'm a chatty lady.
I love it. You heard it here. And of course, if you're listening to this, make sure you check out the show notes for all of the links mentioned. Super easy you can click right from there. Mindi Juliette, it's been a true joy having you both on the show today. Thank you for your time.
Thank you, Ellen. Thank you, Ellen. So much love
Hey Ellen here thank you again for tuning in to cubicle to CEO. If you enjoyed today's episode, follow our show on Instagram at cubicle to CEO for more bonus content and hop on the last Tuesday of each month to watch our live after show with recent guests. If you want to support our podcast, text this episode link to a friend, leave a positive review on Apple podcasts or rate our show wherever you're listening right now. Please make sure you also hit the Follow button on Apple it looks like a plus sign. Or click Subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don't miss out on our new episodes every Monday and friends until next time, keep dreaming big.
