We had the good fortune of connecting with Jess Glazer DeRose and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jess, what do you attribute your success to?
The biggest factor behind my success is truly my ability to do the boring things that most people don’t want to do and to continue doing them on repeat (even when I may feel bored). When it comes to business, I believe that your business is not meant to entertain you. If you’re looking for entertainment, you can find a hobby, create play in your life, or unplug temporarily.

Far too many business owners make decisions in their business based solely on how they feel. Don’t get me wrong, you should absolutely check in with yourself; stay in integrity, make aligned decisions, and of course follow your purpose. We don’t become entrepreneurs to be unfulfilled or unhappy. But, my business is not built around my ever changing passions. In fact, the definition of passion is “uncontrollable emotion” and I can’t get on board with a business built on quicksand.

Since 2012 my business has been built on a solid foundation that amplifies my purpose, not my “passion of the week”. That said… When something in my business isn’t working, I do not pivot. When I get bored of my content, I do not pivot. When my competitors begin following a new trend or strategy, I do not pivot.

My ability to stay true to my vision, keep my blinders on, and consistently show up with resilience is why my business is still growing and thriving 11 years after starting (which in the digital marketing and coaching industry is practically Jurassic).

Success leaves clues and the most successful entrepreneurs and companies all say the same things:
“Simple scales and fancy fails”
“Less is more”
“Do more of what works and make it better”
“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”

Those simple mantras have been the culture of my business since day one. This simplicity has allowed me to have staying power and build a loyal brand in a volatile industry.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Digital Business Evolution is a one-stop-shop for all things digital education and marketing. We help online entrepreneurs and everyday experts build and scale digital businesses (courses, coaching, e-learning) through organic social media marketing.

DBE offers tools and tangible steps to create sustainable and scalable global impact; simply by sharing unique perspectives, learned skills, and personal zones of genius.

We work with the client who is just starting out in the ideation phase, all the way up to clients generate 7-figures/year who are focused on scaling their team.

As a former school teacher… my team and I specialize in curriculum/course build out and launching.

One of the biggest things that sets us apart from other similar coaches and businesses is our give back component. We have two main organizations that we partner with:

1. Pencils of Promise “PoP”: For every one student we enroll, we then give education to one student overseas for one year of education. As a result of our personal donations and awareness, we built & opened a school in Ghana, Africa in January 2021; and we continue supporting that school, it’s students, and the local community members who work there.

2. Operation Underground Railroad “OUR”: Similarly to our involvement with PoP, we also give back to help fund the ESD canines and after care programs

While I could go on and lists dozens of things we do differently, I want to just focus on the last piece I’m so proud of!

I believe this really sets us apart. We offer FREE continuing education for all alumni; not only do we provide a network and directory with reunion calls (all free). But, for every graduate of our programs, we offer free continuing education (trainings and workshops) monthly… for life!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a tough question for me because we’re a bit nomadic and we don’t live in or near LA. My husband and I left NYC in Sept 2020 and traveled the country in a 40 ft motorhome for 14 months while working full-time. We traveled through 27 different states and fell in love with so many parts of our country.

We currently snowbird between Scottsdale, AZ and NJ/NYC.

Scottsdale happens to be a very popular destination for spa weekends, golf getaways, bachelor(ette) parties, spring break, and other snowbirds. There is so much to offer here! From incredible hikes and great spas to luxury shopping and lakes surrounded by canyon walls. We’re only 2 hours from skiing, stunning Sedona, and about 3 hours to the Grand Canyon.

As for our other home in NYC, well come on… the spots to see are endless and the restaurants are all top notch!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I say it all of the time, but this business isn’t about me; it never was and there is no way I’d be here without some incredible mentors, supporters, and clients. I’ve never taken for granted the love and support from my amazing husband (who now works in the company with me) Mike, my parents (who loaned me $1,500 for my first mentor in 2014), my big brother (who let me sleep on his couch in NYC for a year when I was 23 and trying to build a fashion company), my childhood best friend Jess (who saw something in me before I could), and a longtime entrepreneurial friend Angela (who recommended me for this interview).

Amongst those closest to me, I’m so fortunate to have had the best mentors over the last decade: Cathy, Chris, Lori, Amanda, Lewis, & James.

I also owe so much of our impact and income growth to our talented team and coaches at Digital Business Evolution; as well as every single community member and client.

As for books, courses, and podcasts… I have too many to mention!

Website: https://www.jessglazer.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjessicaderose/

Linkedin: Jessica DeRose

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glazerjess

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessicaderose

Other: Tik Tok – https://www.tiktok.com/@iamjessicaderose Threads – https://www.threads.net/@iamjessicaderose

Image Credits
Diana Davis Stacey Poterson

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.