Episodes 25-27. Full Circle Entrepreneurship: Pivoting, Purpose & Creative Alignment with Jess Blanche

The Inner Briefing Podcast

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Episode Description:

In this heartfelt conversation with my friend and media manager Jess, we go deep into what it really takes to build a life and business you love. From her early experiences to seven years of entrepreneurship (coaching, EFT, art, branding and more), Jess shares how she’s repeatedly pivoted, let go, and come full circle to create work that’s both strategic and soul-aligned.

We talk about:

• The loneliness and blurred boundaries of friendships inside the coaching world.

• Why it’s okay — even necessary — to leave a business, job, or identity that once felt aligned.

• The difference between results-oriented work and heart-oriented work.

• Why “being in the energy” isn’t just high vibes — it’s about happily creating and sharing.

• How values and self-awareness become the parameters for your happiness.

• Why consistency matters, but also why stepping stones are sacred.

Whether you’re just starting your entrepreneurial journey or navigating your fifth pivot, this episode will remind you that you’re not behind — you’re becoming.

Transcript (RAW):

Marie (00:00):
We can just start here. We’ll circle back later, but since we were talking about loneliness before we hit record, I want to come back to that. What were you going to say?

Jess (01:20):
It’s fascinating. I could relate to this even before leaving my job, but especially now. It feels almost like being on an island. Coaching makes it even more complicated — when you make friends in the industry, conversations blur between friendship and coaching. You wonder: should I be paying you, or should you be paying me? It creates this odd tension.

With most coaches I’ve known or worked with, I wouldn’t just pick up the phone and say, “Hey, can you talk me through this?” I’d want to respect their boundaries. That’s why I appreciate our friendship so much — I can message you, and you can message me, and it’s mutual. That’s rare.

Marie (03:30):
Thank you for saying that, and thank you for being such a great friend. For everyone listening: Jess is an amazing human and entrepreneur. She runs her own business but also manages my media — all the podcast graphics, social media, and video edits.

We first connected on Instagram when she joined one of my masterclasses. Later I posted about hiring a VA. Jess applied, and I thought, “You’re way more qualified than a VA.” So I hired her into a different role, and we clicked instantly.

So let’s dive into your story. Start from wherever you like — before college, your formative years, or even your time living abroad. Who were you then? Who are you now?

Jess (06:50):
…

[Jess shares her early background, growing up with church as a safe space, the pull toward seminary, and eventually entrepreneurship.]

Marie (12:10):
That’s so good. It reminds me of my own experience — youth group, Bible study — being in church five or six times a week. Why didn’t you go to seminary?

Jess (18:00):
…

[Jess describes her path into entrepreneurship, seven years of building multiple businesses, from coaching to EFT to selling art to brand design.]

Marie (24:50):
I love this. You’ve pivoted so many times, gracefully letting go of what no longer felt aligned. And now you’ve come full circle — back to brand design and authentic strategy, which is where you started. It’s like every stepping stone gave you the skills to do this work better than ever.

Jess (30:00):
…

[Jess opens up about leaving businesses even when they were financially successful, and the difficulty of saying no to things that “work” but don’t feel right anymore.]

Marie (32:50):
This is so important. Many entrepreneurs feel like failures when they lose interest in what once excited them. But that’s not failure — that’s growth. It’s not just about starting when your heart says yes, it’s about honoring when your heart says we’re done.

Jess (36:00):
…

[She shares how important consistency is, the myth that “alignment makes everything easy,” and the reality that it often just means you can handle the challenges differently.]

Marie (41:00):
I love your honesty about the coaching industry, and the reminder that we don’t always see the whole picture online. What we see on Instagram often doesn’t reflect the messy reality underneath.

Jess (45:00):
…

[Jess talks about shifting toward creative work, following clarity, and why it felt like a natural step after years of searching.]

Marie (49:20):
Stepping stones aren’t just okay — they’re necessary. What we’re doing now doesn’t have to be forever. Sometimes we’re simply in the discomfort until the internal shift catches up and the external change follows.

Jess (54:00):
…

[Jess explains how clarity eventually arrived, and how vision often comes in forms no one else has modeled before.]

Marie (56:40):
That’s beautiful. One of my coaches once asked me: “If you lived at the edge of your becoming, what would that mean?” For me, it meant letting go of who I thought I was supposed to be, and who I thought I had to be.

Jess (59:20):
Exactly. The moment you let go of the identity you’re clinging to, you realize you’ve known who you are all along.

Marie (01:01:40):
Let’s talk about purpose. You did a Find Your Purpose session with me. How has your purpose shaped over time, and how do you stay connected to it?

Jess (01:02:00):
…

[She shares about values, letting go of “should” values, and discovering what really matters.]

Marie (01:07:00):
That’s such a powerful reminder — our values are literally the parameters for our happiness.

Jess (01:08:40):
…

[She reflects on her business pivots, aura painting, creative integration, and why joy in the work matters more than fitting an identity.]

Marie (01:18:45):
Yes. Alignment is simply when what you believe, what you feel, and how you act all match. When there’s discord, it’s worth investigating, not just quitting.

Jess (01:23:20):
…

[She shares about turning 40, integrating mindset work, and the importance of honoring discomfort as part of the process.]

Marie (01:25:45):
It’s like seasoning. Growth takes time. Success is never just from what you did in the last six months — it’s from everything you’ve lived and practiced up to this moment.

Jess (01:28:50):
…

Marie (01:30:10):
And that’s what makes it so inspiring. When you’re really in your groove, you even inspire yourself.

Jess (01:32:00):
…

[She shares about current projects and what she’s inviting people into next.]

Marie (01:36:30):
I’m so excited for everything you’re creating. Thank you for being here, for being a friend, a collaborator, and for bringing so much wisdom to this conversation.