This week I was finally able to share publicly that I will be a speaker at the Phenomenal Woman Conference in St Vincent and the Grenadines this April.
Woo hooo!!! What does that have to do with you?…indulge me a little. 
You see after reading the congratulatory messages on facebook and email I had a little cry, it was a big cry actually!
Just under 3 years ago, sat at my desk, in a job that was for all intents and purposes “perfect” and yet I was beginning to resent it. I imagined and dreamed about a day when I could travel internationally and do work that I love!
So to realise that dream made me a bit emotional. Yes of course I’ve worked and run my own events abroad, but there is something deeply humbling and honouring about being trusted with “someone eles’s crowd”.
I am not sure if you know but my 1st business failed-in 7 months and left my husband and I more than £20,000 in debt. Yes I made the common mistake, well 2 mistakes. It was a hair and beauty retail outlet aimed at the Afro-Caribbean market in Londonderry Northern Ireland. That was meant to be my “speciality” and yet I tried to have items in the shop for everybody and when my ethnic clients came in they had too much choice.
End result I made a paltry number of sales and the shop didn’t stand out.
I’m not sharing this for sympathy. I’m sharing this so you know I have been at that place of wanting to be different and yet ending up being the same as everyone else.
When I started my wedding planning business just under 3 years ago after the initial start up wobbles I decided to take an unconventional approach, I went very VERY specialist. I created 2 signature services….one was a wedding planning service for culturally mixed couples and the other was a Destination Wedding service for UK couples who didn’t want a cheap cookie cutter cruise ship wedding. Both groups of clients willingly paid my fee – upwards of £3000 at a time.
My business became known, clients were coming to me and sales were so much easier. The business grew naturally and I was able to help other women entrepreneurs create Signature Services and become known too.
It works. It has worked for me and for my clients. And yes it can lead to international speaking gigs!
In other words having a Signature Service is the easiest way to increase your Influence, Impact and your Income. Note the order …Influence comes 1st.
My message is simple your Signature Service is like your Google keyword, near impossible for you to be found without it.
Don’t get caught up in the thinking that you have to offer loads of options for people to want to work with you.
I make one request that You decide to own our brilliance and show it off!
I’m here to support you.
I’m really excited about what is ahead of me this year, personally and professionally and I’m happy and grateful that you allow me to share it with you.
Happy New Year and who knows I might even see you in St Vincent!
2014 the Year to Go Big!
Love & Blessings
Julia
P.S. If what I’ve shared resonates with you, let’s talk.
I have committed 3 spaces in my diary this week to speak with service-based women entrepreneurs who want my support.
This is a super focused 30 minute session where we will look at where you are stuck and help you breakthrough what is holding you back from creating your Signature Service.
Let me be transparent, I don’t promise you a 6 or 7 figure business in 6 months, 12 months or any time frame. That is something you have to want for yourself.
I DO promise to support you during the call so you can package what you do, become known, stand out and confidently raise your rates… even if other people “do what you do”.
Only if at the end of this session you want to know more – I will make a relevant offer.
If you are ready to create your Signature Service or package, and need a little objective help in taking the creative work you do and ‘packaging it’ or, perhaps you’ve got so many ideas you don’t know how to choose between them all – and following your creative flow has, at times, led to confusion and chaos rather than income and impact then snap up one of those spots!
To book your free 30 minute call email hello@juliabernardthompson.com
Julia Bernard-Thompson is The Profitable Packaging Mentor and founder of Package your Passion. Qualifying as a Forensic Scientist (MSc) in 2004 her professional career has included senior research and business analyst roles across the UK private and public sector.
Having successfully grown her own wedding planning and mentoring business Internationally in just 2 years, Julia now works across the UK and the Caribbean empowering women coaches, consultants and service-based business owners to increase their income by creating specialist, ultra high end packages from their current services.