Jennifer “Jay” Palumbo

Jennifer “Jay” Palumbo is the Chief Executive Officer at Wonder Woman Writer, LLC, Freelance Writer, and avid Women’s Health Advocate. She is a Forbes Women Contributor and has had pieces included in Time magazine, Parents Magazine, Huffington Post, and ScaryMommy. Ms. Palumbo has covered topics such as infertility, women’s health, patient advocacy, pregnancy, relationships, parenting, being the mother of an autistic child, and more.  As an infertility subject matter expert, she has been interviewed on news outlets such as CNN, NPR, FOX, NBC, and BBC America, and was featured in the documentary, “VegasBaby.” She also contributed a chapter in the book, “Women Under Scrutiny” by Randy Susan Meyers and performed in the Cover Girl’s “Stand Up for Beauty” with Aisha Tyler. She has been highlighted as an influencer in Medium and Welum magazine.

Where did the idea for Wonder Woman Writer, LLC come from?

First and foremost, I love Wonder Woman (the 1940 – 1950 version in particular). She inspires me as she’s fierce, independent, and stands for what’s right.

When I began working freelance, client after client kept telling me that they had spent thousands of dollars on substantial PR companies to write their content or handle their social media. The problem was that PR firms either didn’t take the time to get to know their business, or they gave them stock material that did nothing to help their online presence or brand.

That’s when I realized that businesses did NOT need to spend the amount they were paying to get the results they wanted. They just needed to be matched with a writer who understood the space they were in and who sincerely gave them the personalized attention they needed. I take the energy and persistence of Wonder Woman and provide super writing for super clients!

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

Wake up, get dressed, make a ‘to do’ list for the day, grab some tea, and then sit down in front of my computer to work. I block off time in my calendar for what I’m going to work on when, often have my phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ to keep me focused, AND I firmly believe in taking little breaks here and there. My father is a retired Air Traffic Controller, and I feel like I use that mentality to my daily work: Get a high-level overview of what’s going on and then figure out the best path forward for the day.

How do you bring ideas to life?

One of my favorite concepts to creating ideas is don’t wrack your brains trying to think of ONE perfect idea. Come up with several ideas and explore each one. Just two or three to play with, brainstorm on, and that way, you can discover which of the ones you can fully and proudly execute on!

What’s one trend that excites you?

More and more brands seem to be reaching out to nanoinfluencers, and I love that. It means you’re judging someone as an influencer more on authenticity than just follower number. It can be a more meaningful relationship for your company, but also, I love shining the light on people who do solid work, regardless of how many people are following them.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Given my background in stand-up comedy and start-ups, I tend to work/write quickly. With both roles, while they may sound different, there are similar components. You have to be able to think on your feet, find creative solutions, accept that you can’t always control your environment, but you can control how you deal with it, and finally, having a sense of humor and fun always helps!

What advice would you give your younger self?

I’d tell myself that I shouldn’t try to fit in with a company when I can create my own company that fits me.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

One thing that comes up often is I firmly believe it’s never too late to learn something new or even change careers. I’ve heard things like, “I’m forty! I’m too old!” or “I hate my job, but I’ve done it for so long…” Unless you’re dead, you can always pivot and create a new path.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

The 24-hour rule. Those who have worked with me or are close to me know this rule well. If a client, co-worker – really anyone – does something that upsets you or makes you angry, don’t do anything for 24-hours (if the option exists). It gives you time to calm down, think rationally, and put more thought into how to handle the situation. It’s been a life-changer!

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Social Media has been a tremendous asset to my building. Mainly LinkedIn, which is the number one B2B social media platform. There are still too many professionals and companies that don’t see the value of social media, and that is a profound miss. You can connect with others, promote your brand, learn trends and drive traffic to your site. It also can just be fun, and who doesn’t want that?

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I sincerely can’t think of any. That’s not to say I’ve done (and continue to do) everything flawlessly. I suppose it comes down to what your goals are, and mine was to make my own schedule, be myself, only work with people who inspired me, that I learn from, or simply like working with. So, in that sense, I’ve done that. It was never about building an empire. It was about being happy and able to cover my expenses. I am, and I do!

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Thanks to my sense of humor and longing to be healthy, I’d love to create the “Sensitive Scale” that tells you your weight when you get on it. If you’ve gained weight, it breaks it to you gently and points out your positive characteristics. If you’ve lost weight, it celebrates along with you while reminding you that it is just a number!

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

Social media automation platform. It’s a huge time-saver, and you can pull metrics from it on your performance.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

For all my writing, Grammarly – without a doubt. I don’t know how I lived without it. It keeps everything I write in check.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

“How to Get Ideas” by Jack Foster (1996). It offers so much insight on how the idea process works, ways to be playful when it comes to marketing, not censoring your ideas, and more. It’s a must-read as far as I’m concerned for anyone who wants to look at creating content differently.

What is your favorite quote?

I love quotes, so this is a tough one. If I had to pick one, it’s “Live your life by design and not default.” We absolutely have more control over our path than many think we do.

Key Learnings:

• It’s never too late to be who you REALLY are.
• Being an entrepreneur means something different to everyone.
• There is always something new to discover or learn.
• Happiness in your career is the ultimate goal.
• You can create a career path that was meant exactly for you!