What Did You Do With Jill?Jill Whalen's healthy lifestyle transformation                                               

[Jill’s Note: If you prefer to listen rather than read, please scroll to the bottom of this post for the audio version.]

It’s been nearly four years since I announced to the industry I loved for 17 years (Search Engine Optimization aka SEO), that I was moving on.

In my parting message, the piece that stands out to me now is this:

“SEO was never about the money for me. It was my passion and something that I absolutely had to do. And because of that, the money came. I believe the same thing can be true for anyone who finds their passion and uses it to help others.”

Which is exactly what I’ve been doing these past 4 years.

I’ve found a new passion and am using it to help others.

Here’s the coolest part…

In looking back, I can see that everything I learned and put into practice within my old business and career, was training for what I’m doing now. Literally, everything! Yet there’s no way I could have known that or predicted it.

Isn’t it funny how life unfolds?

Bucking the Tide

One parallel with my two careers is that both my previous teachings and my current ones, bump up against the common wisdom of the day.

I mentioned this in the introduction to my book:

[My teachings] were different from most others at the time. It was easy (and not unusual) for people to be skeptical of what I taught. Particularly when 99% of the consultants were saying one thing, and ‘lil ‘ole me was off in the corner saying nearly the opposite. Yet for those who would listen and hear the truth in my simple, practical words, success was generally a given.

Finally, after a good 17 years of swimming against the tide in the SEO industry, my form of common sense, back to basics, online marketing became the norm.

What I teach today is sometimes known as the “Inside-Out Understanding.” And because of its inside-out nature, it’s the opposite of what most have been brought up to believe.

Just like what I used to teach!

I never wanted anyone to simply take my word for the SEO methods I taught. I always made a point of telling my clients and students to try things out and find the truth in it for themselves.

And now I’m saying the exact same thing to my current audiences.

Another similarity between my old and new teachings is their simplicity.

One of my superpowers is the ability to boil complicated stuff down to its fundamental, basic essentials. The irony is that many don’t trust simplicity. Skeptics abound when there’s no complexity for them to dig into.

Go figure!

In my old world, the naysayers would shout, “It can’t be as simple as making your website be the best it can be for people and search engines!”

While in my new world, I hear, “It can’t be as simple as our thoughts create our entire experience of life!”

Yet both are 100% true statements.

So I find myself swimming against the tide once again. (And loving it!)

I’m used to having naysayers. I built up a 10-inch thick skin decades ago. (Thank you, online hater trolls!) I have no problem doggedly sticking to what I know to be true, no matter how many people think I’m naive or a whacko–or both.

In fact, I relish it!

My old work has also prepared me in many practical ways.

The most obvious is my ongoing writing.

I’ve written online in one form or another since the early 90’s.  So it was a no-brainer for me to keep doing it. In all honesty, I can’t not write about what I learn in life. It’s like I was born to share whatever knowledge I happen to gain.

I also am extremely practiced at editing my work to be succinct and clear. This is appreciated by readers, and helps get my articles noticed in various venues where I post.

My business and marketing expertise have also come in handy.

From the start, I knew how to create my blog to be the best it could be for search engines and users. But, I also knew that it was realistically unlikely to build a large audience for quite some time. Therefore, I just kept plugging along, creating great content for my readers (few as they were!) with the knowledge that one day things would come together and I’d find myself with a keen audience. (I have to admit, however, that going from 20k+ newsletter subscribers to being stuck around 500 for years, was a huge hit to my ego!)

My passion for helping people on forums and social media transferred over without missing a beat.

I had been answering questions and helping online for so long that it was a normal part of my daily routine. Only the venues and the topics changed. I also learned early on that consistent helpfulness builds a natural following.

I could probably go on forever with hundreds of other ways my old work was training for my new, such as talking to leads, working with clients, consulting with companies, speaking at conferences, holding seminars and workshops–but I think you get the point.

Right now, it feels like the only reason I ever had my old business was to be prepared for the much more important work that I’m doing now.

Could this have been The Universe’s plan all along?

Hmmm….

It sure feels that way!

–Jill

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Jill Whalen

CONTACT JILL WHALEN to learn how she may help you be the best you can be.

Jill is the author of Victim of Thought: Seeing Through the Illusion of Anxiety

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For the past 20 years, Jill has consulted with companies big and small, and spoken at conferences all over the world. She is currently a transformational speaker and mentor to businesses, individuals, coaches, leaders, groups and organizations. She helps them uncover their natural well-being and happiness so that they can operate from a clearer state of mind and take their lives and businesses to a higher level.

Jill's blog, What Did You Do With Jill? is a personal account of what she's learned throughout her transformational journey. Jill has many "viral" articles on LinkedIn and is a contributing writer for P.S. I Love You.

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