Jenna Star - force of nature - entrepreneur - manifestor - Model - business woman

introduction: 0:02

You're listening to fascinating women with Mark Laurie. And now, Mark Laurie.

Mark Laurie: 0:11

Hello everyone, this is Mark Laurie here from inner sphere photography. And now I'm from fascinating women. Usually I have these incredible clients posing riskily for my camera but today, I've got genuine as I put on my fasting women hat and they talk to these girls and let you into their world as an inspiration point. Jenna is this incredible lady. She is an entrepreneur, a coach now, for businesses amazing model. She is a slovis was the owner of a spa. I mean, she's got this checkered past in a good way. And and we're to kind of fall her down the rabbit hole and sort of see what kind of happens up but so welcome, Jenna.

Jenna Star: 0:56

I am so excited to be here. This is fantastic. Thank you for asking.

Mark Laurie: 1:00

You're welcome. I think it's gonna be really kind of cool. So we've we're gonna kind of just be let people see you as a as a role model. And as an inspiration, his ideas, I think, the stuff that you've done the way that you really go into the world in this fearless fashion fascinates me. It's, it's kind of like, well do this now. And often kind of goes and some I'm excited to kind of see that sketch out. So why don't you first start saying I'm going to entrepreneur and I'm going to change the world.

Jenna Star: 1:32

Oh, my goodness. I remember playing as a child in my bedroom. And my bedroom was tiny. So if I had to move one thing, I had to move everything. And I decided that I was going to make my bedroom, a store.

Mark Laurie: 1:49

Okay, store.

Jenna Star: 1:51

Everything Oh, it's probably about seven or eight. All right, okay. And I actually out of a cardboard box made myself like a register, right. And I was selling my toys to my pretend customers and my hand cream and whatever else like that on hand. I had everything priced in there, like 10 cents, 50 cents. $1. Like, it was hilarious. But I had this vision that you know what I was going to be multi business owner, which I have accomplished multiple times in my life. And I didn't know what I didn't know how but I knew it was going to be non conformist, shall I say, and to the end of the earth today? That is exactly what I've done. So that's where it started.

Mark Laurie: 2:40

You know, there's always a question, no nurture nature. Is that something that was that like innately born? Or is there something happened with your environment, your parents, whatever, that kind of led you down the path or is it like?

Jenna Star: 2:55

Honestly, Mark, it must have been just something that I was naturally born with. My dad was a minister, okay. Incredibly, smart man. He taught himself seven languages while master theologian had a doctorate in theology, like this man was brilliant. In my mother, she was a teacher and a musician. phenomenally talented in our own way. They both were not from Canada. Dad was from Germany. Mom was from India. So they did lots of travels. business to them, was completely not on their mind. They didn't understand it. And quite frankly, unfortunately, throughout their lives, and I remember this growing up many business people were shysters. So for me to become a business person was something that my mom balked at when I first ended up buying you know, my first little spot.

Mark Laurie: 3:54

You bought your first spot. 18 Yeah, okay, cows, you can see the story about your mom.

Jenna Star: 4:00

Mom always kind of She always said to me, You know what, this this child, I went by my middle name there. My name was Ruth in and she said this child, she gets a bee in her bonnet and that's it. It's just done. And and it's true. I've kind of lived my life that way. I get a bee in my bonnet and I get very stubborn but I'm also a powerful manifester. So I think that's part of it, but I do get a bee in my bonnet and I create from nothing and not been my entrepreneur life.

Mark Laurie: 4:31

About your parents. They are unconventional. Oh, yeah. My vision I had of when I was growing up we'd see photographs of called the immigrants of people field country right and I never thought was absorbing in what an immigrant was looked like in this place called the old country. And I had a client who is from Poland. How have we gotten this topic but she says so. What do you think your Polish immigrant looks like? sound on it has Thought about so I simply regurgitate the photographs that CG says, Well, yes, because the people who have nothing to lose will leave the country and so they all look the same because there's, there's food issues, there's health issues that they got just to close the back. So it can be very fixed. I have several calls back to people who are wealthy over there, they got nervous and leaving, they're gonna look like you're wealthy people here and because of mental revelations, but it struck me that when you've got nothing to lose, and you're going blindly, because there's like, especially back in the days of your parents, you know, there's no like, Oh, just check up the YouTube here and see what this like is like, okay, there's this faraway place, the good, bad, indifferent we'll, will make our fortune there. And, and that they may not have embraced because also and this is an interesting comment because they back in those days. To me, I think it's not quite as Shistery, but a lot of the entrepreneur businessmen who weren't involved a big corporation. There are a carpet baggers.

Jenna Star: 5:57

100% they were and you know, what my parents, they, I mean, my dad went through World War Two, you know, so and so one of my mom, like, they saw things that were horrific. So essentially, they completely did not trust a lot of what was going on.

Mark Laurie: 6:15

They went from World War Two in Europe. Not from here. Like they were in Canada. on there in Europe. Yeah, that's, that's, to me. that's a that's a huge, different way of experiencing World War Two is.

Jenna Star: 6:29

Yeah. Oh, yeah. For your turn Germany. I mean, mum was in India, for goodness sakes. Yeah. And then to Scotland and then move to Canada. So I mean, they're their life stories. Their life history was it's it's incredibly compelling. And I hope to goodness one day, I can sit down and just write a book and memories of what their lives were like. But you know what, they were unconventional in a lot of ways. And the one thing that my dad was extremely outspoken, my mom was a little bit more reserved, but she who she, she you knew when she was mad at you. There was no question there. But gratefully, they taught me to utilize my stubbornness, hopefully for forward movement. So I think in a lot of ways My life is indicative because of that teaching from them. with quite a few stumbles along the way. Absolutely. But I don't resent those or regret those stumbles either.

Mark Laurie: 7:28

So you started your first I guess, serious business exchanging money was the spa or something? Yeah. Okay.

Unknown: 7:34

Yeah it was a spa and hair salon, and at that time, the person that I was working with, I'd finished my apprenticeship early, I graduated from school at 16. So just just around the time that my my father had passed away, and so I I had I had to get a job.

Mark Laurie: 7:51

And so people in my backup a bit here, you graduated, like high school 16, or high school kids. That's an accelerated program you're in or you just do, I was

Jenna Star: 8:01

I, I sailed through like my last semester, I basically farted around. Because all of my courses and everything were done. And so when I graduated, I needed a job. And I had been working as a shampoo girl, because people in our church at that time they had a salon, they knew that we needed money, you know, no, I mean, it was basically my mom and me because my dad was was dealing with cancer, unfortunately, dying. So I, I needed to get extra money. So they said, Hey, why don't you just work with us? Your shampoo girl? Well, I ended up being put into the apprenticeship program for hair styling and skin. I was in school for a year and a half at that time, which doesn't even exist to this day for that type of schooling and candidates horrible, but it's so sad, but it is what it is. And it just fell into my lap. I actually was supposed to go to medical school. But around that same time, when my father had passed away, he passed away in September. And around that same time, I had received a letter saying that I was accepted into pre med and you University of Alberta. But I couldn't do it because my mom had collapsed because she lost her father and her husband within a month of whether or not even a week. And so I couldn't do that to my mom. I basically ripped up the letter and kind of went well, we'll just see what happens. And so here it was, I ended up in this apprenticeship program. And the rest is history.

Mark Laurie: 9:31

So did you take

Jenna Star: 9:33

but it's a career that I've always backed up onto so I'm grateful for it. Yeah.

Mark Laurie: 9:38

So so he kind of fell into the spa purchase that would you bring money to the game or do you just say grant I'll put in sweat equity kind of thing.

Jenna Star: 9:46

He was the owner of the spa that I ended up originally working at she wanted me to stay but I got another offer at another location that I couldn't leave because he wanted me to bring in nails They wanted me to bring in all this stuff. So I went from one place that I absolutely loved and adored and went to another place that I absolutely was really interested in trying to grow. unbeknownst to me, the owner of that second location was going through a nasty divorce. And about six months after me working there, she ended up having a nervous breakdown. So between myself and one other the other people working there, I just basically took over the bookings, and managing the money and the satin The next thing, and long story short, I ended up cutting the hair of this gentleman almost every other Friday. And unbeknownst to me, he happened to be the bank manager or whatever bank It was then. So long ago, now I can remember getting old. But um, and he said, you know, you really should think about buying this place. I'm like, Where am I gonna get the money? Like, it was only $20,000. But I was 1818 and a half. Where am I gonna get 20? grand? Right? Come on. No credit. I have a car because I saved up for it, but not really. Yeah. Come see me on Monday here. I work here. And I'm like, Really? You're the bank manager. And he goes, Yeah, he co signed the loan for me. Wow. So I had that thing paid off in a year. And then I ended up moving from that town to Calgary. So it didn't last very long. And I sold it, which is totally fine. Basically got whatever I put back into it, didn't make a load of money. But I never looked back after that.

Mark Laurie: 11:38

Because what happens for most businesses is like photographers is a good example guy. I love being a photographer. It's gonna be my business. Oh, what's all this other stuff?

Jenna Star: 11:49

stuff as a lot of other stuff

Mark Laurie: 11:52

becomes our passion. So do photographers normally carry on Bill Smith photography, when he dies, it's finished, I built Inner Spirit so I could sell it. But most people who are businessmen and entrepreneurs , their cycle is they they're not. They're married to the idea of the business and growth and change, not to particular business. So this is a really cool time to sell and move on. So changing them friends like yourself, period that, that it's like dominoes was like, well, this has been good as it met my needs. But this isn't get rid of this and go over here. And that's kind of your pattern on gathering

Jenna Star: 12:26

100% it is I bought and sold and bought and sold and bought and sold. And actually, I started to completely from scratch on my own. The most recent one, I'd started in 2011 and sold in 2019. And then the one before that I actually had for about five years. And same thing I sold it and off they went and did well on their own and doing their own thing. So I don't I don't go into business to keep it to me just sounds like a really expensive job to have. And no, not for me. And and the other element of me, unfortunately, which I find is difficult. And I say that, unfortunately, in a very grateful way, is I've got ridiculous amounts of interests and skills. You know, I was a realtor for 12 years. I was an Associate Broker for eight and a half of those right? So I'm actually taking my real estate license in Florida right now, because I missed that I want to go back into that. Am I wanting to be in the spa and wellness industry anymore? No. Am I still a master hypnotherapist? Yes. Do I still practice nutrition? And do I still practice supplemental holistic nutrition? Yes. Like there's so many parts of me that I don't necessarily talk about. But it's because people go you did that too. And that, you know what? Yeah, because I've got a brain and I like to use it. I like to explore, to learn, I like to go on an adventure. I like to expand my horizons. So I guess I've had a very busy 40 plus years.

Mark Laurie: 14:04

So what would be the three defining characteristics that you look at and say these three things have carried me through this? Maybe let me take the stress on the risk? Because you know, you're talking about a lot of risk when you're doing something that most people don't have the stomach to handle.

Jenna Star: 14:19

Yeah. And I didn't recognize that until really close friends of mine expressed that to me. You know, especially when I had a very, very, very good business, it was rocking and rolling. I was burnt out I was taking care of my mother who was an Alzheimer's patient on my own, like I have a lot going on. And you know what, I was starting to feel burnt out. And I was mad at myself. And my closest friends sat me down and said, Do you have any idea what you have gone through specifically in the last decade and then they start repeating it to me and I went Oh, so I think the three top characteristics that they helped me see was I'm ridiculously resilient. The universe can try to throw me over. This girl knows how to swim, dive deep. But I know how to swim. So I'm extremely resilient. The other element, and I guess it comes to the bee in the bonnet is my stubbornness. But my stubbornness ends up being something where it's not a bad thing. I just do what needs to be done. And I'm the kind of person that if I say, I'm gonna do something, I'll do my best to do it. And if I can't do it, there's usually a reason why that is beyond my control, right? Now to learn to accept that that's not an easy one for me. And I would say the third one is probably I don't know what better word to say it. But confidence, I think, is just, if someone says no, to me, I say Why? I don't hear the word. No, I don't understand the word. No. Because I don't come from a place of maliciousness or miss intent. Right. So I always know that whatever I'm trying to do, it is got to be a win win situation. That's just the way I live like,

Mark Laurie: 16:33

yes, that's a company I probably have that many knows. Because when you start on something that people require, I'm just guessing here are people who are in your circle that are looking for a win win situation as well, like you're not setting yourself up to go games people were paying the acids is can be a no, I'm not gonna tell you why. Just because I feel like we didn't know today. Episode and see, well know why. So I'm guessing I'm paraphrasing, you sort of saying somebody says, you know, to go, Okay, so like, Why is that a no. So we can find a solution to your note,

Jenna Star: 17:02

like, how can we reshape? I've always been a solution based searcher, right? There's no to me means, okay, this doesn't work. But maybe this does. And this works for me, or my businesses, or you and your businesses, or you and your relationship or me and my relationship, then let's make it happen. I'm always looking for a solution. I'm not looking for an end. That doesn't make sense to me, because everything is constantly changing, there is no end. That doesn't exist.

Mark Laurie: 17:35

Yeah. And that's really exceptionally so in what people call failures. Like I find a fear entrepreneur, I fit in that category, the business thing is, I will constantly risk as I've seen you do as well. And so therefore I constantly, you know, fail in that something goes wrong. But I've, I've done it so often that to me, it's part of a process. We don't say, Oh, well, we stopped. As I think I read someplace guy says we've really only failed if you don't get up.

Jenna Star: 18:03

It's just a pivot.

Mark Laurie: 18:05

Yeah. And so secure, right? And so it's like, okay, so yeah, guys, either, as either successful,

Jenna Star: 18:10

I learned an awful lot. Well, and oh, my gosh, I mean, the amount of times that I could say I failed, well, hundreds. That's not a failure. That's a pivot and behind that pivot door, there's almost always something that is far more spectacular, that you wouldn't have thought on your own. I believe in universal law. I believe in law of manifestation. I believe that everything happens because it's supposed to happen for my growth, essentially. And my protection, I my whole life is indicative of that.

Mark Laurie: 18:43

So let's just start with the life manifestation. How do you manifest stuff? Like I've got a one of my coaches, actually, she has a program where every Friday, she's repeating things over she has this whole regime, and she's deepen the manifestation to make it how do you? How do you bring that about? How do you incorporate manifestation into your life?

Jenna Star: 19:02

So manifestation is very important to me, because I like to look at how I feel about things, what do I want to feel in the future? And whatever that ends up looking like, I'm going to get a picture visualization of what I'm looking for. But I'm not guaranteeing that it's going to be exactly that or exactly this, or exactly the next thing 99.99% of the time, I get exactly what I want. But even better. Yeah. But to me, how I manifest is the feeling of how I'm going to feel not just now because I'm totally cool and comfortable now and happy now content now. But I know there's growth that's going to happen. So I visualize and I feel how it's going to feel in the future whenever that particular element comes due. And I let it go, just knowing it's going to happen. But all my actions are still forward moving Moments towards that sore my words sore my thoughts. So is my planning.

Mark Laurie: 20:07

So with manifestations it's something you do like is back Oh, this was like your visit, chill emotions become part of you like you're repeating

Jenna Star: 20:16

you're already part of me Yeah. Because you can't the way I believe it and the way that I truly truly understood this even in my time in meditation, it's already a part of you or else you wouldn't have thought of it. It already is in your scope of you can have this, you can be this, you can do this, you can feel this. If you have that element, it's already yours. You don't have to do anything more than that, then just know that it's already yours. The timing will present itself to be perfect when it does.

Mark Laurie: 20:49

But you're I'm guessing you have a clearer idea of what it is that you want that manifestation to come along.

Jenna Star: 20:53

Absolutely. I already know where I want to go with certain things. Yeah, I'm sorry. They just texted me last time. They just texted me Do you mind holding just one second,

Mark Laurie: 21:04

put this on and three, I'm recording again. So you visualize something or because you just don't like a ping pong ball, you've got four direction. So as you start to activate the master station, deer, deer are you constantly envision what the skin look like, envision what's going to feel like? Well, meditation? No.

Jenna Star: 21:27

I find once I have something in my mind, and I have it more. So in my feeling this like in my being feeling. I don't know what's happening. I've already put the work in there. And I think a lot of the times and I and I I'm learning this from other gurus that I've followed for 20 plus years. But the fact of the matter is, is we think that when we manifest something we have to sit down constantly work on the manifestation, guess what that's called resisting it. Okay, that's interesting. Because you're putting in the energy into something you don't have yet. Instead of going, Hey, I know that this and this and this is going to come to me, because I've already put it out there. let that go. let that happen all on its own because it's going to happen but my steps that I'm doing every day are going to support that. It's just going to happen. It's just like perfect example. So I moved into this location. And I said if I have to move into this location, staying in Alberta, as well as having my location staying in Florida, if I'm going to have to stay in Calgary so that I can bounce back and forth between Florida and the EU or between Canada and the US or Florida and Calgary or wherever I'm going to be then I want full floor to ceiling windows I want full panoramic Mountain View I want really you know clean white walls and really chic looking in modern guess what I got everything.

Mark Laurie: 23:06

That was cool.

Jenna Star: 23:09

Everything that I asked for and more because there's some really cool extras that I didn't expect when I saw the property. So that's really interesting, but I'm not surprised because I knew I was going to get it. This is what I want. This is how I'm going to get this is what I'm going to get same as Florida. Okay, Florida's Florida ceiling windows. Basically the property is going to mimic this property so to speak, and it's gonna have full on beach views with the ocean. Guess what

Mark Laurie: 23:40

you got. There it is.

Jenna Star: 23:44

Beautiful. I drive I'm going to find a vehicle the one before it. I was like I really love this vehicle. I just need an upgraded type of this vehicle for about the same amount of money later, guess what I found popped up on Kijiji You're kidding me? So you have to know what you want. And I feel it like I feel it. And I know it's coming to me. I have no question that it's coming to me. That's the difference. And I fought with myself on manifestation two because I was in a situation. And I was even saying to a few people, why can't I manifest myself out of this? Why can't I fix this the way I want to fix it because the universe is something better. So I might have had to take the hit and go Okay, this isn't the way it was really supposed to turn out. But how it turned out is actually still evolving. And I'm actually quite truthfully sitting in elements of ridiculous gratefulness and gratitude for it.

Mark Laurie: 24:48

The gratitude thing is interesting because I'm account a lot of people who are successful. And the thing I've noticed with them is, is their sense of gratitude. I've got one friend who's incredibly successful and he He's traveling retired, but he just, he just loves the game of what he does. And every time we finish up his final thing, he says, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I think I'm doing enough but but there's

Jenna Star: 25:11

a year. I'm so sorry. They're here.

Mark Laurie: 25:14

Okay, let me just put you out. Okay. Well, this is the fun of technology. We just had a short break, while some is how to get done and where we kind of came back you audience of course, notice no difference. It's a nice cut. But here we are. So manifestation is a fascinating topic. But let's leave that for now. Because there's, there's, there's so much about you. That's kind of cool.

Jenna Star: 25:37

Thank you.

Mark Laurie: 25:39

So you're, you're shifting gears from Calgary. To become more of a coach, are you? Are you heading out to Florida as a realtor? What's your? What's your next transformation?

Jenna Star: 25:52

That's essentially my plan. You know, I work with a particular company. And actually, there's a couple of them, one of them has said, Yes, absolutely. We want you to work cross border, I work for them in North America, the other one, and they're not my main by any means or the other one. I'm business development representative for them. And we've been talking about Florida. So we'll see if that placement comes through, it'd be great. I would like to continue with that. But my real estate game never goes very far. And I miss it. So even if I'm working part time as a realtor sharing listings, sharing buyers, there's a lot of realtors in Florida and realtors that I've worked with before, they're comfortable with that, as long as we're all professional. So, but Florida is not just the end of the line, it's part of the line for me in the real estate industry is something that is near and dear to my heart, I flipped multiple houses my life. I mean, I one time I move 14 times in 10 years, or 11 years or something like I've done very, very well with real estate with investing. Not so much anymore. But also at the same time. You know what I really care about my clients, when I work with real estate and I help to give I try to give them the best opportunities for what they're looking for. So we'll see what comes of it. I love the real estate industry.

Mark Laurie: 27:22

So why not? One of the things that struck me as you're chatting with these different people here, and that is you seem to have acquired a very diverse and a large networking list. Huge. That was that something you intensely started doing or you start looking around going, Oh, look at all these interesting people. How's that work?

Jenna Star: 27:42

It just happened. You know, I think being in business and just being the kind of person that I am, I mean, I very naturally am an introvert. I'm not shy by any means of word, but I love my alone time. So it's funny because every career I have had forces me to be this extrovert that sometimes I'm such an extrovert for days and days and days. At one point, my friends didn't see me for six months, because my extroverted businesses, modeling real estate business development, I was doing all of them, as well as owning my own business was so much give, give, give, give that I basically shut down a lot of the times and just am on my own. But because of that, because of all the industries that I've been involved in, and because I don't know how it is, I've always known a lot of people. Now very few are in my inner circle. Not very many people really know me, they think they know me, but they don't have

Mark Laurie: 28:43

you to find your inner circle. But

Jenna Star: 28:46

the ones that I know without question have my back, right. And they also know I have theirs. But that takes time. And that takes trust. I don't share everything of my life with everybody by any means of the word and nor is it any of their business. You know, I'm very much the way I am with you professionally or friendship wise or with someone else. I'm very much that same kind of person, but the eternal lair of this onion, not very many people. So it's it's just the way it's grown. And and I don't mind it that way. You know, I mean, I'm very private. If you look at all my social media, you know, modeling or private, nobody knows who I'm in a relationship with. They know who some of my friends are. But I don't really post pictures when I'm out very often. Do you know what I mean? So I'm very private that way. That's maybe my introverted self coming out, but it's more so because I really respect my private life very highly in my professional life. That's where the natural networking comes in. I'm just a natural networker, and I'm very much a natural person that puts other people together.

Mark Laurie: 30:01

So take a look at somebody that we know we don't call them failures. But some of the ventures are in that work. Were just hugely noticeable, misfires, we both can you sketch one out, like not too much time into it, but sort of sketch it out and say the lesson learned like how? Yeah, okay.

Jenna Star: 30:21

Well, interestingly enough for all of my successful businesses, I've never had a business partner, I've done it all on my own. Okay. And that has been one heck of a challenge. I mean, there's great things about doing it on your own. But there's really tough things about doing your own as well as having partners, of course, because that's a whole other. That's a whole other beast. But I did actually go into business with someone, oh, let me think 14 years ago, and this is the first time and I actually decided to buy into her business. Now she had the most amazing lingerie store. I loved the store, she had stuff that you just didn't find anywhere else. And actually, she'd owned it for about 10 years. And I shopped with her for about 10 years prior to this. So we knew each other quite well. Believe it or not, she knew my parents like this is a long time ago, her and I used to actually be in the same small town for years. And you know what, unfortunately, I didn't do my due diligence I didn't I looked at her books. I was in love with the dream of being able to do this. The fail that happened was the personality conflicts were so large, and I'm a mediator I like to make things work. I'm solution based, didn't work. Because if I was the only one doing the solution. Yeah, there's two that have to do the solution. This is working. And yet I knew it. I knew it. I knew she was like this. When I went into business with her. I knew she was like, This is her way or the highway. That doesn't work. Well, for me. Jenna is not my way or the highway kind of person. When I'm running my own businesses. I like to look at everything. And I like to weigh everything. I put a lot of thought and detail into it. But that was that could not I could not accomplish change in that. So I have to bow out and I lost my money. Because she didn't have the money to bind you. And I could have gone in there and said I'm gonna take this and bags and backpacks and you know what? No, I didn't. So I just bowed out. I respectfully let it go. jumped the bet a few weeks. And

Mark Laurie: 32:41

I still friends. Caption stated you lose

Jenna Star: 32:44

Unfortunately, no, no, we didn't stay friends. And it wasn't for lack of trying on both parts. But unfortunately, her ex husband at that time got involved and made it really messy. So it wasn't anybody's fault.

Mark Laurie: 33:00

It was there was a third party that decided they needed to fix things and they didn't came across the thing a while back. And they were talking about how people come into your life and some stay in some go. I think the actual friendship coach was like seven years. It's very rare to have a friendship last seven years. I'm fortunate I got several of them over that span many decades on them. And I suspect you probably to anybody who's got a tight inner circle tends to have friends of longevity, which is you didn't realize how rare that is. Today is it's it's so changing. You know, your friends because of a job connection of a social media thing kind of popped into it.

Jenna Star: 33:40

Yeah, it's so true. Isn't it so true?

Mark Laurie: 33:45

Have you had to give up anything to get where you are? Has there been relationships, opportunities that you had to choose this or choose that to your to your client, because you're a successful single singlish businesswoman right now. So what kind of things were the price to get? You know that your price maybe the wrong word? Things you had to leave behind to become to where you are now that we're hardly behind?

Jenna Star: 34:08

Well, a lot of people don't know. When I was my last business I owned like I said from 2011 to 2019. The economy in Calgary wasn't that great for the last what five and a half years now has been only in March of 2019. I sacrificed all my savings. I at many times in the trials of building that business. It was the hardest business for me to build. And I mean some months it was making 40 to $60,000 a month. Like for the first two years that I owned it. It was doing really well in the last location. I expanded it three times in five years. It was crazy. But I also did not go on vacation for four and a half years, right? Because I was working so hard within that business and working with 23 suppliers. contractors It was not easy it was a lot of work and keep in mind I was doing it all on my own. I was doing all the payroll on my own, you know, my I was invested in that business so strategically that it wasn't always the smartest moves, right. So I gave up a lot of my own life. And I have a lot of my own interests, but also financially, it was a severe struggle and I'm still still rebuilding from that, that almost that technically some community a lot of ways. The other thing that I had to give up was and this is really hard when I go to the grocery store till still to this day I'm very selective I'm vegan I'm celiac I'm very selective with what I eat but everything I eat is of a power food and health conscious try to do that on $50 a week groceries because that's all I could afford. stuff. And I did that for two years. Wow. Yeah.

Mark Laurie: 36:07

I remember a phrase from a fella was his also interoperate and he went from is that might look back at my the wreck of his life. He called it with a smile though, was he said it's up and down be so wealthy, you couldn't believe it rich with friends and opportunities. And then you know, something will go south. And suddenly, I'm live in my car, so to speak is lovely kind of came down

Jenna Star: 36:29

there. I lived in my vehicle for three months in 2010. I slept in the back of my vehicle. I I get it. That was a divorce situation on top of it like I get it.

Mark Laurie: 36:40

Yes. And that's a mindset because I find the truck owners are resilient that they don't say, here's where I'm now it's not me. I'm not a you know, live in a backseat car person. Definitely. This is simply a waystation to when I kind of find the next venue and climb back up again. And they seem to until I hit a certain Christian level where they're kind of protected from it. But it seems to be the the nature of the of the role that you've taken.

Jenna Star: 37:08

I tell you, I and it's interesting because someone said to me, don't you just want to just like work nine to five every day.

Mark Laurie: 37:17

I was I'm the same way like I, I just I just can't conceive it. And as with this course, one time, this guy walks in the coach and there's like 40 of us there. And he says, you know, she's I wouldn't hire anyone to you know, hey, we're good. Like women, you wouldn't hire us. You got a cool company. Now he says, because you guys would not be employees. You would not toe the line you would not do as I say he would he would not. And you would do with unintentional meanness like you'd be like, we'd say, why don't you this way? Well, there's a better way. I don't care.

Jenna Star: 37:51

It's true. And you know what, as an employee, I work as an employee as if I own that business. Yep. I work way too hard. I put in way too many hours. And I actually even it's interesting because I was going through some processing and change development in my own mindset. So I was searching out and I was actually speaking with this phenomenal mindset coach. And she said to me one day, she's like, would you stop trying to own a business you don't own and I went, Oh, crap. Right. I don't own this business. It's a mindset shift. Yeah, it's even working with my clients. It's a mindset shift. I have to go hands off sometimes because it's not mine.

Mark Laurie: 38:41

You're a business coach now but do you have your own coaches like you have coaches who are coaching you?

Jenna Star: 38:46

I used to have coaches that are coaching me and I don't right now I've got people I talk with and I would say definitely mentors, right. As an actual coach, I don't anymore and it only is because I haven't found the right fit. I I'm very particular when I work with a coach, they got to understand the whole my whole concept of mindset and law of attraction and because I'm in here I am a yogi and a meditation teacher and all of this stuff. That's very important to me. I can't just do full on business coaching that doesn't work for me. Your personal development

Mark Laurie: 39:32

I've with us I got coach I've been kind of working with and then there's we kept these guys I'm looking for like the great idea and this one person said no, he said, you know, your mindset is you are an idea person, you can fall into the stairs and come up with like five ideas how to do stuff. That's not the coaches you need. You don't need someone who's going to inject more ideas into you. What you need is someone who's going to help you build systems to maintain the ideas once they get going so you can kind of pass them off. Massive, massive like, ball promoting? Yeah, because you know that. And as an entrepreneur, I guess I'm not talented. In some ways I'll follow Trump over things. I've had the same business for all the time there's been changed within it, but it's always been this very linear thing was there a true entrepreneur is like yourself, buy, sell, move, change risk, as we share life? Yeah. backwards. You exist to this environment. And when you get put into a static environment, and I mean, if I'm in a static environment, I can on committees, and so I can take different roles, like I can be the leader, and I can also be the follower. But that's all pretty short term, like I've really got my own vision of how things should be done. And having hierarchies above me don't work well. Because

Jenna Star: 40:49

I know, especially and I can work with a hierarchy above me, however, I have to have a huge level of respect for them. And vice versa. not asking not saying they have to bow down to me. No, no, it's what I know what I mean. But I need to know who they are and why they do what they do, why they tick. And if they tick with the right moral code, business as well as individualistic, perfect, I can work with that,

Mark Laurie: 41:14

then I feel like it's a bit of a team, moral co that's an interesting phrase, I have encountered an awful lot. That's, that's something that I'm sensing as I hear the word has guided you, like you've got, as I've got to meet you we do some of the modeling work we've done with you in some of the other projects we've been involved in, and then reflecting that you've got a really focused moral code. Is that Is that a fair thing? Is that is that one of the one of the key things to your success? Is

Jenna Star: 41:38

that moral code? Absolutely, it is in it. And I think it really comes down to the fact that, you know, I look out for people and they don't know that I'm looking out for them. And I'm not asking for anything back. That that's just who I am. That's just naturally who I am. Whether it's business or a friendship, but the moral code for me is if you're walking over someone, especially if they're down, I can't work, I can't work with you. I can't even have you in my association, which you know, doesn't work. There has to be scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours. It doesn't mean it needs to happen right now. But what if it's 10 years down the road? You know, and I know you I call you up like 10 years of work, I've got this great idea. But it might need a little bit of your sweat equity, because but it's for a really good reason. You know what I need? I know you listen, I know you process it, you probably go, I think I can work with this. This could actually be really cool. Because it's giving back. Do you know what I mean? So that part of it is it's it's imperative for me. I've never been one of those business owners or business people who said it's all about me. Unfortunately, one of the reasons I've actually hurt myself in business is because I do what I tell my clients not to do. I ended up not taking care of me first. I don't take care of me first in business. I don't believe in that.

Mark Laurie: 43:01

Yeah. And yet, that's a really critical thing. One person was talking about that as being a self selfish thing. And then one person's twist is that you know, if you don't, you're no good to anybody to business, the company, friends, if you're falling apart, like if you can't afford to have money, you can't sustain that if you have to on the line.

Jenna Star: 43:23

You have to be balanced. There has to be balance given to big black and white business and friendships and life is in the grave. That's where the expansion opportunities of if you're black and white,

Mark Laurie: 43:39

nothing's gonna happen. Yeah, no, there's no there's no basis for it. And I like I live best in chaos like for me, chaos is an interactive my photography works the same way like as soon as your as soon as the choice is made a whole bunch of other choices disappear. So are we so great, we're gonna do nudes. Well, suddenly we don't need to have a stylist you need to have clothes in there because we're doing nudes. And outside we're gonna do black and white so anything colorful set, don't care about that. We want to do an art design. Well suddenly you're down to a plain background Well, every time we make a choice, chaos, this part of chaos disappears. Absolutely. And you said the word focus Yeah.

Jenna Star: 44:22

That's also goes back into the conversation about manifestation goes back to the conversation about what's the next steps it's focused but it has to be driven by something larger than just I'm sorry to say a pocket.

Mark Laurie: 44:36

Yeah. I've found if you are just kind of it's a you got to find the sweet spot if you're just chasing the money. It will work to a degree and and I guess depends on who you are, how focused it is. If you're just chasing a passion, I found that to cannot generate money as well. I get so involved with a passion you tend to totally forget. There's a little sweet spot there said this is my passion. Who can I talk to or connect with is going to hire me to do this passion? I guess what I've turned my photography into.

Jenna Star: 45:06

That's right. That's what I call that's when the lock and the key meet.

Mark Laurie: 45:12

good phrase,

Jenna Star: 45:14

turns it open? Right, that door is now open, but you're responsible for turning that key find the key. Yeah, it's that gray area. It's that it's that

Mark Laurie: 45:23

listing, we've got our new vision of our new website that's coming out is is portals and doorways. And so we have what we've defined into it as it is that people usually leftovers kind of go, Okay, so we Dubois photography, you'll be you'll make pretty pictures, and by the way, you'll feel better about yourself. And then for years, we've said to people that look we're gonna have we're gonna power into these great things. And by the way, pretty pictures. And we listed people we discovered that there's three types of people that come to us people who want a gift for spouses, and families themselves. There's people who want adventure a celebration, there's people who are looking for empowerment conference, changing body embracing those kind of things. So we have the empowerment is called a portal. And you'll step portal and so and the reason we've left the other stuff behind is that if you're here for body empowerment, then the environment we create and the posing and the sets we take you into are designed to build on that adventure you've got the confidence you need like I mean every every sets can have a bit of that twist to it. But this one if you're here for the adventure then we're here to bring in some really cool people like we had one client that came in to an adventure and so we had sore body paint on her we did milk throws stuff I've never done before and now doorway like you You go adventures or doorways, you sit back and say okay, I want this doorway to something amazing. And why you need the keys and so for people who say I want adventure, that's the doorway, inner spirit becomes the key as you're coming to these things. Click Blackstone, we have a gift and I thought a gift is it's a box. Like you want to walk into book open a box to see what's the magical gift that's been created. That's our three they'll require they'll require a key the person has to rise that's what do you think of a new concept or new vision?

Jenna Star: 47:20

Love it? Love it? I can see it clearly. I think it's so exciting because like you said you're literally walking through the portals and the adventures will just be expressed naturally How amazing is that? Then there is no live to that box

Mark Laurie: 47:37

it's kinda cool conversation that can really go on forever You're so fascinating and a delightful to talk to and be with.

Jenna Star: 47:44

I love chatting with you. It's so fun.

Mark Laurie: 47:49

So we've been talking to Jenna star, the intrapreneur and and modeling just really kind of all ranging cool stuff for us. If there's we'll have some connections, and we can kind of follow her and see what types of things are on Instagram and right places. So we'll have that on the bio box down below. But thank you for an incredibly interesting journey.

Jenna Star: 48:13

And I'll let you know when my podcast is going to be starting. It's gonna go all the pillow zone. And then it's everything in anything that nobody wants to talk about. But everybody does want to talk about

Mark Laurie: 48:27

like, thank you so much, and audience. We'll see you on the next one.

Jenna Star: 48:31

Thank you. Thank you so much. I appreciate your time.

introduction: 48:36

This has been fascinating women with Mark Laurie. Join us on our website and subscribe at fascinating women does he a fascinating women has been sponsored by inner spirit photography of Calgary, Alberta and is produced in Calgary by Leigh Ellis and my office media.