The Incited Media Case Studies – with Lynda Cahill. I know not everyone has a passion to follow. But I know it can be cultivated. I study knowledge brokers (people who build and share their knowledge) who created their own zone of genius and built a business they freakin’ love around it. Here are my research notes on Jenna Kutcher, who is a wedding photographer, podcaster, and marketing expert.
Case Study: Jenna Kutcher
Jenna Kutcher had dreams of becoming a corporate-world success – until she actually landed a corporate job with a windowless office, and soon discovered she didn’t really want that at all. So, she bought herself a three-hundred-dollar camera and became an entrepreneur by setting up a wedding photography business in her small hometown in the US.
Fast-forward a few years, and Jenna now hosts Goal Digger, a top-rated business podcast aimed at helping entrepreneurs with their marketing, and has built a seven-figure business around empowering women to chase their dreams and build their own empires.
Jenna lives in a small town in Minnesota with her family, where she records her podcast from a closet in her home. Yep, she’s a homebody, and a nap lover who is taking the marketing world by storm.
The reason why I find Jenna so fascinating, and why I have decided to make her my first case study, is because she is living proof that you can cultivate your own zone of genius. And, you know I’m all about that!
Jenna Kutcher: ESKI Profile
Let’s explore how Jenna combined her experience, skills, knowledge, and interests (ESKI) to design a business she loves.
Experience: Wedding photographer, blogger, marketing at target
Knowledge: Studied business/marketing, online business building skills
Skills: Self-taught photographer, great communicator
Interests: Business, marketing, photography
If you want to brainstorm your ESKI to design a business YOU love, then grab my ESKI Playbook here.
OK. Now let’s look at how Jenna has turned her ESKI into a seven-figure business. To do this, I studied Jenna’s niche and business model, and how she is using self-education and content creation to build her knowledge and sell it.
NICHE
Business Education/Digital Marketing
While working at her corporate job, Jenna started a side hustle as a wedding photographer. As her business grew, Jenna combined her experience, skills, knowledge, and interests to branch out to business education helping photographers with their marketing and branding. These days, Jenna is considered an expert in branding and marketing for entrepreneurs across many industries.
BUSINESS MODEL
Initially, Jenna’s business model was providing a photography service to people getting married in her local area. After becoming exhausted due to being booked solid, she raised her price so she could do more weddings but still have the same annual income. This freed up time for Jenna to get to work sharing her knowledge.
Jenna started with a blog to drive traffic to her website. She also packaged up her knowledge to create and sell digital products and courses. (Want to learn more about blogging? Check this out) These days, Jenna’s business model also includes sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, public speaking, masterminds, and collaborations.
In an interview with Ed Mylett, Jenna confirmed she now has 11 income streams. Wowsers! But don’t think Jenna limits her income to just her online business. Amongst other things, Jenna and her husband Drew now own a few properties in Hawaii that they rent out.
SELF- EDUCATION
The great thing about Jenna is she is so relatable. She admits that when she started her business she had to go through a steep learning curve. She grew her knowledge and skills through trial and error and now she shares exactly how she has grown and runs her business.
Jenna teaches as she learns, and learns as she teaches. For example, she didn’t have a mailing list until a coach told her she should. She got to work building her list, and now she has a course teaching others how to do the same. Jenna also has courses sharing what she knows about using Pinterest to drive traffic to your website, starting a podcast, and using Instagram to build a brand. All things that she has taught herself to do. (You can create courses selling your knowledge – Check out Teachable)
Jenna invests in her self-education. She often discusses books she is reading, coaches she has hired, and she also learns from the people she interviews on her podcast and people she admires. She is a huge Joanna Gaines fan. But, then, who isn’t? Am I right?
Jenna is now considered an expert in digital marketing and business education. The income she earns from sharing her knowledge is proof that the money and time she has invested in her self-education has been well worth it.
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BUILDING CREDIBLE BRAND AS A KNOWLEDGE BROKER
Jenna’s pillar content is her podcast. From that she repurposes her content for other platforms, such as blog posts, and social media.
The Jenna Kutcher brand exploded when she started the Goal Digger Podcast. If you’ve ever listened to one of Jenna’s podcasts then you’ll know she packs a LOT of value into each episode. Her friendly and relatable nature helped Jenna’s audience to get to know her and like her, and the abundance of free quality knowledge she shared meant people trusted that she was credible enough to purchase her products.
Jenna built her audience through Instagram where she has a following of over 900, 000 (as at today when I wrote this post). She uses her email list to connect with her audience, as well as using LinkedIn and Pinterest to promote her content.
Jenna says that having a personality and a voice on social media makes the difference between a brand and a business. Jenna developed a method she calls the JK5 to help grow her brand on Instagram. This method is sharing content around 5 areas that you want to become known for so that people remember you.
For example, through what she posts on Instagram, Jenna has now become known as not just a business and marketing ninja, but also an advocate for body acceptance, a mother, a small-town girl, and a lover of natural body products (which she sells via affiliates).
Want to build a business like Jenna Kutcher?
Where can you find out more about Jenna Kutcher? Check out her website which has links to her social media and her podcast.
Want to find your zone of genius and build a business you love? Check out the ESKI Playbook here.
