#76 - Jillian Weston

What this episode covers

Can a thriving business begin with one laptop in a local coffee shop? Jillian Weston started her own company, Jillian’s Circus, only five years ago in just that way. Jillian’s Circus is an online marketing company that has grown to include more than one hundred businesses and individuals who work with Jillian’s marketing managers, sales staff, and web design team to build their own success stories. Jillian trains her staff to use traditional values and new-age technology to promote her clients in creative ways across the internet. Jillian’s passion for creating a better community by hiring local people to do the marketing for local business owners is reflected in her company’s many successes. Her enthusiasm for her staff and clientele is infectious and several of her staff have been with her from her first tiny corner desk in a rented space to her beautifully appointed store front with room to grow. Jillian’s Circus has won awards in the categories of Best Boss and Best Social Media Agency on Long Island two years in a row. Her involvement in the community as a board member of the Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce, member of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, and her active participation in prominent networking groups inspired her to start her own networking group, The Unicorns. The Unicorn Network, a rapidly growing organization designed for entrepreneurial millennials, was established in 2016 by Jillian who serves as the President and CEO of the board. The Unicorn Network began with a small group meeting together to plan social events and professional workshops. The Long Island chapters in Nassau and Suffolk Counties include more than 200 members and just this month, Jillian launched a Unicorn Network in Manhattan. The connections her members make with other Unicorns give them the unique opportunity to expand the reach of their own clientele with other enthusiastic business owners. Jillian’s Circus reaches out to the community by contributing to charities including the Inn in Hempstead and Bethany’s House and participating in events that raise funds for worthy causes. In addition to rigorous training programs for new employees, Jillian teaches instructional classes in schools, community centers, libraries, and corporate settings. She is a judge for projects designed by DECA students on Long Island and she mentors high school and college students, which often leads to part and full time employment in her company. Jillian Weston’s educational journey included serving as both her high school and college theater stage manager. She spent a semester abroad in England, traveling extensively in Europe. Her role as president of her college sorority gave Jillian the chance to hone her leadership skills and to jumpstart a new university activities club called NSA, helping college students connect in an environment of inclusiveness and safety. Jillian graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Hospitality from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2011. When Jillian is not in her office, she spends her time with family, friends and the occasional travel opportunity. She enjoys bowling, kick-boxing, mini-golf, and planning special events for her networks and her staff. Website: https://www.brutallyhonestpodcast.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brutallyhonestpodcast/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brutallyhonestpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Harrison_Baron Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/brutallyhonestpodcast

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