Shontavia Johnson 0:07
I am thrilled to have with me Julia Rock. Julia, thank you so much for being here.

Julia Rock 0:13
Thank you so much for having me. I’m so excited to be here. I wanted to talk to you for such a long time.

Shontavia Johnson 0:18
Same I follow you on Twitter. And I’m always like, well shoot, I need to retweet that I need to write that down. I need to screenshot that.

Shontavia Johnson 0:27
So I’m glad we get to chop it up a little bit today. So I want to introduce you to folks, and then talk a little about you and your life and all the amazing things that you’re doing. Awesome. Awesome. So Julia Rock is the owner of Rock Career Development, a career solutions firm that helps ambitious black and people of color professionals break through career plateaus to earn more income and secure fulfilling job opportunities where they can truly thrive and achieve their career potential. Julia is a coach a career and leadership development coach. She’s got all kinds of certifications, y’all she’s a certified professional resume writer, certified employment interview professional, and a sneakerhead. She’s got a YouTube channel with some dope unboxings you get some wood, you just get some off white Jordans that I was excited for.

Shontavia Johnson 1:20
So um, you do a lot of things, you have a full time job. You also have a coaching practice. You have signature methods, you help your clients secure their dream jobs that they can earn more money in, plus some other things. You’ve been featured all over the place. Fortune, Business Insider, Blavity. And the list goes on and on. So what is your backstory? Like? Where did you grow up? What was your early life like?

Julia Rock 1:48
Yeah, so I actually grew up in Brooklyn in in Brownsville so. So if you listen to any Biggie song or Jay Z, you probably heard Brownsville mentioned at least once. So I grew up there. My family’s originally from Barbados, though, so you know, I come from a family of immigrants. And, and so we grew up in Brooklyn in Brownsville, and, you know, while we, you know, we lived on but we lived on a good Christian block in the hood. Right? So, yeah, the project saw that on one end, and you know, you know, the unsavory characters on the next well, we lived on the good Christian block. But it was an interesting life, you know, because my, my parents came over from from Barbados, and you know, they had to start over, you know, my dad was a teacher in Barbados, my mom was a nurse, and they came to us, and they had to start over with their GED. So, so they really had to work their way up. And so for us, it was just, they worked really hard to try to give us a better life than what they grew up having in Barbados. And so I was I was one of those kids that went to school, you know, tried to stay out of trouble as much as possible, you know, Teacher’s pet.

Shontavia Johnson 2:53
But But, but it was a lot of focus on on going to school, and trying to get a good job so that you could live a better life. Right. And so that’s, that was really what my life was, like, as a kid was really school, come home, try to stay out of trouble. And my family’s very religious, they were Seventh Day. Adventists. So, so once spent a lot of time in church, I still practice the Seventh Day Adventist beliefs. But you know, that that’s how I grew up is just a faith centered, a god centered childhood with my family. So that’s a little bit about my backstory, just just, you know, just growing up and growing up in the hood in Brownsville, with some good Christian parents.

Shontavia Johnson 3:30
Now, that’s, that’s cool. And you know, I grew up similarly, though, in the deep, deep, deep, deep south, okay. And hours, get that same thing, like you go out and you get a “good job.” And one of the things I learned when I did go out and get that good job was that I hated that “good job.” You know, like, the “good job” had six figures, it had the benefits, it had all these things, but it just was not me. So I’m wondering, like, what was your first Good job? And how did you feel about that job?

Julia Rock 4:01
So So my first like, good job was, I got an internship at JPMorgan Chase. And so that was my first taste of like, real real job money because you know, as the internship, double digit, hourly pay, I was like, Okay, alright. And then I got extended a full time offer there. And so I did that for a while. I did that for three years, and I got promoted twice while I was there. And so I was having a good career. And then I decided to go back to school because like, okay, I don’t want to do financial services anymore. I don’t know what I want to do. But let me go back to grad school. But But you know, but even starting at that point at that chase job, I was like, Okay, I’m doing this, but do I really want to do this, but I kept doing it because it’s like, hey, that’s what you’re supposed to do to have a good job and go to work and earn money. But But at that job, probably about a year and a half into that, into that job. I felt I started feeling that

Julia Rock 5:00
I don’t know, I don’t know if this is really for me. And then like I said, Well, after three years of working, I went back to grad school to try to find myself a little bit.

Shontavia Johnson 5:11
And did you did you find yourself in grad school?

Julia Rock 5:13
So it’s interesting, interestingly enough, so I went to, so after I finished grad school, I got into oil and gas, which is where I currently work now. And so I thought I was starting over. And I was like, okay, you know, learning new things, as a new industry, still doing finance, but it’s in a new industry. But while I, you know, while I was at the company, you know, that’s when I started to see things from a career perspective, where I wanted to do more good, and I wanted to start my business. And that’s where the bugs started to hit me about 20, you know, 2012 2013, where I was like, I’m doing this and that’s okay. But I’m like, there’s, there’s more that I could be, and I could do, and I could add value, especially to the people that look like me. And so that’s where it really started to hit me. Like I said, 2012 2013, and my, what I was finding myself.

Shontavia Johnson 6:05
Now, that’s, that’s really interesting, you know, like, especially when you’re Black, or I presume other ethnicities get feel this way, too. And if you’re a woman, you go into these positions, you’re probably the only one or one of you. And you kind of feel like a fish out of water a little. And I’m wondering if you felt that way? Like, what made you decide to start your business while you’re working? In this oil and gas industry, which I’ve always heard is very lucrative. It’d be all these opportunities, and all of that, how did you go from going into that field and feeling feeling pretty good about it to starting the business?

Julia Rock 6:47
Yeah, so so. So yes, oil and gas at six figures, life is great. But what really, what really kind of started it for me is like a, when you go there, you know, my team that I joined, while my, our immediate manager, she was Black, like the other analysts that were there, the majority of them were not Black. And I was like, Okay.

Julia Rock 7:46
So, so I’m like, Is it just and it wasn’t for lack of intellect or skill, because you could read their resumes, but it just like the Polish wasn’t there. So it’s like, oh, clearly, they’re not getting whatever coaching, or mentorship or information that everyone else seems to be getting? And can I help to fill that gap? Because I had started writing resumes for fun back in 2006, when I was in college, and I was just doing it for free, you know, um, and I coach one of my friends to my, to his first six figure job in 2013, as well. And so between that, and then seeing the stark difference in how black candidates are performing, I said, well, I’ve got a skill set. And my company, you know, is one of the biggest oil and gas companies in the world. And we should have the best black talent in this building. And we No, we don’t. And the question is why? And can I can I do something to help change the face of that even, you know, if my little plot of land if I start my own company, you know, can I can I do something to change that?

Shontavia Johnson 8:42
So, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur, I work with a lot of Black women who want to start businesses, they don’t think of themselves as entrepreneurs, they know they have, like some skills, they know they’re good at some things, but they’re not sure if that translates into really starting and owning a business. So did you always see yourself doing that? Was this like, you see the need and you meet the need? Or was that like, So? So I never really saw myself as an entrepreneur because, uh, you know, that’s not how I grew up. I said, go get a good job, go to college, get a good job, have 2.5 Kids love the Lord, you know, and you know, find find yourself a good husband all that and that was my life. Um, so but but now, you know, my entrepreneurship was driven by purpose, not by Oh, I want to make more money. Right. So I mean, because you can even do anything and make more money, you can always get another job if you want to make more money. For me, being becoming an entrepreneur was about I, the need that I’m seeing is too great for me to just turn a blind eye especially because it’s for the people that look like me. Obviously, I have clients of all walks of life now. But at the time, it was like, you know, I can’t stand idly by and I feel like that’s what when it comes to entrepreneurship, that’s what sparked a lot of time. It can’t just be money because because it’s a struggle.

Julia Rock 10:00
be an entrepreneur, you if you don’t see sales coming in the first day, you’re scrapping and scrounging so it can’t be just money. So for me, it was more of a purpose driven thing. Finally, it was hitting me. And it’s like, there’s a problem. And I think I can fix it. If I put my shoulder to the wheel, could I help fix it and help elevate the people that look like me?

Shontavia Johnson 10:20
Now that’s beautiful. So, so driven by purpose, you say, I see these Black folks need help. And I’m gonna be the one to help them. How did you get your first paying client? What did that look like?

Julia Rock 10:33
Man? So funny enough, are one of my good friends actually helped me to put the word out that I’m starting to charge for resumes. So if you need to get your resume together, he had some friends who are looking to get their resumes done. And he kind of just put the word out on a social media platform. And, and I was charging $30 for a resume back then. And what? I’m sorry, what year was this? This was 2013. Okay, well, I 2013 I got my first plane, resume client $30. And I remember seeing that come into my paypal account. And I was like, Oh, man. And and so so so that was an experience for me, cuz like, I’ve been doing this for free for almost a decade. And and helping people get results. And so to get someone who paid me, I was like, man, like, Can I actually do this thing? And it was like, $30. But it was an experience. But but from then, like I said, it helped me to know that, okay, there is a need, and people are willing to pay for this service. Because a they can’t do it themselves, because they’ve tried. But also even if you can do it yourself, you can always have someone do it better and position you better for success, and you try to DIY it, you know?

Shontavia Johnson 11:57
Cool, so you get that first $30 I assume you get some more $30? Did you like started? Did you like register an LLC or incorporate a corporation right away? Did you start working with people one on one? What was that whole process like? How did you figure it out?

Julia Rock 12:16
So so I’ll be honest, um, you know, I kind of started just a side hustling it, you know, so I didn’t do the LLC or anything till much later, I was just kind of solopreneuring it, bring it you know, so prior to shipping it for a while, because, you know, I had a full time job. And I would it was super, super intense. So I couldn’t really focus on it the way that I wanted to. So I was like, Hey, I’m just going to do it on the side for a while. So yeah, it was really kind of a kind of winging it upfront. And that’s why I tell so many people now especially because I have a finance background. And I’ve learned so much in business, that it’s so important to have your plan to have your projections to understand how you want to move forward, because having that will will help will save you a lot of the trial and error and the trying to figure it out. You know, if I knew back then what I knew now I definitely would have said you know what, let’s sit down and get this whole plan together versus the winging it. But like I said, at the time, I was just happy to have the clients coming in while I was while I was doing my day job, I wasn’t thinking of it, like hey, I’m gonna make it this empire like I said, hindsight is always 20-20.

Shontavia Johnson 13:26
So you’re doing that you’re working full time and what I presume is a high I don’t know if it’s very stressful, it sounds like it is high stress, very intense job, you’re your side hustling at the same time when were you side hustling and when were you working in your quote data or full time job.

Julia Rock 13:48
So So I have a very interesting schedule the way that I put it together So typically, you know people say that they would work you know, they work the full day they work eight to five and then you know then they work at night for their for their side. Do what we do.

Shontavia Johnson 15:01
No that that’s real. That is the struggle for so many, well, I won’t call it a struggle, because like you said your purpose to do it. And so it feels right to do those things. But it’s hard to balance and manage and do all those things. And I’m so curious about for you, because it is hard, and you do give up your weekends and good nights, and you’re sleeping in and everything else. Why do you feel purpose to do exactly this? Right? Because there’s so many challenges around us, there’s so many problems we can solve. What was it about specifically, helping black people, other people of color? With their careers that made you say, you know, What, this? Is it because you have a finance background, you do all these other things? How did you find that purpose?

Julia Rock 15:48
Because from from the time I was a child, I always felt like, my purpose was helping people, um, in some way, shape, or form. And I just never really knew what that was because I just liked helping people. But as I got older, I felt like, you know, I’m not meant to be Iyanla. I’m not meant to fix your life. That’s not my ministry, you know, we can talk for sure. But that’s not my ministry. But But I am able to help people elevate above where they think they are in their heads professionally. That is something I’m really good at. And I feel like especially for black people, our society has told us so much that we’re not good enough, we can’t get there, our ceiling is here. And and so for me, knowing that I’ve hustled in my own career, to break some of those boundaries, where people tell you that you can’t get to you can’t get into this room, that I know that it’s possible for other black people so that we can have the quality of life that everyone else seems to have. Because when when you change your career, and you have happiness at work, it permeates every other area of your life. Because you notice with Black people, if you don’t have enough money, you upset your relationship bad your mama mad at you the kids mad you that you know, everything is everything has just gone to hell. And so if you can fix that piece, so that you have that peace of mind with your career, and you feel fulfilled, there, it permeates everything else. And we deserve to have that quality of life and that peace of mind that everyone else seems to have. And because we’ve got the skills, we’ve got the skills, we’ve got the expertise, they want to learn from us. So the idea that we’re not in those rooms, and in those conversations and having those careers, I was like, I can’t stand by knowing that I can help that. I said, Iyanla, not my ministry, I can help you with your career, though, we can get that to the next level.

Shontavia Johnson 17:37
Now, that’s dope. That’s so like, so you help people get the next job, you help them figure out all the different things that need to happen. Is it harder now? Or is it easier now to coach people through finding jobs in the market that we’re in? Because on the one hand, it feels like, you know, it is a hard time? So maybe people are hiring. But on the other hand, everybody is on this diversity, equity and inclusion bandwagon? And it seems like looking for people color light. So is it harder or easier now?

Julia Rock 18:10
So I think it’s a mixed bag, because on the one hand, you know, it’s harder, because I think that there’s also mindset challenges that you’re trying to get over and deal with right now. Because between everything that’s happening from a racial perspective, and COVID, and the uncertainty in the election, and so forth, it’s just a lot on everybody. And but then you also have the flip side of people who are just like, you know, I know, this is the right time for me for that very reason companies are looking to hire and to diversify their ranks. And you know, or people looking to exit the company that they were in because they’ve had some level of realization, or they’ve been burnt out by their organization. And just like, you know, what, I now know where I want to go, I don’t want to do this anymore. I’m laser focused. I’m ready to dive in Julia, you know, can you help me get there? So it’s, like I said, it’s a mixed bag. People are exhausted. But I think some people are also just kind of energized. Like, I want better, because I don’t want to do this.

Shontavia Johnson 19:07
Yeah, yeah. Now, that makes a lot of sense. It does. So you It sounds like you have to have lots of different skills to work with so many different types of personalities and job types and career paths and everything else. And like we were saying at the top of the interview, you have lots of certifications. And I’m wondering how you feel about like, going out and getting trained before jumping into entrepreneurship, or did you jump in first and then get certifications? Where does the like the new training come in? If if it comes in near the beginning, the middle and the end, and have you found them helpful in the work that you do?

Julia Rock 19:49
Sure. Yeah. So so you know. So so just to reiterate, for those who are listening, so you know, I do career coaching, so career and leadership coaching, so helping folks from a coaching perspective all the way from, you know, job search strategy all the way through, you know, I have the job, I want to excel, I want to be a leader, so forth. So salary negotiation, everything in between. And then we have the writing piece, you know, resume writing, LinkedIn, cover letters, website, BIOS, etc. So I will say that I started writing resumes and everything before I got any sort of certification, because I spent a lot of time at the Career Services Office at my college to understand how resumes were constructed. And then as I went along, I continue to do research about how resumes were put together, how resumes were successful reading things about that. So even before I got the certification, I tried to stay up on Okay, well, how do you put one together, because when you when you get your resume writing certification, you have to submit resume samples, so you have to already be good enough to get the certification. So um, and then the same thing goes for for the employment interview professional certification as well, is that I was already helping people and coaching people through an interview and salary negotiation process and all of that before I went and did that certification. So I would say that certifications are helpful. Because they do give you credibility so that people know that I’m just not just willy nilly out here. But that shouldn’t stop you from getting going, especially if you’ve taken the time to study in your field to learn and have continuously tried to adapt as new trends have come out. So if you get started, you know, don’t let that analysis paralysis stop you to say, Oh, I don’t have my certifications, I can’t leave. If you know that you’re good at what you do. You’ve already gotten results. And that was my thing. I had already coached people to six figure jobs, I don’t even know certification that I’m like, like, I already have it, I have receipts.

Julia Rock 21:47
You know what I mean? Because my methods work. And so and so for those folks who maybe who may be thinking about Do I need to not leave because I have to get certifications, if you’ve got receipts, you know, you’ve got proven methods, you know, work with those. And then you can always get your certifications. And the money that you’re generating will pay for your certifications, versus you try to take money out of your pocket to go get certified and then leave. It’s like you’re already doing that, you know, coach, and then you can use those certifications to help continue to build your credibility.

Shontavia Johnson 22:15
Oh, I love that you said that. Because there’s so many people who I’ve worked with who say that very thing, they’re waiting until they get blah blah blah certification. So I’m so glad to hear you say just get started, just do the work.

Julia Rock 22:28
Right? I mean, because you’re because it’s different. If you’re like a doctor or a lawyer or something where it’s like, Okay, this is a legal issue. Like, you need to have all your ducks in a row. But when it comes to something like coaching or some other fields, where it’s like, you have to have the skill set and the methods to help people get results. And that’s what I have, you know, and what I had before I got any certification was was was the expertise and the methods, specific methods that can help people get results. And so when I talked to clients, and they wanted to work with me, it’s like, here’s what I can actually do for you. And you can position it for them without a certification. And so for those who are listening, if you have that already, why wait, you know, especially if you know that there’s a problem in the market, you want to solve? Why wait, let somebody else get in there, because you’re busy worrying about some certification, and you got to wait six months and got to get your license. I mean, you can solve the problem right now. You know,

Shontavia Johnson 23:19
beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, I’m gonna have to throw some money at the altar or something. Yeah, that is good advice. So you’ve been doing this seven years, eight years, it sounds like in the, in the entrepreneurship game, working your full time job, you also have gotten some good press, which is I mean, it makes a lot of sense listening to you, you give great advice. And there’s so many people who are out there now doing their thing, wondering how to get their brands to the next level. If you’re a person who seems to have done that, well, you’ve been highlighted in different media sites, and he’s been interviewed and that kind of thing. How does that happen? So you’re out here, you’re hustling, you’re taking clients and all that? How do you get attention for the work that you do? What have been some of your strategies? Or do they just fall out of the sky? How does it work?

Julia Rock 24:14
So so I’ll say a couple of things. So so for some of it, I did have a publicist for a period of time, who helped me to get some get some attention, because that’s what their specialty was. So, so they so I got some of that. But then also, it’s about doing the work. You know, not anything that has happened this year, and I’ve had, I’ve had features this year interviews, all of that has just purely been by me putting out solid, good content, and putting out my receipts on a regular basis. And so, you know, for people who are just like PR, I can’t afford that. You got to be your own publicist. And so certain things I’ve pitched myself. I’ve secured opportunities for workshops by just pitching and saying, Hey, this is what I can offer your organization and So you’ve got to be willing to pitch yourself and then put out solid content on a regular basis.

Julia Rock 25:06
You know, I know that, you know, I don’t have the biggest following in the world. But what I try to do is share quality content on the platforms that I’m on, so that people can say, Oh, you know, I read this article, I read your tweet thread, I want to talk to you more about that. That’s how I’ve gotten things on LinkedIn, people have seen me post things on LinkedIn and said, Hey, I want to have you on my podcast. And so it’s just about what are you putting out there on a regular basis so that people can see your expertise, people are willing to interview or to engage with those who seem to have the expertise, but no one knows you have the expertise if you don’t put it out there. And so that’s the that was the one thing after I stopped working with the publicist for a while I said, you know, if I want it to be my own PR person, how would I position myself and it’s really about putting my expertise in front of people on a regular basis that people can’t escape the fact that Julia knows what she’s talking about, when it comes to career development, you know, from job search all the way through to excelling in a company, you know, I have the skill set, but I just got to make sure that people see that on a regular basis. So that’s what I would say.

Julia Rock 26:08
And one other thing I would mention is that, you know, get help, you know, so whether it’s whether it’s a publicist, and like, you know, so I’m not solopreneur doing it all by myself anymore, I do have a VA, I do have people who are helping me to write. So get that help, so that you can focus on developing the things that will get you the attention that you want. Because if you have somebody who can cover certain tasks for you, then you can focus on preparing the content that’s meaningful, or getting ready for interviews or building your pitches or whatever the case is. So get help, you know, the straw, I’m all for the struggle and no sleep. But you know, I mean, you’re gonna burn yourself out that way. So I highly recommend for folks get the help that you need, because because you can’t focus on revenue generating activities if you’re still trying to do everything in your business.

Shontavia Johnson 26:53
Amen. Amen. Amen to that. What’s, uh, what’s regular look like to you. So like you mentioned, posting regularly, I presume on like, social and being featured on other people’s platforms? What does that look like? So like, I have my own ideas about what it means to be consistent. But what is consistency for you? Are you like on every platform posting multiple times a day? What is it for you?

Julia Rock 27:18
So so I was trying to do all things at one point, I was trying to do Instagram and Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn. So I said, Okay, where do I find myself gaining traction. And the platforms that I found myself gaining traction on were Twitter and LinkedIn, Twitter, because I’m a weirdo and other weirdos connect with me for some reason. So it’s like, okay, I can, I can connect with people there. And then LinkedIn, because of the professional space. And so I find that you’re at least posting once a day is when I’ve posted at least once a day on both platforms, that’s when I gain traction, and we all fall off the wagon, I’m not gonna sit here and say I’m perfect.

Julia Rock 27:56
But when I post consistently, at least once a day, I gain traction. And obviously, the more you can post on a given day, the better but I think at least once a day on the platform that you’re focusing on, would be helpful, I highly recommend focusing on one or two platforms Max, unless you have like a true social media guru that has some sort of algorithm life that they can figure out for you. But if you’re just doing it on your own, pick two platforms and repurpose your content, repurpose your content. So my thing was, I was trying to generate new stuff. And then I was like, man, I am wasting time. This tweet over here on LinkedIn, I’ll put my LinkedIn over here on Twitter, because again, the audiences may be different. And they haven’t seen the content. And so you know, focus on one or two platforms and start repurposing that content. And that I mean, that’s that’ll help you stay consistent, but also help your following to grow and people to get familiar with your expertise, because they’re seeing you regularly.

Shontavia Johnson 28:55
Oh, yes, definitely, man. So I preach that same thing about being consistent on one thing, or maybe two things, but right, every purchasing for sure. I love that. And so you’ve mentioned LinkedIn and Twitter as your places because you’re getting traction. So for people who are trying to figure it out all of this, what does traction look like for you? Is it followers? Is it new paying clients? Is it new people on your email list? How do you know when x platform is the right platform for you?

Julia Rock 29:30
So I would say so so it’s not it’s not really I mean, obviously, followers are nice, but it’s about people who engage with your content, share your content, and then obviously, clients so people who convert and so what I have found is that people who may not engage with my content on Twitter, they may email or book something and say, and I asked, well, where did you find me Twitter? I’m like, Man, I’ve never even heard of this person. You know, but again, they’re they’re watching and that’s why people who think about Oh, No one’s paying attention to my content, no one’s listening. People are walking, watching and listening and looking and absorbing that. And they’re just waiting for the right moment for them to say something. So that’s why you have to continue to put your content out there. But it really is the conversions. And then also people engaging with the content sharing it, because I found that some stuff that I was posting on Instagram, and Facebook just wasn’t getting anything, wasn’t gaining the conversions wasn’t getting the traction of engagement or anything.

Julia Rock 30:29
And I said, Okay, well, these other platforms, it seems like people, the content is resonating with them, because they want to share it, they want to join my email list really want to convert. So that’s how I’m going to put my efforts. And then like I said, LinkedIn, because that’s where my client would be in terms of professional looking to elevate. Um, okay, I know that my client is here. So I have to make sure I’m putting the right content on this platform.

Shontavia Johnson 30:52
Now, that’s great. And because I think so many people when they’re getting started, they think it’s just about the numbers, like you need a huge following. The my thing giving you the make six figures or better with less than 1000 followers if they are engaged,right.

Julia Rock 31:07
It’s engagement more than anything else, engagement. And then like I said, you know, seeing if people join your email list, or and then like I said, ultimately, someone will buy and they’ll never say anything to you. They’ll just hit the buy button, or book a console.

Shontavia Johnson 31:22
Mm hmm. Yeah, that part for me has been some of the hardest stuff to learn. Because I’m not a marketer. I’m a lawyer, I have an engineering degree, I don’t know nothing about marketing. So that part has been the hardest for me. What is the hardest thing for you in your business?

Julia Rock 31:39
Um, I will say that the hardest thing for me, um, is that I struggled with building a sense of community, I feel like because like you said, there’s some people who, they’re just effortless. They they’re they have these communities that are just following them, though, no matter what they say, they can put up a blank square and people just like, I want that. Anything, you know, but but for me, I you know, I feel like because I’m like, so awkward a little bit. I’m just like, I feel like I struggle with building that sense of community that other people seem to do effortlessly. So what I’ve tried to do is just say, Okay, if that’s not something I’m particularly good at, can I try to do it another way by sharing content and and sharing the positivity that just I’m used to. And I find that a lot of the positive comments and things that I put out there is just, it helps people just to connect with me. And it’s like, Hey, I really needed that, and so forth. And those are people that will then engage with your content afterwards. I’m okay with that. I’m like, I can’t do the community thing. But can I inspire people, and then that gets them to read the other stuff that I’m posting. But that’s really been the hardest thing that that community where people could just get a tribe of people who want to buy whatever they put out. That ain’t that ain’t my lane. I just, that’s not my lane. So I’m like, let me try something else.

Shontavia Johnson 32:59
Yeah, you do what works for you? Right? And it is working. And so that’s, that’s a beautiful thing.

Julia Rock 33:06
so grateful for that, for sure.

Shontavia Johnson 33:08
Yes, yeah, I’m sure. So what’s the future look like? So you’ve got like, all these things that you’re doing? What is the future of your business? What’s the next step? What’s the next product, there’s a book in the works is what will be next.

Julia Rock 33:24
So so what I’m really doing now is I’m optimizing my my coaching program, and and really positioning the messaging for for black and POC professionals who want to elevate so I’m really optimizing those packages next. So that’s what I’m working on right now. Because I redid my website, and, you know, I want to reposition those messages.

Julia Rock 33:46
And then the next thing I really want to do is provide kind of more tangible content, you know, whether whether it’s guides or ebooks or, or what have you things that people can reference. Because after you come through my coaching program, or even if you do hourly session with me, you may be in a pinch, or you need a reference guide, and I want people to be able to get that, get that expertise, and be able to reference it if they need to. So so that’s one of the things that I’ve done looking for. And I am planning on writing a book about my experience. So I would say ’21 that’s my that’s my hope, but I’m not going to hold myself to that necessarily. But that’s that’s definitely something I want to do about my experiences. Because I feel like there’s a lot that I can share about about hustling your way through corporate america cuz I tell people my corporate America’s like dope game levels. So I’m just like, there’s a certain level of hustle that you have to apply to get through corporate america and be successful. And so I want to be able to share that that message or haven’t kind of figured out all the things in the book yet but that’s that’s kind of a further out goal, but it’s really about finding my coaching programs, and then providing more tangible things so I can so people who can’t be part of my programs, or if they left that they have something tangible, more tangible things to take up. Cool, cool. Cool.

Shontavia Johnson 35:05
So before you go, I have to ask you about your YouTube channel, and your sneakers. So where does that fit? Is that part of your strategy? Or is that just like your passion? Is that just something you’d love to do? Where does it fit? Because I feel like, you know, people are so afraid to be themselves, like they real sell online. And I love to see you doing that you’re talking about shoes and politics. And that is, I mean, I think that’s beautiful. But I’m wondering where it fits, and just what your goals are there, and just how you came to the point where you felt comfortable saying, This is me, and I want you to know me. And here’s what me looks like.

Julia Rock 35:48
So the thing is, because I’ve been into sneakers now for like, I don’t know, eight years or something. So I’ve been in sneakers for a while. And it’s just something that I just might doing, you know, I’ve you know, been collecting sneakers a while, you know, I’ve gone to sneaker events and stood on the lines for seven hours and all that kind of stuff. But I’m doing all that kind of stuff. Okay, something that I think is fun. And I think it’s important for people to see that you can have a personality, and still be, you know, badass at what you do and still elevate in corporate, and so so for me, because because for a while I was struggling with that, like, what do I want to tell people that I’m, I’m into sneakers? Do I put that on the channel? Or do I put that on Twitter, because I don’t want to mix the message. But it’s like, but that’s me, I’m a person who can help you elevate your career and also your sneaker game. You know what I mean? Right, so if you want to come and talk to me, you can book a console, and we can talk about your career, or you can go to my YouTube channel and look at some sneakers. And we could talk about that too. And what I’ve been able to do with that, as well as that, especially when I talk to young people, that’s a that’s an angle that I have as well is that, you know, if you’re talking to them, about careers, and so forth, you can also tie in sneakers and things to those conversations. And then I’ve also been able to partner with, with with, with groups who are who are focused on sneakers, but also thinking about elevating the whole person. And so that has opened the door for me to have conversations about career development, and excelling there as well. So there actually have been some opportunities born out of being in sneakers that can help share messaging about career development. So I’ve had these crossovers, but like I said, it’s more important to me to just be myself. I’m a career coach who loves sneakers, you know?

Shontavia Johnson 37:36
I love it. I absolutely love it. I’ve watched like three or four videos, and I don’t know nothing about sneakers, but I thought it was dope. And I thought that, you know, it really like kept my attention. So I read that that was a that’s gonna stay part of the brand because I think it is really really smart.

Julia Rock 37:54
Thank you so much, I appreciate that.

Shontavia Johnson 37:57
Yeah, so where can people find you Julia? If they want to get in touch with you if they want to work with you, if they don’t follow you online? Where can people find you?

Julia Rock 38:04
Absolutely. So so I’m pretty consistent on all platforms. So from a business perspective on my website is www.rockcareer.com. And then on all social media platforms, it’s @rockcareer, so you don’t have to so it’s consistent. You don’t have to try to figure it out. And then if they want to connect with me personally, they can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @thejuliarock so I couldn’t get @Juliarock somebody else look @thejuliarock on on LinkedIn on Twitter and Instagram and then they can just follow up look for me on LinkedIn at Julia Rock.

Shontavia Johnson 38:41
Awesome. Thank you so much. This has been a lot of fun. I’m excited we get to connect.

Julia Rock 38:47
Thank you so much again for having me like I’m so glad we had a chance to finally chat. Thank you.

Shontavia Johnson 38:52
Yeah, so for those of you listening or watching if you have questions, feel free to drop a comment below if you’re watching on YouTube. If you’re listening on the podcast, head over to Shontavia.com and make sure that you find this episode drop a comment we’d love to talk more about careers about branding about bringing your full self into your work and into your YouTube channels.