A Li'l Bit About Me..

It was the day after Valentine's Day 2012 that the horrendously mismanaged restaurant I worked at shut its doors, without warning, for good.

There I was, a college graduate, living with my grandparents, laid off from yet another job I cared nothing about and that, to be honest, was turning me in to a real b*tch (not to mention noticeably adding to my waistline and stress levels).

To add to the bad news the very same day the restaurant closed I got a call from my sister; My mom was sick, very very sick, and in the ICU three states away...

While those two events could be seen as a very dark moments in my life, it was actually a turning point to living the life of I had secretly always dreamed of....

What does this have to do with Instagram? I promise, it's all connected!

FINDING MY WAY..

losing my job and the illness and death of my mother - put me on the path to traveling the world and following my dreams.

You see, growing up I had always dreamed of being in front of the camera. When I was a little girl doing chores I would imagine two movie execs, busting in to find me sweeping in my bandana, Cinderella style, who would then whisk me away to Hollywood to be a STAR!

When America's Next Top Model came out I was obsessed, and watched over and over, dreaming of dressing up in incredible costumes in gorgeous locations all over the world and "smizzing" for the camera.

(That's Smiling with Your Eyes, for those that never watched the show.. A skill that I will humbly say I am quite excellent at, at this point.)

When I was in 6th grade I forced a disposable camera (remember those?) in to my little sister's hands and made her take photos of me in beaded curtains, a la Britney Spears, and had doubles printed of me fake laughing as I rode my razor scooter down the sidewalk...

(Ok, how bad am I dating myself here?? Haha! #90skid)

I'd even started practicing posing from a very early age, and spent hours staring at my reflection, discovering which angles and expressions where most flattering... A habit I continue to this day. Practice makes perfection, after all!

But here's the thing... My desire to one day be an actor and model and to travel the world - was a complete secret.

Not even my best friend whom I met in 4th grade and with whom I spent time with nearly every single day for years, knew about this dream.

After all.. it was impossible. Right??

I was short, I was kind of chubby, I definitely didn't have that "model" look and I grew up in a town that only the 40,000 people living there had ever heard of.

I "knew" I'd never be a model...

But when the restaurant I worked at closed in 2012 and I found out my mom was dying, a whole new direction took over for my life.

In fact, I believe it's the direction my life was meant to take, and one I couldn't avoid any longer.

Despite believing that the life of a world-traveling model was nothing but a pipe dream, I had still, every so often, started dipping my toe into the world of lights, cameras, action!

All in secret of course.

And so in 2012 as I started driving back and forth from my grandparents in Southern California to my mom's house three states away, I found myself connecting with more and more photographers and models along the way..

And the rest, I suppose you could say, is history.

When my restaurant job closed without warning, little did I know that it would be the last time I'd ever work a "real job" again.

I have officially been a full-time, world-traveling, actor, model, and badass ever since.

Hence why they call me, "The Business Model." 😄

But how exactly did I do it???

You don't just go from being an unemployed waitress one day, to paying your bills as a full-time, freelance creator the next! 

MY VALUES

But how did Create Your Next Level come to be? (Finishing the story!)

Despite having accomplished my dream of life in front of the camera, I still spent most of my days feeling like a complete loser, wasting countless hours every day lamenting over my slow growing social media followings..

I know! I've come so far since then!

It was a result of this massive and existential burnout that in 2018 I got back to my own foundation. I intentionally sat down and mapped out what I loved about creating, who I wanted to really work with, and what would light me up most moving forward.. and from that Create Your Next Level was born!

Of course I'm still not perfect, and I still get sucked in to the bog of comparison from time to time, and I definitely combat social media addiction on the daily, but I'm so happy to not only be living the life I want, but to also be approaching my marketing in a way that is simple, effective, and even - here comes that crazy word!! - FUN.

And empowering others to do the same is seriously my favorite thing in the world - so thank you for being here!

But how exactly did I do it???

You don't just go from being an unemployed waitress one day, to paying your bills as a full-time, freelance creator the next! 

Well, I can tell you.. it wasn't easy!

It's been over a decade now and I still cannot believe how far I've come. Or more accurately - how bad I used to be!!

I've often found that when it comes to us creative types, being a sales-focused-capitalist isn't the most natural thing, and marketing yourself fearlessly - without the weight of overwhelm and self-doubt - is one of the biggest challenges facing many entrepreneurs and creators at all levels!

I remember when my younger sister graduated from beauty school...

She had worked hard and was both an excellent hairdresser and make-up artist (she's often done both for me, and has supported me since photo shoot one!) but she lacked the confidence and knowledge in how to sell herself. 

Meanwhile, a friend of hers in beauty school that was.. shall we say... really not any good AT ALL... but who was confident in how he presented himself and in making connections with the right people... 

I'll put it this way: I'm not jealous of anyone sitting in his chair but I am proud of his gusto in getting a job way beyond his qualifications!

Succeeding as an entrepreneur takes both the tools AND the mindset to market your talents!

Perhaps promoting yourself and your badass business truly does make your flesh crawl, and you'd rather drag yourself across broken glass (which, some of my clients do! But they're trained circus performers so that's a little bit different..) than to spend another moment on social media.

If that is the case - good!

I am NOT here to tell you that you HAVE to use social media to succeed.

You don't HAVE to do anything.

Just because someone else made their way to fame via twitter, doesn't mean that that's the only path to it.

The path to success is unique to every individual.

And that's because "Success" is different to every one of us!

I AM here to tell you though that if you're not recognizing the absolutely amazing and totally free tool that social media is, that's accessible to literally EVERYBODY, then you are missing a huge opportunity.

Because having talent, or a great product or service, means nothing if you're not putting yourself out there in front of the right people.

It takes time and dedication to invest in learning how to market yourself and your badass biz in a way that is simple, effective, and fun - by which I mean healthy for you (you may have noticed that I talk a lot about avoiding social media addiction and the pitfall of "comparison-itis").

And like any investment, it can feel risky!

But the truth is anytime you are investing in YOURSELF you can't help but win! And nothing excites me more than empowering you with the tools and training, on both marketing AND mindset, to accomplish your dreams.

It is my belief that with the right tools, and the right mindset - ANYTHING is possible. 

And that's what Create Your Next Level is all about!

Now, I didn't entirely explain how I got to where I am today...

Let's just say, I learned the hard way. The REALLY hard way. A lot!

And then I learned the smart way. And then every now and then I learned the hard way again. Which only made me wiser in choosing the smart way once again in the future.

Because progress is never a straight line.

When I first started out as a self-proclaimed Actor/Model/Badass, I had an inherent knack for "Faking it" until I "Made it." 

All of which is to say, I had some pretty good bullsh*t skills.

Over the years though, I've added plenty of credentials to back up my beginner's BS, and it wasn't too long before I started to hear two things very often from the people I interacted with:

"Jin, you're really good at marketing yourself." and "Jin, I really HATE social media." 

Hence, when I found myself burnt out and intentionally revisiting my foundation in 2017 to redirect my life in a way that felt good to me - Create Your Next Level was born!

Not only do I continue to travel the world, spend countless hours in front of the camera, and share my life as a content-creator, I also get the insane privilege of empowering you to create the badass business (& life!) you're dreaming of too - through simplified social media.

How awesome does that sound?

And a little unbelievable too?

But I hope by now you can agree - this is the real thing!

Now one thing I want to be honest with you about is that, while I already knew I had the skills to start teaching what I have come to call "Mindset Marketing," what I didn't expect was how much I would end up LOVING IT.

Seriously!

Nothing makes me more excited than getting a call from a struggling dream-chaser and an hour later sending them on their way equipped to turn their content viral, attract their ideal clients, simplify and organize their day, and start accomplishing bigger and bigger goals every day, with less stress, more knowledge, and more FUN!

Yes, I said it, and I'll say it often - Marketing yourself can be FUN. 

And I'm excited to show you how!

If you're ready to get started in creating your own next level, and go from passive "social media-ing", to intentionally using social media as the amazing, life-changing, and totally free marketing tool that it is - then welcome! 

You are in the right place - and the Free IG Bootcamp was just the start!

Whatever your goals are, whether you're looking to have a million followers on Twitter, or would just like 20 more customers buying your homemade soap shop this weekend, I'm excited to show you how literally anything is possible.

Are you Ready?

One last thing - I'm happy to say that my sister got over her stage fright, and after a year as an intern now works full-time as part of the CYNL team!

And let me tell you, she is one BADASS marketer.

In fact, both my younger sisters are! And if two single young moms can go from never owning a laptop, to helping me run a full-scale marketing consulting company.. imagine what you can do!

I'm sure they're just as excited for you to get started as I am.

Are you ready? Ready to organize your life? Simplify your day? Take back your time? And intentionally start seeing the results you DESERVE through your online marketing?

I've created something truly special with you in mind.

Whether you're completely lost when it comes to marketing yourself online, or your business has just plateaued and has you frustrated to no end, or you're finally ready to learn how to make your side hustle your full-time passion.. I'm here for you.

Let's start creating your next level - together!

No matter where you are, I've put together a simplified, 12 week Mindset and Marketing Mastery course called Ready. Set. Badass!, and I'd love to invite you to join the dozens of other creative entrepreneurs like you who have used this course to simplify their social media, strengthen their business foundation, and create the next level they dreamed of, all in just 12 weeks, in 2-3 hours a week. 

Are you ready? 

Ready Set Badass is getting a whole new relaunch PLUS I've added 6 months inside The Simplified Social Media Accountability Community - among a number of other bonus perks! - to Educate, Motivate, and Collaborate together in creating the next level you desire.

And we're getting started again soon!

Find more details about Ready Set Badass HERE.

Imagine what your life would look like with the tools and knowledge you need to truly market yourself like a badass, along with a clear, customized, step-by-step action plan for making your dreams a reality.

Is this something that you and your badass biz are missing?

Stop struggling, stop guessing, stop comparing and stop paddling upstream when it comes to marketing your amazing talents, products, and services online. Start intentionally creating the exact life that you're wanting to live!

Ready Set Badass is an incredible jumping off point designed to help you to do just that!

Find more details about Ready Set Badass HERE and see when enrollment opens up next for this amazing course.

And don't forget, you'll have access to me and dozens of other amazing full-time badasses like you every step of the way.

With the right tools and the right mindset - anything is possible.

Are you ready?

Ready Set Badass is waiting for you - find out more now.

I cannot wait to start showing you the simple path to the success you desire, and to start creating your next level - together.

Jin aka The Business Model

What are you waiting for? Find out more information about Ready Set Badass HERE!