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Serious Lady Business is the podcast where we dive into the serious—and sometimes not-so-serious—realities of being a female business owner. Host Leslie Youngblood keeps it real about entrepreneurship as we dive into the hard lessons no one warns you about to the surprising wins that make it all worth it. Tune in for honest conversations, unfiltered insights, and stories that prove you’re not in this alone.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (00:01)
Welcome to Serious Lady Business. With us today is Jennifer Oliva, founder and CEO of Jen Oliva Media. Jennifer is a media relations pro and former network news producer who specializes in national placements. Before founding her New York based company, she spent more than 25 years producing television news for the Today Show, NBC News, Fox News, Fox Business, Bloomberg, and other outlets.
She's covered the White House, breaking news, special events, business features, and stories of international importance, including interviews with the President of South Korea and King of Jordan. Jennifer, welcome to Serious Lady Business.
Jennifer Oliva (00:41)
Thank you for having me, Leslie.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (00:43)
I'm so excited. I'm always excited to talk with every guest, but I love what we're going to be talking about today. When we met before and we're discussing what we might want to discuss on this episode, we really hit on something that I think a lot of women, whether they've started their businesses already or whether they've been ruminating on it for a long time in their head, and that is skills. We're going to talk about the power of transferable skills. So I want to start with your story.
What skills from your previous roles helped you build Jen Oliva Media even if they didn't seem obvious at the time?
Jennifer Oliva (01:17)
So for me, it was everything. It's the short answer. I mean, I, as you said, I came from news. I was a network news producer for my whole career. I never imagined that I would do anything else. When you're in the news, it's kind of in your blood. It's all that you do. And it's all that you think that you can do, which is sort of an interesting reframe when you get out of it.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (01:21)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (01:47)
all these other options and all these other things that you can do with your skills and expertise and experience, who didn't think of before or you never sort of thought of. So it really wasn't until I got out of it that I saw how everything I learned in news and all of my experience there translated in the outside world and was looked at.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (01:53)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (02:14)
I don't know when you're in news, it's a grind. You're working 24-7.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (02:18)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. The news doesn't
stop. The news doesn't stop, right? Mm-hmm. ⁓
Jennifer Oliva (02:23)
sorry, Iro is coming at you and I'm sure all
the viewers too. So when you're in the middle of it, I don't think you realize all of the expertise and skills you are using. Very, in this case and in anybody's job, they're very sort of fine tuned. That doesn't mean you can't use them outside it. And so it wasn't until I left news, I didn't think I would ever leave.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (02:37)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (02:53)
I actually thought when I originally left that I would just freelance for a while, do a few other things, and then end up back at another network. Because that's what I knew, and I figured that's all I could do. But it turned out that there was so much more I could do, and I think it's so important for people to see and think kind of outside the box and realize that their experiences and their expertise
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (02:59)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Jennifer Oliva (03:22)
can cover a multitude of jobs and being an entrepreneur and it is, don't let it hold you back thinking that you can only do the one career that you had been doing all this time because you really can. Everything translates. Everything translates.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (03:40)
Right.
I think that some tell us about one example where you were maybe from the news world that you realized transferred spot on when it comes to PR and media as you moved away from that.
Jennifer Oliva (03:54)
Yeah, absolutely. One of the things that comes to mind are soundbites or quotes. So a soundbite for those who may not know is a quick sort of clip, audio clip ⁓ from an interview with somebody where they're saying something that is important, that moves the story forward, that tells the story in a way that the writing can't. It's that first person sort of narrative. So when you...
are in news for so long and when you're a producer on the other side of it, you know sound bites when you hear them. After doing a bazillion interviews and after writing articles, you become really attuned. So you'll be doing an interview and you'll know it when you hear it, when you get the answer that really encapsulates what you're trying to get across or what the story is or what that person you're interviewing is trying to get across. And once you have figured
that out and you can hear that, you know. So if you're not getting it while you're doing the interview, you are figuring out other questions to ask that might draw it out of them so that they can get their message across because you want them to be able to get their message across just as much as they do. So now that's how I help my clients on the other side of it. So I...
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (05:05)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Jennifer Oliva (05:19)
teach them how to get their message across in a way that's succinct, clear, concise, and really gets to the heart of what they're trying to convey. If it's too long, if it is a monologue and they're not letting the reporter get a question in, if they're not having sort of a back and forth or being really real about what's happening, then the reporter is not going to get the sound that they're looking for. ⁓
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (05:31)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Jennifer Oliva (05:47)
help explain the piece in the best possible way. And the client then is not getting the coverage that they would like as well. So it's a two-way street. So that's a perfect example of using something that I honed for 25 years in news now to help my clients get their.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (05:54)
I'm sorry.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Yeah. And I love that because I feel like that instantly reminds me of any sort of creative profession, whether you're a photographer and you know, yep, we got the shot or a creative director. Yep. This is the campaign. This is the, this is this, or, know, it can be anything to translate and that you've trained yourself instinctively to know that thing can help you in another endeavor, right? It doesn't have to be that exact thing, but you've kind of like attuned your, your frequency to recognize those things and can help.
move the story or your client or a project forward in another space down the line. So, Jennifer, why do you think that women in particular often overlook the skills that we already have when thinking about starting a business or making a career pivot?
Jennifer Oliva (06:52)
think that we as women are often extremely hard on ourselves, just in general in life. I mean, we're usually juggling a lot at the same time, whether it is a career and family or elderly parents or, I mean, everything, right? You've all the things going on at the same time. And that is sort of one of the things that women excel at, sometimes to our detriment.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (07:07)
⁓ Life. Everything. All the things. All the things.
Jennifer Oliva (07:21)
Right? Because we are so, it's all we know. We just are juggling those plates and working so hard and there's sort of no other option. It doesn't feel like there's any other option, but I think that we can be so hard on ourselves and not our biggest champions. And I think we need to switch that and start sort of being our own champions because if you don't speak up,
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (07:21)
Sure.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (07:49)
and say all of the things that you are good at and sort of take your place in the world and stand on everything that you're doing and then nobody's gonna do it for you, right? Nobody else is gonna, they're busy on their own lives trying to keep everything set. But if you don't sort of shout from the rooftops a little bit, which can be uncomfortable for us women, right? Nobody wants to look like
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (07:59)
Mm-hmm. ⁓
Right. Right.
yeah. sure. ⁓ yeah. yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (08:18)
they're being obnoxious or brag, but it's not about bragging. It's about owning your zone of genius and letting people know that because then you're letting them know what you can do, how you can help them, right? As an entrepreneur, you're letting them know your zone of genius and how it might benefit them. And you're your biggest sort of advocate. And I think it's so important for women to be there.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (08:20)
Mm-hmm. No.
Yes. ⁓
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (08:47)
own advocate and everything.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (08:49)
Yeah, I totally agree. You know, it's funny as you were talking about that, it reminded me of how I even got started in before doing this, but when I started my career, I was a copywriter and I didn't grow up wanting to be a copywriter. I didn't even know what that was and that you could go into advertising. You know, was pre-mad men to date myself, right? And I went to, and so I was going to major in English in college because I loved writing and I loved reading. And I went to some sort of open house.
for the college and the dean was there and she was talking about copywriting. was like, my God, I can write? When she started talking about copyright, was like, I can write for a living and it's fun and I get paid to do it. And that's like the perfect, I feel like example of a transferable skill that you don't realize that you have. You have a love of something or a passion for something or a skill. And there certainly is a way to apply that in a career path of your choosing. And I think today's day and age,
we have the Internet so prevalent now, which wasn't back then. So you can see more and you have more ideas of what's available to you, but even still it might not even register in your mind that you can do that. I love what you said about to advocate for yourself too because no one is going to save you in that way, but you also owe it to yourself to stand in that power and that skill and that interest and go for it and be unapologetically bold.
to do it because you are providing value and you can help people. And so I just think that's so spot on. What about yourself, Jen? Did you ⁓ realize that there was a skill that you didn't realize that was valuable outside of the sound bites until it was the exact thing that was needed for you?
Jennifer Oliva (10:29)
Yeah, so many. think when you do one job for so long, you get really good at it, but you don't think about all the other things that you could do. You don't envision yourself. I never envisioned myself becoming an entrepreneur.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (10:47)
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (10:54)
It was never on my bingo card. was never like a thought in my mind. Like I said, I just thought I was going to go to another network. like in my journey, like as an entrepreneur and building my business, I have learned that...
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (11:03)
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (11:13)
A lot of the things that I did as a producer come into play. For instance, as a producer, you are in charge of your team. You help sort of make everything happen with your team. That's your cameraman, your reporter. No, the anchor, you are making everything sort of happen. You're coordinating everything. And if you don't coordinate it right, nothing happens. A show doesn't happen, a shoot doesn't happen. ⁓
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (11:26)
Thanks.
Mm-hmm.
Thank
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (11:42)
those coordination skills or something that has been so impactful and helpful in my career now and in my business. mean, learning how to work with all different kinds of people, learning how to manage a team, learning all of those things are things I picked up while I was producing that I never imagined would work somewhere else, but they work everywhere. All of these skills.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (11:43)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Right.
Yeah. ⁓
Jennifer Oliva (12:12)
are all transferable and
they all can be used, they're just called different things at different places.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (12:17)
Yeah, so true.
Right, they exist everywhere. Totally, you're so right. So right. ⁓ What was I gonna say? I don't know why, I mean know it's true for men and for women, but with women, right, and you've been in something for so many years, it needs...
You can't even, you have those almost blinders on, you can't see that they transfer like outside, right? And then there's that fear of starting something new or appearing cringy, which makes me crazy, right? But it's like the fear of...
even going after something, right? Like what would you say to somebody even outside of, me, like they translate, they really do. Like is there anything that any sort of, I don't know, insider or things for them to look for, to recognize that in fact they really do, you'd be perfect for this.
Jennifer Oliva (13:04)
I think that, I think it's so important to talk to ourselves like our friends would. Right? So, like my first sort of recommendation is to sit down and write up, just sit down and free write with a piece of paper and figure out like everything you do during the day, right? And just write it all out.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (13:11)
Mmm.
Jennifer Oliva (13:32)
Then go and meet a friend for lunch and have your friend give you feedback on the things that you excel at, on the things that you're so good at, right? And then you have those two lists, go through the list and you'll start to see in black and white all of the things and skills and expertise you actually have that is in black and white right on paper that you can see and
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (13:44)
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Jennifer Oliva (14:02)
And so any self-doubt, which we all have, mean, everyone struggles with that. If you have it all sort of in front of you and you've gotten a trusted friend to sort of give you feedback on it, then that can help with the imposter syndrome. That can help with feeling like you can't make the move. And when it comes to making the move, I always think that it is better to have tried.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (14:05)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. ⁓
Right.
Right.
Jennifer Oliva (14:32)
than to wonder what if, what if you had, because you only really get one shot at this, right? So if you try and it doesn't work, then you just go find something else, or you go back to what you were doing, or everything you learned and all your experience doesn't go away once you leave a place, which is so important to think about, because when you leave, you think, ⁓ I couldn't leave, I couldn't do this.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (14:46)
Please do.
Right. Right. True. Mm-hmm. Right.
Jennifer Oliva (14:59)
then I would lose everything. But you don't lose that experience. You don't lose that expertise. You still have it. And you can use it in so many ways. So, like, don't be afraid is really what I would tell people.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (15:03)
No.
Thank you.
Yeah,
I love that example of reaching out to a friend because I'm sure that they will even tell you things that never even crossed your mind about skills that you have and your, you know, things that you offer that you'd be like, ⁓ really? I'm a good listener or ⁓ I'm creative or ⁓ like, you know, whatever that is. And I think that's such like a wonderful, wonderful suggestion. And I hope everybody listening that is thinking about making a pivot or doing something new to do that.
Brilliant, I love it so much. So Jennifer, you work in storytelling. I feel like this is like a really great transition. How important is it for women to be able to tell the story of their experience in a way that makes their skills visible and valuable? So now you have this list and you know like, okay, I fit all these things, but I'm scared to even apply for this job or how do I explain that it translates? So tell us a little bit about storytelling and how that works in.
Jennifer Oliva (15:44)
good.
So storytelling is, yes, it's important in my career, it's important in communications, it's important in everything, but you know what? It's important in life. Just overall. It's how you communicate with other people. It's how you communicate about your value and what you're bringing. And it's how you communicate about yourself and what makes you special and unique. And it's those things that make you special and unique that are gonna help you connect with other people.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (16:18)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (16:40)
So I would lean into those. I would always look at communication being sort of the number one or one of the number one things in life when it comes to getting out there and dealing with other people, right? It's not just for people in the media or in writing. It's important for everybody to be able to speak about themselves.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (17:03)
true.
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (17:09)
to speak about what they've done and to feel confident in that. So I would practice, practice, practice, practice. Get in front of the mirror, get in front of a Zoom, do some sort of practice session. Practice with your friend that you met for coffee, talking about how these skills translate and all the things that you do. And while you're doing that, let the interviewer, the person you're speaking to,
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (17:11)
Mm-hmm.
No. Yeah.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (17:38)
about the job, about whatever it is, or just the person you're having coffee with, see the real you. Be a little bit, let them see a little bit of the vulnerability and the real you while you're talking yourself up and about all of you, but also be real. Be strong in your beliefs and what you're saying, but it's not bragging. If you can be relatable and you can...
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (17:43)
Yeah.
Mmm.
Jennifer Oliva (18:07)
share sort of the real you, then it comes across as strong but likeable. So I think that those are very important when you're communicating your skills, that you're strong and an expert in these things and you've had all this experience, but you also want to connect with that viewer or that interviewer.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (18:10)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah,
yeah, I love that. And I'm sure there may be women listening now, but they might be like, but I'm stay at home mom. Like, I don't, you know this, or, but I've only worked in healthcare and now I want to go into tech direction or something like, what advice would you give to them?
Jennifer Oliva (18:47)
Well, I would say that if you're a stay-at-home mom, you are juggling about a bazillion things at once, including keeping a bunch of little people alive and happy every day. And it is the kind of pressure and multitasking that most people in an office environment don't even have to deal with. They get to go on coffee breaks. They go to lunch with friends. Right? And as stay-at-home mom, don't get a...
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (18:52)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Right.
Yeah.
Right. Right. Right.
So true, so true. Right. Puppy hour,
yeah. No.
Jennifer Oliva (19:17)
You don't get any of that. You don't get the social
interaction with your peers. You don't get, start to feel so, I know that it is easy to, to sort of doubt yourself and to feel a little bit grounded. Well, the first thing is I would start to make sure you're socializing a little bit more, right? With those friends we talked about because they will help sort of talk you up and make you feel like the adult again, right?
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (19:28)
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Right. Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (19:45)
But then it goes back to the writing stuff down, like I said. Look at what you do in a day. You do scheduling. You do meal prep. You do finance for everybody, right? You do therapy for the kids. do everything as a mom. Yes! So don't downplay it. Don't negate it. It is...
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (19:48)
Mm-hmm.
Yes. Finance. Yeah.
Yeah, that's Product management, project management, yeah, all those things. Delegation.
Jennifer Oliva (20:14)
It is so important and I think that that is something like to celebrate.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (20:21)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I love that. Was there a moment that you realized like, wait, I know how to do this. You know, I mean outside of even just like the sound bites and everything we talked about, but like what was that like that feeling that like, ⁓ I do know this or this is crazy. I don't know why I was thinking this was so difficult or what I was so scared of.
Jennifer Oliva (20:43)
Yeah, there was a moment, soon after I left news, when I was helping, like I said, I thought I was just gonna go back to a network eventually. I thought that's where I would land. But ⁓ on the side, I started helping friends with PR. I started sort of consulting for friends. And what happened was,
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (21:07)
Mmm.
Jennifer Oliva (21:12)
I started consulting for friends, of pro bono, and then they recommended me to people. And so they started to reach out. And that was like such a light bulb moment when they started reaching out and I started having conversations with people who were like, I need help. You know how to do this. I would like your expertise to help me do this. And all of a sudden I was like, ⁓ I can do this. I can actually make a career of this.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (21:18)
Amazing.
Mmm.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (21:41)
which was a huge light bulb moment, because I never in a million years, like I told you, thought I would be an entrepreneur, I thought I would do anything like this. But it really sort of, that was like the moment where I was like, I can do this. And then they wanted to see my website. I was like, I better go make a website. I'll be right back to you.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (21:43)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Right? Like, oh, I'll get right back to you on that. we're about to
launch that. Yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (22:03)
Well, I didn't put the cart before the horse.
really sort of, it happened so organically. But that being said, I am learning stuff every day. Like, new stuff. And I think that's important too, is that to bring all the things that you know how and transfer those, and then always be learning on top of them. Always be talking to other people about who've maybe been in the business before you.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (22:09)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, sure.
Yeah, for sure. Right. Yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (22:31)
I think that
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (22:31)
Yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (22:32)
that's a great way, especially if you're looking to transfer into a different field that you hadn't been in before. Just ask people for a few minutes of their time. Ask them, read up on them, sort of reach out. Most people will be happy to sort of talk to you and tell you a little bit about it. So bring your transferable skills, but also keep your sort of mind open.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (22:36)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. Right.
Jennifer Oliva (22:59)
to learn new things, because there's going to be a whole bunch of new things you learn, but that's exciting too. I mean, that's fun.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (23:02)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right.
Right, is, and it's like there's never an entrepreneur, even if you look at one that's been doing it for 50 plus years or they're in their 80s or whatever, that said, yeah, and I stopped learning when I was 60, right? Like every single, because the world is constantly changing, right? And so you're always going to be learning. And so, and I think also too, maybe as women where we get really self-conscious about like things we don't know, like, oh, I don't know how to do this, even though maybe you do or you don't realize you have a transferable skill, but it's like, no, even.
Jennifer Oliva (23:22)
Yes!
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (23:36)
these men out here that don't, they don't know it either, right? But they're just learning and like these other women, they're just out here doing it, right? And taking that step to like put themselves out there to learn. And that's okay. That's totally normal. Every single person is out there learning every day. Nobody knows everything.
Jennifer Oliva (23:56)
100%. And you know what, can't, this is something I tell my clients all the time, you can't be an expert in everything. If you're an expert in everything, you're an expert in nothing. So know what you're not an expert in and start to learn some things about it. Open up sort of your mind and then bring in people to work with and to learn from who are experts in that. I think that is also a secret weapon. Know what you don't know.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (24:00)
Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Right.
Jennifer Oliva (24:25)
and either
learn it, try to find out more about it, or start working with people who that is their skill set.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (24:28)
Mm-hmm.
Right, yeah, I love that. And Jennifer, I wanna go back to also how you were saying just a few minutes ago about how you left the news network and...
And your friends were asking you to help them and you were like, ⁓ yeah, guess I'm consult. Yeah, sure. And I think also too that speaks to like this transferable skill that you didn't realize that you had that you didn't realize people would pay you for right and that you didn't realize like ⁓ I can I monetize I feel like sometimes sounds like a dirty word, right? But I feel like there's so many things that we are naturally inclined to do a naturally passion about that we don't even realize
how valuable that is to other people. so tell us a little bit about that, realizing that this thing that you loved was valuable and that you should then get compensated fairly for it and that you can utilize this to help others and make it your business and your career.
Jennifer Oliva (25:35)
Yeah, that's, I mean, that's really how it all started. And then it sort of has grown from there. I think that if anybody is looking to make sort of a pivot like this, right, and use transferable skills, I think the first thing they should do is to start doing it on the side. Start doing it for free, pro bono, on the side, you know, to get the experience.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (25:38)
Mm-hmm.
Thank you.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (26:03)
doing it. So then later, you can level up and start charging a fair rate for it, right? But you can't, it's very hard to go from one sort of career one place straight into another and start making money hand over fist, right? I mean, that sounds lovely, but that's, that's a big ask and a big jump. So I think that
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (26:12)
huh. huh.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Sure.
Jennifer Oliva (26:33)
If you start to do these services, get the experience, start to help your friends with it, put it out there that you're, let's say you wanted to work on marketing, you wanna move into marketing. Let your friends know, let your community know, let some nonprofits know who could use the help and don't have a budget for them. And then you get the experience.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (26:38)
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. Right. That's a great idea. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (27:02)
and
the exposure, and then you can use that to pivot and turn it into a business that makes money and brings in investments. And it's a way to sort of get your foot in a door. It's like the old intern example, right? Where you're showing your initiative, you're showing how much you want to do this and learn. You are acquiring sort of a
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (27:13)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. Right. Mm-hmm. Sure.
Jennifer Oliva (27:31)
a resume of things that you're able to do and then show other people who then eventually will pay you for
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (27:33)
Mm-hmm.
Right. Because they will. They will. And then you raise your prices, then ask for double what you're comfortable asking for, right? To really freak yourself out and be like, ⁓ no, yeah, this is for real now.
Jennifer Oliva (27:45)
Hahaha
⁓ Finding out
your worth and finding out that what your expertise and all these skills that you just thought could only be applicable to the one industry you were in before, finding out how they're so valuable to other people was another eye-opener for me. I mean, that was extremely eye-opening. know, we, in news, we've all covered stuff and done amazing things and
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (28:04)
Mm.
Right. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (28:22)
It's only when I mentioned some of the experiences and the things we did to outside people, to people who didn't come from news, who stopped me and be like, that's really cool. Like most people, you know, haven't had that experience, but you don't realize that when you're in a bubble of wherever work you're in, you don't realize, because that's your day to day and that's what you're doing. And I'm not saying it's not exciting and like incredible.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (28:32)
Bye.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Right. True. Mm-hmm.
Jennifer Oliva (28:49)
but you become a nerd to it. You become sort of like it's the norm for you. So finding out that other people really value your experience and what you do is incredibly eye-opening and just so good for you.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (28:49)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Yeah, and I also think even today let's say you're like well somebody would never pay me for a blow up but listen there are people getting paid six figures plus for just putting their makeup on in front of their camera right like every day or like getting dressed or just giving a hot take or or a fun little sound bite and I think that's amazing like and so let's you don't think like I'm always like TikTok has a niche for everything you want to knit mittens for cats or whatever for dolls like there's gonna be an audience for that
Jennifer Oliva (29:19)
Yes.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (29:36)
and that you can eventually monetize. And so these transferable skills doesn't have to be like a bit like marketing and consulting and PR, right? There's new ways of taking transferable skills of something you like to do. And like you said, like do it on the side, kind of start it and see if there's something there and you can build something. And then, you know, eventually you can start charging to sell those mittens on Etsy or whatever, you know, like there's so like there's.
The time has never been more open for opportunity to do something on your own and to take the skills that you have accumulated, whether it's being a mom or PR or marketing or all those things, and to do something new that really lights you up with it. And we need women especially to do that. Like, do you see that even in like PR, Jennifer, with like how needed like more women voices are like in that field too? Yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (30:30)
Yeah, 100%. I think
that women's voices and like the work and the unique skill set we bring to sort of everything we do is needed in this world more, right? So we need to be lifting each other up. We need to be supporting each other and we need to be really sort of embracing all of those skills, all of...
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (30:44)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Jennifer Oliva (31:00)
all of that experience and then using it, going forth and using it to sort of do better and make things better.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (31:01)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah,
yeah, I love that. I love it. Well, Jennifer, thank you so much. Can you tell everybody while we're wrapping up here where they can find you before we end today?
Jennifer Oliva (31:16)
Yeah,
absolutely. So you can find us at our website, is jenolivamedia.com. We're on Instagram at jenolivamedia and TikTok as well.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (31:30)
Awesome. And Jen, any last words of advice for women contemplating Trent, their how and I don't know, or, you know, they don't realize maybe they have the skills that they already have inherently. Any final words before we wrap up?
Jennifer Oliva (31:45)
Yeah, take the chance. You're never gonna be sorry that you took a chance. You're only gonna be sorry for the things that you didn't try and the things that you let go. If it doesn't work, that's all right. You still had a learning experience. You still got to take something away from it and come out stronger on the other side. So don't let your fear make you stuck in where you are and what you're doing. ⁓
That being said, don't ditch your paying job before you've done your work on the side to build up your business. And you'll know when you're ready and when it's ready to be able to ditch that paying job. But I want everybody to do it smartly so that they will be stronger in the long run.
LESLIE YOUNGBLOOD (32:23)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
I love that. we're out here rooting for everybody too, right? you're reach out to Jen, reach out to me. Like we're happy to talk through and to be that person to write down that list of skills for you and have a chat. And this has been a fantastic conversation. Thank you so much for joining us today, Jennifer. And this has been Serious Lady Business. We'll be back again soon. Thank you, Jennifer.
Jennifer Oliva (32:42)
Have fun.
Thank
Thank you, Leslie, glad to be here.