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Sage Insights is a podcast about business, digital marketing, website design, and the real work behind building a strong brand online.
Hosted by Alex Jariv of Sage Digital Agency, the show features honest conversations with business owners, entrepreneurs, creatives, and industry experts about what actually drives growth: better strategy, stronger websites, clearer messaging, smarter marketing, and the right people behind the work.
From web design and WordPress to paid media, branding, client experience, leadership, and the lessons learned from building real businesses.
My mother says it often, don't throw good money after bad money. And I presume, again, you had probably attempted to to fix the relationship you had with that per whoever before. I have to say, in design projects, it's very, subjective. So what I do is not mathematics. It's not black and white.
Julie:Right? There's creativity to it.
Julie:When I'm done, I'm done. I'm really cool, but then it's like, you know what? I've given a lot of time and energy, and my time is really important to me.
Alex:The most valuable thing we have is Yes. The Agree totally. Julie Kay, Stallcup, thank you for being here.
Julie:Thank you.
Alex:You are in town for convention?
Julie:Dance Teacher Webb.
Alex:Dance Teacher Webb. Mhmm. Going to Backstreet Boys tonight. Is that right?
Julie:Spread the Sphere, never been.
Alex:Fantastic. I'm sorry to say I've never been to the sphere either.
Julie:I know. I'm so excited.
Alex:You have me here working too much. That's what it is. I can't leave the office.
Julie:Well, you're so good. You have to keep working.
Alex:How long ago did we meet? Plus or minus six months? Yep. Probably saw me on Facebook, Instagram, probably.
Julie:I well, actually, you know, this is a funny story. My Oh. My daughter is wanting to be a professional dancer, and she was looking at this fitness app.
Alex:I remember.
Julie:And I said, oh my goodness. This website is exactly what I want.
Alex:Now I remember that.
Julie:I scrolled to the bottom, and then I called you, and you answered the phone.
Alex:And I believe that. No. I went
Julie:and my husband was like, Daryl's like, oh my I think that's it. Like, he's answering the phone. This is so cool.
Alex:Right away when you called, I said, I like this person.
Julie:Oh lord.
Alex:Right away, I said, this is a great person. I don't remember exactly what we said, but it was probably something to the effect of I hate my current website. I hate what's going on. Yep. Maybe there was a little bit of, I've had some bad experiences in the past.
Alex:Those are usually trickled in.
Julie:100%.
Alex:And we exchanged a few words, and I think we maybe had a couple more calls after that.
Julie:Husband said you were the one, that it was just a shoo in, because you knew exactly what I needed, and you have heard this over and over again. Why is this not working? It's a broken record.
Alex:I have had thousands of sales calls in my career of fifteen plus or minus years, And I often joke, but it's not a joke, that it's the same complaints of the same bad vendor all the time. It's like everyone is talking about the same person. Doesn't respond. It look, am I perfect at answering the phone? No.
Alex:Are there times of which I don't answer? Yes. Do I attempt to constantly call back as Madeline and everyone? Yes, we're doing the best that we possibly can. Of course.
Alex:But I think it was inevitable for us to speak at some point. I have to say, in design projects, it's very subjective. So what I do is not mathematics, it's not black and white, right? There's creativity to it. Mhmm.
Alex:So when we started your project, sometimes projects take a while to be happy with, from my side, right? Like I have high standards and I will not give half assed stuff to my clients, period. Don't care if it takes me another day, another two days, whatever it is, I'm gonna do it right. Right. But when I saw yours, was like, okay, great.
Alex:This came around. Like sometimes it clicks from the beginning and I'm happy and
Julie:What made it click though?
Alex:It's hard to explain. The feel, the look and feel. Okay. Just it's either on or it's not on. And in your case, was on from the beginning and it wasn't a, I don't know what the word is, slog.
Alex:It wasn't a pain in order to get it correct to where I was happy to be able to show it, so I'm proud of that. And look, it's been a pleasure to work with you. What can I say? We probably built your site for, I don't know, a month, month and a half? Amazing.
Alex:Not not more than that, right?
Julie:It's so beautiful. Like, it really is everything that I wanted for them to see who what my product was and who Julie Kay Stalkup was because I want them to look at me and think relatable, high energy Mhmm. Great content. She's gonna come through for me because a lot of people right now, they're not coming through for their clients. I really truly believe with all my heart, our team is the best out there for dance teachers and studio owners.
Alex:Mhmm. Mhmm. You experienced some issues again. You were looking. You said I've had enough.
Alex:Because there's this saying, my mother says it often, don't throw good money after bad money. And I presume, again, you had probably attempted to fix the relationship you had with that whoever And you just said, you know, I had enough. Right? You got to a point, I assume, where it's enough is enough.
Julie:When I'm done, I'm done. Resonate I'm with that a really cool, but then it's like, you know what? I've given a lot of time and energy and my time is really important
Alex:to me. The most valuable thing we have is Business. The Yes, agree totally. And could you speak a little bit to your experience otherwise during the process with me? Anything you could say?
Alex:Was I the salesperson that never spoke to you again after that?
Julie:I love is is I love communication. Yeah. I think that it is the most important thing in a business. And, you know, sometimes we're busy and we're not really giving all the details that we need to do, so sometimes the workflow is not great. What I loved about your team is, okay.
Julie:Open up a ticket. Here it is. And then there are moments where I got off and just emailed and you're like, open up a ticket again. And consistency is superpower. It's like, I and I'm working really hard every day to become more consistent in my business because that means I'm gonna be more consistent for my clients.
Julie:Right? So I think that what is so great is that you are consistent person, and you were showing me exactly how to to pave the way, what to do. And I actually thought, this is great because I feel like I'm always guiding people. And now you were guiding me. It I was like, I feel like I'm home.
Julie:This is so great. And you're so patient
Alex:Thank you.
Julie:And so kind. And our team felt great working with you. And I think that that speaks volumes. And when you have a working relationship like that, you can't lose.
Alex:I appreciate that. And and I agree about the communication. It's like maybe the first iteration of the design is not perfect. Let's just say, always say, human being, let's say it's 70%. It's the fact that I'm interested and eager to improve the other 30 and to take feedback and not be, oh, you don't know what it is, oh, no, this is what you should I get it.
Alex:You roll up the sleeves, you do the work, you make your client happy. As I said, it's a subjective thing. What I think I might like, you might not like vice versa, but I'd like to think after all this time, I've got a pretty good eye for it, but yes, it's the effort. Like, am I going to put in the time and effort? Am I going to spend the resources of the team in order to do it?
Alex:And I have been joking, but it's not a joke. I am the bottleneck sometimes, right? It's just a fact. I have two small children. I am trying not to check my email on one day a week.
Alex:Someone's like, I'm trying. I because I have to
Julie:I mean
Alex:be there for these beautiful two children of mine and
Julie:It's my so hard.
Alex:Forget about my wife. Okay? She always says that I mentioned the children then the wife, but
Julie:It's a lot.
Alex:I mean my family that so important. I I what I'm saying is is that I think one of the best things I can do for my client is say, hey. There's more to Sage than Alex. Everyone else is better at their respective role, period. Okay?
Alex:Right. Really. Right. I agree. Bottleneck.
Julie:I agree.
Alex:I'm gonna give you a way that it's not the Alex show, and it's not me orchestrating this send email. Correct. Just go directly to the source. They're better than me. Go there, and, I'm really trying to to refuse that.
Julie:Same way because says Julie K. Stalkup. Right? But there's a whole team
Alex:Yeah.
Julie:Yeah. Yeah. Behind, including my kids that have to suffer sometimes. Yes. My amazing supportive husband who comes with me everywhere.
Julie:Yes. And, you know, I mean, even if it's just to, like, lay down and take a nap, he's he's there for me just to take a nap and to make sure that I'm focused and I'm good. And it's you just need to have a really good support system. Even though it says Julie Casewalcutt, leader in education, underneath it needs to be every single you know, or with me, not even underneath me. It's like it needs to these people were working their tails off just to make sure that, you know, I'm gonna be good.
Julie:And that's that's important.
Alex:It's on the subject of the size of your team, first of all, I love the unique way we laid it out on the site. You don't see it that way every every day. It's usually, now here's a couple images of people, I love the way it's set up.
Julie:Because it looks like a community.
Alex:But there's a lot of people on the team. It's amazing. Is not, yeah, it's serious. Look, for you to operate at any degree of scale, need it. You know, obviously, you need the support and as do I.
Alex:Look, we launched your website a few months ago, correct? Something like that. Our relationship transitioned from design
Julie:Phone conversation.
Alex:Yeah, to let's manage this thing, let it be an asset to you, let it be something that can grow as your needs grow. And it's my pleasure to infuse on you my opinion about what should and shouldn't be next, etcetera. And I'll do everything I can to help you. But you are just such a rock star. I loved you from the second that I met you.
Alex:What else can I possibly say? It's a pleasure to work with you and the team, and I'm proud of the work we did together.
Julie:You know what? Our future's bright. As long as we stick together, communicate, do all the things, I can't wait to build more things. You learn things from, you know, what kind of client that I am and I learn
Alex:from you And as that's so true, because every interaction is an opportunity to, like, how do I say it? Often say in my business what's so fulfilling to me is that I can apply the same skill set that I learned from various experiences into your particular industry. When I was younger, I would, let's say, be advertised to from coaches and all this that, oh, just do websites for doctors or just do websites for realtors or whatever. And I understand the, like, niching and honing in on their particular thing, but you know what? I don't want to churn out the same thing all the time.
Alex:I'm gonna be excited about the work that I'm doing. Mhmm. And we have some, I don't know, thirty, forty projects that got happening at one time here, And the range of business types is unreal, right? Unreal. And for me, that's very rewarding.
Alex:So we're industry agnostic, but really proud of the portfolio. It's vast. I mean, it's You should be. Lot
Julie:You work hard for it. You know what? When you wake up excited, you perform better.
Alex:I agree.
Julie:I like my dad used to say, like, if you wake up and you don't enjoy what you do, then you need to you need to if you wake up and you don't enjoy what you do, then you need to find another career. Mhmm. You just do.
Alex:Time is limited.
Julie:It is.
Alex:It is limited. Be coachable.
Julie:Yeah. You don't know everything.
Alex:I totally agree with that. I have the approach of as I learn more and more, I realize how much I don't know. Right. And I don't want to be that person that has a little bit of experience. I did a funny podcast on this that was called, what was the, there was a Dunning Kruger effect is what it's called.
Alex:Essentially, it was a graph that someone with a little bit of experience all of a sudden has tremendous confidence, right? Because they think they've done it all, Right. And then very quickly it plummets down and it takes like super long time to go back to it. It does. I like to think of myself as there's always a learning opportunity.
Alex:Things also change a lot the technology related field of mind. Very fast, but we're gonna keep on top of it and we're gonna keep doing good work together I can't wait. Bless you, it is a great pleasure to know you.
Julie:Adore you and your place is so beautiful here. Thank you. Eighteen minutes from the hotel Yeah. Good. Got over here, and now we're making it happen.
Julie:I'm loving it.
Alex:Happen. I'm very happy to have you here, and, hopefully, we'll convince you to come back to Las Vegas, frequently.
Julie:Love. Love. Love. Yeah.
Alex:Thank you.