Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamelle Sanders.
Hi Jamelle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey goes back to working at a consulting firm years ago. During my time there, my boss kept talking to me about purpose and the huge impact my life would have on the world. At the time, I was not really paying her words any attention. After all, I had a desire to go to Wall Street and to be a Hedge Fund Manager. I thought my impact would eventually come one day through philanthropic endeavors. However, as I worked in this firm, I really enjoyed the work that I was doing. I was an associate, helping in research and development, assisting in client presentations, and even helping prepare executive summaries and other materials for major clients of the firm. As my time with that firm came to an end, I had this burning desire to start a business. Initially, Jamelle Sanders International started out as a life coaching company. At the time, everyone was a coach, and I followed the traditional route. What I learned quickly was that life coaching was not for me. Please understand that I am not saying that anything is wrong with life coaching. However, it was out of alignment for me, and I was not a good use of my skills. After working with a few clients and having several rocky years in business, I realized that life coaching was not working. Things got so bad that I was considering closing down the business altogether. It was during this time that I remembered the conversations I had with my previous boss. Also, I thought about the work I had done while being at that firm, but I still did not have the clarity that I was seeking. Finally, when the business almost collapsed for the third time, I had a conversation with one of my mentors. Honestly, I was ready to walk away from the business altogether. I was frustrated, drained, and physically and emotionally spent. From the moment this mentor started to talk, I felt the vision and the dream come alive inside of me. I walked away from that conversation hopeful. Over the next six months, I went through an extreme life makeover. I reinvented myself, and I rebranded the business. Jamelle Sanders International became a global management, consulting, and advisory firm. The business started to get attention, media outlets started to reach out to me, and the rest is history. Today, I am an award-winning entrepreneur, author, speaker, respected thought leader, and global influencer. Through my work, I have the privilege of serving clients in the public and private sectors. I created JSI to empower individuals to fulfill purpose and maximize their greatest potential through capacity-building systems and programs. JSI is recognized around the world for world-class consulting and prophetic development. Leaders in the public and private sector seek professional and transformative guidance from my firm. I work with C-suite executives, world leaders and policymakers, organizations and nations.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As you just heard me mention, my business almost collapsed on three different occasions. My first three to four years were very turbulent, and I was not sure that the business would survive. With the help of great mentors and advisors, I learned that I lacked clarity in my business. Clarity is important to the cohesion and conservation of your business. More importantly, clarity will determine your business’s cash flow. I consider clarity one of the greatest currencies of change and growth. It is one thing to have a dream and a desire in your heart. However, a dream that is not directed through clarity and intention will never be realized. I had ideas, but I did not have a clear vision of what I wanted my business to be. As I took the time to develop clarity and strategy, I discovered that I did not enjoy life coaching at all, and it did not align with my vision. On the other hand, I discovered that I enjoyed consulting and advising leaders, governments, and organizations around the world. In particular, I enjoyed leadership development, organizational development, business strategy, political strategy, political advisement, geopolitical strategy, nation-building, capacity-building, prophetic development, maximizing potential, and much more. As I formed core competencies, the vision started to take shape; I had clarity, and I started to attract every resource and relationship that I needed to manifest the vision that was in my heart. Clarity does not eliminate struggle; however, clarity will empower you with the strategy to navigate seasons of crisis, uncertainty, and change in your business. The more clarity you have, the more empowered you are to be positioned to lead at the center of change. The lack of clarity led to financial issues, client acquisition issues, bad marketing, brand confusion, and so much more. If you are not clear about what your business is, then it will be impossible to find your clients and to be best positioned to serve your clients. You cannot attract what you cannot articulate.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Jamelle Sanders International LLC?
Again, Jamelle Sanders International LLC is a global management, consulting, and advisory firm. JSI exists to empower individuals to fulfill purpose and maximize their greatest potential. JSI has almost twenty years of experience in advising clients in the public and private sectors in areas such as leadership development, succession planning, change management, vision and innovation, and legacy-building. JSI has also worked with clients around political strategy, political advisory, geopolitical strategy, and nation-building. JSI is the only internationally-awarded firm that integrates strategic business advisory with prophetic development. JSI empowers leaders to achieve both organizational excellence and the fulfillment of purpose through a proven track record. In other words, the thing that sets JSI apart is the fact that JSI is purpose-driven. While JSI believes in helping companies to profit, JSI does not believe in allowing money to get in the way of the mission of any organization, government, or nation. In addition, JSI created a new category of consulting and advisory services through prophetic development. My firm has a masterful approach to branding that allows me to infuse strategy with prophetic development to deliver unrivaled excellence. Furthermore, clients enjoy a personal relationship with my team and me. Most of all, JSI is founded on a holistic approach. I am focused on mind, spirit, and mission in everything that I do. Ultimately, I am proud of the fourteen books that I have written that cover identity, emotional wholeness, psychological revolution, the nature of the soul, visionary leadership, prophetic development, and much more. Also, JSI is an award-winning firm that is recognized and respected around the world. I am grateful that I have receipts for the impact of my work both domestically and abroad.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Ultimately, the advice that I would give to any emerging entrepreneur is to build organic relationships. One of the things that I am proud of is the fact that I built lots of relationships before I ever needed them. In other words, I approach networking totally differently than most people. In fact, I hate the term networking, and you will never hear me use it. I believe in building authentic connections with people. I never did it to try to rub shoulders or with any deceptive motive. I have always been genuinely curious about learning more about other people and the things that matter to them. In the process, I have built meaningful relationships that have been a tremendous help to me in later years. Again, stop networking to try to get close to people, or to try to pitch an idea. Just show up to genuinely meet people and get to know them. This will take you a lot further than the gimmicks so many are using in their networking strategies today. Also, find mentors and advisors early. You do not need people who are fascinated by you. Instead, you need people who will tell you the truth and hold your feet to the fire if necessary. Most of all, you will need their wisdom and advice. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Learn from the experiences of others, and you will save yourself years of heartache and pain. Finally, I would say that you need to be patient because success is a long game. JSI is almost two decades old now. However, the problem is that we have a generation that will covet my results but despise my process. Much of my success in life and business came later in life. If I had given up in the early days, I would have never gotten to where I am today. Be patient and learn to enjoy the journey. You cannot hurry change, and it is expensive to take shortcuts to success. I’ve learned from decades of experience that success will demand all of you. In other words, you will have to pour your life into it if you really want to be successful. We are not rewarded for our potential. We are rewarded for our persistence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jamellesanders.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialjamellesanders_
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/JamelleSandersIntl
- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jamelle
- Twitter: https://x.com/JamelleSanders
- Youtube: http://youtube.com/JamelleSanIntl
