Welcome to Milestone Moments, the show where
we explore the journeys that lead to success.
I'm Sheila Slick, your host and founder of Five
Milestones. In every episode, we will bring you
insights from the minds of entrepreneurs, leaders
and experts who will share not just their expertise,
but the milestone moments that have reshaped
their journeys and led to significant achievements.
So if you're looking for motivation, you're in
the right place. Subscribe now and discover the
milestones that mark the path to success. Welcome
to another episode of Milestone Moments in Business
and Leadership. I'm your host, Sheila Slick.
And today, my super special guest is Julie Loken.
J .D. She is a visibility strategist and she's
the CEO of the Media Casters, where she helps
visionary entrepreneurs turn big ideas into bold
visibility. As founder of CreativeCon. Chicago's
annual Visibility Summit, and host of the Get
Obsessed podcast, Julie blends legal insights,
branding expertise, and storytelling brilliance
to amplify underestimated voices. She's also
a best -selling author of the Hustle Smart series.
She's a certified life coach and the mother of
not one, not two, not three, but four boys. Welcome
to the show, Julie. Thank you, Sheila. You did
your research and obviously I'm a hoarder of
experiences and children. So thank you. That's
going to be an entire different episode. Like
we could almost even start a podcast just based
on some of the conversations we've had. You went
to law school, you got a JD, yet you're not practicing
law. You instead have built a career amplifying
other people's voices, whether it be through
media, through podcasting, even publishing. So
what was that pivotal moment when you realized
that you didn't want to practice law and do these
other things instead? So that's an amazing kind
of question. And not many people even know that
I'm trained as an attorney. I come from a long
lineage of male attorneys. Both of my grandfathers
are attorneys. My father's an attorney. Everyone
seems to be an attorney. We don't even have one
plumber in our family. And I thought to myself,
Julie, you are going to be the first woman attorney
in the family. So I'm like, OK, let's sign up
to be an attorney. I don't even know how I passed
the LSATs to get into law school, but I did.
And I would say three fourths during. Law school.
I took I went to law school part time because
I started when I was 27. I went into the workforce,
kind of realized I wanted to do something different,
was feeling my way around it. I was married and
I was pregnant and I was in my criminal law final
exam and started going into labor during my final
exam. And I was like, oh, oh. I don't know if
this is what I really want to be doing. It's
not really for me. I want to help people. I want
to do other things. I think I just went to do
this to prove a point that I could actually graduate
law school and become a lawyer because I wanted
to do this for my family. So it was a few years
of reckoning, figuring out who I was. I knew
I always wanted to be a mother, obviously, four
boys later. I didn't know I wanted to be an entrepreneur.
My father was an excellent role model as he built
a huge law firm in Chicago. But I didn't know
how to articulate it in my mind. There was no
such thing as being an entrepreneur major back
in the day. So I didn't know really what it was
until I hit about 40. And then I was like, bing,
bing, bing. That is what I want to do. I want
to be an entrepreneur. It was a long, slow process.
Being a lawyer, yes, it was a great foundation
to learn how to be discerning, how to negotiate,
how to read, how to be. how to negotiate issues,
how to look at a contract, how to communicate
with people on a professional level that nobody
else can understand. Yeah, and I didn't really
want to get into the courtroom. I didn't really
want to practice law because it is a grind. I
didn't want to work for 80 hours a week with
a little baby. So I started my own business online,
which people weren't really doing that at that
time. Sheila, and I don't know, did you have
an online business, Sheila? back in the day I
did but before I share that okay sorry I always
turn the tables because I'm a podcaster too so
I I had to warn you like I start interviewing
the podcaster so just stop me sorry no this is
great I just want to know what happened with
the exam you obviously passed it because you
earned the law degree but did you complete the
test at that moment while in oh yeah yeah yeah
I know No, I did. I slowed down that labor. It's
funny. That's the son that I was pregnant with.
He's actually in school right now for criminal
justice. This is funny. I didn't I'm getting
the goosebumps. I didn't even think about it
right now. He's a junior in college. He's studying
criminal justice and he's going to he's applying
to law school. So isn't that weird? I was in
law school. Well, it's maybe where he began,
you know, where he started being born. Yeah,
I got a B on that test. I remember I got a B
on that test. So I'm like, oh, I should have
got an A. But yeah, I had him shortly thereafter.
But yeah, that's funny. I said a male professor
or a female professor. It was a male. Yeah, a
lot of male professors. I feel like it was male
heavy for sure. Did he know you were in labor?
I'm just fascinated. Oh, probably because I was
like. Oh, well, I was huge, first of all. And
I was like, oh, God. And I was probably rocking
back and forth. And I probably looked miserable.
I was in the first row. And I was like, probably
rocking back and forth, like horribly uncomfortable,
you know. So he probably recognized that I looked
horribly uncomfortable. He's like, do you need
to step outside? And I'm like, I'm OK. I'm going
to finish this exam. So that's when I kind of
realized I was maybe. this might not be for me,
but I, I recognized three -fourths through law
school that I didn't choose this for myself.
I was trying to prove a point, but I had to finish
because that would be ridiculous if I didn't
finish law school. And then I started my, really
started my family and it just didn't make sense.
You know, as I graduated and walked through the
podium, my father, who was an attorney, he handed
me my diploma and I had to tell him I Didn't
want to be an attorney. And that was hard, but
he understood and has supported me ever since.
So you'll get to meet him in February. Yes, because
I am attending CreativeCon and I look forward
to meeting you in person. Yeah. So your question
to me was, did I ever do online e -commerce?
Yeah. So my first business. I was always meant
to be an entrepreneur because I'm a fourth generation
entrepreneur. And I thought, you know, just talking
about business and being part of the business,
I would sometimes work summer jobs in the family
business. All my grandparents had businesses,
my parents. So I thought that was just part of
the normal conversation. So for me, it was what
kind of business do you want to do? Now, my husband,
he's also. an entrepreneur. And actually one
of his two majors was entrepreneurship. So it
was a match made in heaven. It was just a matter
of what company are we going to start? And he
had a business plan in hand by the time he graduated
college. And that business has yet to be formed.
But opportunity knocked and we found ourselves
moving overseas. And our first company was a
cultured marble manufacturing. And my second
company that I co -founded, because I got pregnant
during that first one, didn't want to be around
chemicals and factory and construction sites,
was with my grandmother and my mother. And it
was a retail jewelry company. But when the internet
was introduced, it was a window to the world.
And I was living overseas. So I was like, well,
how can we export our designs using this fascinating
new tool? And I became so fascinated, would be
the word, by this new window to the world that
it actually led me to learn how to code a few
years later when the mobile application was introduced.
And by that point, I was a mother of two. So
I started creating educational apps. I had wanted
a master's degree, but being a mother and having...
You know, the company overseas, it was like,
are you having a midlife crisis is what they
would ask me. And I said, no, I've always just
wanted to break my own glass ceiling. Now, not
with a law degree, but with a master's degree.
None of the women in our family had achieved
a master's degree. I self -taught myself pretty
much how to code. And before you knew it, I started
making apps. But I was a jeweler with mother
and grandmother. So four years into that, a university
called me in and said, NASA is having a hackathon.
And we know that you are someone that has learned
how to code. Can you participate? And I thought,
a hackathon? NASA? No, no, no. And next day I
went in after my kids were like, mother, you've
taught us that you can't fail if you don't try
and you're not trying. So to our surprise, NASA
gave us a global honorable mention. That's how
I got into IT many, many, many years ago. And
that's what I do today. That's my story, Julie.
That's an incredible story. I love that. When
you said you realized that you didn't want law,
that that's what you're. You know, family, perhaps
kind of like with me with entrepreneurship, that
was what you were meant to do. I think that's
a common pattern sometimes with parents, right,
is, oh, this is what you should do. I raise my
kids differently, which we had that conversation.
It was in today's day and age, right? Do you
do you? What works for you? You don't need a
college degree if you don't want one. You can
do just fine with a master's or a bachelor's
or go for that Ph .D. I think that the world
has changed so much in these decades that there's
opportunities. Right. And I have even told my
kids because I think since I've graduated college,
it was just so natural that you go to high school
and you go to college. There's no ifs, ands or
buts, at least how I grew up and where I grew
up. And now I see it so differently because the
idea of college has become such a business. Now,
I've had one graduate from college, one's in
college, one's getting ready to go to college,
and I have one in the backseat. You know, he's
still young, but not necessarily. I think every
college isn't for everybody. And I wouldn't be
sad if one of my kids decided not to go to college.
They need a direction. But I think entrepreneurship
is such a big, big component now. I think these
kids have ideas if they have a mentor, if they
have a vocation. And Gary Vee, in a conversation
I had with Gary Vaynerchuk, he was one that really
opened my eyes to it. Just in today's world,
you don't necessarily need to walk out with $200
,000 of debt and you're working at. McDonald's,
no offense to people who work at McDonald's,
but walking out with $200 ,000 of debt and working
a minimum wage job is very commonplace these
days when you really have an idea, a spark surrounding
yourself with people and a vocation or you have
an idea. There are so many other options now
besides college. I think we were, yeah, college,
college, college, but kids aren't making the
money or doing the things they really truly want
to. That being said, I'm not sure college is
for every single person these days. And I think
men or women, we really got to listen to our
hearts. What do we love to do? Because I've seen
so many people miserable in those golden handcuffs
for so many years that are in that job, in that
job, and they hate it. How many friends do you
have that complain about their nine to five and
they can't get out of it because they need their
benefits? They need their health insurance. They
have their 401ks. There's no escape. They have
those golden handcuffs. There's no escape. They
didn't listen to their heart. And they've lived
that life. And, you know, they have regrets.
So I don't want at least my children to live
with those regrets. Nor you. You got to think
about you, too, now that the kids are growing.
Yeah, I don't live. That's one thing I don't
live with. I don't live with regrets, obviously.
With my introduction, you can tell I just jump
in with two feet, as long as I'm not making anybody
else suffer with my decisions. I want to learn
more about how you amplify underestimated voices.
What does that mean? And what's your why behind
that? I technically I'm a media strategist, so
I see things that other people don't, especially
people in business. I'm a PR strategist, plain
and simple. I work with all businesses from Fortune
500 companies to people who've worked in the
White House to reality television stars to solopreneurs,
just the whole gamut. But I elevate their voices
through not social media, but earned media. So
the difference is social media. I feel like I
make people angry when I say this. Social media
to me is the lowest hanging fruit. Everyone can
do it. And you are pretty much brainwashed to
just be on social media 24 -7. You lose so much
time. You think, oh, you're going to become famous.
You're going to become rich. But it's really
the earned media. It's getting in the press,
in the mainstream press that really elevates
your brand reputation. That's where I elevate
them. Why did I get into this? Well, I'm a journalist
at heart. I love writing. My background is in
journalism. That's what I went to school with.
I've always been a writer and I've always elevated
other people because I technically, if you really
want to go back to it, I never had a voice. I
was always told to shut up. Not by my family.
My family always elevated me, but I was always
quirky, weird, not weird, but I was always. and
loud and like, ooh, and different and always
just, you know, I just had no filter, really.
I just said what I thought and was very creative.
And people just didn't get it. Everyone wants
to follow a certain line, and I just didn't.
I would be like, let's do this, let's do that.
Still to this day, people say that, and I decided,
you know, I'm going to let my voice shine. I
like to see other people's voices shine. And
I love to see people's voices shine on a really
big scale. That's why I do what I do. So now
give us one trick, one action we can take to
get out of the social media and live with that
bigger, better opportunity that you mentioned.
And you really don't, I mean. You do need someone
like me consistently, but you don't need me.
You can do your own PR if you want to. For example,
you can go on X, aka Twitter, and you want to
become friends with journalists. So Twitter is,
if you like social media, and I'm, you know,
I'm telling you to go on social media. If you
like social media, look for the hashtag journo
requests, hashtag journo requests. That's J -O
-U -R -N -O -R -E -Q -U -E -S -T -S. And that's
a great hashtag. If journalists are looking for
quotes or experts, they are on Twitter and you
can just see maybe they're looking for you and
just pitch them. Pitch journalists or go on muckrack
.com. That's where all the journalists are. I'm
verified on muckrack. And find the journalist
that speaks to you, your expertise, and that's
where you can pitch them. Start pitching journalists.
Don't tell them all about you. Know what they're
talking about. Send them a short snippet, whatever
you're doing, whatever you're an expert with.
But become friends with those journalists. And
those are two little snippets. And I'm happy
to give you some more so you can put them in
your show notes if you want. Anything you want
to share on my share notes. So now let's talk
about CreativeCon. My favorite topic, by the
way. Well, it is coming up. And I'm so excited
I get to meet you in person. So I want to hear
all about it. How did this concept come up and
what made you want to create it? This is its
third year. This year is really the explosion
year. And it is like planning a wedding every
single year. And I'm not kidding. It is one time
a year live event. We have a beautiful venue
downtown Chicago. Perfect location. That's besides
the point. But we have a gathering of entrepreneurs,
small businesses, solopreneurs who are looking
to up level their businesses and brands who are
looking to be around real thought leaders. who
are looking to meet and touch, not touch in a
creepy way, but touch thought leaders and network
like heck. Network, network, network. Because
one thing I know is all the conferences I go
to, it's like you sit there in a seat, you listen
to person after person after person, pitch, pitch,
pitch, pitch, and then you go home. The biggest
thing I take away from most conferences is the
Rolodex of network of people I meet at the most.
You forget everything else. So I want to eliminate
that velvet rope. I want you to meet people,
have conversations with people, even the people
on stage, and create a community. It becomes
the community thereafter that you have not just
that day, but thereafter. People that you can't
quit. That was the onus for me by going to all
these conferences. It was five years ago, six
years ago. I started in my head and brought on
Dom Domaski, and we slowly brought a team we
trusted, and it's grown. And now this year, Jim
Quick, the renowned brain coach, David Meltzer
is coming again, Justin Guarini from American
Idol, Kim Walsh Phillips, just VaynerX, the president
of VaynerX, Gary Vaynerchuk's partner, going
to be there. Great amount of great speakers.
And it's for entrepreneurs and small businesses
who want to level up in a very personalized way.
So the event begins on a Friday. There's a networking
event on that Friday. Then it's all day Saturday
and it runs through Sunday. Now, I got the VIP
ticket, so I'm really excited to be able to join
some of these events. And the venue looks absolutely
stunning. So where can the audience? Learn more
or buy those tickets to be able to join us at
CreativeCon. Well, if you want to meet Sheila
Slick in person, join us. Get your ticket because
Sheila's, first of all, going to be there and
she's a VIP. We're going to roll out the red
carpet for her at www .creativecon .com, C -R
-E -8, the number eight, T -I -V -E, con, C -O
-N, dot com. CreativeCon .com. And it's going
to be amazing. And every person feels like a
VIP when they walk through those doors. It's
going to be super fun. A lot of surprises, a
lot of snacks, fun, networking, and amazing thought
leaders that you will get to meet personally.
You will leave a changed person entrepreneur.
Before I let you go, I want to learn all about
your podcast. So you have three podcasts. I do.
I have three podcasts. The first podcast is called
Get Obsessed. It is the flagship podcast in my
arsenal of podcasts. It is a personal development
podcast. It has been just a joy to do that. My
second podcast is called the Creative Entrepreneur
Podcast. It is a reflection of my love for business.
I do that with my partner, Dom Domasky. It is
a reflection of CreativeCon as well. It is branded
with CreativeCon, and we've been doing that three,
four years, I would say four years. And the third
one is a true crime podcast, which really has
not launched because it's an investigative podcast
about an unsolved murder here in the suburbs
of Chicago. So stay tuned because we're going
to solve that murder. It's called Murder in Morton
Grove. So you're going to put your legal hat
on for that one? Well, it's more like investigative
journalist hat. You know, just trying to figure
out who murdered these two high school girls
back in 1979. And I pretty much know who did
it. But, you know, you need the evidence. You
can't convict somebody without the evidence.
And that's the sticking point. And the sad part
is I want this solved before the families die
because it's 45 years old. That's the sad part.
So you are using your legal hat. I heard you
use the word evidence. That's legal terminology,
Julie. Maybe I am. Maybe I am. My last question
is, what is the one thing that you think most
people get wrong about building authentic visibility
today? I touched on it a little bit. Social media
is important. It is a component. to building
a brand. You need it. It's great to build your
domain authority. I'm not diminishing that, but
it's not the only thing. People forget about
earned media. You need to have a Google knowledge
panel, which means Google recognizes you. You
want to be able to be searched. If people can't
find you on Google, you know, why are you building
a business? So don't forget the other things.
Earned media, getting in the press, getting on
TV, getting... exposure on many different levels.
So do dabble in social media, but don't focus
totally on that. Well, thank you so much for
joining me today, Julie. Thank you, Sheila. It's
been amazing. I adore you and I'm honored to
be here. Thank you all for tuning in to another
episode of Milestone Moments in Business and
Leadership. Until next time.