This week on She Sells Radio, Elyse is sitting down with an award-winning interior designer, successful business owner, and single mom of four. This superhero’s name is Camara Jackson, and this week she is breaking down how she built her wealth through intentional relationship building, how we can overcome the fear of promoting ourselves on social media, all while being a full-time mom.
Camara’s journey started in her earlier twenties when she shifted from her career in property management. She moved to Florida where she worked in the DCOTA, with some networking and showing off her talent as a designer, she found herself working with some amazing people. When she moved again to North Carolina and had four kids, she realized she couldn’t work for someone else.
Getting started wasn’t easy. Camara grappled with the classic stressful feeling: “Why would anyone want to work with me?” But, once she got her foot in the door, it was off to the races. When she combined her high-ticket client base with some social media work, magic happened and she was able to scale her relationships into a business.
Relationships are at the foundation of Camara’s growth. Getting on a certain level with clients is essential–there are aspects of dialing into a person on an emotional plane that will allow you to connect in a meaningful way. Perspective is important, especially when you’re a big part of this person’s life. Sometimes you know about their personal lives, their families, their fears, and their aspirations. Don’t forget that! She doesn’t recommend sending an assistant to meet with clients. Setting expectations at the outset of a relationship is important with high-ticket sales. There will be highs and lows, but there will always be a positive outcome.
Camara’s relationship with sales has evolved over the years. Going door to door and cold calling aren’t her comfort zone. She relies on finding something she can relate to. People gravitate to those who they relate to the most, so be that person on social media! She learned to market herself on social media by realizing that people can see through the B.S. Clients have seen her cry! Be authentic and show clients that you’re in it for the long haul.
Getting over the hurdle of anxiety surrounding self-promotion is a hard one. It’s difficult to grapple with the idea that you’re posting yourself for everyone to see! The truth is, no one views you as narcissistic. People crave connection–and that means with you! If they know you’re a real person, they’ll know you’re relatable. Analytics show that pictures of ourselves perform better than others. Post those pictures–you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to connect. Imposter syndrome will exist, but just do it!
When growing her business, Camara reminds us to look for quality and to be okay with giving trust to others. You CAN charge more and have fewer clients, saving time and effort while making more money.
LINKS
@stylebycamara
Welcome to shoe sales radio. I am so excited to bring you my interview today with Kymera Jackson and Camaro is just, she’s so much fun. You’re going to love getting to know her on this interview, but a little bit of background in context, she’s an award-winning interior designer out of Raleigh, North Carolina. So shout out to my hometown. That was really fun to connect with her. And we know a lot of people in common and it was really, really great to have this interview because she’s built a very successful interior design business as a mom of four kids. She’s a single mom, four kids. So for me, selfishly, I was like, tell me all the things about how in the world, you figure out how to run your business while also juggling your kiddos, because it was a lot, but I would say there were two main things that I really, really learned a lot from her on that I’m excited to share with you here.
One is how to get past the fear of promoting yourself on social media. You know, I hear this from so many women and certainly I’ve experienced it too. We can get in our own heads and in our own way and almost hold ourselves back from sharing about what we’re doing and sharing and marketing ourselves in the way we would market another product or another service, because we don’t want to come off as salesy or overly promotional or Nico testicle, right? Like all of those limiting thoughts can go through our head and you have to do it today. In most, I have yet to find a client or a business where it’s not important to promote and share what you’re doing. And so how do we do it and how do we get past the fear of doing it to make it work for us.
And Camaro has just really, really developed a great process there. And she’s going to share with you how she does it and and kind of her mindset around that. And then the other thing that I think you’re really going to take away from this is just her keys to relationship building. And especially if you are in a higher ticket sale, like she is in real estate sales, or maybe you’re selling a coaching program or just anything that’s, you know, not an easy, yes, like a $10 ebook. It’s a pretty easy yes, for most people, if it’s the right fit for them, but something that does require significant consideration around the investment, being a Ninja at building relationships is so critical and Kymera is, and she shares just how she’s done that over the years, her tips for doing that, you’re going to learn how she sets expectations to help clients kind of through the whole process of working with her, the good, the bad, the challenges, all of it.
And there’s so much goodness in this interview. And of course we get into being a mom and running your business and figuring out how the heck we do that. So there’s, I just, like I said, I’m so excited to introduce you to Camaro. There’s so much good here for you. So without further ado, let’s welcome. Camaro Jackson to she sells radio Camaro, welcome to she sells radio. I am just, I’m loving just like our pre-chat. And we’re talking about like the reality behind Instagram versus what you see what happens in real life as a woman running her business versus what goes on Instagram. And so I can tell part of what I love already about you is like, we’re going to have a real conversation about what it’s like to grow your business and sell as a woman. And so thank you for being here and being available for a very real raw conversation about that too. Well, absolutely.
For having me in, yeah. Let’s, let’s be raw, honest and real break it down. Take off the filters.
So with, Oh my gosh. I know. And part of me right now, I was sharing with you in the pre-chat like I’m a new mom. And so I’m so grateful for a filter and it’s also, it’s been a good opportunity to kind of be like, okay, I need to just like I realize now what the mom life is like while trying to grow your business. And I have way more lines under my eyes than I did four months ago. I didn’t know. They could accumulate that fast. And it’s just like, you know what we need to see what’s really going on.
You’re afraid of Botox, sweetheart.
Let me tell you, let me tell you, I have been desperately researching trying to see, like, can you get Botox while you’re nursing? And so far, I, I don’t know. I mean, if you, if you know something that I don’t know, tell me because I’m missing it. Okay. And your children are still alive. Very well. Tell you what I’m going to book my appointment right. Somehow. So we need some help too. I’m so, Oh my gosh. It’s so, okay. So already everyone loves you tell us, so tell us a little bit, I mean, you’ve got this, like award-winning interior design business. We want to hear about how you got there. Kind of like what your journey was along the way. Then we’re going to get into some of more of like the details of the actual process for you, of selling with your clients. What’s worked what hasn’t. So tell us, just tell us more about who you are and your backstory, and then we’ll take it from there.
Easy backstory. So back in my early twenties, I couldn’t put two colors together. I actually went to school and I was in property management and moved to Fort Lauderdale. And I worked in this design center called the Dakota design center of the Americas is really just $10,000. Chandelier is it’s really just for their elite. You couldn’t even go into the building if you didn’t have a designer or an architect with you. And I started to work in that building for Walker’s anger as a salesperson. And, you know, I moved to a different showroom, but some very high end interior designer saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself and started working with me and sending I’m really good at sales. So they started sending me their clients. And before you know, it, I am actually working under some amazing people in some amazing homes. And I really found a passion for it. And honestly, my craft is just, it just keeps getting better. I’m 43, I’ll be 44 next month. And I feel like I am still just getting better. When I moved to North Carolina, 2006 I had a couple of kids and then I had a couple more.
I realized when you have four, you can’t really work for someone else. Amen. Hey man, I was working as a kitchen and bath designer for mosaic and I got pregnant with Anthony and then was getting ready to go back and found out I was going to go
Quite good. Wait, I have to, how many months in, but this is so nosy of me, but yeah,
They are one year and three days apart sister, this mama was 37 driving a minivan, a double stroller. I was not happy. I was not.
I could only imagine,
Well, I guess I’m not going back to work. And then honestly, I will tell you, it is a, a God thing. A couple of people that told me I should do my own thing. I’m like, who would want to hire me? Like why no, there’s nothing great or special about me. So I put, I started a website. I did my own, which was pathetic. Nothing happened for a while. And then I got a phone call from a gentleman. I won’t say his name cause he knows who he is. And he must’ve found me on page 30 of Google and asked, wanted me to do his NASCAR bus. He had a NASCAR racing team. Yeah. That bus took a year cost. Like, I don’t know, half a million dollars because we did all marble heated floors swayed. I mean, it was balls to the wall.
Right. so right at that time, I was really crafting and learning sales and promotion on social media. So you take this really big project from an unknown, match it up with some social media skills. And then I really started to grow my audience organically. And then that brought in more business and more. And then, you know, it’s just all about relationships. I cultivated an amazing subcontracting team. I’ve gotten the best tile guy, the best HPAC, the best general contractor. Like everybody’s like, Oh, you do such a great job. Oh no, no, no, no, I don’t. They do a great job. I have the crazy ideas. Can I do this? And they tell me if I can or not, or what it’s going to cost to do it. So so yeah, that is my story. I love,
I love that it started, it went from like a minivan to a NASCAR bus to here you are, you know,
I am still friends with the NASCAR guy to this day. We actually just talked a couple of days ago. I honestly I’ve stayed friends with most of my clients. I’m actually really,
So I’m curious to find out about that for you, because I think one of the things as women that we do tend to bring to the table when it comes to sales is just that we tend to be, and it’s, this is going to sound like a blanket statement, but in general, we tend to be good relationship builders. We tend to be very relational. Tell us a little bit about how that’s factored into your success and grow your business. It sounds like that’s been a big piece of it. And if so, like how
It has been the key relationships, especially as a woman, I am dealing with other women. So we have a lot in common. They want a beautiful house. I want to give them a beautiful house. They have children, I have children. And I just, I can read people’s body language also. So I’m really good at dialing into someone and really getting on a certain level with them so that we can get through this process together. And I tell all my clients, this, you love me in the beginning because you want that product I can deliver. You will hate me in the middle. Like legit hate me because it’s taking longer than you want. There’s always issues in construction. That’s just the way it is. But it’s like childbirth when it’s over and you have this beautiful product, you’ll love me again. And then we’ll go to be friends and go and have drinks and coffee and you know, and gossip.
So it is really about relationship building and it’s not to be salesy it’s that I am in these people’s homes. I am dealing with their money. I am around their kids, their husbands, their everything. So you have to have a very good relationship with them. And that is also why I keep my business small. I don’t send my assistant out to me and somebody sees me on social media or calls me and they want to talk to me. I’m the one that goes out. I’m the one that puts my designs together. I do have a team of people behind me, CPA book, you know, that kind of thing. But people you get, what you see is what you get with me. So I also think that that has has been a little bit of a key to my success as well, doing bra I’m very real, just [inaudible] and I don’t, you know, I just let’s do this, let’s get this house gorgeous. Let’s do it.
Yeah. Well, and I think from what you shared, there’s really, there’s two key things that I pulled out and I always just try to listen for like, cause a lot of times you’re doing things that feel very natural to you that for other people may not. So I always try to listen for what are those things that as a listener I can take and start implementing. And so one of the things you said that I think is really important and it does make a difference is setting expectations at the beginning of that client relationship, because it is, I mean, if you’re like a, one-time really quick transactional sale, it’s probably not as important, but with what you’re doing with high ticket sales, there is more of that journey in that relationship. And there does, I think in every sales process and every sales cycle that is a little bit longer, you tend to have these emotional highs and lows.
And that’s something that I’m really adamant about with my clients and that I try to do on in my own business too. It’s just setting expectations of just like you said, Hey, at the beginning, here’s how you’re going to feel in the middle. Here’s what to expect. And at the end, here’s what it looks like. But that’s part of why I think that’s so brilliant Camaro is that when you look at your client attrition, right? In any business, you look at natural attrition, you, you start to like study, when do people typically drop off or when do customer service issues come up? It’s usually just because they didn’t know that they would be unhappy at a certain point or they didn’t know that they would feel anxious. Right. So love that if you tell them that it’s going to happen, then when it happens, they’re not upset. They’re like, Oh yeah. You know, she told me ahead of time.
Yeah. I’ll remind him that. I’ll remind them, remind them of that to be like, remember, it’s going to get better. We’ll be friends again,
Which is so please bear
With me. Yeah,
Totally, totally. And then just the relationship building piece and like being the face and you going out yourself, I think that’s really, especially for, for what you’re doing with high ticket sales. That is important. I’m curious to hear from you kind of your own relationship with sales, you know, we were talking in the in the pre-chat it sounds like for both of us, it’s a little bit of a love hate, but I want to hear from you, like how, how has that evolved over the years? Did you feel like you were always a natural when you first started out? Is it something you had to kind of grow into
Good outside sales person? Because I’m not a bullshitter. If I can even say a bad word,
Any, you could, I think you can say pretty much any word,
Very brave, personal that people would say differently. But going door to door, cold calling that is not my comfort zone. You come to me in and it’s, I’m very good at sales, but that’s also because I can find something that I can relate with them on. So sales has evolved with me as I’ve gotten older, gotten more comfortable with myself and also how I’ve learned to market myself on social media. So when you learn to market yourself, you know what people are looking for. So really it’s about psychology. At least it is all psychology at the end of the day, but I’ve got to tell you, people can pick up on BS. So if you’ve also got to be real, so that is a key factor. And I think that’s what has made me successful is my clients have seen me cry because something isn’t how I want it to be. Because I cared that much about it. So that’s what also makes it more, has helped with my success is that I’m in it for the long haul with them. Therefore they refer me to their friends. And it’s just one of these. Yes.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think it’s, it’s so true when I think at the end of the day, like about how overly complicated we can make the sales process. I just, to me, one of the things I think of is what makes me want to buy when I’m working with someone, working with a vendor or service provider, it’s emotion and it’s feeling like they really care about me. I mean, that’s, that’s it. And I don’t know,
This is what I used to tell people when I were, when I was training them when I used to lease apartments way back in the day, I don’t want to talk about how many years ago that was. But when I would train people, listen, apartments look the same for the most part. Right. But somebody is going to lease from somebody they like. So if they can relate to you, you can find something in common, they’re going to rent from you because really all the apartments kind of look the same. So the same applies across the board and sales. I won’t talk, I won’t name any like MLM be specific, but look at some MLMs, you know, you have so many reps for a certain line, who do you pick? You’re going to gravitate towards someone that you relate to that we always, as women wonder or surround ourselves by people that are better so that we can be better. Right. So you’re all you’re going to go towards somebody that you think maybe has, has something a little bit more that you, that you can offer. So that’s, that’s what I tell people. Yeah. As long as you can relate. Yeah.
Yeah. And I think you, I like the way you positioned that too, because sometimes I think we can swing too far in one direction where we feel like, okay, if we’re going to be helping somebody with something, we have to have it all figured out. So we almost put on this false front and what I’m hearing you say, which has felt true in my own life. It’s proven to be true in my own life too, is you don’t have to have it all figured out, but you do need to be able to help them in the area where you’re, you’re positioning yourself as an expert or somebody to be able to help them.
I don’t know, but I will get the answer. It’s okay. To not, we need to know women. We’re not perfect. We’re multitasking. And it is okay to say, I don’t know. As long as you say they will respect you more, if you say, I don’t know, versus coming up with something off the hand or giving them misinformation. So yeah.
Yeah. That’s so good. Tell us about, and I think this ties in too with just building those relationships and you talking about people, looking for someone who’s related relatable to them. So you seem to figure out a really, really good way to market yourself specifically on Instagram. And I want to talk with you a little bit about your social media marketing approach. Because I think for a lot of women, they feel uncomfortable promoting. They feel like, Oh, it’s like, I’m bragging. I’m okay. How did you get past this? And this is what I do.
Well, real estate agents or anybody. Like I try to mentor women as much as possible. And it does come across as you know, we’re full of ourselves with all the selfies or, and you know what, that’s so not true. I was so uncomfortable. And till this day still uncomfortable, promoting myself with all the selfies are pictures of me at work or whatever, but people crate that they want to connect with you. So if they see you behind the scenes with your children at dinner, they know that you’re a real person with not real problems because people don’t like to see drama or negativity, but they like to see you out there being, acting like a normal mom that makes you relatable. So you just have to get over being in your head and overthinking that you look like full of yourself by posting selfies. Because honestly that’s the way it was before.
So we ran some algorithms on my Instagram and we found that the pictures of my work, yes, it gets likes and comments or whatnot. But pictures of me get a lot more. And it’s because that is kind of what Instagram is for, but I don’t want to just promote the blonde hair. You know, I don’t want to be just the face. I want my work to stand out. So that is, that’s a tricky balance. But what I like to tell women is get over yourself, post those pictures and you don’t have to be glam. You don’t have to be perfect. It’s not about that. It’s just about having a connection. So that person says, Oh, that that person is standing a realtor friend. Yes. Stand in front of the house, take a live video of you. Don’t look perfect. Have your hair a mess. It’s okay. Because we’re moms and we’re making it and it’s, that’s, what’s going to help you be successful as opposed to always looking perfect.
Yeah. I, so I love that you shared that and it is true. Like even just in tracking my own numbers, the posts of the post of me with my mug on them, they always do better. And that, like you said, they don’t have to be the ones where you’re done up. They really did. In fact, actually the ones that are here, not at least for me tend to do better as well,
Because it’s like, Oh, she’s, she’s, it’s more real. And that in, that will make them gravitate towards you a little bit more, which will end up being more successful for you.
Yeah. How did you get past the discomfort at the beginning? I know you’re saying like you got to just get past it.
Yeah. I just did it and there would be days or weeks where I just go through my social media and delete all the selfies because, or I, because I just felt it was just too much, but honestly I just have gotten over it. That is just the way of the world right now. And as I age, I, I plan on aging gracefully and taken all the women with me and tell them how I’m doing it and still, you know, doing fabulous houses. So just get over it, just post it, do it. Yeah. I love that way to see the net. Elise is if you, Joe, you are not going to see your net, unless you job promise, you don’t know you can fly into your job. So you just got to do it.
Yeah. Thank you for sharing that too, because I think whether it’s like, you know, posting more pictures of yourself on social or reaching out to a customer, you’re terrified to reach out to, or, you know, breaking off to do your own thing. Like, I very much have kind of run my life that way too. Like you jump and then you figure it out as you go and not everybody’s wired that way. Like some people are super planners and I think you have to kind of know yourself
So scared when I started style by Camaro. I mean, we’re talking, throwing up nerves because everyone is afraid of rejection. And that was my biggest fear. I’m going to put myself out there and no one’s going to want me. And that is the worst possible feeling. And I really just had to get over that and I just did it and said, I’ll figure it out as I go along. And it’s still a bumpy road. I mean, it is not perfect. I still have not, I don’t have it all figured out, but I’m figuring out as I go.
I love that. And I’m curious too, to hear from you, this is a very selfish question for me, but as a mom of four, how do you do it? How are you figuring out how to run your big? So if you’re listening we are, there’s a, there’s a full wine glass. That’s being pulled out
To do what I do and I have four kids. I don’t know. I’m going to be honest with you. I really don’t know. It’s one of these things where when you have to do something, you just figured out and do it. Now, I’m lucky I have an 18 year old, a 12 year old, and then I have two babies. They’re six and seven. So the older ones help with the younger ones and everybody loves and adores each other. So we just, we just make it work. So really there’s no formula. You just plow through the day and enjoy the good moments when you can and cry when you need to.
But I appreciate you sharing that too. Because I think there, you know, we look at other moms on social and we think like, okay, they’ve got it figured out, like there’s a magic formula. I w I’m still waiting for the magic formula. I’m early on this sturdy. But the one thing I will say, and I’m curious too, to kind of hear if this has been your experience too, for me, one of the best things that’s been helpful has just been really getting clear on what my actual priorities are realizing that I have to let a lot go. Like I’ve made, I used to be a workout every day, girl shower, every day. I do shower most days still, but the makeup is not always there and just, you know, stuff in like business too, you know, right before I went on maternity leave and I run my own business.
So if I don’t work, I typically don’t make money. But right before I went on my maternity leave, I had to figure out how am I going to plan financially for this? And I actually looked at my business and I figured out I could take 60 hours of work a week, which is what I was doing previously and drill it into one day because I looked at what was actually making me money versus what was other stuff I was just doing. Cause I thought I had to and I literally let go of everything else. And my business actually grew while I was on maternity leave. And it’s continued to grow since I came back. So I don’t know if that’s been like, if for you figuring out how to prioritize and just like being dropping stuff has been,
I mean, I’m so blessed. I’ve had some amazing successful people helping me along the way with advice and, and one of the I’m one of the gentleman’s of huge real estate agents in the area. And he was like, Camaro, you are running yourself ragged, you need to charge more the 80, 80, 20 rule charge more. You’re going to get less clients, but there’s going to be quality. And so you’re actually going to end up working less and making more and if he was not right, so yes, you have got to learn to just let it go. My, my goal is pick my battles. I pick my battles when I can. I delegate delegate, delegate. I am such a control freak that it has been very hard for me to say know to my GC, Hey, I need you to handle this or my tall guy. I can’t make, you know, I can’t make that decision right now. I’ve got a million things, do what you want, whatever you want. He’s been my guy for years. So I trust him. You’ve got to learn some time to let that control go and to delegate and just trust that people have got you. But yeah, 80, 20 rule girl, 80 20 rule.
That’s so good. Yeah. And I think it’s part of, what’s been good about this year is it’s forced us to think differently about how we do everything and to reevaluate and say, Hey, like maybe there is, there is a different way, like you said, I could charge more and have fewer clients and save time. Right.
I would imagine, honestly, when I, when I raise my prices up, I mean, my, my clients went from, I don’t know, I’m just gonna say it out there tend to tend to three, but those three, three were bigger projects and better clients with better budgets.
Yeah. That’s and you probably feel so much happier, so much stuff.
Yeah. Because I can really truly do what I want and be creative versus, you know, being out there at the lower price range where people are just making you run ragged.
Yeah. Yeah. And I think too, there’s, there’s a certain level of clientele and this is really, this applies for all of our women listening who are in more high ticket sales where they expect to pay more and they want to pay more because otherwise they don’t trust that. It’s good. Right. When you’re selling at a certain level, there is that expectation. And it’s almost like if you’re priced too low, you’re dismissible. It’s questionable. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. And those are the ones when, when you do that, those clients are the ones that’s going to just drive you crazy with questions and drive you in circles. But if you are, if you placed yourself at this higher level, they trust you.
Yeah. Yeah. I love this. I mean, I feel like that.
Okay. Falls to do that. It takes balls to do it. So you just, again, jump and see the net. If it doesn’t work, you can, you can reduce your prices. You can dial back, but Hey, it doesn’t hurt to try.
Yeah. Well, and thank you too for sharing that. Cause I think one of the things that I’ve taken away from today’s conversation is just the it’s like taking action, try it, see what works, see what doesn’t. And I think that is part of selling as a woman is learning to be flexible and saying, Hey, like, just because this is what I’ve seen, you know,
16 year old, what he says to me, mom. Well, if I don’t ask, it’s a no,
Ooh, I like that. I like that.
He taught me something to the point to where I am even like, well, if I don’t ask, if I can put that $90 a square foot backslash, and then it’s automatically a no, so I can ask. Right. I get it. And then those pictures are amazing. And it’s like, well, well thank you, Justin. Thank you for that little snippet of
That is I that’s. That is some of the best sales advice I think I’ve ever heard. So please thank Justin for us. I want to like, get that tattooed somewhere on my body. I think that’s awesome. Yeah. Yeah. It’s so wise. So come here. I want to before we wrap, this has been so helpful. So thank you. So before we before we wrap, can you tell everyone where they can connect with you? What would be your top piece of advice for a woman who’s looking to break through her first six figures in sales,
It is going to take grit, hard work and determination. You just got to put your feet in and you’ve just got to do it. It is going to take sacrifices. It’s going to look glamorous on the outside, but behind closed doors, you are going to break down. But what you get through that, it’s on the other side that you get to, to really enjoy that. But this is not for the weak. You have to be emotionally tough. You have to be mentally tough and more important. You have to have a strong network around you. I am a single mom before, so I have a very strong circle of females that lift me up and help me. And yeah, you just got to plow through and don’t be afraid to take chances because if you don’t take a chance, nothing’s going to happen. Your life will never change. It’ll never get better if you don’t take a risk on yourself, no one will. So just do it and pray. Let go, and let God
So good. That’s so good. Thank you. I mean, this is, it’s so inspiring to me to, to hear your story and to just see another woman who’s doing it and making it work. And I, I just like, I really, really appreciate everything you’ve shared. So tell us about where we can connect with you where we can learn more. If somebody wants to see like how you do your social media and kind of learn from you there.
So, so my, I, I’m very active on my Instagram. I’m not that active on my website just because I keep, I keep people up to date on my work and trends on my Instagram style by Comera. I share stories of my life on my stories behind the scenes kids that’s more personal, but my page is going to be all about my work. And also of course, Facebook style by Camaro. And my website is style by camaro.com. Stop by everywhere.
That’s a brand that’s consistency. That is a brand. That’s perfect. Thank you so much for what you shared and just for modeling for us, how to go after what we want and take risks and believe in ourselves and figure it out as we go. I think that’s something that we’re all being called to do right now. I know I am, and I know a lot of the women listening are as well. So thank you for everything you shared sister. You’re so awesome. My pleasure. My pleasure. I’ll talk to you soon.